Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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► • CAREER FAIR BLITZ • September2001 INDEX The Latest Trend. 2 Career Center 20001-2001 Fact Sheet. 3 Interview Homework Made Easy. 4 Special Events 2000-2001. 5 New College Grads With Communication, Interpersonal, Teamwork Skills Have the Edge Say Employers. 5 College Grads Expect to stay in First Job for Four Years. 6 Work Now. Pay Later. 7 ADVERTISER'S INDEX American Eagle. 8 Air Force. 3 Carolina First. 5 Clariant Corporation. 4 Hooters. 5 Navy Civilian Jobs. 7 The Latest Trend Yvonne Viscioni USC Career Center Just as there are trends in fashion and music, there are also trends in interviewing styles that companies use. Behavioral inter viewing is currently a popular method of ask ing questions. The theory behind behavioral interviewing is that past behavior often predicts future behavior. The inter viewer looks for certain behaviors/qualities that are important for the company and specific job. Behavioral interview ing forces the person being interviewed to give specific examples of actions she has taken. Instead of saying what you would do, you will need to say what you have done. Without preparation for this kind of interview, the results can be disastrous. Try to brainstorm experiences you have had while in college - a job, a class project, or extracurricular activity - and think about which of those highlight posi tive behaviors that an employer might seek, such as flexibility, lead ership, time manage ment, and teamwork. An easy way to make sure you’re staying on track is to remember the STAR Method: ' ' —. S = Situation T = Task A = Action R = Results First talk about the spe cific situation, followed by the task at hand. Then, share what action you took, and finally, the results. Essentially, you are making sure that your story has a begin ning, middle, and end. Also be prepared to interact with the inter viewer who may probe with additional ques tions to get a clearer pic ture of your behavior. Remember to stay away irom irrelevant aexaus. Another word of cau tion: Some behavioral questions are designed to catch your weakness es. You may be asked to share about a time you failed, for example. For best results, share a situ ation, but highlight how you learned or changed from the situation. Mentioning related suc cesses highlighting posi tive results will also be important for these questions. Following are some behavioral questions to ponder as you prepare for upcoming inter views. For additional information go to: www.sc.edu/career/han douts.html • Describe a situation in which you used persua sion to successfully con vince someone to see things your way. • Give me an example of an important goal that you set and tell me how you reached it. • Tell me about a goal that you set and did not reach. • Describe a situation where you had a conflict with another individual and how you dealt with it. • Describe a situation that required you to do a number of things at the same time. Probing/Follow-up Questions: • Were you happy with that outcome/result? • What do you wish you had done differently? • What was your reason ing? • What obstacles did you face? • Lead me through your decision process. I I Did you know? Job opportunities await you. Don't hesitate, get great work experience in Student Media. Advertising Representatives Graphic Designers Writers Photographers Disc Jockeys and more. Stop by the 3rd floor of the Student Union (Russell House) room 343 to All out an application