Do This to Prepare for Career Fairs - Knockout Newsletter 2/28 ??

Do This to Prepare for Career Fairs - Knockout Newsletter 2/28???

Welcome back?to the?Knockout Newsletter, brought to you by?The?Final?Round. Every other Tuesday, we send you insight to help you?knock out?the competition,?advance?past the final round interview, and?grow?in your career.

Thank you for joining us in the ring.?Let’s?go.

-Bryan Hanley ?and?AJ Eckstein

What’s New?

How to 'layoff-proof' your job, from 6 top recruiters at Netflix, McKinsey, Walmart, and more

AJ published another?Business Insider Article ?in which he reached out to 6 leading recruiters to share advice on potential layoffs. Recruiters from PwC, Walmart, Lockheed Martin, Netflix, and more shared how to safeguard your job.

Since the start of 2023, more than 108,000 employees in the tech industry have been laid off (source: layoffs.fyi). While you can't control external factors that may impact your job, you can take action to make yourself a more valuable and secure employee.

In light of the current job market, AJ asked some of the previous recruiter guests: "What advice would you give employees to strengthen their job security as some companies are undergoing layoffs?"

Read the Recruiter responses here

Feature in Growth Hack Your Career

AJ was recently featured in a video by?Growth Hack Your Career, discussing proper networking techniques that will allow you to?successfully land that job offer. “GrowthHackYourCareer” was created by?Bogdan Zlatkov , an ex-LinkedIn employee and author of The Ultimate Guide to Job Hunting, ranked #1 on Google.

In this short video, AJ focuses on:

Proper outreach methods when networking

How to leave a lasting, memorable impression

1. The best ways to follow up

Click?here? to watch the full video

Become Career-Fair Ready

Around this time of the year, most students begin receiving emails about upcoming?career fairs. A career fair is a great opportunity to meet potential?employers,?network, and?learn?about new industries. Because they’re such a great opportunity, it’s important to prepare for them?well in advance. Here are some?steps? to get you?started, helping you make the most of your time at a career fair:

1. Do a deep dive into the companies attending. Even if you think you have a broad understanding of what a company does, taking another (deeper) look could truly go a long way. There may be many different investment banks for example, but understanding how they differ from each other and finding out which interests you the most will be vital. In doing so, you’ll know which companies best relate to what you want to do, and will help you ask the right questions when you meet with employers or employees of certain firms.
2. Have your resume handy:?this is a really important point. Whether virtual or in-person, having an updated resume available is essential at any career fair. This may involve creating different resumes depending on the different types of firms you are recruiting for. Contacting your career office and meeting with campus advisors are great ways to ensure your resume is ready to go ahead of time.
3. Practice your elevator:?Prepare your 30-second to 2-minute elevator pitch ahead of time, outlining who you are, your background, and tailored experiences. Your elevator pitch should be tailored to the company/industry you are applying to. Be careful being overly-prepared since you may sound robotic, such as memorizing your elevator pitch word for word. Be sure to add some personality to your pitch, too!
4. Network and ask questions:?on the day of the event, be sure to ask good questions. Chances are, you won’t have too much time with most employers, so be very efficient with your questions and get creative! Furthermore, network with not just the employers there, but other students with similar interests. Building these relationships could help you with interview prep down the line.
5. Follow up a few days after:?following up after a career fair is essential. Remember, these employers are taking time out of their day-to-day to talk to you and learn more about you. Be sure to thank them for their efforts. Furthermore, when you do provide that follow-up message, add some individuality to it. Add a talking point you found very interesting about their company to make yourself stand out.

What if I’m Not Currently in School?

If you’re?not currently in school?and?don’t have access to a college/university-held career fair,?there are a still actions you can take to learn more about firms outside of career fairs. Whether it’s?alumni events, networking through LinkedIn,?and/or?discussions with family/friends, be sure to make use of the resources you do have to learn more about potential employers. It’s also important to consider that many firms host?discussions?and?webinars?on LinkedIn, discussing roles and opportunities within their firm as well as what it is like to work there. Be sure to?follow employers of interest on LinkedIn, and stay tuned for when they offer these events.

Highlight Quote

In?Episode 20 ?of The Final Round Podcast,?Daniel Botero , former Recruiter at PepsiCo, discusses the best ways to excel in a?career fair, and truly?make the most?of the little time you have there. Know that employers spend tens of thousands of dollars to attend career fairs. They WANT to meet you and HIRE you, so make it easy for them to do so.?Be unique, be interesting, be likable,?and most importantly,?be yourself.

Business Buzz

McKinsey’s Plan to Cut 2,000 employees

McKinsey & Company?recently announced plans to lay off?2,000 employers, or about 4% of its total workforce. McKinsey’s growth has been nothing short of exponential in recent years, jumping from?28,000 employees in 2018?to?45,000 today. It is important to note, however, that?no client-facing roles will be affected.?Therefore, this doesn’t directly impact those applying to client-facing consultant roles. The firm, instead, is reducing its headcount of non-client-facing roles to restructure its support systems in a?post-Covid world.

Management Consulted ?does not believe this job cut will have any influence on recruiting cycles for this year in terms of client-facing roles. Nonetheless, it is important to note that the firm has placed a growing emphasis on?profits?after rapidly growing for the past?decade. Even though no job cuts will be imposed on client-facing roles, hiring may become?tighter?and?more competitive.?This especially holds true as tech and banking?layoffs?continue.

This means?it’s essential for you to stand out in the recruiting process. Take that extra effort when it comes to networking. Perfect your?story, update that?resume?and commit extra time to?interview prep, especially those case interviews. And while you’re at it, be sure to visit all our?resources , including our?Layoff Care Package , to help you get past the?Final Round interview.

The Final Question

Do you have an upcoming career fair? How are you preparing for it? Let us know by leaving a comment below!

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Written by?Bryan Hanley ; Edited by?AJ Eckstein