Meet & Greet Alumni Panel
Co-written by Marlon Chhour
Summer of Tech alumni talked with candidates about how they approached recruitment, what they wished they knew, and how to make the most of Meet & Greet.
Rules for 2022 in-person Meet & Greet:
Feeling ill, or are you a close contact or household contact? Ditch the commute and join us at our online event instead.
We recommend doing a RAT test on Meet & Greet morning.
Bring a mask with you. Face masks are mandatory at this event to keep everyone protected.
Sorry, no savoury pies this year. There will be no eating inside our venues unless you are required to eat for a health condition.
No handshakes, please, but you may bump elbows if you must.
Tips for success at Meet & Greet:
Do your research on the company before Meet & Greet - Have a good idea or understanding of what the company does, its core values and how your unique skill set would add to its overall development.
Dress to impress - Wear business casual or whatever you’re most comfortable wearing. Confidence is everything, and wearing something you’re not really comfortable in will definitely show, so dress to impress without sacrificing too much!
Have a good attitude - Make sure to talk to employers, network with others as much as possible, and go into the Meet & Greet with the right mindset! Even if Meet & Greet doesn’t go well, employers will remember your face and the impact you have, so there are always opportunities further down the line!
Questions for the Panel:
Can we bring any physical documents like CVs?
Of course! But remember that employers are there more to see who you are as a person, why you’re interested in that specific company and have a quick yarn about you. The employers won’t have much time to look at your CV at that stage in the recruitment process. It’s better to talk about (or show) your pet projects and what you learned.
Good tip: Show your QR code to employers upon request, located on your lanyard. Your QR code will link them to your Summer of Tech profile.
How do you answer questions like “tell me about yourself”? Do you talk about your study projects or hobbies?
You want to relate it directly to the company you’re speaking with. As much as the employers want to know about you and everything you’ve done in your life; They really want to know why you’re there talking to them, what interests you in the company and how your relevant experience and skills, whether it be academic or commercial experience, would translate well into the company.
If you’ve done your research, you could ask the employers about some of their projects or products, especially the ones you’re passionate about. This shows that you’re interested in the company and eager to learn.
What kind of research should we do on the companies we’re interested in?
Look into their projects, what sector of the tech industry the company work in (ie. agritech, fintech etc.), and try to find common interests between you and the company.
Also, look into their sponsors. You can always talk about them and how your common hobbies/interests are related to the sponsoring companies. Generally, company sponsors have nearly identical core values, so that’s another way to keep the conversation rolling!
Make sure to digest and scrutinise the job description carefully! The job description sometimes states what skills they’re looking for and the projects you’ll be involved in during the internship. So asking them, “what kind of projects will I be working on in the internship” could leave a bad impression.
How do you approach employers naturally?
Some of the bigger companies will have hired interns through Summer of Tech before. If you’re intimidated by the more senior people, there is nothing wrong with approaching the juniors/interns and asking about “what’s it like working here” or “what are the perks of working here” etc. They have gone through the Summer of Tech recruitment process and can understand what it was like.
To get more comfortable with approaching employers, approach some of the companies you’re happy not to get in the end. This provides you with practice at sparking up conversations.
What should I say if I don’t have heaps of experience when employers ask about my experience?
The ones who succeed are generally eager to learn and show some passion for the company, field or any relevant projects that the company might have going on.
It’s an internship, so it’s understood that most people are from an academic background. It’s not expected that you have bucket loads of experience - employers are there to get new talent.
Talking about uni assignments, working in teams, any relevant group or personal project work etc.…
You could show the employer on your phone if you have a personal project. This demonstrates some technical competency and that you’ve done additional work outside of uni, which helps establish your eagerness and curiosity to learn.
How long do we get with each employer?
Be aware of how many people are around you, so keep your meeting short. Don’t spend more than 5 minutes; ideally, aim for 2-3 minutes per employer.
Good tip: Take a walk around the facility once you’re in to ensure you know where all the employers are. Know what route to take to optimise speaking to the employers you want to talk to, and not waste time trying to find certain employers.
How often do first years find themselves receiving job offers?
From 2021 Summer of Tech data, 51 out of 470 internships were placed by first years! There is a pretty high chance!
Would you recommend applying for roles before or after Meet & Greet?
Definitely before. If you happen to be on their shortlist, they’ll most likely expect to see you at Meet & Greet.
What are some good questions to ask employers?
Look at the job description, including job responsibilities and upcoming projects and ask them to elaborate more on that.
“What are some of the biggest challenges the development team faces right now?”
“How does the ___ team innovate on projects?”
You could always google “good questions to ask employers” before meeting them.
What can you do to help with confidence if you’re extremely shy and introverted?
Practice talking to people at retail stores or grocery stores; it helps, and that confidence will show on the day!
Take some steps to help yourself relax, drink water, meet up with friends etc.
There is value in momentum - take the plunge and go and talk to an employer! If you’re super nervous, the longer you stand around, the more nervous you’ll get and find it much harder to talk to people, so the best advice is to go for it!
How would you bring up a project that you’ve done if there is no real connection to the work the company does? Just use it to promote your technical skills?
You could discuss group projects - collaboration, leadership, management, communication, etc.
Talking about your projects to employers isn’t necessarily to promote how awesome your technical skills are but to show that you are highly passionate and curious!
Good tip: If you have personal projects you can bring with you to show to employers on the day, bring them along!