An interview is (should be!) a two-way exchange of information. The interviewer is interestedin learning more about what you have to offer. The interviewee (you!) should be interested in learning more about the organization and the position for which you are interviewing. If you are prepared to answer the following four questions, you should be able to ace any interview:

The 4 Interview Questions You Must Be Able to Answer

Hire-a-ShockerWSU Career Services

In this issue:

- Interview Questions

- Summer Jobs

- Employer Spotlight

- Career Spotlight

Issue 11 / 04.22.13

Telephone InterviewsTelephone interviews are commonly used to screen job applicants. Your objective in a telephone interview is to obtain a personal, face-to-face meeting with a prospective employer.

Skills and characteristics to exhibit during a telephone interview include: enthusiasm, a positive attitude, superior verbal communication skills, problem-solving ability, and creativity.

Do not do anything which can create an unpleasant impression. Do not speak too fast; speak too close to the receiver; have music, television or other distractions in the background; or chew gum, drink, eat, or smoke during a telephone interview. If you have roommates, let them know you will be on a telephone interview and ask them to be quiet and to limit distractions.

Keep the objective in mind---the face-to-face interview---and do not ask questions about money, benefits, etc. There will be time for that later.

If you have call waiting, NEVER interrupt your interview to take another call. EVER.

Telephone InterviewsTelephone interviews are commonly used to screen job applicants. Your objective in a telephone interview is to obtain a personal, face-to-face meeting with a prospective employer.

Skills and characteristics to exhibit during a telephone interview include: enthusiasm, a positive attitude, superior verbal communication skills, problem-solving ability, and creativity.

Do not do anything which can create an unpleasant impression. Do not speak too fast; speak too close to the receiver; have music, television or other distractions in the background; or chew gum, drink, eat, or smoke during a telephone interview. If you have roommates, let them know you will be on a telephone interview and ask them to be quiet and to limit distractions.

Keep the objective in mind---the face-to-face interview---and do not ask questions about money, benefits, etc. There will be time for that later.

If you have call waiting, NEVER interrupt your interview to take another call. EVER.

Why do you want the job?You have to be able to explain and defend your reasoning for wanting the job for which you are interviewing. “Needing a job” is not a sufficient response. You have to explain how you think this job fits you.Why should they hire you?You are not the only candidate, so why should they select you over the others? Again, “needing a job” is not a sufficient response. You have to explain how your combination of experience, education, skills and qualities/characteristics match up with the experience, education, skills and qualities/characteristics they are seeking in candidates. You have to explain how you think you fit the job.Why do you want to work for this organization?You must demonstrate that you have done your homework. When you say - “I’d love to work for your company!” - you have to be able to back it up. What is it about the company that you find appealing? You have to be able to explain how and why you think you will fit in their culture.Why do you want to work in this profession/industry?You must demonstrate that you have some knowledge about the profession/industry. They aren’t going to just take your word for it. Just as every company’s culture is unique, every industry and profession has its own unique features and characteristics; features and characteristics that – depending upon what you are seeking out of your career – can be viewed as advantages or disadvantages. You have to be able to explain that you understand and will be able to fit in their world.One Caveat! Employers do not expect college students or recent graduates to be able to answer these four questions with the same depth and detail as would an experienced candidate. They are realistic, but you still need to be able to answer them based on your knowledge, experience and research. Courtesy of “the Campus Career Coach,” copyright holder: http://thecampuscareercoach.com/

Webcam InterviewsWebcam interviews are becoming more and more common, so don’t be surprised if an employer chooses to skip the telephone interview in favor of interviewing you via webcam. Webcam interviews are different from in-person interviews and telephone interviews. If you’re not prepared, you might just miss that opportunity to make a good first “virtual” impression.

Here are five tips to help you prepare for your webcam interview:

Know Your TechnologyWhether you are using Skype, Google WebChat or one of the other webcam apps available for your computer or smartphone, make sure you know how to use it. Check the speaker and microphone volume and settings; check the picture quality; know how to use the screen sharing functions; know how to set up a multi-person web conference. The day of your interview is the wrong time to learn how to use your webcam application! If you’re worried about how to use the app during the interview, you’re not going to be focused on interview. Don’t wait until the last minute.

Webcam InterviewsWebcam interviews are becoming more and more common, so don’t be surprised if an employer chooses to skip the telephone interview in favor of interviewing you via webcam. Webcam interviews are different from in-person interviews and telephone interviews. If you’re not prepared, you might just miss that opportunity to make a good first “virtual” impression.

Here are five tips to help you prepare for your webcam interview:

Know Your TechnologyWhether you are using Skype, Google WebChat or one of the other webcam apps available for your computer or smartphone, make sure you know how to use it. Check the speaker and microphone volume and settings; check the picture quality; know how to use the screen sharing functions; know how to set up a multi-person web conference. The day of your interview is the wrong time to learn how to use your webcam application! If you’re worried about how to use the app during the interview, you’re not going to be focused on interview. Don’t wait until the last minute.

Courtesy of “the Campus Career Coach,” copyright holder: http://thecampuscareercoach.com/Courtesy of “the Campus Career Coach,” copyright holder: http://thecampuscareercoach.com/

Courtesy of “the Campus Career Coach,” copyright holder:http://thecampuscareercoach.com/Courtesy of “the Campus Career Coach,” copyright holder:http://thecampuscareercoach.com/

Continued on page 2

Career Coffee Blog...By Jan Mead

Panel, Group and Committee InterviewsInterviewing takes many forms. I won’t ever forget the first time I walked into an office, scared enough about talking with one manager – and much to my surprise, saw four people armed with interview questions for me.Why would an employer inflict such punishment on someone eager to work for them? Perhaps to enable them to make a better hiring decision, based on the opinions of several interviewers rather than just one.Panel interviews are common with nonprofit organizations as well as in academia. Panels may be made up of four to six people. The panel may include someone from human resources, department managers and even potential co-workers. Panel interviews may

also be called group or committee interviews. Some tips for a panel interview include:Interact with each person on the panel. But, direct your answer for each question to the person who asked it, maintaining eye contact with that person.If you can, try to remember the name of each interviewer. Shake hands with each person as you leave the interview, thanking them and calling them by name.Immediately after the interview, send an individual thank you note to each interviewer. If possible try to address some point each person made in your thank you note to him/her. If you are not able to get a business card for each interviewer, call the person who set up your interview and ask for that information.Remember – Career Services offers mock interviews as one of its services. We’ll be happy to simulate a panel interview and send you off with more confidence for the real thing.

Panel, Group and Committee InterviewsInterviewing takes many forms. I won’t ever forget the first time I walked into an office, scared enough about talking with one manager – and much to my surprise, saw four people armed with interview questions for me.Why would an employer inflict such punishment on someone eager to work for them? Perhaps to enable them to make a better hiring decision, based on the opinions of several interviewers rather than just one.Panel interviews are common with nonprofit organizations as well as in academia. Panels may be made up of four to six people. The panel may include someone from human resources, department managers and even potential co-workers. Panel interviews may

also be called group or committee interviews. Some tips for a panel interview include:Interact with each person on the panel. But, direct your answer for each question to the person who asked it, maintaining eye contact with that person.If you can, try to remember the name of each interviewer. Shake hands with each person as you leave the interview, thanking them and calling them by name.Immediately after the interview, send an individual thank you note to each interviewer. If possible try to address some point each person made in your thank you note to him/her. If you are not able to get a business card for each interviewer, call the person who set up your interview and ask for that information.Remember – Career Services offers mock interviews as one of its services. We’ll be happy to simulate a panel interview and send you off with more confidence for the real thing.

Constantly noticing how things work and coming up with ways that would make them work better? Human factors, or ergonomics, describes the field that focuses on the interface between people and equipment. Human factors engineers can work in a wider range of industries to analyze the effectiveness, safety, or ease a person encounters when utilizing a device or system. For example, a human factors engineer could evaluate how easy it is to navigate a smart phone and propose a new design that is more intuitive or they could research how people perceive information on roads and design highways in a way that increases drivers’ ability to process information, therefore reducing accidents.

Career Spotlight: Human Factors Engineer

Courtesy of “the Campus Career Coach,” copyright holder: http://thecampuscareercoach.com/

Excellent human factors engineers have strong skills in observation, critical thinking, and creativity. The majority of positions in human factors require a bachelor’s degree in psychology or engineering and a master’s degree with coursework in human factors or a related field. Many positions ask for experience in a specific area or industry, so look for programs that include an internship that will provide practical experience. Internships are also a great way to develop a valuable professional network. For more information about the field visit https://www.hfes.org/web/Default.aspx, or learn more about Wichita State University’s program at: http://webs.wichita.edu/?u=PSYCHOLOGY&p=/graduate/humanfactors/humanfactorsphd/

Webcam Interviews Continued from page 1Control Your EnvironmentEliminate all distractions! Roommates, pets, boyfriends and girlfriends, parents – ask them to leave you alone. Twitter and Facebook accounts, your Pandora account and your iPod – turn them off! Allow yourself to focus. Make sure you are budgeting enough time. Be ready to go 10-15 minutes beforehand and budget extra time in case the interview goes long. Have a glass of water nearby and have all of your notes ready to reference. Like an in-person interview, you can’t get up and move around during your webcam interview. They can see you and everything you do.Manage Your ImageThe image you project on your webcam is a combination of you and your surroundings; and you control ALL of this. Take a look at yourself in your webcam. What do you look like? What do you see in the background? What you see is what the employer will see when they are interviewing you. Clean up the room; make sure the light from a nearby window isn’t washing out your picture. Adjust the webcam so that it is capturing the image of you that you want to convey. Remember, you control the camera, how it is positioned and the image it captures. Manage that image!Double-Check Your ConnectionWireless communication is great, until it doesn’t work or until the wireless signal strength is weak. Signal strength is particularly important when you are transmitting video, so make sure you have a fast and reliable internet connection (wired or wireless). Test your connection speed and/or wireless signal strength to be certain it can effectively handle webcam communication.Have a Plan BYou can check and double-check. You can do everything right and be as prepared as possible, and sometimes technology just fails to do what it’s supposed to do. You need to have a Plan B ready just in case Plan A doesn’t work. Make sure you know your interviewer’s phone number and email address. Have both ready in case you need to use them. It the first sign of trouble, alert your interviewer and see if you can get the technology issues resolved. If you can’t, suggest the telephone as an alternative.

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Employer Spotlight:Mid American Credit Union“People helping people.”Credit unions operate following this principle, and serve members who meet a common theme, i.e.,where they work or where they live. Credit unions are not-for-profit financial cooperatives. Membersare equal owners of their credit union and have one vote. Earnings are returned to members in theform of higher dividends on savings, lower loan interest rates and lower fees. As of June 2012, U.S.credit unions numbered 7103 with 94.4 million members and assets of $1.02 trillion (www.cuna.org).Mid American Credit Union is a local and growing credit union, employing more than 70 people in theWichita area. The location nearest WSU’s main campus is the new northeast branch at 2933 NorthWebb Road. Other local branches are in west and south Wichita, and the Sedgwick County Courthouse. Below are questions and answers from a recent phone interview with Mid American staff members: - Kristen Spear, Director of Human Resources - Long Nguyen, HR Coordinator and WSU student - Amy Geiszler-Jones, Marketing Assistant What are some types of career positions at Mid American which students might not expectto find there? Kristen: “Accounting and finance, marketing and communications.” Long: “The IT department is growing.” Why do you want to hire Shockers? Kristen: “We are growing in personnel. WSU is a well-reputed university, has motivated students,and the outstanding Barton School of Business.” Why should students consider working for Mid American? Amy: “The soft skills learned--communication, to be on-time, to work in a professional environment.” Kristen: “The number of part-time positions which make it easy to coordinate your work schedule andclasses. We offer a professional environment. You can grow into a career here. You will learn properconflict management technique and know how to dress professionally. Benefits are provided for part-time workers, including tuition reimbursement.” What types of majors are a good fit for your organization? Kristen: “Finance, human resources, accounting, IT, marketing, management, business administrationand LAS majors such as English for business writing.” Amy: “Mid American is doing more outreach, so marketing and communications majors shouldconsider us. We now have a social media person.”Would you like to talk about recent changes in banks and credit unions and the overall growthfor credit unions?Amy: “Credit union membership is growing. There is more concern for helping the shareholdermembers vs. worrying about the bottom line. Our profits go into earnings for members--lower or nofees, higher dividend rates. The members are our owners. Banks have had to find new revenuesources because of changes in banking regulations. The growth in Kansas for us has been tremen-dous. Also, there is a very cooperative nature amongst credit unions. Through a nationwide networkof credit unions you can get cash from an ATM without paying the ATM access fee or deposit a checkin a branch.” Do you have a financial tip or a job search tip to share? Kristen, Amy and Long: “Networking is how I arrived in my position. Learn to dress professionally.”Kristen and Long: “Make use of your connections to professors.” Kristen: “Schedule a mock interview at Career Services.” Kristen: “Don’t spend all that you make. Learn early. I recommend a couple of books which makegreat graduation gifts: The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous, and Broke by Suze Orman and TheTotal Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness by Dave Ramsey. Look for free learningsessions, available here for members and nonmembers, such as How to Keep More of Your ownmoney, etc.” Amy: “Our website includes a personal finance section. There is a weekly newsletter, Money Minute.We recommend consumer credit counseling service.” Long: “Get experience. Be aware of Career Services. Begin the job search sooner (than you thinkyou should.)” To learn more about career opportunities at Mid American Credit Union: http://www.midamerican.coop/career-opportunities.

Hire-a-Shocker If you’re looking for a job, you need to check outHire-a-Shocker, our online recruitment system.Post your resumé and search for part-time, full-time, degreed and nondegreed positions, including on-campus opportunities. Hire-a-Shocker also showswhich employers are coming to career events andallows you to apply for on-campus interviews.

If you’re looking for a job, you need to check outHire-a-Shocker, our online recruitment system.Post your résumé and search for part-time, full-time, degreed and nondegreed positions, including on-campus opportunities. Hire-a-Shocker also showswhich employers are coming to career events andallows you to apply for on-campus interviews.

Summer Job Opportunities

Summer camp positions are currently posted on Hire-a-Shocker. Job locations include Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

For the not-so-adventurous student, there are summer camp jobs here in Kansas. Summer camps usually provide room and board, and include outdoor activities.

If you never had the opportunity to ride a horse, kayak, hike in the mountains or live near a lake, now is your chance. Summer camp jobs are also great experiences for sociology, psychology, social work, education, counseling, sports-related majors and more, depending on the theme of the camp.

Other summer jobs include processing salmon in Alaska, harvesting in the Midwest, teaching drivers education near Wichita, conducting research in North Dakota, and various summer jobs at Yellowstone National Park. Room and board may be included for jobs outside our area, or offered at a very reasonable rate.

Living in another part of the country might be just what you need this summer. Travel is a good way to gain a new perspective on life, school, and your future.

- Log in to Hire-a-Shocker.

- Click on Job Search.

- Search for Position Type: Seasonal/temporary/one-time

Summer camp positions are currently posted on Hire-a-Shocker. Job locations include Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

For the not-so-adventurous student, there are summer camp jobs here in Kansas. Summer camps usually provide room and board, and include outdoor activities.

If you never had the opportunity to ride a horse, kayak, hike in the mountains or live near a lake, now is your chance. Summer camp jobs are also great experiences for sociology, psychology, social work, education, counseling, sports-related majors and more, depending on the theme of the camp.

Other summer jobs include processing salmon in Alaska, harvesting in the Midwest, teaching drivers education near Wichita, conducting research in North Dakota, and various summer jobs at Yellowstone National Park. Room and board may be included for jobs outside our area, or offered at a very reasonable rate.

Living in another part of the country might be just what you need this summer. Travel is a good way to gain a new perspective on life, school, and your future.

- Log in to Hire-a-Shocker.

- Click on Job Search.

- Search for Position Type: Seasonal/temporary/one-time

1845 Fairmount Street, Wichita, KS 67260-0042316.978.3435 - career.services@wichita.eduwww.wichita.edu/career

Want to tell a potential employer that you’re creative? A problem solver? Flexible?Instead of describing yourself as a “self-starter,” tell a story about how you took action when you saw an issue that needed to be fixed.Don’t say you are “flexible”—tell the hiring manager about a change in your job (or schoolwork demands) and what you did to deal with the change.Well-worn phrases won’t help you get the job, but concrete examples will!

Degree Preferred - 45%

Hire-a-Shocker March Stats

Degree Required - 25%

No Degree Required - 21%

Seas/Temp/One-Time - 7%

On-Campus - 1%

Volunteer - 1%

Office HoursMonday through Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Walk-In HoursMonday, Tuesday, & Wednesday - 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Fall 2013 Accounting Interview Schedule:September 30, 2013 Koch Industries

October 1, 2013 Grant Thornton

October 2, 2013 Lindburg, Vogel, Pierce, Faris

October 3, 2013 Adams, Brown, Beren, Ball

October 4, 2013 Ernst & Young

October 7, 2013 Allen, Gibbs & Houlik

October 8, 2013 Kennedy & Coe

Notice of NondiscriminationWichita State University does not discriminate in its programs and activities on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, status as a veteran, genetic information or disability. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies: Director, Office of Equal Employment Opportunity, Wichita State University, 1845 Fairmount, Wichita KS 67260-0205; telephone (316) 978-6791.

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