What Recruiters Really Seek in Engineers

Posted: 

Today's blog is written by Tiffany Estep, Campus Manager - University Relations at Eaton.

Eaton is a large fortune 500 company with close to 100,000 employees globally. Every year when Eaton posts positions for Early Talent (Internships and Leadership Development Program) we see close to 4,000 applicants within the roles. During the fall and spring recruiting seasons, it is pertinent as a candidate to do their best to stick out in the eyes of a recruiter. The remainder of this will go over what engineering recruiters really seek in candidates and how to help candidates stick out within thousands of applicants.

First and foremost, as a candidate we need to ensure that you meet all of the qualifications that we are looking for within our roles. Each position that is posted has a section for Basic Qualifications. Typically, basic qualifications are the very minimum of what we need from a candidate in order to be eligible for a role. Basic qualifications for most jobs around Early Talent will indicate which majors the jobs are seeking, the GPA, sponsorship requirements, etc. Unfortunately, if a candidate does not meet these qualifications, an employer is not able to move forward with the candidate. Now that we have talked about what a candidate would need to be eligible for a program, let’s discuss what makes an engineering candidate stand out….soft skills!

To stand out as a candidate within all of the applications, meet with your employer of choice. For example, if Eaton is a top employer for you as a candidate, take the time to seek out when they will be on your campus either in-person or virtually. This is the first batch of candidates that we seek to slot into our interviews. When you do have the opportunity to speak with a recruiter, having an elevator pitch is always a great first impression. Approaching a recruiter and giving a high-level overview of yourself is preferred – mentioning your major, year of college and adding anything you might know about the particular company is a plus and a good way to start conversation. As a candidate, having some knowledge about a company will always stick out to the recruiter and show that you have good communication skills and are invested in pursuing that particular company.

Eaton really looks for leadership attributes within candidates when assessing and talking to Early Talent. When assessing talent, we want to see that you show leadership attributes and can portray leadership qualities such as being ethical, transparent, learner, passion, etc. A lot of these can be shown through involvement on campus. As recruiters, we love to see involvement with different organizations on campus and even better having leadership roles within those groups. For example, being a president, vice president, treasurer of an organization on campus is a great way to display leadership qualities.

When it comes to interviewing, a good practice would be to always be ready for behavioral based questions. Be prepared to answer any behavioral based questions using the STAR method. We want to see how you handle yourself in different situations. Again, this will help recruiters assess your leadership attributes.

We as recruiters understand how busy you are as a student and the workload you are balancing. Right now is the best time to shape yourself and set yourself up for success. Start researching the companies that you are most interested in. Start getting involved and joining different groups within your campus to build up your resume. Connect and network with employers and recruiters. You can write your own story and each story is unique, so make sure you let us know all about you to stand out!

Success in the workplace requires a combination of skills, competencies, and experience. When recruiting talented engineers, employers assess potential hires by reviewing your application documents and interactions via interviews and events. Based on research by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), ECS spotlights 8 Keys to Career Success. If you want to learn more about career readiness and skills employers seek, check out these keys.

"The expert in everything was once the beginner." - Unknown