Career Services Blog

Category: Recruiting

Suggestions to help your recruiting efforts.

Fall 2022 Natural Resources Career Fair – Student Attendee Analysis

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Students Interacting With Employers

Due to the unique nature of careers in the Natural Resources industry, Michigan Tech holds a separate Career Fair in the lobby of U.J. Noblet Forestry Building. This Fair historically has been scheduled for Mid-November. This timing coincides with the completion of Fall Camp which is attended down in Albert, MI for most Juniors studying in CFRES programs. Although hosted in the Forestry building, this fair is open to all students across campus with an interest in learning more about careers directly related to the environment, biology, and wildlife.

This year, the Career Fair was attended by 31% of the CFRES students. On the undergraduate side, 37% of the CFRES undergraduates attended the fair.

57% of the CFRES Seniors attended the fair. There were also students from other Colleges across campus with the largest contingent coming from the College of Sciences and Arts.

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Fall 2022 CareerFEST Results

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For Fall 2022, Michigan Technological University held 5 formal CareerFEST events.  CareerFEST started years ago as a way for students to informally network with Employers in a relaxed environment.  Students walking between classes can explore career opportunities casually.

Due to construction on campus, this year’s events were held on the East end of the campus mall.  Employers were invited to set up “campground-style” in a variety of locations on the lawn.  

Aerial view of Walker Lawn showing 25 tents between Douglass Houghton Hall and the Walker Arts and Humanities Center.

The CareerFEST events occur in the weeks leading up to Career Fair and feature companies on tents under campus from 11 am – 2 pm.  During most days, students had the opportunity to have their résumés reviewed by recruiters from 3-5 pm.  

We ask students to register for the events when they arrive by “tapping in” with their ID’s – but many don’t.  The table below shows the students that actually registered for the events and we expect actual attendance was 15%-20% higher.

Date # of Companies # Students
6-Sep-2022 13 244
8-Sep-2022 11 166
13-Sep-2022 20 209
15-Sep-2022 16 155
19-Sep-2022 15 188
Total 75 962
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How to Identify a Fraudulent Employer

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fraud-prevention-3188092_1920An email was recently sent to countless Michigan Tech students titled “Personal Assistant for Busy Executive.”

The email reads, “My name is Mary, I found you through Michigan Tech Career Services.” Then it describes a summer job opportunity with an hourly wage and potential job responsibilities.

We believe the email was sent from a fraudulent employer, and Michigan Tech’s IT department has blocked all future emails coming from the sender’s Gmail address.

A few students responded to the initial email to inquire about the job. However, warning signs in subsequent emails prompted these students to contact our department, and we are so glad they did!

Career Services did not give “Mary” your information.

Please be cautious when sharing personal information with employers that you don’t know and be mindful that employment scams do occur, occasionally.  

Here are a few ideas to help you identify fraudulent employers:

  • Does the email come from a legitimate company email address?  
    • Free accounts like Gmail can be a red flag for fraudulence and phishing schemes.
  • Do they have a legitimate company website? Does it look professional?
    • Check the web address and make sure the website has multiple layers.
    • Check for a physical address associated with the company.
  • Does the company or individual claim to be overseas or international?
    • We extensively vet international job opportunities. You should, too! You can also come to Career Services and we’ll help you do some research.

Other examples of warning signs in “Mary’s” subsequent emails

  • “I don’t have a LinkedIn account at this time, I will set one up on Monday.”
  • “You will be working independently on your own from home.”
  • “How should your name be written on the Check?”
  • “I am physically in Brazil right now conducting a research in the Amazon forest.”

Please be on the lookout for new versions of this email and report them to IT-help@mtu.edu. When in doubt about an employment opportunity, contact Career Services! (Phone: 906-487-2313 | Email: career@mtu.edu)

 

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Conciseness in Communication is Powerful

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In High School, I remember the first assignment that needed to be typed and not hand-written.  I had to get my mother to do the typing for me!  The technology of manual typewriters, ribbons, and white-out demanded a high degree of skill, manual dexterity, and practice.  Advancements in word-processors, electronics, and printers have made this a distant memory.  There is no question that documents created today are easier to read, analyze, and search.  

Videos and Infographics seem to be in a similar realm.  The software to create and edit videos has evolved to be nearly as simple as word processing.  The file sizes and amount of information processed is “orders of magnitude” larger, but the process is surprisingly simple.

The focus on being concise and efficient hasn’t changed.  

Students struggle with the idea of making a 1-page resume and a brief cover letter.  They constantly have more information to add to the single piece of paper used to summarize their life and accomplishments.  Conceptually, the focus on the audience and what is important to them is extremely difficult when you are personally invested in the topic.  

Last year, we made a decision to make short summary videos of the CareerFEST events held on campus.  Taking 6 hours of raw footage from any event and distilling into 2-minute videos doesn’t seem fair!  There were hours of planning meetings, scheduling, and logistics that went into these events.  But, when you watch the final product, the focus needs to be on the design and outcomes of the event.  The videos are available on: https://www.youtube.com/user/MTUCareer

Today’s student has grown up with access to the Internet in their hand – both literally and figuratively.  They would much rather see infographics, diagrams, and videos to describe events and complex relationships.  Why not watch the video online rather than read the book?  I have to admit, when these things are done right, I’d rather watch a video or review and infographic too!

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#MTUCareerFEST Schedule for next fall available

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CareerFEST

To better help our students prepare for their future careers, we have a broad variety of programming in the weeks leading up to Career Fair to help them network, build skills, and explore career opportunities.

Industry Days

These days help students explore careers and learn about the different career opportunities for them that they may not have considered before.  The schedule includes days focused on Aerospace, Automotive, Business, Construction & Building Systems, Energy, Railroad, Robotics & Control, and Steel.  As an alumni or a recruiter, these events are an excellent way to share what you learned throughout your lifetime with today’s students.

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#SigningDay #MTUGrad – Starting a new tradition!

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Graduation day is less than a week away! What is the ultimate result of all that hard work? Starting a job with a new company, applying those skills in a new occupation, and earning money!

We copied the idea of a high school recruit signing for a new college or a professional athlete getting drafted.  Here are some group photos next to our statue in the middle of campus. We think this new tradition will take hold!

Thank you to our corporate partners at: 3M, Alliance Laundry Systems, ArcelorMittal, Caterpillar, The Dow Chemical Company, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Ford Motor Company, Gerdau, Jackson, Kimberly-Clark, Nucor, Oshkosh, Plexus, and Systems Control. Our corporate partners help prepare our students for their careers and now, it is time to get to work!

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