5) Campus Leverage
Career fairs (how to work them correctly)
In the US, the goal of a career fair is to get a referral or an interview invite on the spot. Never go to your favorite company first. Go to three practice companies to warm up your pitch. Within 24 hours, message the recruiter on LinkedIn. Mention something specific you talked about. This moves you from 'random student' to 'serious candidate.'
A personal website is nice to have, but it can be a trap.
- If you are in Design, Marketing, or Front-End Development, you need one. It shows your style and your ability to build a user experience.
- If your website is broken, has typos, or looks like it's from 1995, it actually hurts you. If you are a Back-End Engineer or a Data Scientist, a clean GitHub profile or a well-written LinkedIn article is often better than a mediocre website.
- Only build a website if you are willing to keep it updated. A Coming Soon page is worse than no page at all!
Free Resource: What is a portfolio website? Do you actually need it?
5) Campus Leverage
Going to a US university gives you access to a powerful network, but the magic doesn't happen just by sitting in class. You have to actively squeeze the value out of your campus. Think of your school as a giant toolbox if you don't pick up the tools, you're just paying for the box.
Here is how you use your campus to gain massive leverage in the job market.
Resources
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