Written by Erika Coulahan, Campus Talent Acquisition, Capital One Canada and Hannah Stegen, Business Analyst, Capital One Canada
In a nutshell, it’s a great tool to help you make a positive impression on prospective employers – you pitch yourself, so an employer remembers you.
As someone who has been to a fair share of recruiting events and has talked to hundreds of students, I’ve seen the best of the best. So, let’s dive in … here’s how to make a great pitch.
Make a connection:
- You’re trying to make a connection with a complete stranger, so make sure you talk about the one thing that you have in common – your interest in their company! When a student approaches me and has no clue what Capital One does and what we’re all about, I question why they came up to me in the first place. If you’re interested in an employer, do some research and come prepared with a good opener. For instance, “hey, I hear that Capital One is a pioneer in big data and machine learning, I’d love to hear more about that!”
Ask what the best candidate looks like:
- Make sure you ask a prospective employer what they look for in their employees. Some look for high grades, some look for extracurricular involvement and others look for good part-time jobs/internships. This varies based on the employer, so make sure you ask the question up front and tailor your pitch accordingly.
Ask me about me:
- I love telling my Capital One story. Ask me why I joined, what I like about it and why I’ve been here for so long. This often creates energy in the conversation and gives you more to connect on. If I told you I’m still at Capital One because it really challenges me, this is your opening to talk about something that challenges you, like Enactus!
Now, let’s talk Enactus with an Enactus Alumni for just a moment …
When the right opportunity arises, talk about the team projects you’ve done and how you’ve gained leadership experience from them.
For example, “I’m a project manager of a team on my campus called Enactus. It’s an international organization on campuses around the world, where students run social enterprises to positively impact their communities. Specifically, I run a project called Textbook Osmosis. I lead a team of 10 students to create a process where used student textbooks were given to needing penitentiaries instead of being thrown out. I learned to communicate and Influence senior leaders across Canada to help push our project to completion.”
In a nutshell – make a connection, have an organic conversation and make sure you weave in the leadership and teamwork qualities you’ve gained through Enactus throughout your conversation. Good luck and have fun!