IMA Guest Speaker Gives Interview Tips

Commentary Editor

  The Institute of Management and Accounting heard a guest speaker give advice and interview tips in the Babin Business Center Jan. 26.

   Craig Kaminicki, a Certified Public Accountant and owner of Ricky Maxwell and Associates in Crossett, spoke about where to look to find jobs, talked about types of interviews and tips to prepare for and use during interviews.

   He suggested several ways to find jobs including personal relationships, networks, joining civic groups and organizations, volunteering and getting active in school as the best ways to build contacts. Newspapers can always be counted on, he said, but do not rely on recruiters. Recruiters have specific requirements they look for and may not keep in contact.

   He advised students to start making contacts as a junior and not wait until their senior year.

   “It is really about developing a personal network ant that network can be anything,” Kaminicki said. “ It can be church, friends or family.”

   He suggested four interviewing techniques, which include:

1.   Do homework on the company, starting with an internet search. People need to talk to employees or extract information with the receptionist via “small talk.”
2.   Prepare, try to anticipate the questions and do not try to memorize answers. Keep answers related to the job. Avoid canned answers, but do stress the “talking points” or items the interviewee wants to be remembered for.
3.   Try to understand the needs of the organization and relate how to the person being interviewed fills those needs.  Do not underestimate the culture of the organization, try to probe their values and make sure they are in alignment with interviewed person's own personal core values.
4.   Take notes at an interview.  Also, take a copy of the resume along and take notes, this will helps to focus the interviewee and stress the key points on their resume.

   He talked also about the types of interviews such as:

1.    One-on-one
2.    Group interview
3.    Meeting with several employees before a person gets to talk to the boss.

   Group interviews may have up to 10 or more people present and they might be firing questions at the interviewee. The intent is to see how the candidate performs in a stressful situation.  Kaminicki suggested asking for business cards to help identify the people asking questions and arrange them in order they are sitting around the table. This helps the interviewee to remember names and take control of the interview and the group by taking the time to answer each question completely before answering the next.

   An interviewee meeting with several employees, as an example may first talk with the receptionist, then an accountant working for the firm and a then talk to the decision maker last. While the interviewee is talking to the other employees, the employer, the decision maker, may talk to the earlier employee to find out what their impression was and to follow up on any observations they may have.

   When setting up the resume, tell what you have done for your previous employer. A person needs to show enough information to get people interested, but not too much.

   “He brought up some very good points for those who are graduating to get a job, and how to conduct ourselves in an interview situation.” IMA President Ashley Lay said.

   The IMA also discussed its new fund raiser to sell Yankee Candles. The fund raiser will be held Jan. 26 - Feb. 9. The top sellers will receive a Wal-Mart gift card.

   To buy a candle, contact Phillips at phillips@uamont.edu, any IMA member or go to the  IMA Web site.

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