by Mitali Temurnikar, Graduate Assistant
On December 2, 2022, Penn Career Services hosted a Career Fair for Nursing students. While the employers were settling in, I went around the room asking the recruiters: “What is a skill or a quality that you’re looking for in a candidate that is going to make you want to hire them?” Here are some of their answers!
- Employers want to know your career goals. What makes you want to work with them? How do they fit into your career trajectory?
- This is really basic, but employers are trying to gauge if you are people friendly. Are you comfortable chatting with people you’ve never met before? How do you show up? Are you approachable?
- You can ask the employers about any opportunities that they have which you can make the most of while you’re in school. This implies a genuine interest in the work and commitment to professional development.
- How attentive are you to details? Are you asking questions with obvious answers? Are you repeating questions that have already been answered?
- Being specific about your expectations is helpful for both the employers and you. Do you have any specialty area in mind? Are you looking for externships or residency programs? What is the most helpful for you at this stage of your career?
- It is important for the employers to see that you are “coach-able”. Being open to learning, curious, and walking in with a willingness to learn is a great sign for employers.
- Some places that you would want to work at really value a culture fit. If you have specific employers in mind, make sure you do your background research on their culture, mission, and values.
- Generally, an employer wants to see how you approach challenges at work. Are you self-driven and self-motivated? Can you use the existing resources to build solutions? Now this is tricky to convey in a conversation during a career fair, but definitely a skill that can be highlighted through the hiring process!
- Reflecting on what your career goals are and how does the organization fit into your vision is an important aspect to cover during your conversations!
- Be open to experiences and show willingness to learn!
- Communicate clearly – your expectations, your goals, your interests. It makes the conversation easier, and it gives the recruiter more clarity on what they can talk to you about.
- Being equipped to adapt to telehealth is important!
- Be courageous and take initiative. Employers appreciate someone who can think independently and is self-motivated.
As you’re approaching interviewing, and as you’re approaching moulding your application materials a certain way, hopefully these insights can come in handy as you’re starting to think of how to best present yourself!
