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Where should I park?
Free parking is available at the parking deck across from the Student Academic & Activity Center (SAAC) which is located on the Emory University Clairmont Campus.
How is the job fair set up and organized?
We use the same model as most colleges and private job fair companies. Instead of different companies being represented, the only "companies" are Emory labs. Each lab has an interview table set up around the perimeter of the interview hall. Chairs are set up infront of each table so you can wait in line for your interview. Interviews are on a first in line basis. No appointments or time slots. If you leave your seat, you may lose your spot or miss your interview. When you check in at the job fair, we will give you a floor plan with the location of each lab. Family, friends and children are not allowed in the interview hall.
How much experience do I need?
Every year we hire a good number of new graduates with only a Bachelor's degree and very limited experience. Having laboratory experience is a plus and applicants with previous lab experience which is not part of college coursework/degree requirements are more competitive than candidates who do not have any laboratory experience or only laboratory experience which is part of their degree requirements.
What does "preferred" really mean?
Our experience has shown faculty really mean "required" when they indicate "preferred" in their job description. With 200-300 applicants interviewing during the job fair, you might be wasting your valuable time waiting to interview with a lab when you do not have the preferred degree, major and/or skills.
How do you count years of experience?
We do not count laboratory experience which is part of your degree. We give credit for paid or voluntary laboratory experience only. How long is it between 1999 and 2000? It could be two days or it could be just short of two years. If a manager is trying to fill a position requiring two years of experience, whom do you think they will select first; someone with 1999 to 2000 on their resume or someone who has 1/1999-12/2000 on their resume?
What does minimum qualification mean?
Every job opening lists the minimum qualifications in terms of an educational requirement and an experience requirement. If you do not meet BOTH of those minimums, you are not qualified for that particular job title and should be focusing your efforts on positions for which you do meet those minimum requirements. Current college students who will receive their degree this May-August should attend the job fair and interview for entry level positions. However, you will not be allowed to begin work until you have graduated.
What are the best degrees to have?
A very large number of Emory's scientists conduct biomedical research…finding the causes and cures for diseases and illnesses. Many different models are used, such as bacteria, yeast, and a variety of animals. The most valued degrees are those which are very relevant to Emory's research efforts, such as biology, chemistry, biochemistry, genetics, microbiology, molecular biology and zoology or animal husbandry. The vast majority of research staff we hire each year in the School of Medicine have a degree in biology which is popular in many of our labs. Divisions other than the School of Medicine often prefer other degrees.
What if I don't have one of the degrees listed on the registration form?
Generally research positions at Yerkes, Animal Resources, Rollins School of Public Health, School of Nursing and Psychiatry like to hire iindividuals with degrees in animal behavior or husbandry, psychology, social sciences or social work. These departments usually do not have as many openings as the School of Medicine and seldom participate in the job fair. As a whole, they do have frequent openings and you may express interest in those positions from Emory's Careers website at www.emory.jobs. If you don't have one of our preferred degrees, the hiring manager is probably going to wonder why you decided to get a degree in some other field if you were really interested in doing research. However, you should apply for research positions if you have at least a year of laboratory experience which is not part of your degree requirements even if you don't have one of the preferred degrees. For example: If you have a marketing degree, and have one year experience working in a research laboratory, then you might want to apply for one of our research openings. But remember, you are competing against the hundreds of people who apply and have a degree in one of the life sciences listed above. Most managers do not want to spend time training new staff in basic laboratory and research techniques.
Will I get to interview with all the faculty?
Probably not. We ask faculty to limit their interviews to 10 minutes, but some faculty take longer to interview applicants and you may not get a chance to interview with them before the job fair ends. You should develop a strategy before attending the job fair by targeting and prioritizing your interviews based on your interests and the skills required for each position. Seventy two percent of attendees at the last job fair had between 1-4 interviews; 24% had 5-9 interviews and only 1% had over 10 interviews. Twenty-nine percent of those who attended were invited back for a second interview.
How should I plan my interviews in advance?
Each week we will send you an e-mail if any faculty are looking for your skills. Review the minimum qualifications, degree, major and skill requirements for labs which are a match. Identify those where you meet the "preferred" criteria. Then identify your top 4-8 labs. Note the times each faculty will be interviewing and develop a strategy. Identify 2-3 as your tier I labs; then identify a couple of your tier II labs and perhaps several tier III labs. Have a Plan B if your top labs are taking too long to interview applicants or the waiting line is too long. Also, some faculty may not show up because of another priority which came up unexpectedly. We regret this happens, but like many of us, they have other business, family and personal concerns which sometimes take precedence.
If I don't get to interview with some faculty can I leave a resume?
Yes of course you can and we will provide a means for you to leave your resume for any faculty you want. We do need a copy of your resume for each faculty. However, this job fair was set up so you could have the opportunity to meet faculty face to face and not have to submit your resume online. It stands to reason, applicants who have a face to face will stand a better chance of getting hired. Faculty may interview 30 or 40 applicants and it will be hard enough for them to remember all those they interviewed much less those with whom they have not met.
Why don't you have a research job fair for other degrees?
Emory conducts very specific medical research into the causes of disease and illnesses. That is our mission. We do not have medical device research like some universities; we do not conduct the same type of research as does Georgia Tech or the University of Georgia. Nor do they conduct the same type of research as Emory. We each have our "specialties" and hire staff accordingly. We value degrees in molecular biology more than chemistry. Georgia Tech values degrees in chemistry and physics more than degrees in plant biology. And University of Georgia values plant biology degrees more than degrees in molecular biology.
Why don't you offer "time slots" for interviews?
This question is asked of us each year. Even though we send out reminders, many of you will not attend the job fair. And, there will be a good number of applicants who hear about the job fair at the last minute and show up with out pre-registering. It would be a logistical nightmare to try to rearrange interview time slots for 40 faculty. And, it would not be as efficient. Suppose you have an interview with faculty A at 10:00 and then your next interview with faculty B at 10:15. What do we do if Faculty B's 10:00 appointment does not show up? Do we leave the time empty or do we move you up to the 10:00 appointment and cause a conflict. And how do I find you? Run around and look? Make an announcement and disturb everyone interviewing. Remember, we have 40 faculty interviewing during the fair. Trust us, no one really wants the fair organized in this manner.
Some of the job titles you advertised on the website are not available during the job fair. Why?
This is a research job fair, so we advertise all the job titles for which faculty might want to recruit and interview. However, we do not know until faculty members register which positions they desire to fill. Some faculty register very early and others wait until the last minute. When faculty register, the skills they are seeking are matched to the skills listed in applicant's profiles. We notify you when there is match. If you do not receive an e-mail notification, you should assume there are no faculty registering for the job fair who are seeking any of the skills you listed in your profile. However, this does not necessarily mean your skills are not of value to Emory. You should visit our Careers website frequently and express interest in any positions which are a match.
What can I do if I don't get hired?
If you look at the number of people who usually attend and the number of applicants who get hired, you will notice the odds are against you. About one in ten people who attend get hired. Obviously we can't hire everyone who attends. Perhaps you did not have one of our valued degrees. Perhaps the research model you have experience with is not one which was valued during the job fair. Perhaps you don’t have the specific research skill some of the managers are seeking. There are many reasons why applicants do not get hired. We have found it is almost always based on the technical skills. Remember, you are competing against many people who have more experience than you. Don't get discouraged. If you have a degree in one of those we listed, you have a good chance to find a career with us. But it may take time. We only offer this job fair each spring, but we have a large number of research positions online which are filled on a daily basis. On average we fill 150-200 research jobs each and every year. Be persistent and patient. |