On Wednesday night, top employees from different local companies shared experiences and input on how to earn money after college at the "Show Me the Money" seminar.
One of the first things on a graduate's mind is making a lot of money and paying off debt accumulated from college. However, the business professionals present were stressing that companies want to know that a prospective candidate is really passionate about the company and not just the money.
"Love what you do, find where you fit and the money will come," said Joe Kuchera, a human resources manager at Unifrax.
Michelle Plesh, a human resources manager at Goodyear Dunlop, talked about the interviewing process and the etiquette to follow if one wants a job at her company.
"All of the applications come from online, and if you don't have one of the job requirements, we won't even look at you," Plesh said. "Regarding salary, we are up front about it, and you should be confident and state firmly that you want a competitive salary that you want to negotiate."
Every company has its own unique way of interviewing and hiring people.
Susan Stamp, the vice president of human resources at IIMAK, stated her take on how to successfully land a job.
"Be easy to do business with. Be as honest and open as you can, willing to negotiate your salary. You shouldn't be afraid to price yourself out of the job, so be ready to state your expectations," Stamp said. "Additionally, make sure to show up to the interview with three professional references and transcripts so you look prepared."
Students were advised to not put a grade point average on a resume if it is below a 3.0 and to not have unprofessional e-mail addresses or voicemail greetings. Rather, students should think about creating an e-mail address for professional matters only. It will make organization and communication easy tasks.
Additionally, candidates should dress professionally, rehearse before the interview, make sure body posture is upright, and avoid falsifying a resume.
Susan Was, a talent acquisition manager at Curbell Inc., stressed the importance of maintaining ties with a company, even if one is not ready to work for it just yet.
"We have a pipeline system where we encourage candidates to stay in touch with our contacts and keep the relationship strong, so when one finally builds up a resume enough, we will highly consider them," Was said. "It's all about timing. Eventually, someone is going to want your skill set."
Kuchera was highlighting some helpful tips for when the interview is actually taking place.
"Don't try to negotiate your benefits and wait until the end of the interviewing process to talk about it. For entry-level employees, it's very unlikely that that a benefits package will be flexible, except for maybe vacation time," Kuchera said.
Nick McClure, a senior computer science major, found the seminar boring in the beginning but insightful at the end.
"I was a little less interested in how the employees got hired. To be honest, if I was in a lecture hall, I probably would've left after the first 10 minutes, but after the presentation got going I found it very helpful," McClure said.
Some students also benefited solely from general tips rather than the in-depth negotiation processes.
"It was helpful, but I benefited more from discussion about the general interview process instead of how to negotiate salary," said Adam Soom, a senior computer science major.
The one thing that was stressed above all was the fact that money is not everything when it comes to looking for a job. One has to make sure the job is a perfect fit, and with that, the money will easily come. It is better to be happy with the job than the money it produces.
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Photo: Courtesy of UB Blueprint
