If you’re involved supporting the school-to-work transition, you already know that Fall Campus Recruitment is the best time of the year.  You’re organizing events, catching up with other employers or career centres and chatting with students about exciting future career opportunities.  It’s what most of us spend our summers preparing for!

Whether you’re a Campus Recruiter or Career Educator, it’s not a 9-5 job and it takes people with passion, stamina and grit to make it through Fall Campus Recruitment and not get burnt out.  We’ve compiled 7 tips to help ensure you have an amazing, albeit sometimes hectic, Fall!

1 - Go for a walk.

When we get busy, often the first thing to get sacrificed is exercise and fresh air. Consider scheduling a walking meeting to be efficient, productive and drive creativity while getting in your 10,000 steps and some sunshine. Learn more about doing walking meeting here, here and here.

2 - Consider packing snacks.

Let’s face it. When your calendar is packed, the easiest option is to get take-out or for some, just not eat. But week after week, this is not the best option to keep you performing your best.  Considering travelling with snacks to keep you fueled.  Fresh fruit or veggies, nuts, seeds and granola/protein bars are easy, transportable and can be prepped in advance. And if you’re going to the effort of packing snacks, grab your favourite water bottle to refill and stay hydrated on the go!

3 - Don’t underestimate the power of a little shut-eye.

Sleep, sweet sleep. When things are hectic, for some, quality sleep is the first thing to go. We all know how incredibly important it is (and if you can’t sleep, here’s an interesting podcast from Freakonomics on the Economics of Sleep), but when stress or anxiety creeps in, sleep can be challenging.  Try and ensure you make time for 6-9 hours of sleep every night, skip the screens before bed, take a warm shower to relax, and sip on your favourite brand of sleepy time tea to slip into a sweet slumber. Here are some additional tips on getting to sleep if you’re stressed.

4 - Watch your back.

Carrying around luggage, boxes of giveaways or marketing material, and career fair booths can be taxing.  Campus Recruiters don’t travel light (here’s a photo of my luggage on route to a career fair last year) and Career Services Professionals always seem to be lugging heaving things around.  Know your limitations, ask for help, and don’t forget to bend those knees when lifting!

5 - Wash your hands.

Travelling in airports, shaking hands at events, and carrying dirty boxes around are all great reasons to wash your hands regularly.  You already know this, its common sense. But when we get busy, its easy to forget. Remember to pack hand sanitizer or better yet, stop at the restroom and soap your hands up regularly throughout the day as your best defense against getting sick.

6 - Be flexible and adaptable.

Let’s face it, things don’t always go as planned.  Flights get delayed, shipped packages go missing, catering doesn’t always show up on time, and people don’t always follow through on their commitments. As a Campus Recruiter, I can give several examples of these things happening to me over the years. 

This is the time of year to be flexible and adaptable to any situation. Try and focus on what’s important.  If your catering doesn’t show up to an information session, know that students ultimately show up to talk to employers, the food is just a bonus. If your flight is delayed, appreciate the extra time with wifi you have to pull out your laptop and respond to emails or schedule social media content. If your swag or booth doesn’t show up, find a way to laugh about it and have an amazing event anyway.

7 - Pause for reflection.

Whether you’re hosting employer events, conducting interviews or standing at a career fair, at the end of the event, everyone is tired and just wants to go home.  However, there can be a real benefit to pulling your team together for 10-15 minutes and having a quick debriefing session. First, take a moment to celebrate! Second, gather feedback. I like to have all the questions I plan to ask the team prepared in advance in a note-taking app on my phone (I like OneNote), so I don’t forget to ask something when I’m tired and can take down notes to review later. This exercise can really help close the loop on an event and gather any important lessons-learned or items to follow up on later.

Best of luck and much success to all those involved with campus recruitment this fall!

Have something to contribute? We’d love to hear your comments or tips for #CampusRecruiters and #CareerEducators.