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MGMT 448 Blog Posts

Week 10 – Most Important Thing You’ve Learned

The most important thing I have learned during the course of this class is that there are many ways that perspective employers determine your qualification for a job. I was always taught that these are main parts of the application and interview process: applying for the job, your resume, cover letter, references and interview. This course has taught me all kinds of new techniques that I could come in contact with as I apply for full-time jobs post-graduation.

In addition to all of the above aspects of recruitment and selection there are various tests that am employer could give you to analyze a specific part of your personality. For example, there cognitive tests, job knowledge tests, integrity tests, personality tests, and many more that the hiring company uses to make hiring decisions that are completely separate from your well-thought out resume or your superb interview skills. Though resumes are important to get you in the door and interviews allow for a face to face interaction with the hiring team, these tests could mean being hired or weeded out by a simple computer program and algorithm.

I now understand that a hiring committee may use cognitive testing to assess my problem-solving abilities as well as my ability to adapt to change. I also understand that personality testing may be used to measure my traits that won’t change over time in order to get to know me better and how I will fit in their company. I now know that job knowledge testing will assess if I already possess the specific skills needed for the job. Finally, I know that integrity testing may be used to reduce risk regarding problems that may arise if they hire someone who does not possess the integrity expected for the job.

This class has allowed me to become aware of all of these tests in order to be more prepared when applying for jobs that may require one or more of these tests. I am glad that this course prepared me to look out for other means of testing candidate qualifications so that I am not surprised when these means of testing are expected of me when being considered for a job. I hope that this leg up will allow me to take on the test with confidence and knowledge that the company believes that this test is relevant for success in the job itself.

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MGMT 448 Blog Posts

Week 9: Self- Reflection

1. What am I good at? I am good at suggesting process improvements if I am given the opportunity to look for places where change are needed. I am also good at communicating these ideas to upper management with a clear effect on the bottom line. I love working in teams and thrive in a collaborative environment. I am a very independent worker meaning that I am self motivated and will continue to improve my work, asking questions and learning new skills. I am also good at speaking up in front of a group and do not shy away from presenting my work or asking questions in a large setting.

2. What do I value? I value a work-life balance. I want to be able to love what I do for work, but also have the opportunity to love my home life and have a family and hobbies. I also love to travel and hope to somehow integrate that into my work. I value organizations that care about the environment and promote volunteer opportunities as well as have groups of like minded people.

3. How did I get here? I decided to go to Oregon State because it felt like home and I did not know what I wanted to do with my life and career yet so I decided to save money and attend a state school. Throughout my freshman year I went back and forth from business to engineering – engineering because it could pay big money in the future and business because I always had an interest in managing people and how businesses work. Interest won out and I discovered Business Information Systems to split the difference. Management and Business Information Systems are the perfect mixture of my two interests and the MECOP program allowed me to shine in these majors. My time at Daimler allowed me to narrow down my analytical interests, fueling my desire to get out into the workplace.

4. Where am I going? I am going into my second MECOP internship at ODOT after graduation to learn more about information systems and gain more skills. After that – and depending on the effects of COVID-19 – I hope to start in a program down in San Diego as a Solutions Consultant. I am excited at the opportunity to get out of Oregon and discover a new way to apply my majors as well as meet new people in a new place.

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MGMT 448 Blog Posts

Week 7: IPIP Results & Reactions

I found this personality test to be super interesting to take. Since they would ask different questions in different ways, it really got me thinking about who I am in different situations and how I have changed over various phases of my life. I could identify certain areas where I used to be one way, but have changed and grown into a different version of myself. This was a great self reflection tool.

The highest category I scored for the Big 5 traits was Openness to Experience at a 91. Honestly, this may be because I am in quarantine and am really wanting to get out and experience new places and new people. Being inside with the same individuals for months on end has made me realize how much I enjoy traveling, going on adventures and trying new things. The highest category I got for the extroversion section was assertiveness which has definitely become more prevalent since I have been attending college. For the section on agreeableness, I scored the highest on cooperation. This score did not surprise me because I want people to get along. For contentiousness I scored one of my highest singular scores in self-discipline. I know how to think through and weigh the pros and cons of various situations. Next, for neuroticism I scored the highest in immoderation which is means I place importance on short-term pleasures rather than long-term consequences. I don’t believe this is entirely true because of my self-discipline and this category definitely surprised me. Finally, for openness to experience, I scored highest on liberalism which is you know me, you know this to be true.

Since conscientiousness was my second highest of the Big 5 categories at 85 and this category is the strongest predictor of job performance, I believe an employer would be pleased with the results of my test in this aspect. Also, neuroticism was my lowest score of the Big 5 categories at a score of 58. Since there is a negative relationship for job performance for this category, I believe that employers would note that I have strong emotional stability. Another category I scored high on at a 90 was imagination. This is a good quality to have in problem solving situations and also allows me to think outside the box. I am also very achievement-striving and never stop at “good enough” when given a task or project.

Some weaknesses that this test showed me is that I do focus on short-term gains over long-term solutions which may push me to make the wrong decisions in the long run. Also, since I am assertive, this may be seen as negative considering that female assertiveness is not a favorable trait in most business settings, although I believe it is a positive trait. Finally, since I scored lowest in trust with a score of 23, employers may view this as a negative because it takes time for people to earn my trust, especially in a new setting.

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MGMT 448 Blog Posts

Week 5: Typical vs. Maximal Performance

If I was in the shoes of a business owner having to choose between Avery of Jaime, I would choose Jaime. I would make this decision based on the fact that he is reliable. In any situation I would know what to expect and would not have to be constantly worrying about my employee’s productivity. Even though Jaime does not have the capability to go above and beyond, I am not wasting time and resources. I believe with some incentive and training, I could get Jaime at a higher level of productivity because of his dedication to his work.

A situation that would be better suited for Avery would be a project that required expectation shattering deliverables. The key to Avery’s success is that this project would need to specifically cater to Avery’s strengths in a way that would motivate Avery to do his best work. Since this is a one time project that Avery can handle, I believe he would excel at the job and produce quality work.

I would hire Jaime for a longer, more process-oriented job that requires consistent performance over a long period of time. Since this is not a project focused job, there would need to be someone in the position that is internally motivated consistently to get work done and does not slack off when the work seems too repetitive. Jaime would allow me to have trust in him to get work done and not leave me to feel as if I need to constantly keep tabs on his progress. Having this type of consistency would not cost the company in time or resources and it would not be detrimental if Jaime does not go above and beyond on these types of job tasks.

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MGMT 448 Blog Posts

Week 4: Critiquing a Recruitment Ad

I am a hard worker. I never stop at “good enough” and strive to exceed expectations. I do this by asking questions, gathering multiple opinions, drafting, and iterating. I am focused on solving problems both within my organization and for customers. I thrive on challenge and come at it head on with dedication and perseverance. As a Information Systems Intern at Daimler Trucks North America I worked to propose, create and improve existing processes using as many resources as I could get my hands on. From coworkers, to software, to my own imagination I love figuring out how things could be better.

Since I like to map out my ideas as a flowchart, I would use this to my advantage when creatively advertising myself for a job. I would create a visually appealing flowchart that would go through my creative process as an employee. It would include all of the people I interact with and work with. It would also have all of the software included that I know how to use. It would explain my journey through my life and my experiences and basically be a flowchart timeline through my professional life and how I got to where I am today. It would be a resume formatted as the work I enjoy doing and the way I solve problems at a high level. This creative way of marketing myself would allow potential employers to see my work and how I think as well as get my qualifications and experience in a visually appealing and easy to take in medium. I hope that this would catch a potential employer’s eye, especially if I am interviewing for a process improvement related job. Just like a resume, this would be a document I would need to be constantly altering and catering to a specific job I am applying to, but I believe it is a very innovative way of conveying my work experience as well as my qualifications.

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MGMT 448 Blog Posts

Week 3: Job Descriptions

My last job I had in which I found through looking through job descriptions was at the OSU College of Business as an Event Assistant. I already knew friends in this position which allowed me to fact check a lot of the job duties in the description if I had questions about them. The biggest thing I notice now about the description (see end of blog post for job description) was that they included a lot of tasks that the person in the position rarely did. For example, I did not need many of the basic office skills and programs because I was working just during events, not during the preparation days where materials were being created and marketing materials were being sent out.

I learned that the reason for this disconnect was that the job description did not encapsulate the new vision for the position which was solely events based and not as secretarial. Because they had no clue what this updated job would look like, they kept aspects of the old job description just in case those skills were needed. This threw me off, but I was able to use my friends already in the position as guidance.

By constantly updating job descriptions, applicants have a clearer view of what the position will entail. Since the College of Business is always iterating their engagement programs and events, it is hard to always be up to date with this job information. I wished there would have been someone who was strictly assigned to the task of updating the events related job descriptions in the College of Business so that I did not have to go through so much confusion in the initial application process.

Job Description:

“Assistants to the event manager will support the efforts of the Career Success Center and the College of Business through administrative and event-related activities.

  • Support student professional development through events and programming of This Week in Business.
  • Prepare necessary documents for career workshops and events.
  • Organize and maintain office records, and perform general clerical duties including scheduling appointments, responding to phone, email and in-person queries.
  • Update internal databases including Salesforce.
  • Organize and facilitate professional development events.
  • Partner with all staff in coordinating, marketing, and participating in events including career fairs, networking events, employer information sessions and classes, and more.
  • Data entry.
  • Partner with Student Engagement staff in coordination and marketing of events, including those within the College of Business Living-Learning Community.

Basic office skills (answering telephone, scheduling appointments, filing, etc.).

  • Computer experience with Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point and Outlook.
  • Highly responsible, self-starter, able to work with little supervision.
  • Strong organizational and communication skills including attention to detail and time management skills.
  • Able to maintain confidentiality.
  • Ability to represent the Career Success Center with maturity and professionalism.
  • Applicants should be able to be available each term.
  • Ability to work collaboratively as a member of a team.
  • Dependable and reliable with a positive attitude.
  • Have a flexible schedule, outside of class hours.”
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MGMT 448 Blog Posts

Week 2: Experiences with Discrimination

The company I have chosen for this discrimination scenario is Disney. I believe that if situations of discrimination had come to light in any of the business aspects of the company – such as the parks, movie studios, management, etc. – I would look at the company completely differently. Ever since I was young, I have been around all things Disney. This makes me feel nostalgic towards the company each time I interact with anything Disney related. Hearing this news would be a huge disappointment. Not only would it change my childhood view of the company, but it would change how I approached Disney when I have kids in the future.

If the discrimination cases were theme park related, I would rethink going there for vacations. If the cases were movie or television show related, I would rethink spending money on Disney+ or seeing Disney movies in the theaters and supporting the company in this way. There would always be a voice in the back of my head reminding me of their discrimination and how they treat their employees.

In addition to the above, I have always wanted to work for Disney in some capacity. This would change my desire to work there, making me wonder if these problems would continue even after being brought to light. I have always had a positive view of Disney as a company and if cases of discrimination were to surface, it would change my entire outlook on the company in my mind, even if they remedied the situation.

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MGMT 448 Blog Posts

Week 1: The Case for Recruitment & Selection

I would like to challenge the idea that recruitment and selection is a company’s most important function.  As the video on how the role of HR has evolved from LinkedIn points out, HR has a responsibility to focus on how an organization markets itself to the outside world (LinkedIn Talent Solutions).  Since the explosion of social media, people are constantly looking for the organization that markets themselves the best – whether they realize it or not.

A cohesive and constantly evolving marketing plan allows for every person on every platform to gain a holistic view of an organization just by glancing at their website or social media page.  Spending resources marketing for the masses allows for the most people to be exposed to an organization, allowing for a new kind of brand recognition that comes from the amount of time and energy the organization has taken in expanding their marketing efforts.  

A focus on marketing allows for potential job candidates to be aware of your organization early on so that when those job openings arise, there is a better chance of attracting talented candidates.  By playing into social media trends and introducing the organization to people by using popular marketing platforms, the successful individuals you want to attract will want your organization in return.  This is a key strength that would come out of not prioritizing recruitment and selection, but instead focusing on marketing.

Some potential weaknesses in prioritizing marketing over recruitment and selection include not attracting the right candidates by focusing on just marketing efforts.  Also, marketing may not be done properly for the individual organization, painting the company in an incorrect light.

Source:

LinkedIn Talent Solutions. (2016). The role of HR has evolved. Meet the 21st century HR Leader [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/ukmC6F0JvQw

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MGMT 448 Blog Posts

Week 1: Job Application Experiences

I have had the opportunity to apply for many jobs during the course of my high school and college experiences.  I am in the MECOP program which has given me a unique job application experience which is different than the usual job search process.  Since MECOP is an unusual way of acquiring a job, I have chosen to focus on my application experience with the College of Business as an Event Assistant in the Career Success Center.

As a sophomore at Oregon State, I knew I wanted and needed a job.  Since I was a full time student, this limited my options right away.  Not only did I want a job with flexible hours, I wanted something that would allow me to gain a valuable experience that would look good on a resume post graduation.  As I was looking through one of the weekly College of Business emails during Spring term, I came across a posting for an Event Assistant position within the College of Business’ Career Success Center.  This position would start in the fall of my junior year and would allow me the experience and flexible hours I was searching for.

The first step I took in the application process was to reach out to my friend who was currently in this position to gain her perspective on the job.  She highly recommended the position and offered to put in a good word for me.  This connection allowed me to get my name out there which got me an interview shortly after I submitted my application.

My friend gave me interview pointers from her experience the year before and introduced me to her boss and coworkers before the interview.  This allowed me to feel more comfortable during the interview process.  When I arrived for my interview the atmosphere was very casual.  My potential boss and one of my potential coworkers took me to the Austin Marketplace and asked me questions about my event planning experience – which was vast.  They made me feel comfortable which allowed me to open up and be myself throughout the interview.  I felt that this job would be a good fit for me and I hoped they felt the same.

After a few weeks  – during which I learned they had interviewed many more candidates – I was offered the only open position.  Since I had my foot already in the door with my friend as a connection, I feel that they could be more confident that I was a good fit for the job since I had someone on the inside vouching for me. This connection allowed me to see a different perspective into the job and learn that it would be a great place for me to work, especially as a student with limited working hours.  Since I was in the College of Business, my class schedule aligned perfectly with what the job expected.

A year and a half later I enjoy my job and feel that I picked the right “who” to work for and they hopefully feel they picked the right “who” in me as their employee.