Information Sessions- Your Golden Ticket

In Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Charlie finds a golden ticket in his bar of chocolate and gains access to the inner workings of Willy Wonka’s candy factory. While in the factory, Charlie meets the Wonka, grand poobah of the operation, learns how the candy is made and what new technologies are on the horizon. Wouldn’t it be great if you could have similar access to the companies you are interviewing with? Luckily you often do and it comes in the form of an information session, your job search golden ticket. Typically held the evening before a career expo or an on-campus interview visit, information sessions are prime opportunities to learn more about the organization, meet company representatives, and ask questions in a less formal environment than the actual interview.

There are several reasons why you should attend employer information sessions:

1. You have an interview

Congratulations! You were selected for an interview with Company X. You see that they will be holding an information session the night before their interviews, but decide not to attend because, why should you, you already have an interview. Consider the Company X recruiter’s perspective. With only 30-45 minutes allotted per interview and 13 candidates on the docket, she has a lot of people to meet and very little time to get to know them. She can make the best use of that 30 minutes learning about your skills and experience and not repeating the basic company information that was covered in the information session. Plus, not attending sends the message that you’re not really that interested in the company.

2. You don’t have an interview

You applied for an interview with Company X but were passed over this go around. Maybe you met all of the basic requirements, have a strong interest in the company, and plan to apply again in the future. Attending the information session will help you learn more about the organization, its culture, and the qualities they are looking for in an employee. Additionally, you’ll have a chance to meet the recruiter, give your personal pitch and put a face to the name on your resume. Share your interest in the company and collect information on what you can do to nab an interview slot next semester. Perhaps you need to work on your resume or need some more part-time and intern experience. Knowing what the company wants can help you better prepare. You might even discover that the company has had a cancellation and can add you into their interview schedule.

3. You aren’t ready to interview

Information sessions are great opportunities for freshmen and sophomore level students who aren’t yet looking for a full-time job to gain insight into the companies they will be applying to in the future. Employers enjoy meeting young students and explaining their company culture and hiring process. Many companies have GPA minimums or require internship experience and you can learn about these requirements early in your college career. Also, you can begin networking with the company representatives and build professional relationships prior to applying for jobs and interviews.

Take advantage of your golden ticket, sing/hum the song “I’ve got the golden ticket…” (I know it’s stuck in your head now) and be on your way to job search success!
To learn about upcoming information sessions visit Tiger Recruiting Link (TRL) at www.jobs.auburn.edu. Click on “Events” and then “Information Sessions.” The dress for these events is business casual unless the announcement or invitation says otherwise.