February 9, 1907
Daily Nebraskan Supplement
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Enthusiasm key to an excellent interview
By Joeth Zucco
Staff Reporter
Researching the organization or position for
which you are applying is as important as the
interview itself, said Janel Queen, assistant
coordinator of the Career Planning and Placement
Center.
Before getting to the interview stage, inter
viewees should know what they want by doing
self-assessments of their needs, she said.
Queen said the center has literature on 400
corporations, 35 VCR tapes and several direc
tories so students can do research. She said that
they're trying to buy videos of sample interviews,
which should be helpful. The center also has
handouts and holds workshops on interviewing
and resume writing during the beginning of each
semester.
Next to knowing the company, knowing how
to dress for the interview is the key. Queen said
that before interviewees have opened their
mouth to speak, the employer has formed
opinions about them.
"Appearance is so important because the
manner of dress and appearance make up about
80 percent of first impressions they get of you,"
she said.
Deciding what to wear should be done early.
Queen said that it's so important to get
comfortable in the new clothes so the inter
viewee will be more relaxed. Conservative outfits
are best because they're less likely to be outside
the norm, she said. Wild hair and wild outfits are
a disservice, she said.
"They'll remember what you look like and not
what your qualifications are," Queen said.
After appearance, practice should become
second nature. Queen said the center provides
sample questions. Practicing with a roommate,
tape recorder or mirror helps the student see
how he's coming across. The center also films
the student so he can see himself in an interview
situation.
"Seeing yourself may help you see if you're
coming across as being positive and enthusi
astic," she said. "A lot of people aren't being as
positive as they should be."
Queen said the answers to certain interview
questions should vary with the organization and
position because "you're targeting your response
to that organization. The more targeted the
answer, the more successful.
"The whole process of interviewing and job
hunting in general involves a lot of rejection, so
it's a shock to your ego," she said.
Interviews
contain
common
stages
The UNL Placement Manual, put out by the
Career Planning and Placement Center,
suggests that most interviews occur in five
basic stages.
During the first stage, the interviewee
makes his first impressions. Even while the
interview participants are shaking hands,
making initial eye contact and chatting
about the weather, the interviewee is saying
something about himself to the perspective
employer.
Stage two usually covers the interviewee's
qualifications. Topics of conversation probably
will include grades, choice of school and
major, special interests and achievements,
previous work experience, activities and
interests outside of school.
During stage three, the interviewer probably
will ask about career goals. The interviewer
will be trying to find out what the interviewee's
motivations, long-term goals and expectations
are.
Near the end of the interview, in stage four,
the conversation probably will turn the
company. The interviewer will ask to know
what prompted the interviewee to seek a
position with that firm, what he or she is
looking for in the job, what he knows about
the company or its product, whether he is
willing to travel and other related questions.
At the conclusion of the interview, the
participants will discuss the next step,
whether it be filling out formal applications,
sending transcripts, interviewing again or
waiting for results; further steps the company
will take and when the interviewee will be
notified of interview results.
Here are some questions often asked
during interviews:
OWhat do you see yourself doing five years
from now?
OWhat do you want to do in life?
OHow would you describe yourself.'
OWhat motivates you to do your best?
OHow has your education prepared you for
your career?
OCan you take instructions or criticism
without feeling upset?
OWhat kind of supervisor do you prefer?
ODescribe your most rewarding college
experience.
Olf you were hiring someone for this
position, what qualifications would you look
for?
OWhy did you select your college or
university?
OWhat have you learned from your
mistakes?
OHow do you spend your spare time? What
are your hobbies?
OTell me a story.
OHow would you describe the ideal job for
you after graduation?
OWhat types of books have you read?
OWhat types of people seem to "rub you
the wrong way?"
OWhat are your greatest strengths,
weaknesses?
OWhat kinds of problems do you like to
solve?
Interes
t grows in banks, not on trees
By Kent Endacott
Staff Reporter
Recent college graduates starting their careers
and earning a substantial income for the first
time are often financially unsophisticated and
need advice in managing their money, financial
experts say.
Dave Lebsack, vice president of the National
Bank of Commerce in Lincoln, said establishing
a checking account at a bank is the first step a
college graduate should make.
"A checking account is a must," Lebsack said.
"There are a variety of checking accounts, from
straight to interest earning. If you're fresh out of
school, it's probably wise to get a straight check
ing account."
Lebsack said graduates probably will need to
secure consumer loans before long, and that will
be easier if they've kept their accounts in good
shape.
"The majority of all recent college graduates
are going to need to borrow money to make a
purchase," he said. "The key thing is establish
ing a relationship with one institution. The
longer you've been a customer the easier it is to
get a loan."
Lebsack also urges college graduates to open
savings accounts as soon as cash flow will allow.
"They need to try and save some money," he
said. "I know when I was in that position, it
seems like there's more money going out than
comes in. But you need to get in the habit of
saving money, even if it's just $5 or $10 a month."
Graduates may also want to consider invest
ing their money or buying insurance.
Paul Bruckner, an agent with Guarantee Mut
ual Life Co., said life insurance is the best buy for
college graduates while they're young. Insurance
premiums are calculated with a formula that
takes into account age, medical history and
whether or not the customer is a smoker.
Three basic life insurance options are availa
ble from the industry:
O Under term life insurance, the customer
pays an annual premium, which becomes more
expensive with time. The customer is allowed to
choose the amount of coverage.
O Under whole life insurance, a young per
son pays an inflated premium, which remains
constant throughout his life-time. It pays a
return on money invested.
O Under the universal plan, the customer
pays a variable premium and has some control
over how his money is invested. It is a relatively
new concept in the insurance industry.
"There are a lot of agents who sell life insu
rance as an investment," Bruckner said. "I don't
see it that way. I think the main concern and the
reason it was created over 200 years ago is protec
tion. The important thing is that you probably
will need it and doing it while you're young
makes sense."
Bruckner said that college graduates should
remember to keep agents from talking them into
buying more coverage than they need.
"It's all arbitrary," he said. "One thing I
stress, and I think it's the most important thing,
is that you feel comfortable with a premium. If
you can't afford dinner, then it's not going to do
you any good."
Tom Haley, a broker with A.G. Edwards &
Sons, said college graduates should have their
debts taken care of and have at least $1,000 in
savings before they begin investing in stocks and
bonds, Haley said mutual funds and money
market accounts are good first investments.
"With a limited income, just getting out of
school you don't want to have a lot of just one
issue," he said. "One approach is putting $50 a
month into mutual funds or money markets until
you get to the point where he has $3,000 or $4,000
that he doesn't need for anything else, like
a car.
"I wouldn't recommend putting less than
$1,500 into any one deal. The brokerage charges
get to be so much that it doesn't pay to do that."
Most young people just getting into the stock
market are better off paying a broker to help
them make their decisions, Haley said.
"Most people don't have the time to make a
study of the stock market," he said. "That's why
they rely on us. It's a full-time job. You can make
money on any stock. It's the timing that matters."
Still, he cautioned, "brokers aren't perfect. If
they were, they wouldn't need the customer."
Haley said that today's financial climate
makes it a good time to invest in the stock
market.
"The best time to buy stocks is in periods of
relatively little or no inflation. Like now. And low
interest rates, like now."
However, he said, investors should stay away
from long-term bonds. Bond prices move in the
opposite direction of interest rates.
"Interest rates have nowhere to go but up," he
said.
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