Week 6Preparing for Interviews

Introduction & Expectations

Employers will not typically come to you; you have to go out and create opportunities for yourself to land that dream job. The career fair is an occasion to create opportunities, but how do you do that?

This week we'll take a look at ways to stand out at a career fair and then how to follow-up with a thank you note and take action by applying for a position.

Follow-ups are as important as first impressions.

Dr. A.J. Metz Facilitator

Preparation for Week 6

The focus this week will be on creating opportunities. What you do at a career fair and how you follow-up can be key to finding a job you love. Researching a company beforehand, strengthening your resume, and practicing your elevator pitch are great, but if you don't follow-up, your fabulous first impression could remain just that, a first impression. Your goal is to have a lasting impression.

Reflect on your experience at the internship and career fair. What went well? What challenges did you encounter? What jobs or companies did you find interesting? Why? How can you follow-up with them to make a lasting impression?

One assignment this week is to write a thank you note that you could use as a follow-up to the career fair or as a template for future use. See Thank You Note (CD12).

Another assignment for this week will be to explore your career path matches in the MyIDP portal. See Exploring My Career Path Matches (CD13).

Research Development

Continue your work on LIterature and Patent Reviews

We think it's taking extra time to complete the literature and patent reviews. Please use this week to catch up on these assignments. Next week we'll be covering business reviews, so please catch up this week if you can.

Matrix Mentoring

Learning Objectives

Explore how your personality type and interpersonal style may be influencing your professional relationships (e.g., mentoring; faculty-student)

IntroDuction

Traditional perspectives on mentoring conceptualize the relationship as unidirectional. For example, mentors provide mentees with emotional support, facilitate professional development, and offer career or educational opportunities. Often overlooked, however, is the reciprocal nature of mentoring - there is a mutual benefit. This reciprocity can be realized when mentor and mentee better understand that who they are influences their behavior, interpersonal interactions, communication, and ultimately, the working alliance. This week, you will be expanding your perspectives on mentoring relationships by exploring your personality type and interpersonal preferences.

Readings / Activities

Take the 16 Personalities Assessment Tool: https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test

The 16 Personalities Assessment Tool is a free online test originally based on the personality theories of Carl Jung. It is modified version of the more commonly used Myers-Briggs Typology Indicator (Myers Briggs Website ). This is not a diagnostic test, but the results will provide you with some insight into your preferences along the following 4 dimensions:

1. Extraversion – Introversion - how you prefer to gain and expend energy
2. Sensing – Intuition - how you perceive information
3. Thinking – Feeling - how you generally process information and make decisions
4. Judging - Perceiving - how you apply the information you process

VIDEOS, Tutorials, & Class Recordings

None This Week

OverView of Assignments

See Pre-Class Readings above. After completing the 16 Personalities Assessment Tool, please complete the reflection questions located here: How Does Personality Type Influence Your Relationships?

Supporting MaterialS

!! Career Development

Learning Objectives

Reflect on what went well and what challenges you encountered at the STEM internship and career fair
Build professional relationships by following-up with recruiters
Learn about the components of an effective thank-you
Improve your interviewing skills and speak with confidence
Explore career paths in electrical engineering

IntroDuction

Writing a well-crafted career fair follow-up e-mail will move you to the front of the line for a job interview. But how do you write an e-mail that makes you stand out to the recruiter? See the reading below titled, "The Right Way to Follow Up After a Career Fair."

In previous weeks we've touched on how to make a great first impression at a career fair by researching the companies that will be attending, dressing for success, crafting an elevator pitch, and having a strong resume. The video below titled, "Job Fair Advice: How to Use Your Five Minutes to Get an Interview" provides advice for how to make a great first and lasting impression.

Readings / activities

Read, "The Right Way to Follow Up After a Career Fair"
Write one thank you e-mail (or craft a template for a thank you) in the assignment "Thank You Note (CD12)."

VIDEOS, Tutorials, & Class Recording

Watch, "Job Fair Advice: How to Use Your Five Minutes to Get an Interview"

Overview of AssignmentS

In the next assignment (CD13), you'll begin to explore career paths in electrical engineering. Specifically, you'll take a look at your "fit" with career paths commonly followed by PhD-level scientists in the MyIDP portal.

Supporting MaterialS

Sample Thank You E-mails

Assignments (Homework)

Mentoring Matrix Topic

After completing the 16 Personalities Assessment, please respond to the reflection questions here: How Does Personality Type Influence Your Relationships?

Career Development Topic

Exploring My Career Path Matches (CD13)