Journal 26: Final Reflection
When we first found out about this project I felt really overwhelmed and anxious, figuring that it would be stress inducing and not very beneficial for me. To my surprise, I ended up having a lot more fun with this project than I thought I would. Personally, I expected writing the job description to be the easiest part of the project and I predicted that the interview process would be much harder. Interestingly, the job description ended up being one of my biggest challenges, whereas the actual interview was relaxed and relatively stress free. Being able to practice in front of my classmates who were also practicing themselves, ended up being a lot of fun and helped encourage each of us to perform to the best of our abilities.
Having the opportunity to be in an observer role was a really beneficial part of this project for me. By occupying this role, I was able to gain an idea of some of the questions that I might be asked during my own interview and start preparing for how I would answer them. I was also able to watch how my groupmates answered the questions they received, and what kind of questions they had prepared to ask the committee. As an observer, it was interesting to watch multiple people do the interviewing and be interviewed because everyone brought their own unique strengths to the table during this process. Although some of the interview questions were similar to each other, each person’s response was different and specific to them, and I think that seeing this really helped me to get the most out of the observer role.
Being an interviewer, although fun, was surprisingly stressful for me! I hadn’t realized how much interviewers have to prepare and manage, all while holding an interview and trying to be attentive to the person across the table. Attempting to do my best in this role was definitely a process of trial and error. My main focus as an interviewer was trying to take down notes for each candidate so I could remember what they said, while also doing my best to be attentive and make eye contact with each person as they were talking. Another thing that I hadn’t considered was that interviewers need to remember to be professional and well spoken themselves, even if they are thrown a curve ball question by their interviewee. This is definitely an aspect of the project that I struggled with, especially because we were interviewing our classmates and the job they were applying for wasn’t real. However, acting as an interviewer even though it was just for a short period of time really helped me to gain insight about this role.
Being an interviewee was definitely as stressful as I had predicted, however it was also a lot more fun and relaxed than I predicted. Doing the interview with a group of my peers helped me to feel more comfortable and also made the question and answer process a lot more relaxed and enjoyable overall. Although I did my best to try and play the role of an interviewee as accurately as possible, I made sure to have some fun with it as well. Being the interviewee was more beneficial than I had predicted it would be because I had the chance to be interviewed by a committee which is something that I had never experienced before. Although I have a lot of personal experience being interviewed, it has only ever been one on one, so having more interviewers to answer to and interact with was beneficial for me. It was also helpful to come up with questions to ask the interviewers from the perspective of an interviewee because many of the ones that I came up with can be used in other interviews that I may have in the future. I was also able to pick up some good questions from my peers that I can now keep in my back pocket for future interviews!
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Journal 25
I think that today’s interviews went very well, especially when we compare them to the dry runs that we did on Tuesday. It was obvious to me that everyone practiced and prepared to be interviewed and to give an interview, and I believe that the preparation definitely paid off in the end. Overall everyone seemed more confident in their ability to ask and answer questions, and that came across very clearly in the calm demeanor that all of our interviewees had. When my group was the one doing the interviewing I think that we appeared to be much more prepared to answer questions this time around. I also think that the introduction and greeting portion of the interview went much smoother this time than it did during the dry runs.
When I was the one being interviewed I believe that I did a good job of thinking on my feet and trying my best to answer the questions that I wasn’t expecting. I am glad that I prepared notes for myself including some of my major accomplishments, strengths, weaknesses, and challenges that I’ve faced. Having notes definitely helped me to answer the committee’s questions more easily and this is certainly something that I would do again. Another thing that I would do again would be to shake the committee’s hands before sitting down. In the past all of my interviews have been one on one with another person, but if I were to ever be interviewed by a committee of people I would definitely shake their hands and introduce myself, as I think this gives a strong first impression. If I were to do this project over again I would definitely come up with more questions to ask the interviewee as a member of the search committee. In a typical interview scenario the same questions are asked repeatedly, but since we had other candidates observing for this project it would’ve been more beneficial to be able to switch up the questions more than we did.
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Journal 24
I think that the dry runs went pretty well considering that it’s likely that none of us have ever interviewed someone for a job before. Although there were some times of silence and awkward spots to navigate during the interview that my group did, I think that both the interviewee and the interviewers did a good job covering all of the important bases and remaining calm and collected overall.
Since I’ve always been the one being interviewed I found it fun to be on the interviewer side of things for a change. It was interesting to have the opportunity to be in that position and to be thinking about the questions that the interviewee may ask the company as opposed to the reverse. I was surprised however, how nerve wracking interviews can still be even when you are not the one being interviewed. Although there is less stress about answering questions from this position, interviewers should still show that they can answer questions by the interviewee quickly and thoughtfully. They should also sound knowledgeable while doing it or else you may risk losing good candidates for the job.
I would say that remembering the small details such as interviewer introductions, explaining the interview process, and detailing next steps for the interviewee were some of the most difficult to remember. I’m glad that we got to practice by doing the dry run on Tuesday because I think it will help myself and my group members to remember these small details when we do the real thing on Friday. It was also helpful to have the experience of watching another group give an interview because it helped me think of ways that I can improve for next time.
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Journal 22
3 questions I would ask during an interview
- What is the Storm Tours Handbook? What information does it include?
- Under minor duties you specify “adding information collected in the field”. Would being out in the field day to day be a responsibility of mine as well, or would someone else be handling that part and working collaboratively with me on this task?
- How do you see this job growing in the future? Specifically you mention that there will be room to travel and that a major responsibility is to promote the handbook to other companies. Generally, how would this look in practice? What would it entail?
3 big moments to demonstrate my value to a committee
- I’ve worked as a writing fellow with undergraduate students for two semesters and have experience working one on one with a variety of students all across campus. I’ve had experience engaging with those who don’t want to talk and those who do, and I am able to be personable which helps to open up conversation. I’ve also had experience guiding students in learning how to take initiative to get the help that they need.
- I also have experience in sales, specifically that of the Cleaning Critter, a worldwide sensation. I worked collaboratively with two other team members to design, manufacture, and promote this product to others. I also created an informative pamphlet with my team as well as a YouTube advertisement for the product, and was able to present it in front of a panel of investors.
- For three out of my four years in college I’ve worked as a research assistant for Dr. Stiegler-Balfour in her Reading Comprehension and Cognition Lab. Throughout this I’ve had the opportunity to work under multiple lab managers and with a variety of other lab members. This job required strong organizational and time management skills and often required me to perform at my best under pressure. For example, I’ve presented research findings at multiple local, regional, and national conferences in front of a large audience. My team members and I have also needed to gather data and turn it over to be analyzed within strict time constraints.
3 possible questions by the committee
- What makes you the best candidate for this position? What value would you add to the team that might be different from other applicants?
- Explain the role that you usually play in a group setting and how that would be relevant to this job.
- Share an experience of when you had to overcome a challenge and explain how you were able to do so.
- What interests you about the Storm Tours Handbook specifically?
- What is one area of your professional development that you would like to improve on? Explain why. How do you think you could work on developing this skill while in this position?
Questionable things about the job description
- One thing that I find questionable about the job posting is that it’s not consistent all the way through. Some major duties are in present tense while others are not, there are periods missing in some areas which makes it look a little unprofessional as well as inconsistent capitalization, and obvious places where wording wasn’t carefully reviewed.
- Another thing that I noticed which is rather small but worth considering, is that the job title is listed as a “Storm Tours Handbook Coordinator and Salesmen,” which in some ways may be off putting or deemed as non inclusive language. It kind of reads as if the company is only looking for men to fill this position which I don’t think is the case, but that may be how it comes across to someone seeking employment.
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Journal 21
During Tuesday’s class my group reviewed each other’s job descriptions and highlighted different aspects that we thought were either well written or were crucial to the final job description. My role in this portion of the project was to gather each of the components from our four original job descriptions that our group decided were important to include, and put them together to form the beginnings of our collaborative description. One thing that I feel good about concerning the job description is that I think it is overall pretty well organized and easy to follow. Each of the required components are clearly separated so they are easy for an applicant to identify and attend to. We also seem to be doing a good job of putting together a strong list of qualifications and key competencies based on the four examples that we had from each creating our own job description. Some questions that I have for peer review are as follows; how can our general job description be improved on for clarity and readability? Does the job title seem to reflect the job description that we’ve written? Do you think the major and minor duties are clear and well organized?
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Journal 19
Job Title: Handbook Marketer
Job Description: The Handbook Marketer will be responsible for representing and promoting the HUH Handbook to college representatives including but not limited to those at the University of New England. The employee in this position will oversee on campus resources available to students and monitor their use. This employee will also promote the helpful handbook idea to other colleges and universities as a valuable resource for incoming students. The Handbook Marketer will work collaboratively with the HUH team to evaluate and improve the product itself to assure its accessibility and utility for students over time.
Major Duties & Responsibilities:
- Become knowledgeable about the handbook in all aspects and be able to answer any questions about its function and value to students.
- Attend meetings and conferences promoting and discussing the handbook with college representatives and potential buyers.
- Become familiar with on campus resources at UNE as well as the frequency with which students use them.
- Converse with students at the university regarding the utility of the handbook and document any feedback they may have.
Minor Duties & Responsibilities:
- Seek out and foster potential opportunities for expansion and collaboration with other colleges and universities.
- Seek feedback from buyers and university representatives regarding the handbook and its functionality in the given setting. Report feedback to administration.
- Keep an organized record of student engagement with the handbook and on campus resources at the University of New England.
- Investigate competing products in the market and assess their strengths and weaknesses in comparison to the HUH product.
Qualifications: The Handbook Marketer must be at least 18 years of age or older and hold a high school diploma. The employee must have experience with marketing or persuasive communication to some degree and possess strong organizational skills. Qualifications also include proficient communication skills and the ability to work with a wide age range, encompassing both administration and students.
Key Competencies:
- Strong interpersonal and teamwork skills required.
- Must be proficient in EPortfolio, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Excel.
- Experience with marketing is required.
- Experience in writing, communication, business, or education is preferred.
