It is getting close now. All of the accounting societies (Beta Alpha Psi, ALPFA, and NABA) are gearing up for Fall recruiting, as are you. What can you expect on the first day of a society meeting? Well, generally speaking, chaos. It's OK though, you just have to be strategic in how you go about this. So to help you all sort it out, I'll take you step by step. DISCLAIMER: I only have experience in Beta Alpha Psi's pledge social (which is the first meeting) so I can only give info on that society. I figured with first meetings coming up, firms are likely to be there, I know for a fact they will be at BAP's pledge social, I think it's important for new recruits to know how to handle a first meeting.
1. First, what is a pledge social? Well, it is a first meeting where you learn about the Beta Alpha Psi, and I imagine the other societies talk themselves up to you as well depending on which one you go to, and is generally your first chance to meet firms. You MUST go to the pledge social to learn all you can and be considered for acceptance into Beta Alpha Psi, plus you'll miss out on that pertinent face time if you don't go; see my first blog for more info on face time and its importance.
2. Second, what should I have ready to bring? Simply a smile, a great attitude, confidence, and maybe a resume depending on certain circumstances. I say certain circumstances for a couple of reasons. If you are attending the pledge social just for some face time without the intent to actually pledge to the society and to hand off your resume, fine, bring your resume. It won't get you very far if you only meet the recruiter once and don't come back but, hey, that's cool that's your deal. This is where the strategy comes in. Of course, if your not sure you'll be able to pledge to the society because of the requirements by all means take the opportunity to get the face time anyways, that is very much encouraged. Little face time is better than no face time.
If you are positively sure you meet the requirements and you feel good about it, listen to this strategy. The first day of pledge social is nuts. Pure out plain and simple. Last year at the Fall pledge social, I kid you not, there were 100+ people in a medium sized room all trying to get to the recruiters and hand off their resume. It was chaos. Eager, eager, eager new recruits. Sometimes too eager. Now, when I went to this first social I did NOT bring a resume. Recruiters had hundreds of resumes at the end of the day and why in world would I want my first resume to be in such a big pool. Chances are that the number of people at the pledge social will be cut into a third or even half by the next "real" meeting of BAP (Beta Alpha Psi), thus your exclusivity goes up. So why not put your resume out there when there is a greater chance of the recruiter actually maybe looking at it for a second in a little less of a chaotic environment? It seemed to work for me. Trust me, the first meeting with the recruiters will not be your last so don't worry about that. You will have plenty of opportunities to hand off your resume during recruiting, and better opportunities at that. It's one of the benefits of even joining the societies, you are exclusive. If you give everything into the pledge social you are not as exclusive. Use it to your advantage.
Third, if I am not handing off my resume then what do I need to do? Just make an impression. Introduce yourself with your evelvator speech ask ONE or TWO questions if you need to, then move on. You don't want to occupy too much of a recruiters time because 1. you'll increase your chance of stale conversation and 2. you run the risk the recruiter trying to push you out because other recruits are waiting. Just try to make it to as many recruiters as you can (because this event is essentially you getting a feel for the recruiters more so than trying to hit a homerun with them) as QUICKLY as you can to make good impressions. As the recruiting season goes on you'll get more exclusive face time and a chance to further build relationships with recruiters. Recruiters may even get to know you by your first name! That is a great sign that you are making an impression.
So with all of this said, just enjoy the experience. Most importantly bring yourself. Don't try to be something you are not. Recruiters are people and they can pick up on this as easily as anyone else. In the accounting industry you are serving clients. YOU NEED TO HAVE PERSONALITY. I for one do not have a stellar perfect GPA, I do think recruiters liked my personality. It can carry you a long way in this industry. This first meeting is not all about the recruiter knowing you, it's also about you getting to know the recruiters. Most new recruits don't realize this. More on this in my next blog.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
New Recruits and Standing Out
Somewhere there is a new stock broker on Wall Street. It's his first day. He jumps into the big sea of new and well-seasoned brokers just before the morning bell. All of his education, accomplishments, and general experience has surely prepared him for the last second decisions and general chaos he is about to encounter as the stock market reopens on this first day. The bell rings. He is suddenly overwhelmed on a crazy day of market fluctuations that has caught most off guard, new brokers that is. He is lost. Buy or sell? Sink or swim? He must decide.
This is, by in large, a metaphor to describe what recruiting season for accounting majors at Georgia State University is truly like.
One may think to themselves when facing the recruiters for the first time, "I have a good resume because RCB said so, I know how to present myself and I have my elevator speech ready, and I have a good GPA". Well, all of this is well and good, but it is not enough. As a recruit, you must be willing to stand out. Which I imagine you as a new recruit are thinking, "well that's what my elevator speech is for". I say kind-of. Standing out is more than your 30 second speech about yourself, and let's not deny it completely the elevator speech is extremely important because most people gather their impression of you within the first 30 seconds of a meeting, some by the first handshake, some by how much you smile, and so on and so forth.
To stand out further I think it requires extra-circular activities such as Beta Alpha Psi, ALPFA, or NABA which are all accounting societies aimed at getting you pertinent face time with recruiters while helping prepare you as professionals outside of a classroom setting. I HIGHLY suggest joining one of them.
Another way to stand out is to go to firm activities as they will often offer throughout the fall. Popular examples of this are pizza socials, ice cream socials, meet and greets, etc. One very, very important activity to apply for are the summer leadership conferences. You can usually apply during the Spring. Getting selected to attend one of these leadership conferences is, I think, a key way to springboard yourself ahead of competition in the fall when the heavy recruiting occurs. You may know the popular real-estate quote, "location, location, location", well I believe for recruiting it is, "face time, face time, face time".
To further stand out to recruiters, do not just join an accounting society it is not enough. You have to participate in the society. Yes, going to meetings is some participation. I am talking above and beyond on community service hours, doing debates (mainly pertaining to Beta Alpha Psi, I will have more on this topic in a later blog), joining a committee, and attending all meetings.
These three ways to stand out of course are from my experience. They are things I did that I feel really helped get the most out of recruiting. I did have trials and tribulations. The first time I talked to a pair of recruiters I fell flat on my face, not really fell but just got off to a really inauspicious beginning.
So with these short tid-bits to get started, I will expand and these and more topics to help you all out. That's what I want to do. Help. Outside the classroom kind of help, peer to peer. It sometimes helps to hear from someone just out of the process, or someone still in it. So ask questions in the comment section. I can't promise I'll be able to answer everything because I have not experienced everything. I know a ton of people just like me who were just as successful at recruiting and I think it is important for everyone to know what we all did. It only helps new recruits as well as Georgia State University and the Robinson College of Business. Firms will want to come recruit at Georgia State.
This is, by in large, a metaphor to describe what recruiting season for accounting majors at Georgia State University is truly like.
One may think to themselves when facing the recruiters for the first time, "I have a good resume because RCB said so, I know how to present myself and I have my elevator speech ready, and I have a good GPA". Well, all of this is well and good, but it is not enough. As a recruit, you must be willing to stand out. Which I imagine you as a new recruit are thinking, "well that's what my elevator speech is for". I say kind-of. Standing out is more than your 30 second speech about yourself, and let's not deny it completely the elevator speech is extremely important because most people gather their impression of you within the first 30 seconds of a meeting, some by the first handshake, some by how much you smile, and so on and so forth.
To stand out further I think it requires extra-circular activities such as Beta Alpha Psi, ALPFA, or NABA which are all accounting societies aimed at getting you pertinent face time with recruiters while helping prepare you as professionals outside of a classroom setting. I HIGHLY suggest joining one of them.
Another way to stand out is to go to firm activities as they will often offer throughout the fall. Popular examples of this are pizza socials, ice cream socials, meet and greets, etc. One very, very important activity to apply for are the summer leadership conferences. You can usually apply during the Spring. Getting selected to attend one of these leadership conferences is, I think, a key way to springboard yourself ahead of competition in the fall when the heavy recruiting occurs. You may know the popular real-estate quote, "location, location, location", well I believe for recruiting it is, "face time, face time, face time".
To further stand out to recruiters, do not just join an accounting society it is not enough. You have to participate in the society. Yes, going to meetings is some participation. I am talking above and beyond on community service hours, doing debates (mainly pertaining to Beta Alpha Psi, I will have more on this topic in a later blog), joining a committee, and attending all meetings.
These three ways to stand out of course are from my experience. They are things I did that I feel really helped get the most out of recruiting. I did have trials and tribulations. The first time I talked to a pair of recruiters I fell flat on my face, not really fell but just got off to a really inauspicious beginning.
So with these short tid-bits to get started, I will expand and these and more topics to help you all out. That's what I want to do. Help. Outside the classroom kind of help, peer to peer. It sometimes helps to hear from someone just out of the process, or someone still in it. So ask questions in the comment section. I can't promise I'll be able to answer everything because I have not experienced everything. I know a ton of people just like me who were just as successful at recruiting and I think it is important for everyone to know what we all did. It only helps new recruits as well as Georgia State University and the Robinson College of Business. Firms will want to come recruit at Georgia State.
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