Hello Cornerstone Students!
Last week we discussed the modern job search and visited the Career Services website. That website is a really great resource for students, with links containing specific information for both Undergraduate Students and also Non-Traditional Knights.
Part 1: Interviewing
Traditional interviews are a big part of getting a job or getting into graduate school. A few days ago, I spoke with the program director at a graduate school and he told me that they weigh their candidate interviews as heavily as they weigh grades and work experience. The person interviewing you wants to know how you will fit in with their corporate culture. There are also non-traditional interviews, such as an informational interview. When you go in for an informational interview, you are interviewing a person working at a company that you are interested to learn more about. Click this link to read an article about informational interviews.
Do interviews make you nervous? UCF Career Services has a link to a "Perfect Interview Activity" on their website. After creating and activating your account, the website creates a simulated interview where you are asked questions and must respond like in a real job interview. You can use the interview coach if you need help.
Part 2: Networking
Jobs, interning, service learning, co-ops, and community service are just a few ways for UCF students to interact with the Orlando community outside of the university. Networking is another key part of life both during and after college. I'm going to graduate school for Sports Management next year, and my Sports Management professors here at UCF all know at least one person who works at each school I'm applying to. When you build a strong network, the people you know can even pass information about you along to people down the line. It's not who you know, it's who knows you!
Part 3: Follow Up
After an interview, you should always send a thank you letter! One of my classes this year required us to get professional stationery and business cards to send out to people after our interviews. My professor taught us that as soon as you finish your interview, you should go home and write up a nice thank you note. In the envelope, include two business cards--one for the interviewer and one for them to give away (building your network!). Virginia Tech's website has some good tips for how to write a purposeful thank you note. Sometimes it's the little things like a thank you note that will leave a good impression!
This website has a lot of good information about steps you should take after an interview to keep yourself ready in case another job opportunity comes along.
Assignment:
1. Complete the Perfect Interview activity. Write a few sentences about what you learned from the activity and what you think you need to work on in interviews.
2. Have you ever had an interview before? Were you nervous? If you have been interviewed, what advice do you have? If you haven't, what questions do you have?
3. Who here at UCF is in your network already? Is there a person (department director, professor, dean) you'd like to be in your network but isn't? How can you continue to expand your network?
4. How do you plan to follow up after an interview?
1. What I Learned from the Perfect Interview Activity.
ReplyDeleteFrom this activity I learned that I need to give more specific as to why I am dependable or competent in an area. Saying yes to a question isn’t as powerful as showing why you do have that quality.
2. My Experience with Interviews
I have been through several interviews already. I was interviewed twice by Disney for two separate positions and I got them both! I also once was interviewed by Barnes and Noble; however, I accepted the position at Disney so I declined continuing my employment there. I was interviewed by Publix and also received that job (It is my current job because I quit Disney. The drive was too much for me.). I also was interviewed for being a teacher/volunteer for Homestay International (English program) and I’ve been with them for 3 years.
The advice I have for the interview process is be prepared, relaxed (still working on this!), and professional in how your present yourself. Know what you can offer the company and be friendly and open to the interviewer. Although I’ve been interviewed multiple times I still get nervous and I dread them still. But practicing the interview with a family member or friend definitely helps and going over what you will say to common questions does wonders for when the real thing comes!
3. Expanding your network?
Having a network is important and my goal this semester is to build it larger. I know Dr. Keith Folse who is charge of TEFL certificate and director of Junior Achievement. I have a friend who knows the professor who is a representative for the Jet program and I am going to follow up on that connection so I can meet that professor too! Another way I am going to expand my network is utilize the professors in the classes that I am attending. I always thought that their office hours were only for students that work struggling with the material so I never when to see my professors. However, it is also a time to learn more about their work, about the field (education, communication, or world studies) and other information/connections that they have.
4. How do you plan to follow up after an interview?
I think sending a thank you letter is a good idea since it shows your appreciation and it allows the interviewer to see your name again. If you aren’t offered the job you should occasionally contact the interviewer to just keep communication lines open and show that you are serious about working for the company. This also allows the interviewer to see your name again (and again) and if there is an opening they might be willing to offer it to you since they see you are persistent.
I always use my Professor's office hours regardless of whether I need help with my school or not. I don't want them to just know me as another one of their students. That way if I need a reference from them they know exactly who I am. They don't have to make up things when referring me. For instance, the basic things a professor would say when they really don't know a student is "she's a good student" or "she always makes good grades." They have more to say about you as an individual. Overall you're doing good with the interviews. You have gotten all the jobs you have been interviewed for. Keep up the good work.
DeleteI think you both are correct about office hours. I've personally never really utilized my professors office hours but thinking about it now, it definitely seems like something I should start doing. I think it kind of sucks in a bigger university because teachers don't get as much interaction with their students as they would in a smaller school (like Valencia), so the students don't think that office hours are all that important.
DeleteI think Jakara is right about the basic comments, its the same with your managers. I know that I would list my current manager at work as a reference because he knows my work ethic better than anyone else in the store. I would never list my assistant manager or a lead in the store because I don't interact with them nearly as much and they don't know how far I can push myself to get the job done.
That is a great achievement to leave your undergraduate work with a professional academic network. I have found it so hard to create a real, truthful, connection with faculty/professors here at UCF, simply because I realized too late what Jay and Amanda are talking about. Professors at a university want nothing more for students to take interest in their course and their research, it is just impossible for them to reach out to every student at such a large university...it is up to us to make that first move.
DeleteI never really considered sending a professional thank you note as a follow-up technique till this blog activity. I agree with you that if you are still on the look out for a particular job or for employment at a particular company, giving the occasional call back or email to check on any updates with the organization can not hurt. Like you said, it gets your name back out there and on the mind of the potential employer.
I agree with you jakara you need to make yourself know to your professors. I believe in dropping by making personal stops so if I ask them to write me a reference letter they could put a face with the name and can write a letter based on me as an individual and not the generic letter that everyone else receive.
Deletevinicia
1. After going through the practice interview a few times, I learned that I need to be more "efficient" in my responses. Cut out the little fluff and get straight to point of my response. Also, when asked to describe an attribute, actually describe but be exact and clear. So, the two major areas while interviewing I would like to improve would be efficiency, using my words wisely, and clarity.
ReplyDelete2. I have been through three interviews, gotten two jobs out of the three interviews. I do not know if it is just a coincidence, but I do believe there is some correlation, the interview that I was most nervous for was the interview that did not lead to employment. I think it is safe to say that for any interview, a person's nerves are on edge, it is more of matter if I feel in control of myself and confident in my abilities and fitting in the culture of the organization I am interviewing for. The best advice I can myself and others for future interviews, is leave yourself the perfect amount of time before an interview to calm yourself down and still be just a few minutes early. Be yourself, smile, and be confident. Always remember that nothing bad can come from interviewing. Another important point, be sure to research the organization before going into the interview, and think of a few questions regarding the company and the specific job you are interviewing for. Most importantly, remain in control of your nerves, think before you speak.
3. I must say that my professional network here at UCF thus far is minimal to non-existant. Not worrying about creating this type of relationship with my professors has probably been my biggest fault during my time here. But I do have a list of UCF faculty that I wish to add to that network, starting with Dr. Hampton, Director of the IDS Department. Another good networking source are professors of the Cornerstone/Capstone Experience courses. I am taking my experience at UCF and hoping to create a better network while earning my second Bachelor's (BSN). I plan on doing this by taking interest in professors' courses and using office hours, making sure the professor gets to know me.
4. Wow....I never even thought about the follow up portion of an interview. I just always assumed if you did not hear back it was a no go. The websites provided were awesome introducing this concept to me. Now after reading what the sites had to offer, for my next interview I will definitely start the follow up with the professional thank you letter. I plan on also taking their advice on how to properly and politely inquire about the progression of the decision making.
Interviewing is a learned skill and more practice the better! Even though you didn't get the job for the interview you were most nervous for, it did benefit you. It showed you what you could work on and showed you what you did well. I also need to think before I speak. I tend to ramble on and sometimes I forget what point I am trying to make! I think the best way to be prepared is running through several potential questions that you think they will ask so you can be prepared to answer them. For that purpose I am going to keep the Perfect Interview Activity as an job searching resource.
DeleteI totally agree with you Rachel about interviewing is a learned skill. I learn something new after every interview. I don't feel like I say enough in my interviews. After I leave an interview I always think of something I should have said or could have said. I know it's good to say just enough, but what exactly is just enough?
DeleteI completely agree with yall!! I always seem to get that feeling after an interview of "Darn it, I wish I woulda said that." The usual Monday morning quarterback. It is always easy to have the "perfect" response in hindsight because you have had time to analyze the question. But that all goes into what you can learn from every interview.
DeleteLooking at the glass half full (if you nothing comes from the interview)...I like it.
I agree Rachel interviewing is a learned skill and I can honestly say that after each interview that I have had I have learned something about me and what I can improve on. It is a learning experience.
Delete1. The practice interview I found to be encouraging. I thought I was able to quickly come up with responses which always left a place open for the interviewer to ask me to expand on which, when asked to, gave more credence to me. I would like to take a few minutes though to be able to really evaluate which classes helped me the most at UCF.
ReplyDelete2. I have had a few interviews in the past. I have never really been nervous in regards to talking to people though so I always went in very steady. My advice to someone about to go into an interview is to think about what questions they may ask you and then make some bullet points in your head to use if they ask you those specific questions.
3. I currently have a pretty big network. My family has lived all over America and as such I have numerous friends through out the country. If needed I can contact any one of these people. My family is also very spread out in America. They have friends who could help me in a job search. Here at UCF I have had a good report with my teachers and generally try to make sure they remember who I am. One teacher I would like to have a closer contact with is Prof. Paollini. He has a vast collection of individuals he is able to contact due to his many published works.
4. After an interview I plan on starting to send thank you letters and business cards. I have never really thought about that before but now, it makes perfect sense. It allows you to indirectly remind them of who you are and puts you back into their mind a few days after the interview.
Yes, first impressions are everything, but a lasting impression (or at least longer than it would have been) is just as good. They definitely go hand in hand. So if you nail the first impressions part then sending a thank you letter with your business card is as they say it, icing on the cake.
DeleteHi Cory,
DeleteI think you are very lucky to have such a large network. I think its really cool that you've had the opportunity to travel and live all over America.
I think its important for anyone going into an interview to definitely make up some trial questions and figure out how they would answer it.
I never really thought about the follow-up aspect of an interview either. But just as you said, now it seems so logical. It certainly can not hurt.
DeleteDefinitely thinking about possible questions that may come up in the interview and your answers to those questions before hand is a great technique to ease your nerves and have well thought logical responses for the interviewer...blows their socks off. Also, the internet is a powerful tool. There are many sites that have interview gouges for most companies and job types. These gouges help a pre-interviewee understand the process that company uses in the interview and the most common questions an interviewee will be asked. Such a site can relieve the "What to expect" fear that most people (not Cory haha) will have.
1. I think the Perfect Interview module was very interesting because it helped give a little more insight to how we should be answering the interviewer's questions. There were a couple questions that I answered differently but I realized that the way I would have responded probably wasn't the most acceptable answer.
ReplyDelete2. I've had a few interviews before. My last interview was for my current job. I was very nervous, especially since I had been out of work for a few months. I've learned since then that interviews should be kept very basic and professional, without giving away too many personal details. I also learned that you should not answer any kind of question that isn't directly related to the job you are applying to.
3. The few friends that I've made so far at UCF have been in my classes. The people I hang out with at school are from either my close friends from high school or Valencia. I don't currently have too much of a network at UCF as of yet, but I'm hoping in the future I will have a much broader range of people I know and associate with.
4. For my next interview, I definitely want to send a thank you letter. I did not realize that it would even be a good idea. This week's lesson definitely helped me realize the things we should and shouldn't do at an interview. I'm glad that I have had the opportunity to learn more to eventually be more successful at my next interview. I already shared the information from this weeks blog post with some of my friends, so that they are just as well informed about interviews as I am :)
Amanda, you may not know all that many people at UCF but it is amazing the connections they can have. I have been able to get a few people jobs all around Florida so far due to my knowledge of people. It also helps to try and befriend people who are a few grades above you due to the fact that they will be in a new pool of people once they get their first jobs.
DeleteCory Waite
1. After completing the activity I learned that majority of the questions that I give a short response to are the ones I need to elaborate on. I also learned that I need to be more confident because confidence does show.
ReplyDelete2. I have been on several interviews. Some interviews have had me vry nervous and some were just a breeze. Depending on the type of job I am applying, depends on whether I get nervous or not. For instance, if it's a really good job position with lots of opportunities but limited space then I really get nervous. I know there will be lots of applicants but I want them to choose me.
Advice I would give to others is be prepared. Write up potential questions the interviewer would ask and practice with a friend or family member. Arrive early.....timing is everything. Have questions of your own to ask the interviewer. Try to distinguish yourself from the next candidate. What makes you a better candidate for the position rather than the next person?
3. My network isn't that big but I am working on expanding it.
4. After an interview I always give the interviewer a couple of days then I do a follow up phone call. I never thought to send a thank you letter or a business card. That's a great idea. If I don't get the job I was applying for another job might come along that they feel I am qualified for and because of my professionalism and persistance this could put me at the top of the list.
1. what I learned I need to tell why I am dependable and how I have the understanding and the knowlegde to do the certain job. And to also be direct with my answers and not adding the extra.
ReplyDelete2. Yes I have had an interview before and I have always been nervous on ever interview I have been on. I would tell anyone to be confident when you go in and try not to second quess yourself on the things you are asked.
3. I really don't have any connecctions here at Ucf I have only been here for only two semesters. I really don't who are the right people to talk to. I need to start networking and making connections with people who are in the medical feild and especially in health care Administration.
4. I would send a thank you letter and also do a call follow up on the position that was open. I believe that is the best thing to do after a interview.
Vic, in regards to being nervous when going into an interview it helps me when I remind myself that they are just people and as such they might be nervous as well. It may seem like they have a lot of power over you but the truth is you have all the power in this situation in that you can make the interview take whichever course you want with enough personality.
DeleteCory Waite