Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Interview Tips from Meet the Firm Night at NIU

I heard the following panel speak on career advice for new graduates on Monday, February 7 at NIU's Meet the Firm Night:

Drew Butts, Enterprise Holdings, Matt McClusky, Aerotek, Erin Quinlan, McKesson Pharmaceutical Group, Jerry Keyes, White Lodging

The panel gave some good advice for new graduates and said some things I have noticed myself. One, they said that students on their resumes need to indicate how they can help the company, not what the company can do for them. The panel also said to be careful asking about time off, salary and vacation until the company brings these things up. Asking these questions too soon makes it seem like you are only interested in benefits and not benefiting the company. Finally, I noticed that the panel did not appreciate job candidates that do not do research before the interview. It is great to go in with a problem and possible solution to show that you know what you are talking about and understand the company. Lynn Hazan is coming this week to talk to our students so we hope that she will give us some other great ideas. Feel free to post other interview tips.

4 comments:

Power of Green said...

After visiting Meet the firm night there were numerous interesting companies from sales to direct media printing. As students we are lucky in having the pleasure to have the Interactive Marketing Student Advisory board sponsor Lynn Hazan. Job searching is important in any stage of your college career. As we move into web 2.0 and beyond, we are seeing more interaction between internet and mobile devices with an almost 24/7 servicing ability. Lynn really offers some exciting info in her "15 resume tips for the 21st century job seeker". The way companies are hiring is changing and it is ever more important that new job seekers find new ways to communicating with the company(ies) of interest and find unique ways to differentiate themselves.

The Raccoons said...

Meet the Firm Night has always been a great way for students to network with potential employees in, hand out resumes, and allow students to practice their “elevator speech”. Meet the Firm Night has also been an excellent way for students to meet with corporations and get job leads and interviews. Discussing how you can benefit the company and doing research before the interview have always been tips I’ve tried to follow during an interview. Other tips that are important for an interview are to dress to match the company, remember to ask good questions, and be yourself.
Lynn Hazan visited NIU and brought up many good interview tips to students who are still looking for a job or an internship. One of the more interesting topics Lynn discussed was the idea of a WOW project. Having a project that you worked on and that can separate yourself from other potential job candidates is a great way to impress employers during an interview.

The Squeezes said...

As Dr. Zahay has mentioned, doing your homework and researching the company before an interview is crucial. It not only shows your interest for the potential employer, but really expresses that you truly would like to work for their organization.

From doing research on the company, it is also important to go over the job criteria/description of the intended position. Many potential candidates do not go over the job description prior to their interview and fail to relate their experiences and education to what the employer is seeking; which is extremely crucial, especially in this competitive job market today!

Finally, from doing extensive research regarding the company and the position, it is also important to ask the right questions. Put into perspective that you are interviewing the company. You also need to validate that the potential employer is a good fit for you, not just the other way around!

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