Job Fair educates on proper interview skills

Vols always help Vols, and that does not change after you graduate. Katie Gillman, a UT graduate who has been a recruiter from Enterprise holdings for 9 years, held a workshop designed to teach students how to interact with employees in a career fair setting on Thursday in preparation for the upcoming job fair next week.

Gillman covered how to dress, how to speak, what to bring, and how to separate yourself from the competition by following up with employers, increasing face to face time, and learning how to sell yourself as an asset to a company.

Arguably the most important thing you can do to set yourself apart is to have a good “elevator speech.” This in essence means your initial introduction to a possible employer which should include your name, major, year of graduation, and why you are interested in this company. Wes McNeillie, a junior majoring in Business Finance, is attending the job fair next week and found out he had something to work on. “I didn’t know about the ‘elevator speech,’ that’s new to me. I also didn’t know speaking firmly made such an impression on them.” In fact according to Katie Gillman, that first impression is everything. “I look at their handshake” she said, “I look at how firm it is and how they speak to me.” You truly could employ yourself in the minds of the recruiters depending on how well your introduction is.

Juniors and Seniors will be looking to blow the recruiters away this week at the fair and hopefully be on their way to a good full-time career. Katie Gillman provided all the students present with great tips on how to be successful in the upcoming interviews they will have with recruiters and hopefully the companies are impressed with what the University of Tennessee has to offer to today’s job market.

Edited by: Zach Dennis