SWE - Conference 2008 - (Page 65)

POINT OF VIEW meet women you might not get to meet anywhere else. Dr. RamseyIdem recalls a time when she lingered after one discussion and struck up a conversation with a panelist. “We spoke in-depth about the challenges we faced in our careers and lives. Years later her comments still ring true and remain an inspiration. I recently had an opportunity to discuss new opportunities with her and share with her how her counsel had remained with me. It had been a brief, random encounter to her, but when she understood the impact it had made on me professionally and personally, she was pleased and encouraged to know that she was making positive changes one event and one person at a time.” Be open to opportunities. You just never know when they will come, but at SWE conferences opportunities seem to happen all the time. We have found this to be the case at every conference we have attended, beginning with the first. The payback from attending and participating in SWE conferences is enormous and continues. Case in point: At her first conference, Dr. Ramsey-Idem went to a session focused on outreach events. The enthusiasm, support, guidance, and resources helped her and a friend launch their first outreach event. Although the conference was in late October, by E-Week in February they were ready. The EWeek event has been held every year since and has grown to two separate events. These events also led to the chartering of a SWE section and to increased involvement in outreach on the part of the professionals and collegiate members. Keep your ears open to hear about other events. Many of the sessions at the conference reference other events that may be of interest to you. There are Web seminars covering a variety of topics, which SWE hosts on a regular basis, and many other leadership development and continuing education opportunities discussed at the SWE conferences. As you learn more about them, you can then identify and attend as appropriate. Pick five. If the career fair is part of your motivation for attending the conference, rank the hiring opportunities. Be frank with yourself about what you want in your career or simply for your next job. Then, based upon the criteria that you have developed for a career choice, pick the top five corporations, small businesses, universities, national labs, or other employers at the conference that meet your criteria. Out of the number of companies participating in the career fair, five may not sound like many, but you need time to make connections and really understand that potential employer. It is worth investing the time and effort preparing for this event before the conference and while you are there. Arrive early on Thursday evening when the career fair opens, so you can arrange interviews with them on Friday. Once you have made your best efforts with your top five employment choices, relax and enjoy the rest of the career fair for the fun environment it is. You can pick up some nice goodies to enjoy immediately or take home and share — we’ll address the getting them home part in more detail later. Do a dress rehearsal. As career fair veterans we have seen a variety of outfits, and not all were appropriate or sensible. The career fair is spread over a fairly large area, as is the conference. That pair of three-inch heels may give you a lift, but after six or seven hours of walking in them they might just be your downfall, literally. Plan to wear neat, clean business casual or business dress with a comfortable, stylish shoe. (If you have any doubt, business casual does not include jeans with holes or open midriffs.) If you are not sure whether the outfit you plan to wear is appropriate, ask yourself if you would be confident and comfortable wearing the same outfit on your first day at work in a professional environment. Try on everything and have a friend critique it. If you are a college student, ask your faculty advisor if what you plan to wear is appropri- ate. You and your section, whether professional or collegiate, could make this a meeting activity. By working together in this way, everyone makes a best first impression. Have someone review your resume. Make sure that you have your resume reviewed before the career fair and SWE conference. It is so easy to miss typos, misspellings, etc. when you are reading something for the fourth or fifth time. Many colleges have resources that will perform this service free or for a minimal fee. If you have to pay for the service, consider it a wise investment. It is a real advantage to have a recruiter or former recruiter look it over. They will have insight and can offer suggestions on what you need to do to ensure that your resume makes it into the “to be interviewed” file. Keep in mind that, following the conference, the resume is all that hiring managers have to base their decision on which candidates they will call back and bring to onsite interviews. You want yours to be noticed and be the best representative of you. Remember to post an up-to-date resume on the SWE Career Center either before or during the conference — preferably beforehand. Employers use the Career Center as a way of identifying potential candidates prior to the conference. You want your name to be on those lists. Bring lots of business cards. If you are working at your company’s booth at the career fair, they are a must. However, with more than 5,000 women engineers all in one place, you are bound to see new faces and make new friends, many for life. Having business cards to hand out is a great way to quickly give your contact information to someone new, whether you are a professional or collegiate member. If you don’t have company cards, making your own with your name and contact information is easy and you can even add your own personal touch — just be sure to keep it professional. SWE CONFERENCE 2008 65

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of SWE - Conference 2008

SWE - Conference 2008 Contents President’s Note View from the Executive Suite Editor’s Page Readers’ Forum ICWES14 Women of Courage Engineering’s Grand Challenges — What’s Your Pick? Diversity from the Ground Up Membership Information & Calendar A&B FY08 Membership Meeting Minutes Engineering World Point of View Career Toolbox Bookshelf SWE Smiles SWE Scrapbook Conference Sponsors and Program Overview Corporate Partnership Council Thursday Conference Program Friday Conference Program Saturday Conference Program Corporate Members Opportunity Index

SWE - Conference 2008

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