In order to learn first-hand what corporations are looking for today when they hire a college graduate, Bill Seiler interviewed Gary Danek, who recently retired as an Account Executive at Proctor and Gamble, a Fortune 500 corporation. (Visit P&G’s home page for career information and a variety of information pertaining to P&G.)
Danek and Seiler spoke many times over the past ten years, and most recently in September of 2000, about what students should know and do to prepare for the employment interview. In the conversation Mr. Danek and Dr. Seiler reviewed their previous discussions to determine what changes, if any, Mr. Danek would make in what he said in their early conversations. He told Dr. Seiler that he wouldn’t change very much. "If anything has changed," he said, "it is that companies are finding it more difficult finding qualified candidates." Danek, before retiring this past year, had been with P & G for over thirty-five years and had interviewed hundreds of college students while at P & G.
Here are some excepts from their most recent discussion:
Dr. S.: Has the advice you would give to first-or second year students to help them prepare for an employment interview after they have graduated changed at all in the past few years?
Mr. D.: No, I still suggest students, besides getting good grades, should participate in as many activities as time will allow. Activities remain important because they help to create much more rounded individuals and show that they are interested in working with others. I also suggest that students try to get into some leadership positions whenever possible. Students must be able to demonstrate they have the ability to take charge of things and influence others, which I believe is critical to success. The key here is that students get involved in activities. I realize that some students must work full- or part-time, but even then, they should do more than just put time in on the job. It is through leadership roles that I believe students can demonstrate their leadership and decision-making potential.
I also highly recommend that students, whenever possible, take both oral and written communication courses because in order to succeed, students must be able to communicate effectively with others. Students need to be able to demonstrate that they can set specific goals that can be measured within a particular time frame. I emphasize that the goal should not simply be getting a college degree because I feel that should be everyone’s goal who enters college. We carefully look at the quantity and quality of the student’s experiences beyond going to classes.
Dr. S.: Mr. Danek, could you elaborate or provide some examples of specific goals that a student might give that could be measured within a time frame?
Mr. D.: Yes. For example, a student may work for a school newspaper and be responsible for getting businesses to buy advertising space in the paper. The job might require the student to get ten ads per semester. The student sets her goal to get fifteen ads. Here the student has taken initiative and set her own goal. Naturally, anything above the ten required is going beyond the newspaper’s expectation. By setting realistic goals and accomplishing them, this applicant is showing that she is motivated. She is also demonstrating that she can influence people by getting them to buy ads in the school paper. Accomplishing her goal shows us some very important behaviors that our company looks for in potential employees: goal setting, going beyond what everyone else is expected to accomplish, and an ability to influence others in order to reach her goal.
Dr. S.: Have the specific criteria or qualities you look for in those hired by P&G changed since our last discussion?
Mr. D.: No, in fact the selection criteria my company uses are still based upon the same factors they use for job performance reviews. Initiative and follow-through, leadership, thinking and problem solving, communication, working effectively with others, creativity and innovation, and priority setting are the important skills the company is seeking in all of its new employees.
Dr. S.: Which of these criteria do you believe to be the most important?
Mr. D.: (with no hesitation) As I have said to you before, communication. This is the most important because without effective communication a person would not be able to meet all of the other criteria.
Dr. S.: How would you describe the typical initial interview today?
Mr. D.: The first interview is likely to take place on campus and lasts about twenty to thirty minutes. In this interview our interviewers are mainly interested in learning if applicants have the qualities and skills necessary for success with our company.
Dr. S.: What are some of the typical questions you might ask to determine if applicants you are interviewing, have the qualities and skills you are looking for?
Mr. D.: They are to determine if applicants have initiative and follow-through qualities. I would, for example, ask them to provide a situation where they had to overcome major obstacles in order to achieve the objective. For leadership, I might ask applicants to discuss a time when they stepped into a situation, took charge, mustered support, and brought about results. Or I might ask applicants to tell about a time when they wanted to accomplish something significant that wouldn’t have happened if had not been for their ability to make it happen. For thinking and problem solving, I ask applicants to tell about a time when they had to analyze facts quickly, define the key issues, and develop a plan that produced results. Or I might ask applicants to tell about a complex problem they had solved, and, if they had to do the activity over again, how they would do it differently. For communication (selling or motivating, listening and speaking), I might ask applicants to tell about a situation where they had to be persuasive and sell their idea to someone else. Or, about a time when they had to present a proposal to a person in authority and if they were able to do this successfully.
For working effectively with others (teamwork), I might ask: "Can you give me an example which would show you’ve been able to develop and maintain productive relations with others, even though they may have different points of view?" Or, about a time when they were able to motivate others to get the desired results they wanted.
For creativity and innovation (improving productivity, using resources), I might ask applicants to tell about a situation in which they were able to find a new and better way of doing something significant. Or, to describe a time when they were able to come up with a new idea that was the key to the success of some activity or project.
Finally, for priority setting, I might ask applicants tell about a time when they had to balance many competing priorities and did so successfully. Or, about a time when they had to pick out the most important things in some activity and make sure those got done.
Dr. S.: Is the résumé still an important document?
Mr. D.: Yes, it is very important! It should be done neatly and should clearly state the applicant's work experiences as well as the activities they have participated in while in school.
Dr. S.: What are the major reasons for rejecting an applicant?
Mr. D.: The major factors for rejecting an applicant are because he or she hasn’t met any of the selection criteria, lacks organizational skills, cannot communicate effectively, or lacks self-confidence. Another factor that often leads to rejection is that applicants can not demonstrate that they are team players. That is, they are unable to demonstrate they can work well with others.
Dr. S.: What questions should an applicant avoid asking during the first interview?
Mr. D.: An applicant should not ask about salary, how many hours will I work, how many sick days are there, is there an expense account, or how much vacation time will I get? These questions indicate the person is not interested in working, but in what they can get from the job or how they can get out of work.
Dr. S.: What are appropriate questions to ask?
Mr. D.: What is the typical day like for a person who has this job? How do you get people to do what you want? Are there opportunities for training or additional schooling? Why is the company moving into this market? All of these questions indicate an interest in the company and the job.
Dr. S.: What specifically are you looking for in an applicant?
Mr. D.: A person who can juggle many balls at one time and do it well. That is, we need individuals who are able to address many issues and deal with a variety of people and do it successfully.
As you can see, there is great deal that you can do to prepare yourself for the employment
interview. Whether you are a first year student or a graduating senior, it is important that
you start preparing today for the interview.
If you would like to ask for additional information from either Dr. Seiler or Mr. Danek,
please send your question via e-mail to Dr. Seiler. If you wish
to ask a question of Mr. Danek, please indicate that you would like Mr. Danek to respond to your
question and Dr. Seiler will forward your question to him and he will respond directly back to
you.