#HIRED at  

• "It is important to master the art of conversation, especially about how to start a good conversation."
• "(Think about) what is the most valuable information that the interviewers would like to hear from a job seeker, and ... (how) to convey this kind of information effectively and straightforwardly."
• "Confidence is crucial during career fairs and job interviews, as it greatly helps you to put your best foot forward."

Can you tell us about your prior experience?

I obtained a bachelor’s degree in accounting and worked at an auditing position for Deloitte Shanghai from 2012 to 2015. In January 2018, I came to Bentley to pursue my master’s degree, and then I transferred to the MSAA program when it was newly launched. For Spring 2019, I am working as a finance Co-Op at a local IT company.

How did you find the opportunity?

It was the career fair where I met with the internal audit team of Haemonetics Corporation and I had very enjoyable conversations with all the members of the team. This was a very important step that allowed me to make a good first impression and also to know more about the tasks of the team. After the career fair, I applied for the summer internal audit internship.

Can you talk about the interview process?

The job interview process was quiet typical, and it was very conversational. I was asked to talk about some common "Why" questions: why this position, why this company, and why you think you fit the position. The hiring manager and I had many common topics as both of us have previous experiences in public accounting. I shared a lot about my former job, which not only impressed the interviewer but also made the conversation very relaxed that I could demonstrate my professional skills in various aspects.

What do you think made you stand out in the career fair?

I believe it is important to master the art of conversation, especially about how to start a good conversation. First, I have always been thinking about what is the most valuable information that the interviewers would like to hear from a job seeker, and the next step is to convey this kind of information effectively and straightforwardly. Using my prior experience, I started my conversations with the employers by emphasizing two of my strongest achievements: I have passed the CPA exams, and I have worked at Deloitte China for almost four years. This strategy successfully aroused the recruiters’ interests and made them ask more about my story, which gave me more chances to demonstrate my professional skills.

Moreover, confidence is crucial during career fairs and job interviews, as it greatly helps you to put your best foot forward. For example, during the career fair, I was so energetic and confident that I had very in-depth conversations with many recruiters.

Lastly, I strongly recommend doing some preparation before career fairs. You may talk to the employers about their company and industry. If you have difficulties in expanding the conversation, you may ask more questions, which usually can help you find some common topics.