Staying Competitive During your Job SearchLiz Arnold, University Programs Specialist

9/16/2011

Agenda

● Career Development: a life cycle view

● Career Fair: Before, During and After

● Interviewing: Before, During and After

● Offer Process: Best Practices

● Resources

● Q&A

Career Development Process

Career Fair - BEFORE

PREPARE + KNOW THYSELF● Know your key strengths and skills● Prep your resume + elevator pitch

○ Be able to articulate those skills

REVIEW, RESEARCH & TARGET● Review list of companies on Career Fair website● Research the firms that you are interested in pursuing● Create a target list of firms and positions

PRACTICE!● Elevator pitches take work + finesse● http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXZBFo1bqDs

Career Fair - DURING

IMPACT● Introduce yourself

effectively○ Use your prepared

elevator pitch○ Eye contact, hand

shake + SMILE● Ask 'relevant' questions

○ Demonstrate your company research

CHALLENGE YOURSELF● Approach companies you

aren't familiar with○ Practice on them if not

in your field○ Risk vs reward

FOLLOW-UP● Keep a list of contacts● Send follow-up communication, if appropriate● Follow instructions on how to apply to jobs/events● Prepare to interview!

○ Interview workshops○ Mock Interviews

Career Fair - AFTER

Elevator Pitch Practice!

http://www.alumni.hbs.edu/careers/pitch/

Interviewing - BEFORE, DURING + AFTER

LOGISTICS● Confirm who, when, where (+directions)

RESEARCH● Research company, position + industry

KNOW THYSELF + DEMONSTRATE FIT● Think about your experience and how it fits company

○ Skills + Culture

FOLLOW-UP● Thank you note(s)● Continued contact

HANDOUT

Google Technical Interview Tips

● Review the fundamentals: algorithms and data structures● Use your strongest language and don't use pseudo-code. We want

actual code. ● Prepare to use a whiteboard.● We’re interested in how you approach problem-solving. Think out

loud. Ask questions. State assumptions and reasoning. Mention various approaches.

Offer Process - Best Practices

TIMELINESS ● Check and return email/phone messages promptly

(generally 24-48 hours)

KNOW MIT RECRUITING POLICIES

HELP US HELP YOU● Be honest with us if you need more time or are considering

other offers

FOLLOW-UP● Contact your recruiter if you have any questions or if

anything changes regarding your availability

MIT Resources

● GECD - Career Services

● Faculty

● Department Admins

● Clubs & Associations

● Alumni

● Family & Friends

Questions?

Google Students on Twitter: www.twitter.com/googlestudents

Google for Students Blog: www.googleforstudents.blogspot.com

Google Students YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/googlestudents

For more information on engineering opportunities at Google, please visit:

www.google.com/students/eng

Google Plus: http://plus.google.com (http://gplus.to/lizarnold)

Thank you!