Research. Be Proactive. Ask questions. Take notes.
The Career Forum is an excellent Career Exploration opportunity. This is your chance to gather information about employers and organizations. Many will be participating in the On-Campus Recruiting Program, others will not. We have over 130 employers representing a wide variety of industries. The recruiters you meet at the Forum are professional and well versed on their industry. Treat this as you would any research project. You are looking for information regarding the industry, the organization, the department. Be prepared, take notes, and enjoy the forum.
Be Prepared----
- Research the employers before attending. Lists, profiles, and links to all participants in the EMPLOYERS ON CAMPUS section of our jobs page.
- While resumes are not necessary at the Forum, some non On-Campus Recruiting employers may ask you for a resume, especially if you are an alum or GSAS student. Have a friend proofread your resume for typos, and if time permits, an OCS counselor will review it during our daily walk in hours at 54 Dunster Street.
- Talk amongst your peers about strategies for approaching employers.
- Prepare what you want to talk to employers about. After researching employers and/or industries, prepare two or three good questions.
- Dress ranges from casual to business, your choice. Employers are expecting the majority of students to attend the Forum between classes, so casual dress is fine.
At the Forum ---
- OCS staff will greet you when you arrive at the Forum. You will be given a bag to collect information and materials about the employers/organizations. You will also be given a Career Forum Supplement and up-to-date lists of those employers who have opportunities for GSAS students as well as opportunities abroad.
- Always be friendly and polite. Where possible greet employers with a hand shake. Be aware of your body language.
- When you approach employers, tell them your name, school, concentration, class year.
- Prepare what you want to talk to employers about. After researching employers and/or industries, prepare two or three good questions.
- As with interviews later on, this is not the time to be laid back, but to be confident and proactive.
- Show your interest in the employer or the industry especially as it relates to your concentration, research you have done, or programs you have been involved in while at Harvard.
- Be a good listener.
- Ask good and pertinent questions.
- Let employers know what your interests are.
- Employers realize that for most students this is their first approach to their career search. Don't be shy. Let employers know what skills you have developed while at Harvard, activities and programs you have been involved in while at Harvard, and how those experiences relate to the positions they are looking to fill.
- Either in the beginning of the conversation or at the end, ask employers for their business card. If none are available, get their name and email. Most employers will have lists for students to leave their name and email. This is your opportunity to make contact with them. Networking is key to any job search!
- Take notes!
REMINDER – If you submit your resume to an employer and that employer is participating in the On-Campus Recruiting Program, in order to interview with that employer when they are on campus, you must submit your resume through the eRecruiting process as well.
After the Forum ---
Follow up with those employers who are not participating in the Recruiting Program. For others participating in the On-Campus Recruiting Program, attend their information meetings and programs that they are sponsoring on campus. Apply to employers through eRecruiting.
