THE WORST MISTAKES TO MAKE AT RECRUITING EVENTS
The obvious:
Not making eye contact and listening … while in large open recruiting sessions it is very easy to get distracted, that being said do not begin looking around or for the next available person to talk to as this can be extremely obvious. Make sure to focus directly on the conversation at hand; the engagement and energy you put into the conversation will often times be replicated by the recruiter.
Not waiting your turn … when there are only so many recruiters and a ton of eager students ready to get a word in, often times you can be put in an awkward spot of waiting for your chance to make an impression. Don’t let that first impression be a bad one by disrespectfully budding in mid-conversation with a recruiter and another candidate. Wait your turn patiently and make the time you are with the recruiter matter.
Not introducing yourself … it can be very easy to forget to mention various topics you wanted to chat about with recruiters, but if there is ever one thing that is crucial not to forget it is your name and a solid handshake. Even if you jump into a conversation late or forget at first, it is never too late to exchange names – whether that is halfway through or at the end of the conversation.
The easy to miss:
Overselling yourself … with everyone in the room vying for the same job you want, it can be easy to fall into the trap of overselling yourself and trying to prove to recruiters why you should work there over anyone else. Unfortunately this can actually be perceived as a lack of confidence by recruiters. Instead, focus on asking them unique and memorable questions and building a rapport through common connection points.
Not researching the company … make sure that you take 30 minutes ahead of the event to sit down and prepare yourself for speaking with recruiters from companies you are interested in. This can be a great way to stand out from other candidates and ask thought provoking and relevant questions beyond a simple “what does your day to day look like?”.
Talking down previous experiences … recruiting can often times bring up past work experience, some that you might have found challenging due to your team or tasks given. Regardless of what you are thinking in that moment, never negatively speak on an experience, this can be seen as a major red flag, instead only reference things you did to help the situation from a lens of positivity.
Visiting your “favourite” company first … most OCR events will have multiple companies in attendance and there will most likely be one company that you would prefer to work at. Instead of making a b-line to your favourite company, warm up with companies you aren’t as interested in and move over to your preferred company once you feel more comfortable.
Taking up too much of their time … once you start a good conversation it can be difficult at times to know when to leave. That being said, avoid clinging on to the recruiter to the point of annoyance. Other people are likely interested in talking with this person, and, whether you make a good impression or not, the recruiter is not just there to talk to one person. End on a high note and make sure you notice when the conversation slows down and the recruiter begins to lose interest.
Not following up … you’ve had a great conversation and are about to take off but now what? How do you turn networking into a job? The first thing you need is a basis of contact, whether that be email, a phone number or LinkedIn. You can get this from a simple “I have really enjoyed chatting with you, what is the best way to get into contact with you if I have any more questions?”. From there, follow up with a thank you and any questions you have regarding the position.
For some to-do’s during recruiting season, make sure you act natural, stay relaxed and be yourself. Recruiting is no easy task, it may take several tries and recruiting events to get yourself an interview – try to remain patient and positive.
Stay tuned for our next nucleus article covering the worst mistakes to make in interviews!