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November 17, 2006
Greetings from the World of Employer Development
Over the past few days, I have met with over a dozen employers in both Seattle and Portland and I was intrigued to hear their advice with regards to how someone without any ties to the area can break into the area. Here are a few examples:
“ We need someone to show a genuine interest in the area. If a student flies out here on their own dime to visit, and wants to sit down with us and learn about the firm and the city, we will be happy to do so. If a student is will to show this kind of commitment to us and the city, we will feel much more comfortable about extending an offer.”
“ When I go to the hiring committee with an applicant that doesn’t have ties to the area, I really have to sell it to the committee and prove to them that the candidate is not going to spend 2 years here, then leave. Tell your students to sign up for the bar, come out here and visit the city and make their reasons for coming out here absolutely clear in their cover letters.”
“ Of course we would love to see a tie to the region, but the lack of tie is not a deal breaker. If they explain their reasons for why they want to come out here in their cover letter and they come out and visit; we will see the commitment to the area that we are looking for.”
Notice a couple of recurring themes here? If you have any questions, I urge you to speak with a career counselor here at the CSO.
Posted by naa3 at November 17, 2006 12:03 AM