Diversity Employers

PREMIER 2013

Editorial objective:1- give diverse jobseekers sound information on job opportunities and how to successfully navigate the job search process,2- invite “employers of choice” to share success secrets and valuable information on where the jobs are.

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the job, so you need to demonstrate the same or more in the interview process. 9 Negative attitude. We all know negative people and most of us choose not to associate with them. Employers feel exactly the same, and they wish to fll jobs with positive people full of ideas who want to work together with others to help the company. Corrective action: Even when you have had a bad experience with a past employer or professor, you should give the explanation a positive twist. how you demonstrated leadership in a job, club, organization, volunteer organization, class project or study team. Employers want to hire future leaders, so most will look for past leadership. 5 Lack of career focus. This interview misstep results from the applicant's inability to demonstrate how the open position is of interest, or more importantly, how this job fts into their career plan for the next 10 years. In other words, there is a lack of career planning. Corrective action: The applicant needs to do more research on the position and the related career paths. Discussions with alumni or others who do this job will be helpful in making the decision to pursue this line of work and will make you more informed. The Internet again is a source of information on specifc careers. Additionally, visit the university's career services offce and consult with individual career advisors—they are paid to help you with valuable career information. 6 Insufcient interest in employer. Companies need to know the specifc reasons why you have chosen to interview with them. Reasons do not include: "you are a big company, you are 10 Failure to sell self. proftable, you are located in Chicago, you have a job opening." These answers do not distinguish this company from hundreds of other employers in Chicago. As a recruiter, I asked myself this question at the end of the interview: "Why should I hire this person?" I would assess the reasons the person gave to me. Corrective action: The answer again starts with researching the company. What does the company say about itself? Can you talk to employees of the company? If so, ask them why they chose to work for this company? What do they like most about the company? Corrective action: Give fve specifc reasons, with evidence for each, why you should be hired. Remember, all prospective employees can state that they are hard workers, learn quickly, and are effective team players. Interviewers are skeptical of your opinions about yourself, unless you offer substantial evidence to convince the interviewer. What type of evidence can you use? 7 Inefective communication style or skills. An applicant is usually faulted for this when they ramble on with their answers, appearing unfocused or illprepared. Corrective action: Concise statements are extremely important here. A simple way to follow in answering your questions is: L-RODS, which stands for: Listen. Refect. Organize. Deliver. Shut up. 8 Low level of enthusiasm. Applicants appear this way when they demonstrate very little vitality. Corrective action: Demonstrate that you are glad to be in the interview and that you are excited about this job opportunity and employer. You will be expected to be highly enthusiastic on Comments made in past performance evaluations by a supervisor Comments from customers Grade Point Average Awards for achievements or recognition Goals achieved All of these can be benefcial in 'proving' your claims. This information should help you prepare for future interviews. Good luck in passing your next interview test! u Lee Junkans, was Director of the Career Development Center at Chicago State University, spent 11 years as a corporate recruiter including eight years managing a college recruiting program for a Fortune 100 company. He spent 21 years directing career centers at major universities including Duke University and the University of Notre Dame. Diversity Employers | DiversityEmployers.com | First Semester December 2013 21

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