6 Tips for Landing A Great Job from Top Startup and Enterprise Recruiters

A big thank you to all of the job seekers who came to the New Tech Northwest job fair two weeks ago. The next job fair will be on January 25th in the evening so more employed & senior level people can join us. So far T-Mobile, Mercedes Benz Research and Development, Galvanize, and Affirma are confirmed as employers for the January job fair. If your company is interested in participating please contact us.

It’s always encouraging to see a good turnout at events like these, and even more so when we get positive feedback about the caliber of this year’s attendees.

While at the event, we had a chance to speak with recruiters from Chatbox, Microsoft, BECU, T-Mobile, RealSelf and Prime 8 for some candid inside advice. Here’s some of what they had to say:

Chatbox -Know what you want before you come to a job fair. When you’re talking with a recruiter, find out as much as you can about the company or a specific role as you can. There may not be a vacancy straight away, so keep your eyes open and be selective about the jobs you apply for. You want to make sure that they’re a good match for your experience and career goals.

Microsoft - Before you come to a job fair, have a crystal-clear understanding of why you’d like to work for a specific company. Don’t be vague. Have an elevator pitch ready and promote the fact that you’re eager to be a part of what that company is achieving. If you’re unemployed, turn that into a positive by using your time to hone your skills by taking online courses on cloud, or getting certifications on Azure, for example.

A company like Microsoft is just looking for great people who are passionate about what they want to do, so even if you don’t have a lot of experience, there are many roles that you can grow into. And don’t forget to bring a resume!

T-Mobile - We see a lot of amazing candidates at job fairs, so it’s important to prepare so that you’ll stand out from the crowd. Look in advance at the company’s careers section online to see what jobs are available, and if you see a possible match, let the recruiter at the job fair know. The most successful candidates are the ones who know what they can bring to the company and communicate that desire and ability effectively.

If you’re transitioning in your career or you don’t have a lot of experience, be open to accepting contract roles. These roles may be temporary, but they help you get your foot in the door and can often lead to full-time opportunities.

BECU - What we like to see in candidates is an ability to demonstrate enthusiasm and a passion. Can they tell us about a pet project they’ve created on their own? Can they direct us to something they’ve done on GitHub? The less direct experience someone has, the more they need to make up for it by demonstrating this kind of focused enthusiasm.

Prime 8 - When going to a job fair it’s important to be concise. We typically only have about three minutes to speak with each job seeker, so they need to make an impression quickly. After they’ve applied for something online, we always encourage candidates to connect with us via LinkedIn in order to establish an individual relationship with a recruiter.

RealSelf - First and foremost, when you’re at a job fair, show interest in the company and what it does.

I can’t say enough about the importance of networking and going to a lot of networking events. It’s important to stand out, for sure, but also make sure that you’re aiming at the right kind of company.

For example, you might like to work for a smaller company where you can take more ownership of a project that has direct business impact. And no matter what, if you reach the interview stage, don’t forget that it’s a chance for you to interview the company as well, so be prepared to ask questions.

Thanks to all of these recruiters for sharing their expertise. Hopefully it will help you on your next job search or you can share with a friend or colleague looking for a job.