What are information sessions?

If you think that the primary purpose of interviewing is to enable companies to find employees, you may be surprised to learn that it is just as important for you to determine if the company is right for you. The on-campus recruiting process can be seen as a mutual information exchange: you learn about the company and they learn about you. Since companies are rarely interviewing for one or two specific positions (unless they are very small), on-campus recruiting interviews are generally screening interviews. They are typically short (about 30 to 60 minutes) and companies do not usually make hiring decisions based on the one interview alone.

Since the interviews are brief, many companies, especially small companies or those new to recruiting at Caltech, will hold an information session prior to their interview day. During the information session, company representatives will give a presentation about the company and answer any questions. The information session lets recruiters talk more about the company and the people they are looking for than would be allowed in a short screening interview. If a company that you are interested in has scheduled an information session, it is highly recommended that you attend.

Here at Caltech, information sessions are typically held the day before interviews from 4 to 6 PM; refreshments are often served.

Special Note: Caltech students who will not graduate in the next year are invited and encouraged to attend company information sessions.

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