September 19 - 20
A Resource Guide to Make the Most of Your Career Fair Experience
Hello Fellow Wolverines,
We are super excited for the 2016 SWE/TBP Career Fair and we hope you are too! There
will be around 370 companies attending this year’s fair and we are confident it will be a
success.
This is the 3rd year for the Resource Guide, and we aim to provide a one stop guide with
information about key dates, advice, and tips to help you make the most of our career fair.
This guide includes information from recruiters, the Engineering Resource Center, and
fellow students. Hopefully this guide helps make the Career Fair less daunting and
enhances your experience.
The weeks prior to the fair can be stressful and overwhelming. Right now you are
probably cleaning up your resume, editing your cover letter, and rehearsing your elevator
speech. We know exactly how you feel, as we are looking for jobs too. However, we are
enthusiastic about the fair and the companies attending this year. These recruiters have
traveled from all over the country and are very eager to hire talented Michigan Engineers
like you!
Organizing and directing the 32nd Annual SWE/TBP Career Fair has been an amazing
experience, and we wish you the best of luck! Go out and
“Find the Key to Your Success!”
The 2016 Career Fair Directors,
Alexa Cichon, TBP
Eve Gendron, SWE
Christine Joseph, SWE
Phillip Yang, TBP
Produced by:
Design by: Madalyn Purcell
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Sponsored by:
Secrets to Success from Recruiters
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Research the companies you want to speak with. Have a general
understanding of the company’s industry before speaking with
recruiters during the fair.
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Have a clear idea of what you are looking for. Review your
short-term and long-term goals to ensure that interest and
desires will be met for both parties.
3
Having a good GPA isn’t enough. Set yourself apart from others
by getting involved in student organizations and having a
leadership role that helps you grow and develop your “soft skills.”
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Dress for success! Looking and acting professionally shows
recruiters that you are ready to work in a professional setting.
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Stay calm and be yourself. Having a calm dialogue can go a long
way in creating a more natural conversation.
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Develop a concise and intriguing elevator speech. It’s a great way
to introduce yourself and get your conversation off to a great
start.
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Send a follow-up email to recruiters thanking them for their time.
This small guesture displays gratitude and professional kindness
and can speak volumes of your character.
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Don’t be discouraged if you haven’t heard anything right after
the career fair. It often takes several weeks for companies to
contact you for an interview.
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Key Events
Career Fair
Dates: Monday, Sept 19 & Tuesday, Sept 20
Time: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Location: North Campus
Grad Reception
Date: Sunday, Sept 18
Time: 3:00 - 5:00 pm
Location: GG Brown Atrium
Undergrad Reception
Dates: Sunday, Sept 18 & Monday, Sept 19
Time: 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Location: EECS Atrium
SWE Professional Development Day
Date: Sunday, Sept 18
Time: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Location: FXB
Sign Up: $5 deposit in the SWE office (The Bullpen: 1226 EECS)
Event Type: Resume critiquing, mock interviews, and seminars presented by companies such
as Intel, Capital One, and Rockwell Foundation. Lunch & t-shirt will be provided. SWE
members are prioritized, but all students in the College of Engineering can sign up.
September 2016
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Corporate Information Sessions
SWE
Tuesday, September 13
Whirlpool - 6:30 pm, 1003 EECS
Thursday, September 15
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center - 6:00 pm
Sunday, September 18
3M - 5:30 pm, 1014 DOW
Pratt & Whitney - 6:00 pm
Monday, September 19
Moog - 5:30 pm, 1940 Cooley
NVIDIA - 5:30 pm
Citrix - 6:00 pm, 1012 FXB
Wednesday, September 21
NetSuite - 5:30 pm
Jet Propulsion Lab - 5:30 pm, 1500 EECS
Chevron - 6:00 pm, 2166 DOW
Twilio - 6:00 pm
TBP
Monday, September 12
ZS Associates - 5:30 pm, 1017 DOW
BASF - 6:00 pm, 2150 DOW
General Electric - 6:30 pm, 1013 DOW
Tuesday, September 13
Barr Engineering Co - 5:30 pm
Whirlpool Corporation - 5:30 pm, 1690 BBB
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles - 6:00 pm, 2150 DOW
Cummins Inc. - 6:00 pm, 2505 GGBL
Wednesday, September 14
Air Products - 6:30 pm, 1005 EECS
Consumers Energy - 7:00 pm, 1006 EECS
Thursday, September 15
General Mills - 5:30 pm, 1303 EECS
The Lee Company - 6:00 pm, 1005 EECS
Lear Corporation - 7:00 pm, 1003 EECS
Monday, September 19
Uptake Technologies, Inc. - 5:30 pm, 2153 GGBL
National Instruments - 6:00 pm, 1014 DOW
Echelon Consulting LLC - 6:00 pm
Exponent - 6:30 pm, 1570 DOW
Tuesday, September 20
Textron - 5:30 pm, 1690 BBB
Amazon - 5:30 pm, G906 Cooley
Andressen Horowitz - 6:00 pm, 1003 EECS
Citrix Systems Inc. - 7:00 pm, 1014 DOW
Wednesday, September 21
Raytheon - 6:00 pm, 1005 EECS
The Engineering Career Resource Center (ECRC) will also be hosting a variety of events
to help you prep for the Career Fair. These include company days, resume critiques, and
seminars. Please visit http://www.engin.umich.edu/college/about/cal for a full
calendar of all ECRC events.
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Preparing for the Fair
Don’t Let Your Year Keep You From Going
Attend the Career Fair even if you're a freshman or sophomore! There are plenty of companies willing to
hire younger students.
- Olena Huang, TBP
Go to Short Lines if Looking for Your First Internship
First Internship: Go to the short lines to maximize the number of companies you can visit. If
there is a company you really want to visit that is popular/will likely have a long line, go really
early or really late.
- Amanda Sugai, Career Fair Chair
Recruiters Attend Receptions
GO TO RECEPTIONS! Seriously, if you're nervous about the Career Fair or just want a chance to get to
speak with recruiters for more than 2 minutes during the fair, come! This is your opportunity to get to
know recruiters on a personal level, find common interests, and make them remember you and save
your resume during the fair! Recruiters are people so if you don't know where to begin a conversation
ask them about themselves (major, which office the work in, if they have pets, hobbies, etc). Happy
networking!
- Becca Cohn, 2015 Career Fair Director
Research, Research, Research
Do your research on the companies you’d like to talk to. Find the position within the company you’d
like to apply for and illustrate how your skill set will allow you to excel in that position.
- Grace Cravens, SWE
Update Your LinkedIn
Make sure you keep your LinkedIn profile up to date. Connecting with recruiters through
LinkedIn helps and throws a professional light on your interests. Also, generally people do
check LinkedIn and how active you are to gauge your abilities. It doesn't hurt to walk this
extra mile! LinkedIn is basically everything that you would want to put on your resume but
couldn't because of lack of space!
- Devyani Kalvit, Career Fair Chair
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Advice for the Big Day
Dress the Part
You want to be professional and give off a great first impression, so dress the part.
Gentlemen: Suit and tie is the best way to go, or maybe break out that sweater vest, but
make sure to wear a collared shirt.
Ladies: Suit coat is a plus with either a skirt or slacks, or pull out that power dress. Be
mindful of neck lines and length of your skirts/dresses. Also avoid heels - they make for a
painful day of walking and standing in lines.
Hand It Over
You will be shaking a lot of hands on the day of the fair. Here are a few tips to a great first
impression.
1. Make eye contact.
2. Firm but don’t over squeeze.
3. Timing is everything. Don’t make it too long or too short. Shake up and down 2-3
times. It should only last 2-3 seconds.
4. Illustrate your confidence by introducing yourself in a calm, cool, and collected
manner. Make sure you speak loud and clear.
5. Sweaty palms are a no go. Keep some hand sanitizer on you or wash your hands
before stepping in line. As a last resort, wipe your hand on your pants or skirt before
stepping up to talk to a recruiter.
Attitude is Everything
Be confident, interested, and don’t forget to smile. Recruiters won’t be concerned about you
forgetting to turn in your homework or that you missed 3 blue busses to get to north campus,
so put on that happy face. Stay calm, be patient, and let the real you shine through. Be
enthusiastic and interested in their company and stay engaged.
Be Memorable
Recruiters will be talking to thousands of students throughout the day, so make sure to
make that connection. Connect with the recruiters on a personal note or try to make
them laugh. Give something unique about yourself to make sure you’re memorable.
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Interview Tips
Use sites like Glass Door to find out more about the companies and their interview techniques to gain
insight of what type of interviews they conduct. Are they more technical or behavioral?
Talk to friends about what types of interviews they have had in the past. Even ask them to practice with
you. You don’t have to have exact answers, but it gives you an idea what they will be like and will prepare
you and help you stay calm.
Here are some example questions that are commonly asked:
Why are you interested in working for us?
Why should I hire you?
What is your biggest strength/weakness?
Tell me about a challenge or conflict you faced
& how did you dealt with it.
Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years?
How do you handle stress or pressure?
Tell me about your leadership experiences.
What questions do you have for me?
STAR Method
The STAR interview method is a common format used by recruiters to gather information about specific
aspects that the job may require. STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, Results. These question often
start with “Tell me about a time when….” To answer these questions follow the STAR method:
Situation: Explain the situation. The interviewer wants you to describe a challenging situation
you found yourself in.
Task: What did you need to achieve from this situation? What was the end goal?
Action: What did you do? How did you complete the task, why did you approach it that way,
and what was the alternative?
Results: What was the final outcome? Were you able to achieve your goals? What did you learn?
Writing Your Elevator Speech
Keep it short. It should only be 30-60 seconds.
Make sure to include your name, year, and major.
Follow these four topics to pull it all together:
Skills: Include your experiences and skills you bring to the table.
Confidence: Show off your strengths & why you are a good fit for this type of job.
Goal: What are you looking to gain?
Motivation: Why you want to work there/what you want to gain.
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