26 July 2018

Students

FAQ

Why participate to the Career Fair?

  • Interact with potential employers for an internship, a project or a job! The first step in establishing a strong professionnal network!
  • Get to know better the labour market and the companies working in your field.
  • Obtain privileged information about a company directly from its representatives.
  • Better position your skills in function of what employers are seeking.

How to prepare yourself?

  1. From the participating company list, identify those that work in your field of study and take the time to visit their website.
  2. Identify your skills and experiences related to the companies that you have an interest for to better introduce yourself to their representatives.
  3. Prepare related discussion subjects that you would want to discuss about with them.
  4. The companies are there for you, by being prepared you will have more meaningful interactions with them and you will leave a good first impression
  5. Be curious, do not hesitate to talk with representatives from companies that you might no know. You could easily be suprised to learn about unique career opportunities that you might not have been aware of!
  6. Practice introducing yourself in 15 to 30 seconds. Use the past, present, futur technique (« Last year I did… right now I am… in the futur I want … »).
  7. Dress appropriately and practice shaking hands.

What to do the same day?

  1. Be strategic. Prioritize companies that seem interesting to you and start with one or two companies that were at the bottom of your list. This will allow you to practice asking questions and you will be more confident with other employers.
  2. If there are many students talking to a company, try to come back later. This way, the employer will be able to focus his/her entire attention on you.
  3. Pay attention to the questions being asked by other students in order to avoid asking them again.
  4. You can bring your resume or even have business cards, but not all companies will be looking for them. The main objective of the event is to inform you about the companies and their opportunities. The information you will gather will come very handy when it's time to start your job search process and to better guide your career choices.

How to approach the employers?

Introducing yourself in 15 to 30 seconds :

  • Name
  • Engineering field (specialization, research field,…)
  • Name a few skills and experiences relevant to the company (few seconds)
  • Current situation :
    • I am looking for an internship taking place during the summer
    • I will graduate in May
    • I have graduated (I am available immediately)
  • Examples of question :
    • I know your company works on…
    • What do X engineers do within your company ?
    • What kind of engineers will you be looking for in the upcoming year? What specific skills are you seeking in your futur employees ?
    • What is the best way to apply within your company ?
    • Do you have open positions at the moment? I saw positions open right now on your website and I have a few questions...
    • Do you have a business card or LinkedIn to keep in touch?

Be prepared to answer these questions :

  • D you have your resume ?
  • What type of job (or internship) are you looking for ?
  • Waht fields of X engineering do you have an interest for ?
  • What is your experience up to now (projects, internships, volunteering etc.) ?

After the Career Days...

  • Follow up with the representatives with an email or a phone call. Thank the employer for the time given to you during the event, ask a question or two and give your resume!
  • Try to write a personalized cover letter with your resume to show a strong interest.
  • If you could meet a employer, do not hesitate to apply to a position nevertheless!

Volunteering

Volunteering during the Career Fair offers the following benefits :

  • Develop your skills and improve your resume.
  • Connect with comapny representatives.
  • Get to know other involved and interesting students.
 
If you are interested in volunteering during the Career Fair, please contact journees.carrieres@clee.polymtl.ca with a mail titled "Volunteering"
 
 
The schedule for the volunteer will be announced the week preceding the event.
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