Career Search
You've made it this far...
^ Making the most of your on-site interview
a From the Editors
The Spring 2004 journalism 309 magazine editing
class created this magazine as a guide to putting
your best foot forward in your job search. In a
competitive job market, we hope to help Texas
A&M students feel more prepared and more at
ease as they graduate and hunt for the perfect job.
We recommend stopping by the Career Center's
Web site (careercenter.tamu.edu) to plug in to the
employer-search network designed to match you
up with employers searching for your major.
Copy Editors: Lydia Adams. Leigh Ann Downey, Lisa
Clyde, Emily Conner, Lisa Ramirez, Jennifer West
Designers: Cassandra Bennett, Whitney Morris, Casey
Reeves, Alicia Svetlik
Writers: Ashley Ingels, Amanda Fazzino, Shannan
Johnson, Amy Keilers, Megan Orton, Jeremy
Osborne, Jonathan Todd
a Photos
Battalion photographer Randal Ford contributed
the photos of Texas A&M business majors prepar
ing to face the job market. To see more of Ford's
work, visit his Web site at www.randalford.com.
By Amanda Fazzino
Career Search
P reliminary interviews, phone
calls and e-mails have all led
up to this — the company
visit. Only the most qualified can
didates make it this far, usually
the last step before an offer is
extended (or. not).
Candidates are no longer
wooed by big-budgeted recruit
ing departments as companies
do more to identify top
l Dicks early.
I “The technology indus
try is different today than
Three or four years ago,”
iHewlett-Packard business
operations and planning
analyst Peggy Cruse, said.
“It used to be that there were
two jobs for every candidate.”
Instead, companies rely on
phone interviews, recruit from
schools close to their locations,
and visit campuses for interviews
more often. Many companies,
Hewlett-Packard included, have
reduced the number of schools
targeted for recruiting by a third
or more.
While companies are more
selective about the candidates
they invite for company visits,
candidates can still expect travel
and overnight expenses to be cov
ered. It’s not uncommon to be
taken to lunch, but don’t expect
to be wined and dined.
“We hire a lot of remote candi
dates, but they have to come to
Houston for interviewing,”
Universal Computer Systems
(UCS) recruiting supervisor
Kristina Lee said. “We pay for
everything — the plane, hotel,
food. We don’t expect people to
pay for anything.”
UCS has company apartments
and dining facilities on-site that
candidates use on visits, reducing
recruiting costs.
“Every expense from the flight
to hotel and meals were cov
ered,” said Blake Cameron, a sen
ior finance major, of his office vis
its. “1 had no out-of-pocket
expenses going on the interviews
unless I wanted a Coke at 2 a.m.
in the hotel. Money I spent on
gas, parking at the airport —
everything was covered.”
Cameron enjoyed social
evenings before interviews at
Ernst & Young and Ryan &
Company, giving him an opportu
nity to assess the corporate
cultures.
“It was just real laid back,”
Cameron said. “It gave you a
chance to ask them questions
about the company. Everyone was
more than willing to answer ques
tions, and they buy you drinks at
the bar.”
Observing employee interac
tion is an advantage interviewees
have when on the company’s turf.
“The dress and attitudes that
recruiters and departments carry
tell if people are laid back or up
tight,” Lee said. “The way you’re
treated during recruiting is the
way they will treat you when you
work there.”
To save time and money, some
companies have cut back on indi
vidual attention, inviting candi
dates to office visits in groups,
observing their interaction and
comparing them, side-by-side,
against each other.
“It’s very hard if you’re not a
competitor,” Cruse said. “That’s
going to come across and you’re
going to get shut out.”
For Cameron, the group visit
made the entire process easier,
since all candidates were on an
even playing field.
“It probably would have felt
more competitive if there was
only one position, but the compa
ny didn’t see it that way,” he said.
“They said they would hire quali
fied candidates that could fill
their needs.”
Candidates that have made it
as far as a company visit are
expected to know the company
and department, and to ask
thoughtful questions.
“You should prepare the same
way for off- or on-site interviews,”
Lee said. “There’s not much you
can do differently to prepare
because you’ve probably never
been inside.”
Campus career fairs and per
sonal contacts are one way to
learn about the company, but the
fastest and most comprehensive
way to learn about a company is
by browsing its Web site.
“I don’t know what we did
without it,” Cruse said. “By going
to the ‘about us’ or ‘company his
tory’ sites, you can find out what
the company does, how and by
who it was started. HP, for exam
ple, started in a garage in the
1930s.”
Candidates should also be
familiar with the company’s prod
ucts, services and where it stands
in the marketplace.
“Knowing the mission, CEO
and background information is
somewhat important,” Cruse said.
Unlike interviews at the
Career Center, which can be lim
ited to 30 minutes, company vis
its include multiple interviews
with no time limits. If the compa
ny hasn’t properly coordinated
interviewers, candidates may
grow frustrated by repetitive
questions.
“We’re looking for consistency
in answers,” Lee said. “Those
who answer inconsistently put a
question in the recruiters’ minds
as to whether they’re telling the
truth.”
But if you get the same ques
tions again and again, “answer it
like it’s the first time, with the
same enthusiasm,” Cruse said.
Making it through a day or
two of intensive interviews in an
unfamiliar place is a success in its
own right, but sealing this deal
means landing the job.
Before leaving the office, thank
those who interviewed and host
ed you. “After you leave, always
send a thank you letter to your
recruiter,” Lee said.
Want to make a bigger impres
sion with a phone call?
It’s OK if you do, and OK if
you don’t.
“Be persistent,” Lee said, “but
anything beyond one phone call
would be too persistent.”
Where the jobs are
• Pg. 2
The 10 toughest
interviewer questions
• Pg. 5
How to build
the best resume
to showcase you
• Pg. 6
Ask, ask, ask!
The questions you
need to ask recruiters