Since you have been inundated by all of those news announcements and writings about Bilkent Career Days 2004, I won't remind you about what Career Days can provide you. Instead, this week I want to give you some golden tips on how to create effective conversations with companies at the exhibitions.
First of all, experts suggest not planning to ask about salary and benefits other than at the actual interviews. It is generally agreed that raising the issue of money and benefits early in a conversation is seen as premature and presumptuous; wait for an interview rendezvous and keep your money-related questions until then.
For us upcoming graduates, employers obviously are not going to expect us to talk about our detailed work experiences. What is important for them are the lessons we have learned at school, how enthusiastic we are, and how we plan to apply our theories to their companies. For this reason, it's wise to come prepared: Preparing detailed research, having a company-unique resume, and convincing the companies that we can be a valuable asset to their business will make us distinguishable from the others applying.
When the time comes to talk about details, authorities suggest we use examples from our actual work/project/internship experience to answer the questions during a conversation. But we can also offer valuable lessons about work-related issues (leadership, teamwork, etc.) from areas outside work, such as volunteering, community work, sports, and personal relationships.
If you are stuck on a question, it's considered useful to paraphrase the question while giving yourself time to think and compose an answer. If you respond "I just really can't answer that", it's possible the interviewer will think that you are unprepared for that question - and perhaps the entire conversation.
To sum up, if you want to be acknowledged by the company, do not try to smother them with a half-hour speech on what you've accomplished during your academic lifetime. Remember, the interviewer will probably decide whether you are a good fit with the company in the first five minutes of the conversation, and will have other students to talk to at Career Days, too. So let's keep it simple: Dress well, smile, have a firm handshake, good eye contact, and show your enthusiasm. In addition to all of this, always keep your resume and hand it to your potential employers after each conversation, thus keeping you in the running for future interviews.

Doğuş Uysal (CS/IV)