How to Rock Recruitment 

The start of the fall semester is quickly approaching, and with it, recruiting season. As students get ready to head back to the classroom, now is the time to prepare for some of the biggest recruiting events offered by the Rockwell Career Center at the C. T. Bauer College of Business. 

Up first: Pre-Recruiting Mixers, a major-specific event designed to help students and recruiters connect before classes even begin. The mixers will be held on Aug. 21 in Melcher Hall. The mixer for finance and accounting majors will be from 10 a.m. –12 p.m. The mixer for entrepreneurship, management, management information systems, marketing and supply chain management majors will be from 2– 4 p.m.  

Just a few weeks later, the Bauer Business Career Fair will be held in the Hilton University of Houston from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Sept. 12. The event will be open to all BBA, MBA and MS students. 

Students are encouraged to go online and register for the events, and research which companies will be in attendance. Making connections and building relationships is important to do early on, Assistant Director of Employer Relations Oliver Blanco said.  

“We even encourage freshmen to attend,” Blanco said. “They may not know what to look for in a job, but students should start meeting employers and making connections early on. That way, when students are looking for that internship, or even when they're about to graduate, the chances of obtaining an interview go up, because they've engaged and fostered these relationships with employers.” 

Numerous employers have already registered to attend the Bauer Business Career Fair. Those include Academy Sports & Outdoors, Anheuser-Busch, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, KPMG, Live Nation, LyondellBasell, Dell, HPE and The Hershey Company among several others. 

“Typically, we have between 120 to 140 companies attend our events,” Blanco said. “Some employers will have double or triple booths, extending their visibility for those students. Students should attend these events because they're gaining professional connections and feedback from industry employers. They'll understand how to better position themselves professionally moving forward as they engage with employers.” 

The Rockwell Career Center has resources available for Bauer students to prepare ahead of any recruitment events. Students can make appointments to have their résumés reviewed or conduct a mock interview with career coaches. It’s recommended students plan and book appointments ahead of the career fair.  

Prior to any networking event, Blanco recommends students assign tiers to the different companies attending, so they have an idea of which employers are a priority for them to network with. The college also offers the Career Fair Plus mobile app, which allows students to highlight and favorite employers. 

“The first tier are companies that they really want to engage with; they really want to impress,” Blanco said. “The second tier of companies are maybe employers that they have an idea of, but they haven't really given much thought. And then the third tier would be companies that they know that they don't want to engage with.” 

From there, Blanco suggests students visit second-tier companies before heading to the ones in the top-tier. 

“You're introducing yourselves with a strong elevator pitch, and you're getting an idea of what recruiters are asking,” he said. “You're getting your jitters out of the way. And then once you're warmed up, hit your first tier.” 

To help foster relationships with recruiters, Blanco recommends students meet companies at the pre-recruiting mixer and also attend the career fair to have better engagement experiences.  

“Next semester when we have these similar events, some employers will have the same recruiters,” he said.  “And if they remember you, they're going to want to possibly offer you that opportunity, whether it be an interview for an internship, or whether it be a full-time offer with them.” 

Students should attend recruitment events with hard copies of their résumés, professional business attire and without backpacks and large purses. RCC has a suit closet available for Bauer students to borrow professional clothing at no cost. 

Students can sign up to attend recruiting events here.