You just went to the Career Fair. Now what?

I hope you all took the opportunity to attend the NSBE/SHPE Career Fair this past week. First I want to give a shout out to the National Society of Black Engineers, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, and the volunteers that made this year's career fair such a huge success! I think I can speak for all of us when I say we are grateful for the hard work and time you put in each year to help so many students get jobs and internships. If you didn’t know, this event is completely student run and organized. So next time you see any NSBE or SHPE members, be sure to say thank you!

If you attended the career fair, the next step is to interview with your top companies. I wanted to remind you of some of the resources we have here at Rensselaer that you can use to help prepare yourself. The Center for Career & Professional Development is located on the second floor of the Darrin Communications Center. There are tons of people who work there who can help with resumes, cover letters, or give you some tips for interacting with employers. Another resource is the Archer Center, which is located on the second floor of Academy Hall. They are a fantastic resource for interview preparation. The people who work there have experience with employers and teach all of the professional development classes here at RPI. They can go through mock interviews with you, assist you in navigating with the differences between behavioral and technical interviews, and give you some tricks for phone versus in-person interviews. Your first interview can be quite daunting, so I suggest talking to professionals to help guide you.

Another great resource that many students forget about is upperclassmen! Most of us have been through at least one interview during our time here at RPI. We can help give you advice about how specific companies normally conduct interviews, or just talk you through some of the things you are worried about. We have all been there and are all here to support each other in getting jobs. Remember, as much as you want a company to hire you, you want them to be a good fit for you as well. Be sure to always ask them questions so you can determine if you would enjoy working for them.

As always, feel free to reach out to me at pu@rpi.edu and I will do my best to answer your questions or point you in the right direction! Good luck!