Your Guide to Navigate Fall Recruitment

The fall semester has arrived! Here’s your chance to do great things. It starts with your new fit, a proactive attitude, and this guide to walk you through securing a job for next year.

Below are tips for navigating the fall recruitment season:

Know your recruitment timelines.

Finance Recruiting: August - October

• By October, many finance firms fill their summer internship and full-time opportunities for the next year.

Tech Recruiting: September - December

• Larger tech employers will typically recruit between Labor Day and winter break. Their goal is to fill the majority of hiring needs during the fall semester.

General Recruiting: August - December

• All industries recruit for both summer interns and junior full-time employees in the fall. September and October are usually the months when employers host info sessions, one-on-one chats, and other networking events for students.

Visit your career center. Don’t be one of those people who never visits the career services center on campus. Your career center’s staff can revise your resume, connect you with alumni in your interested field, and confirm recruitment times for different industries. They’ll also recommend employer networking events that you NEED to take advantage of. This is one way that people secure a job before graduation.

Go to career fairs. Make time to research and attend the career fairs on campus. There can be multiple fairs for general interests, specific industries, and on-campus jobs. Always be on the lookout for information from your career center about what companies are going to be present.

Research companies. What do they do, what are they looking for, and what skills do you need to get noticed? Look at the company values; do they align with your employment values?

Update your resume. When’s the last time you updated your resume? Here are some tips and a template to get you started. Don’t show up to the career center or fair without a resume in hand!

Network. As the saying goes, “It’s not about what you know, but who you know.” However, what you know is still important. Don’t be afraid to talk to people. Even if someone is not in your field, they can still add value to your recruitment process. Put yourself out there and make those connections!

Practice for the interviews. Research common interview questions in your field and practice answering them. Are there any questions you tend to get stuck on? Work with your career center, an alum, or mentor to help craft your responses. Your career center may also conduct mock interviews, giving you additional opportunities to polish your interview skills.

Keep in touch. You will inevitably get contact information from recruiters. Utilize that information to send followup communications to recruiters via LinkedIn or email. Be careful not to bombard recruiters with too many messages. Be purposeful; update recruiters on your professional development and job search. Give them space to respond and apply the advice that they give you.

Make a plan. It’s important to outline how you want to take advantage of the resources around you. Make those appointments with career services. Keep your resume updated. Go to career fairs and networking sessions.

Finding a job is a job, so get to work!

Explore open roles here.