6B - The Michigan Daily - Fall Outlook - Thursday, October 24, 1996 0 The Michigan Daily- Outlack - Thurs 0 Going to Work Many factors set jobs, companies apart Going to Work JOB HUNT Continued from Page 3B "They have to understand the company and the questions they ask," Boley said. Boley said there are two types of interviews that engineering students can anticipate: behavioral and case interviewing. "Behavioral interviewing is finding out about past behaviors and attribute it to the future," he said. "Case interviewing is when a company will give you a case and expect you to come up with a solu- tion' Boley said.o Jason Wang, recent University alum and recruiter for St. Paul Companies in Minnesota, said he gets butterflies in his stomach when he conducts interviews. "I get butterflies because I'm the person who is deciding someone's fate in the company," Wang said. Wang said the interview is the best opportunity to display strong communication skills. "The best thing for a student (during an inter- view) is to be as articulate as possible," Wang said. "Communication is key to any company. The better you can verbally express yourself, the better off you will be." START NOW It's never too early to start looking for a job, stu- dents and advisers said. Just ask RC first-year student Natasha Allen, who has already. employment. "I'm really exi said. "I think it'l and how much I Kempton said CP&P office no resources. "Starting now manageable" Ke finding a job as consuming." By Megan Exiey For the Daily Jobs. Everyone has to get one sooner or later - but many students have found that making career choices is rather difficult. How do you find a job that is a good match for your personal interests and the range of jobs that are out there? What factors make a company "good" to work for? Experts say there are several key characteristics to look for in a company. Potential employees should find out what is involved with a particular job, like the "size" of the job, amount of responsibilty expected and the type of training needed to enter the field. What does the job pay and what benefits, like health or child care, are offered? What is the work environment like - the building, the location, the other employees - and will aspects like reg- ular traveling be expected? Does the job offer potential career ladders and promotions? What are the future prospects for the particular career itself? Students at the CP&P Career Fair earlier this month also commented on what factors they look for when searching for an "ideal" company. "I look at the overall 'culture' of a company," said Kathleen Marinelli, an LSA senior graduating in December. "A good training program is also a very impor- tant issue for me. I find myself steering away from the huge companies that require very intense train- ing and have very stressful atmospheres," Marinelli said. Many students said that location of a company is not a significant factor when looking for jobs. "I think if you find a job that you like, where you live is a secondary factor," said LSA senior Johanna Ott. At the other end of the scale, what skills define a desirable employee? Many recruiters at the Career Fair said they look for strong communication skills in potential employees. "Individuals who present themselves as very interested, prepared and organized are those we remember the most at job fairs," said Jennifer Wurdock, a human resources administrator at American Systems Technology Inc. Angie Popek, a representative of The Boston Consulting Group, added that "strong quantitative skills, as well as good leadership and communica- tion skills, are qualities that definitely impress potential employers." Malcolm Cohen, a University socio-researcher, said the projected shift in careers in the upcoming decades will necessitate a greater need for specif- ic skills for employees. "There is a definite need for increased comput- er literacy in the future," Cohen said. "This, in combination with a strong ability to communicate and work effectively with others, as well as good analytic and problem-solving skills, will place any potential employee at a greater advantage in the job world." Cohen also stressed that the University provides opportunities to garner these skills. "Any undergrad who can gain these skills, and put them to use, regardless of their field of study, is very well-positioned for success in the 21st cen- tury." 1iEl1 CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY I - ha i Job fairs lure employers to 'U' By Sonia Park For the Daily Professionals from all over the coun- try are logging mileage to Ann Arbor on their expense reports. Often they are Michigan alums themselves, coming back to their alma mater to serve as ambassadors for their companies. They come for job fairs, presentations and scheduled interviews. Many companies come to campus to screen applicants for prospective jobs. "For the southeast region alone, we are expecting to hire 120 to 130 stu- dents this year, so we are proactively recruiting students on campus," said Julie Wilhite, a recruiter from Price Waterhouse. Other companies come to increase their name recognition among University students as well as to clarify the specific opportunities that are avail- able. "We want to improve the understand- ing that we are also a high-tech compa- ny," said Julie Yancey, managing direc- tor of development services at FedEx, who was on campus two weeks ago for the Engineering job fair. "People have walked by and they say, 'Oh, are you here to ship boxes back for all the other companies?"' Often, com- panies that are e are well-known in other regions for people come to the q e University to lot of que increase their visibility among stu Entertainment With sport-tuned and new sto - rtun to ( JOE WESTRATE/Daily Matt Spurko, a representative from Kodak, speaks with Engineering senior Steven Christenson at the Engineering Career Fair, held earlier this month. gain knowledge and to determine that the representatives of the company real- ly do live up to their reputation." Recruiters know that if they want their company to grow, they have to bring in new people. "Graduates looking who asi stioiis ... - Anne Dakr PublicationsI often have high ideals and while they might not have developed all the skill sets a necessary, they bring fresh ideas and fresh nak energy to our company," said Inc. Chin Chao, a 1994 Bevin Desmond from Morningstar, a financial services and information firm in Chicago, said, "The students who impress me the most are the ones who are willing to initiate, come prepared and present themselves well. These are the things that get you remembered." Often, hiring managers look for peo- ple who would have a certain commit- ment to stay and would, therefore, be candidates for further advancement into management positions. "We would hope to get long-term people who might start out in sales and move to management," said Marsha Berger, personnel director at Coachman, a recreational vehicle com- pany. Alum Matt Hilzinger developed a training program at the Handleman Company that has been filled solely by University graduates in its first two years. The program targets graduating seniors that involves rotations through five functional divisions within the company. OUTSTANDING GRADUATE PROGRAMS * Doctoral degrees offered in Audiology, History, Mathematics, and Psychology * Specialist's degrees offered in General Educational Administration and Psychological Services * Master's degrees offered in Administration, Art, Biology, Broadcast & Cinematic Arts, Business Administration, Business Education, Chemistry, Communication Disorders, Computer Science, Counseling, Economics, Educational Administration & Community Leadership, English, Health Education & Health Science, History, Human Environmental Studies, Humanities, Industrial Management & Technology, Mathematics, Middle Level Education, Music. Physical Education & Sport. Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, Public Administration, Recreation and Parks Administration, Sociology/Social and Criminal Justice, Speech Communication and Dramatic Arts, Speech/Language Pathology, Special Education, and Teacher Education & Professional Development RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES, FELLOWSHIPS AND ASSISTANTSHIPS AVAILABLE A QUALITY GRADUATE EDUCATION AT A REASONABLE COST College of Graduate Studies Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI 48859 Phone: (517) 774-GRAD Fax: (517) 774-3439 E-mail: Grad@cmich.edu WEB: http://www.cmich.edu/- grad (CMU (AA/EO institution) encourages diversity, and resolves to provide equal opportunity regardless of race, sex, disability, sexual orientation, or other irrelevant criteria.) : _ ; their own set of car keys (oi thumbs), we made sure the new Sa fun to ride in, too. So you'll find mor comfortable back seats and a quiet ever before. For a free test- drive __._. _ _ SA TIRN a (or test-ride), stop by. Hope to see you soon. these( TIlie 1997 Saturn SCI. [$15,941] eailPrice incl uo're Tin liense, et her ('ftiosuans l- required uim hJrilit yi, isre,'paus ih lofrsdf inq its a n sc/