Pointers for Actuarial Evening

There are too many colleagues from my company have volunteered to go back for the recruiting event. As a result, I'm not going back to Drake for the recruiting event this week. I am always looking forward to be an evangelist of my company. Besides, it's always fun to go back to Drake to meet all of my friends and professors again. However, the time for recruiting is not billable, which means that, if I was going for any of the recruiting event, I have to work more hours in the other days of the week to make it up.

So, it's okay, I hope I can go for the one next year---if I wait long enough ;).

Though I'm not going back this year, I do have some pointers to share with my friends who are still in college and looking for internship and full-time employment.

1. Get a nice shirt and iron it---That's the basic. For the last three years, I've seen some people who wore their national costumes during a recruiting event! Though it's good to be a purple cow in the business world, save your unique costumes for the cultural event. You want to present yourself as professional and business-like.

Though someone would tell you to dress business casual for the recruiting event. It is okay to wear your suit. (See, this is a better way to stand out. I bet there will only be less than 10% of the students are wearing suits for this event).

All right, if you are really worry that your friends may laugh at you because you are taking the recruiting event too seriously by wearing your tie and suit, you can just tell them that you are going for a dinner with someone important afterwards.

2. Prepare what you are going to say---what you say to introduce yourself matters, especially to people that you've never met before. Create your own 30 second elevator speech and practice it. If you do that, you will feel more confident because you know you did your homework (not all, at least part of it).

And if English is not your first language, be sure to introduce yourself slowly (but not too slow) and clearly so that the company representative can understand it.

3. Eat something first before the recruiting event and be there EARLY-- You are right, some finger food and refreshments will be provided at the event, but you are there to meet your potential employers. And if I was there, I don't want to shake hands with people who did not wash their hands after they finished 10 hot wings, some broccoli and cheesecakes. Somehow I feel that the refreshments are for the recruiters.

If the event starts at 4pm, be there at 3.40pm. You may have to line up to sign in. And after you get the "map" which tells you where the specific companies are, use a pen to circle out and number the companies you really want to talk to. You cannot possibly talk to all of the companies within 3 hours. So be selective!

Ryan, do you have anything add on to what I've written?