R E F L E C T I O N .

Mentees,

Using reflection in the e-Portfolio is important because it is another opportunity for us to speak about what we learned in life, and why that is relative and important to our future.

Our understanding of reflection: when we take time to examine what have done in the past (college experience...life experience...). Andres and I have talked about the difference between this and description because the latter is less personal and carries less weight.

Mentees: If you were to reflect on this blogging experience, what positive positive things would you say? How could it have been better..or worse..? What advise could you lend to your posterity (the future mentees)?

Your Capstone Mentors,
Rich and Andres

Interviewing anonymous

Interviews tend to be very standard. The reason for these scripted almost autonomous processes is the amount of interviews that companies go through. After a while the standard questions can seem to get a series of cliched responses from prospecting hirees. The standard questions vary but are never too far from:

Tell me about yourself.

Why should we hire you?

What are your goals? How will the company benefit you?

how has your education prepared you for the job?

Whats your weakness?

etc...

These are all questions to measure your ability to be brief precise and articulate. Good social skills to have in a hustle and bustle professional environment.

Non standard question seek to individualize you as a person rather than a possible employee:

How long have you been job hunting?

How did you prepare for this interview.?

What kinds of people do you have difficulty working with?

Why do you want this job?

When have you been most satisfied with your career?

etc...

These questions are often testy and are a sort of prying, opening-a-can-of-worms questions that will try and catch you off guard but show good character.

Your interview process will also include either a phone or a panel instead of one on one. Phone is a little more impersonal so make sure you project your voice well and are brief, theres a reason that you're not being brought in. On panel interviews though, theres the issue of having people all giving you attention. These are reserved for special managerial roles that require calmness and collectivity. Make sure you make eye contact with all people interviewing you even if they do not address you, not only cordial, but you never know who's decision will hinge their decision.

Now, let's talk about money. The reason why we work!

Do what you love and you wont have to work a day in your life. Unfortunately for many of us, we cant wakeup late with a hangover and eat cereal at 2PM and get paid for it. So working and money goes hand in hand. We want to get paid good so we want to ask, "so how much ya payin'?" right out of the gate, Doesn't work that way. The key is to leave it to the end, never put it on a resume or write on an application, you don't want to seem eager, and you also do not want to settle. Money may be important to your job process but it should never be the sole reason.

THE INTERVIEW

I hope you all had a most fun and safe Halloween (always remember to brush and floss daily as that candy is rotting your teeth as I type)!

Andres and I found the mock interviews both interesting and helpful... What did you all think? Were you surprised by any of the questions, and did you find the alternative answers realistic and/or helpful?

The interviewing process can be brutal! However, preparation is key.
Employers like to through questions out of left field -which may or may
not test your character. In today's society, where there is so much
interaction, social skills have become a integral part of the hiring
process; and to the misfortune of many, the screening process. See it's like
this': the workforce is complex and human resources is expensive.

As an education is increasingly readily available to more people as time
progresses, employers have a wider pool of prospective hires. They also have to figure out more and more categories from which to draw exemptions (this is where the background, credit checks, and the research done through social networks in the guise of 'maintaining a uniform image of the corporation'.

MY BEST ADVISE: before you interview, make sure you're "interviewable" (a social, outgoing and execeptional member of your community.