TEACHING BUSINESS INTERVIEWING STRATEGIES WITH AN EXPERIENTIAL APPROACH Developments In Business Simulation & Experiential Exercises, Volume 19, 1992 107 TEACHING BUSINESS INTERVIEWING STRATEGIES WITH AN EXPERIENTIAL APPROACH Daryl L. Kerr, University of North Carolina at Charlotte ABSTRACT This article describes an experiential program designed to assist students in developing effective job seeking skills. One major goal of this program is to point out that the effectiveness of the interviewing process and the nature of judgments rendered, are primarily dependent upon the communicative skills of the participants. The experiential program consists of three components: self-assessment, career exploration, and placement. Readings, experiential exercises, and specific assignments are used to assist students with their own individualized job search process. This program has been found to be very effective and very much in demand by college students and other job seekers. BACKGROUND A large number of college graduates with strong academic backgrounds continue to be at a disadvantage in obtaining desirable positions because they lack job seeking skills (Blackledge & Blackledge, 1990). Because of this, the entire process of career planning and placement should be of major concern for students, career counselors, and faculty. Having a program such as “Business Interviewing Strategies” that teaches necessary job seeking skills, could be a key factor in whether or not one succeeds in that process. Some companies have reported their hiring plans are down from the previous year’s quota (Moskal, 1990). The latest analyses of the supply and demand of college graduates shows a significant “easing” of the competition that existed for graduates from the early 1970’s to the present (Occupational Outlook Quarterly, 1989). However, the Bureau of Labor Statistics points out that the narrowing gap between the supply and demand for these graduates does not rule out some problems with the number of graduates prepared for particular occupations. In addition, a reduction in the number of companies that interview on college campuses could increase the difficulty of the job seeking process for the student (Haberman, 1990). Because of these and other factors, it is of crucial importance for students to develop effective job seeking skills. Of more importance is the fact that students should learn these skills before they begin their job search. Furthermore, if students began their job search by utilizing exercises that assessed their skills, abilities, and interests and then explored career possibilities that matched their personalities, the placement process would be less stressful for them. They would enter the employment interview better prepared for the position and therefore more likely to secure that position. OBJECTIVES OF THE EXPERIENTIAL PROGRAM Business Interviewing Strategies is a practical program which assists students in developing effective job seeking and interviewing skills, both as a job applicant and as an interviewer. In this program, the job seeking process is considered as a special form of purposive and persuasive communication, which is based upon effective oral and written communication skills. There are a variety of resource materials available for this type of program. Two suggested texts are Career Planning Today by C. Randall Powell and Sweaty Palms: The Neglected Art of Being Interviewed by H. Anthony Medley. Both of these texts have a variety of experiential exercises for the students. Supplementary resources that could be used for the program include: current newspaper and magazine articles on related topics; theoretical and applied research articles; and employment publications by the federal and state government, local businesses and area Chamber of Commerce offices. COMPONENTS OF PROGRAM The program is divided into three components: self- assessment, career exploration, and placement. Approximately one-third of the program is devoted to self- assessment and career exploration. The majority of the program is dedicated to the placement component. Self-Assessment Exercises In the self-assessment component, each student explores their own interests, beliefs, and work values. Readings and class discussions provide the student with information about these areas. Once the material has been introduced to the student, experiential exercises and assignments are used to facilitate individual exploration and identification. A Job Seeking Notebook is begun at this point by each student. This notebook consists of five major sections: (1) Skills/Interests, (2) Working Resume, (3) Information Interviews, (4) Company Research, and (5) Interviews & Company Visits. Each section is developed as the program proceeds. The first section of the notebook, “Skills/Interests”, is completed during the self-assessment component. The student is given instructions and exercises to assist them in developing this section. Specific categories are provided to facilitate individual research and critical thought. Categories include items such as interests, strengths, weaknesses, work values, working conditions, geographic preference/travel, and skills identification exercise. Each student evaluates their own attitudes and Developments In Business Simulation & Experiential Exercises, Volume 19, 1992 108 desires as they relate to each category. A separate page is used for each category so the student can add to or modify their list as their values and attitudes change. In addition to these exercises, students are encouraged to take the Strong Interest Inventory and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator tests. These test results provide the student with more information about their personality characteristics and interests. Furthermore, the Strong Interest Inventory compares the student’s interests with the interests of people in various occupations. The results from this test inform the student of existing similarities with these occupations. Career Exploration Exercises The second component of the Business Interviewing Strategies program is career exploration. In this component students are taught how to research careers. They begin by reading resource materials published by the United States Department of Labor as well as company brochures, annual reports, newspaper articles, and other related books and pamphlets. In addition to this information, students interview professionals who work in the local area. This is an excellent opportunity for students to gain first-hand knowledge and advice on careers they are interested in pursuing. Once the initial research process has begun, each student is required to prepare three “Career Profile” reports. These reports are added to the Job-Seeking Notebook. In each report, students are asked to provide relevant information about a potential career they are interested in. After the self-assessment and career exploration components are completed, one program session is devoted to integrating and analyzing all of this information. Students are encouraged to “merge” the information from the two components. The students are instructed to look for similarities between their skills and interests, and specific career fields. The primary goal of this “merging” is to assist students with the career planning process (Downs, Smryak, & Martin, 1990). Placement Exercises The majority of the program is devoted to the third component, placement. In this component, students begin by learning about the job market and current employment trends. The university placement office is then discussed along with the necessary forms used to register with this office. Salary survey results are also presented at this time in the program. This information is easily obtained from national, state, and local government agencies, as well as from independent research firms. The university placement office also has this information about the university’s alumni. Developing a resume is the next topic covered in the placement component. Several program sessions are spent on this very important area. After students complete their resumes, other forms of written communication related to the job search are discussed. Some of these other forms include: (1) job application letters (cover letters), (2) company application forms, (3) thank you letters, (4) travel expense statements, (5) offer stall letters, and (6) notes on interviews and company visits. The “notes on interviews and company visits” encourages students to maintain records of these experiences. This information can be used for future correspondence and for comparing job opportunities. Additionally, students can take note of their strengths and weaknesses after each interview so they can be better prepared for future job interviews. Following the section on written communication, students learn about various methods of locating jobs. A variety of unique methods are presented and discussed in this program along with the traditional methods of locating jobs such as newspaper advertisements, placement offices, and direct mail campaigns. Company research is another area discussed in the placement component. Students learn about various resource materials that can be used to research an organization. As an exercise, each student selects a company that is of interest to them. The student conducts research and prepares a brief profile on that company using the following categories: industry, competition, company, position, and recruiter. As mentioned in class, knowledge of the company is of crucial importance in the job interview (Stewart & Cash, 1988, Hunt & Eadie, 1987). Students who have this information prior to the interview could spend an hour or two developing a presentation that would interweave their background and interests into what the employer has to offer. The remainder of the placement component is devoted to learning about and developing effective interviewing skills and strategies. This includes areas such as: (1) personal appearance and grooming, (2) types of interviews, (3) interview format, (4) typical questions, (5) responding to questions, (6) adaptation to the recruiter and the company, (7) salary negotiation, (8) confidence and nervousness, (9) company visits, and any other relevant topic that assists the student in developing an effective presentation. At the end of the program, sessions are used for simulation interviews. In these simulation interviews, Students are assigned a partner. Each student is to interview with and be interviewed by their partner. This gives each student the opportunity to role-play as the recruiter and as the job applicant. If time and resources permit, it is even more effective if these interviews can be videotaped. The simulation interviews are conducted in-groups of eight students. While two students are involved in the interview, the other six students are evaluating them. These six students are asked to provide oral and written critiques of the participant’s performance and effectiveness. Three of these six students are evaluating the “job applicant” while the other three students are evaluating the "recruiter." These simulation interviews provide students with practice and the opportunity to hear feedback on their individual performances. In addition to the content of the program presented in this article, five to seven business professionals are invited as guest speakers. These professionals are recruiters or managers who interview job candidates for their respective companies. In order to be most effective, the individuals selected to serve, as guest speakers should reflect the career interests of the students in the course. Developments In Business Simulation & Experiential Exercises, Volume 19, 1992 109 CONCLUSION Business Interviewing Strategies is a very popular program both on and off campus. It is highly recommended by faculty advisors for all students regardless of their major. According to placement directors, it is an excellent program for individuals preparing for the job search process. Many college recruiters and managers in the area have commented on the individuals they have interviewed that have completed this program. These professionals stated these individuals were better prepared for the interview and were more knowledgeable about themselves and their career goals than most other job candidates they met. REFERENCES Blackledge, Walter L., & Blackledge, Ethel H (1990). The Job You Want: How to Get It. Cincinnati, Ohio: Southwestern Publishing Company, 1 Downs, Cal W., Smryak, G. Paul, & Martin, Ernest (1990) Professional Interviewing. New York: Harper & Row, 110-112 Haberman, Louise Drather (1990, March). Salary Survey - 1990. New Accountant, p. 35 Hunt, Gary T., & Eadie, William F. (1987). Interviewing: A Communication Approach. New York: Holt, Rinehart, & Winston, 168. Moskal, Brian S (1990, January 22). Caps, Gowns, and Jobs Industry Week, p. 62 Stewart, Charles A., & Cash, William A., Jr. (1988) Interviewing: Principles and Practices. Dubuque, Iowa; William C. Brown, Publishers, 1814. U. S. Department of Labor (1989, Fall). Outlook 2000: Issues & Implications. Occupational Outlook Quarterly, 33 (3), 9. Table of Contents Volume 19, 1992 The Pedagogical Utility of a Management Simulation Game in a Business Policy Course Modeling Economic Environments in Business Simulations: Some Comparisons and Recommendations Experiential Learning and TQM Principles: Teaching Behavioral Science in a Business School The Use of Poster Presentations as a Final Project in the Business Policy Course The Device Business: A Management Simulation for Strategy Formulation The Advantages of Experiential learning in the Auditing curriculum A Framework for the Identification of Moderated and Mediated Performance consequences of Pedagogical Alternatives Simulating Qualitative Research Relating to Values and Lifestyle Segmentation A New Market Demand Model for Business Simulators Interactive Optimization Using the Method of Relative Improvement Preferences: Methodology and Empirical Evaluation The Service Trainer Simulation Benefits of Internet Computer Networks for ABSEL Members How Should We Measure Experiential Learning? An Assessment of Simulation Usage in Management Accounting Courses The Influence of Myers-Briggs Type and Group Dynamics on Simulation Performance Effective Leadership Behavior in the Desert Storm Arena: An Application of the Vroom-Yetton-Jago Model Installing and Consolidating Work-Team Values: The Effects of a Multicultural Outdoors Experiential Program Key Determinants and Decision performance in a Business Simulations and Experiential Learning environment Multi-Cultural Experiential Learning: A Computer Simulation in Indonesia Attitudes Toward and Emotions Related to Women as Managers: A Replication and Beyond Scenario Approach to Simulating Consumer Expenditures: A Cross-Cultural Analysis Insights into Ethical Decision making Activities and Organizational Performance: A Management Simulation Analysis of College Students and Managers Evaluating a Business Simulation Program for Joint Venture Negotiation and Management Teaching Business Interviewing Strategies with an Experiential Approach Cooperative Learning Across the Business Curriculum Modeling Total Quality Elements into a Strategy-Oriented Simulation Teaching Business Decision making using a Simulator Extending the Educational Utility of a Simulated Competition within the Confines of an Established Undergraduate Marketing Curriculum Expert Systems Versus Traditional Methods for Teaching Accounting Issues Confidence Extremes Diminish Quality Performance in a Total Enterprise Simulation Can Ethics Be Taught? A Simulation Tests a Traditional Ethics Pedagogy Through The Looking Glass, Inc.: Organizational Climate Research as Experiential Pedagogy The use of Cluster Analysis for Business Game Performance Analysis Power and Ethnicity: An Experiential Learning Exercise (How to Sensitize Students to Diversity) Directed Development of Critical and Creative Thinking Skills for Case Analysis Implementing Total Quality Management in a Computerized Business Simulation Product Quality in Business Simulations Use of Simulation for Ethics Education in Management Satisfying the University's Customers through Total Quality Management Instruction: A Case Study Personality Characteristics and Group Performance in Total Enterprise Simulations Concepts of Interval Estimation and Quality Control Charts via Computer Simulated Sampling An Examination of the Effect of Team Cohesion, Player Attitude, and Performance Expectations on Simulation Performance Results The Effectiveness of Inventory Management and Production Scheduling Training in a Total Quality Management Environment Peer Group Indicators of the External Validity of Business Games: A five-year Longitudinal Study Political Strategies and Personal Actions Does Practice make Perfect? Observations on Simulation Trial The Use of A Non-Business Computer Simulation to Teach Marketing Management BankPro Commercial Bank Simulation The Production Game Pursuing Excellence: Work Strengths, Assets and relevant Values (An Exercise) Test of a Short Outward Bound Experience for College Students What is it that we want Student To Learn? Using Two TQM Philosophies when Playing Blackjack The Lagged Effects of Decision Variables on Financial Performance Measures Used in Two business Simulations The Development of an Experiential Exercise for Career Planning and Effective Job search Performance Measuring Quality in Management of Business Pedagogy Exploring Quality and Productivity Improvement: Using and Experiential Process Toward a Generalized Architecture for Intelligent Reactive Management Systems The Quality Game TQX: Using Expert Systems to Improve Training in Total Quality Management A Simulation of the Effect of the Medicaid Payment Lag on the Financial Position of Community Pharmacies The Use of a Board of Directors to Evaluate and Validate Decisions in a Competitive Graduate Management Simulation Course The Impact of Academic Dishonesty on Business Simulations and Experiential Learning Activities Picture Project: An Experience of Icebreaking and/or Decision-Making An Effective Role-playing Exercise for Teaching Requisite TQM Supervisory Attitudes/Behavior Computerized Management Simulations and Some Correlates of Students' Satisfaction The Timing and Stability of Reactions to Market Structure in a Single Player Simulation Environment A Graphics Application Extension for a Simulated Decision Support System Environment Aspects of a Group Project Utilizing Actual Business data and a Computerized Accounting System The Role of Universities' Extended Learning Department in Assisting Organizations Implement Total Quality Management A three-dimensional Learning Experience to Develop Total Quality Management Skills Estimating Quality Costs by Computer Simulation Applications and Examples of Quality Control Software Assessing Business Pedagogy A Demonstration of an Experiential Process for Exploring Quality and Productivity Improvement Processes An Action-Ethics Dilemma: A Demonstration Org Sim Jr.: A 2-3 Hour Version of the 2-Day Blanchard/Murrell Organization Simulation Building Buildings: An Experiential Exercise in Organizational Structure, Communication, Leadership and Group Dynamics Expert Systems for Organization Design: A Demonstration A Demonstration of Product Quality in a Business Simulation: Version 2 of CEO Two Revolutions, Total Quality Leadership, and the Baldy: The Story of Milliken Total Quality after the Award - The Xerox Story Building a Competitive Advantage through Customer Satisfaction and Reengineering Human Resource Planning: Managing the Only Renewable Resource for a Competitive Advantage Using Simulations to Teach International Issues: An analysis of the Multinational Management Game's Learning Environment Quality Function Deployment: A Tutorial Care and Nurturing of Teams Making a Good Thing Better: Adding TQM to Participative management Empowering Organizations to Redesign and Transform Themselves - Eastman Chemical Using Simulations in Field Management Development of an International Life Insurance Company Reinforcing the TQ Environment via Simulation Transforming a Business College into a Total Quality College