Bronco Spotlight: Jessica Childs
Bachelor of Business Administration in human resource management, 2018
Recruiter at Aerotek
I am a recruiter for Aerotek in their Washington, D.C. office on their construction, engineering and architecture division where I speak with, interview, and help candidates find jobs in their related fields. Through this process, I ensure they're qualified for the role and that they're fully prepared for all interviews, continuing to build and maintain the relationship through the whole process.
What is the most rewarding and the most challenging part of your job?
Most rewarding: helping someone utilize their education and skills in a great career opportunity that they wouldn't have otherwise came across on their own. Most challenging: people are very unpredictable, which can affect the entire process when recruiting candidates, meaning, you can work tirelessly with someone just for them to change their mind, work elsewhere, reject an offer, or not show for an interview altogether and you have no way of predicting that possibility on the front end.
What experiences impacted the choice of your career path?
My extracurricular activities at Western, including employment. My part-time job that led to my career-specific internship greatly prepared me professionally while being in registered student organizations allowed me to network and build my communication and public speaking skills.
What advice do you have for students looking for their career after college?
Start early. I graduated spring of 2018 and began my search in November of 2017, basically following the fall career fair. This allowed for my resume to be one of the first submissions when employers began seeking college grads. Also, tailoring your resume to the specific opportunity helps show your particular interest in that company and position, even if it's just changing a few keywords in your objective/summary statement. Lastly, if you have contact information for the job poster, follow-up with a thank you email that acts as a short cover letter!