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If you read our last post, you got a little taste of what it’s like here in the Recruiting Office. This past week we had the opportunity to sit down with even more recruiters and employees from top companies to get their career and interview insights. Here are the companies who were here last week:
- Deloitte Consulting
- Northwestern Mutual Financial Network, The Wellesley Group
- Arbella Insurance Group
- Liberty Mutual
- MaPS
- And many more…
Check out what a few had to say:
K: Kaylee
G: Gillian
Deloitte Consulting:
K: At the end of last week, Deloitte Consulting was in the office, and of course I had to take the opportunity to talk to some of the interviewers. I got the chance to interview two Bentley Alums—Dan and Geoff—about their top interview and career advice. In my opinion, talking to Bentley Alumni is always extremely beneficial because they’ve been in our shoes. It’s easy to take their advice to heart because they were once where we are now. Seeing the success they’ve achieved in their career can definitely give us the confidence that one day we can achieve the same or even more.
That being said, here’s the advice they had for anyone looking for those top internship and full-time positions:
Interview Advice:
Be prepared. Be proactive.
When interviewing, it’s important to remember that the interviewers are taking time out of their schedules to meet with you. They are putting preparation time in, so it’s important for you to do the same—even if it involves simply researching the company and what they do. Geoff mentioned that once during a previous interview, a candidate asked: “So what do you guys do?” When a candidate doesn’t know the company, it makes the interviewers feel that their time is being wasted, which is not the impression that you want to leave. This leads to the second piece of advice: be proactive. Show that you not only know about the company, but that you are actively interested in it. If you really want the position, take initiative and make it clear in your interview. It could give you that competitive edge.
Career Advice:
Whatever your first job is, do it well. Be patient, put in your dues, and work hard. People will want to reward you for it.
The harsh reality for all of us is that we may not fall directly into our dream job right after graduation. But that’s okay. Wherever you find yourself, put your all into it, take what you can from it, and go that extra step. In the end, you’re only helping yourself by proving your work ethic and building your reputation. Let it be a “stepping stone” in your career to learn and build your skills. Work hard and you will get to where you want to be.
Some added advice:
Take advantage of the way Bentley prepares you.
A little ego boost for us: Dan and Geoff mentioned that a lot of people at Bentley have the “well-roundedness” that they’re looking for in a candidate. Group work, presentations, etc. may not be our favorite, but they do prepare us for life outside of Bentley. Take advantage of what we learn in and out of the classroom and know that we are building skills that will help us throughout our career.
Northwestern Mutual, Financial Network, The Wellesley Group
G: I was fortunate enough to have the chance to sit down with Carly Frieling, Director of Campus Recruitment, on Tuesday. Carly offered a lot of great interview tips and career advice that I am excited to share with all of you.
Interview Advice:
Interview Day
Carly shared a few helpful tips for being extremely prepared for an interview. All of your thoughts are going to be focused on the actual sit down and conversation with your interviewer. These are a few tips that will help boost your confidence and allow for your interview go as smoothly as possible:
– Arrive 10 minutes early to an interview
– When in doubt always dress professionally
– Have questions prepared (about the company and the position)
– Bring extra copies of your resume
Career Advice:
Attend as many interviews as you can!
We all know how stressful interviews can be but the more experience you have, the easier it will get, I promise! The interviewer will be able to tell if you are comfortable and confident in yourself through your body language and your answers. To help you prepare for an interview consider using the Interview Stream by logging into BentleyLink and it’s in the upper right-hand corner of your BentleyLink homepage under QUICKLINKS. I know it can be a little awkward at first to talk to a computer and then watch and listen to your responses but this will help! You will get to see if you have any nervous habits (ladies- watch the hair flipping) and correct them before the interview. Remember eye contact and body language is crucial!
Interview Bloopers:
Men– Don’t wear tube socks!
Alright guys, remember that in an interview you want to dress to impress! First impressions are crucial in the interview process. You have your suit, tie, and shoes so make sure you don’t ruin the outfit with ordinary every day socks. Before attending an interview or a career fair go to Dress and Act Appropriately. There you will see links for Men and Women: Dress For Success which have Professional Attire and Business Casual Attire tips.
Resource of the Week: highlighting some key resources that Career Services has to offer that can be helpful during the job/internship search
K: I applied to a job recently and it was requested that I provide an unofficial transcript. They might as well have been asking me to do advanced physics. The point is, I was clueless. I had no idea what an unofficial transcript was, let alone how to find it. Thankfully, there are a ton of resources on the Virtual Career Center, including written instructions on how to get your unofficial transcript. Having the same problem as I did? Find the instructions on the Virtual Career Center by searching “unofficial transcript.”
