As a recruiter, one of my favorite pastimes is putting students on the spot. The only trouble is, they rarely give me the satisfaction of watching them squirm. One such example is a recent job shadow event in which freshmen and sophomores visited our office to learn more about the consulting profession.
At the start of the event, I asked for a show of hands as to who knew anything about consulting going into the day. Only one individual timidly raised a hand halfway, then lowered it in an exercise of caution.
We proceeded with the day’s activities, which included – spoiler alert for University of Illinois students in future job shadow programs – a presentation in which the students “sold” Protiviti’s services to a potential client.
This is usually where I get to enjoy the squirm factor, but yet again I was let down, as each student confidently explained details that he or she had learned throughout the day. They even came up with new ways to describe our organization, including new marketing such as the above logo.
In the end, if anything, I was the one squirming, put on the spot to acknowledge that I learn as much about my job from students as they learn from me.
– Bridget
