UpDate - Vol. 16, No. 14
December 12, 1996
VIEWnet and more
Career center offers variety of job search services

     No one ever got a job from dropping off a resume, even a
great resume. Experts and job seekers agree that it is the
interview that holds the key to hiring success.
     That all-important conversation between employer and
candidate determines who will be selected for the job. Today, it
isn't uncommon for students to have three or more interviews per
job before the final hiring decision is reached.
     One of the goals of the Career Services Center is to
maximize opportunities for employer/student interaction while
preparing students for those critical meetings.
     To meet that goal, the center offers personal assistance, an
extensive research library, skill workshops and high-technology
video equipment that provides opportunities for long-distance
interviewing.
     The Campus Interview Program and seven job fairs bring more
than 600 employers to campus each year to meet and/or interview
UD students. "My goal is to take as many interviews with
companies as I can for the experience," business senior Lisa
Awad, said. "The recruiters have been very friendly and make me
feel comfortable."
     This year's recruiters include representatives from such
diverse companies as Black & Decker, MBNA, Campbell Soup Co.,
CIGNA, Lord & Taylor, Clement Communications, ICI Americas, J.P.
Morgan, New Castle County Chamber of Commerce, Teach for America,
Coopers & Lybrand, W.L. Gore, the Dow Chemical Company, Price
Waterhouse, Winterthur Museum, Pepsi Cola, Perdue and Christina
School District.
     Dave Berilla, employer outreach, targets new companies to
recruit at Delaware. He also works to successfully meet the needs
of the current crop of campus recruiters so they will return to
campus each year
     "Companies such as Merck & Co., Andersen Consulting and IBM
have given our Career Services Center top scores for the support
we provide for campus recruiters and for the level of preparation
shown by our students," Berilla said.
     Face-to-face interviews between employers and applicants
aren't the only means for students to make the important career
connection.
     When companies are located too far away to make a campus
visit possible, new technology comes into play.
     This year, VIEWnet, a video conferencing system, facilitates
long distance interviewing.
     When Chris Proud, Delaware '93, wanted to interview with
Laplata County in Durango, Colo., last summer, arrangements were
made for him to use VIEWnet.
     After an hourlong interview, Proud was offered, and
accepted, a job as regional and community planner.
     "Using video conferencing was a bit awkward at first," Proud
said, "but after a while things started to flow more smoothly.
Without this technology, I wouldn't have gotten the job."
     Director Jack Townsend, said he is very excited about the
possibilities of this new technology.
     "Video conferencing," Townsend said, "offers students and
employers a low-cost method of expanding their interviewing
options. Students can now access a wider recruiter base and
employees don't have to limit their recruitment efforts to a few
college campuses."
     Two engineering students have taken advantage of the VIEWnet
this fall, and word is spreading that video conferencing
technology is available to those who need it.
     Getting students ready to interview is another big part of
the career services mission. Students who are hesitant about the
interviewing process can participate in workshops that are
available about interview techniques, take part in videotaped
mock interviews and use books, handouts and videos.
     Sunita Bhatia, a doctoral candidate in electrical
engineering, was videotaped during a mock interview and then had
her performance critiqued.
     "I found the process helpful," Bhatia said, "because I
wasn't sure about how I would come across in an interview.
Knowing how I look and sound to others helped me relax more, so I
think I did a better job when it really counted."
     Today's recruiters are asking "behavioral" or "situational"
questions to screen candidates, rather than relying on stock
questions. This means that students must be ready to identify and
describe real-life situations where they have demonstrated the
skills and personal qualities necessary for future job success.
     Lately, UD students have been asked to respond to such
interview questions as: "What was the biggest obstacle you faced
on the job and how did you overcome it?" "Describe the most
difficult person you ever worked with. How did you cope?" and "If
you were asked to work overtime for one month straight, how would
you react?"
     Without adequate preparation, some students may be caught
searching for a suitable response or they may be unable to come
up with any reply on the spot.
     Employer feedback indicates that students who are successful
interviewees "sell" themselves during the interview. They have
identified their skills and have some idea of how their talents
can be applied to further the organization's goals.
     Employers also expect that students will come into the
interview knowledgeable about the company's mission, history and
hiring practices. Successful interviews are clearly the result of
sound preparation.
     The Career Services Center library, which offers a wide
variety of resources that can help enhance students' interviewing
skills, is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mondays through Fridays,
with extended hours until 7 p.m. on Wednesdays. Faculty, staff
and students are invited to stop by to see what's new.
     Call 831-8479 to arrange a tour of the center or learn more
about interview assistance.
                                               -Marianne E. Green