Week 1: Job Application Experiences

Describe your experiences from the perspective of an applicant for the last job you for which you applied.

The last job that I applied to was for the position that I currently hold, HR Liaison at Oregon State University. When I was job searching, I was looking for a position that would allow me to work in a strategic role that had noticeable impact on the team. During the application stage, I submitted my resume, cover letter, and application materials. I was careful to clearly communicate how my experience has prepared me for the position and that I met the minimum and preferred qualifications. I was contacted to have an interview with the committee, which I accepted and had scheduled for the following week. On the day of the interview, I arrived at the office and checked in around 10 minutes before my scheduled interview time. Shortly after, I was called back and had the in-person interview. I answered questions regarding my experience, how I would react in specific situations, and how I deal with difficult customers or co-workers. To wrap up the interview, I was given the chance to ask the committee any questions. By the end of the week, I had heard back from the hiring manager and was offered the position.

Explain how your experiences during the job application process shaped your impression of the job you were applying for and your desire to work there (or in some cases to not work there).

Throughout the job application process, I knew that organizations similar to OSU were very critical in defining what their minimum qualifications were and I understood that they were not suggestions. Therefore, I was very clear, descriptive, and direct when stating what my qualifications were. During the interview process, I asked a variety of questions that addressed the impact of the position, the culture of the office and team, and what the future of this position would be. In hearing the responses, I could tell that this position would have the opportunity to have strategic impact in the office. I also was able to see the camaraderie among the interview committee. The hiring manager was very clear that this position would have a lot of change and growth with the organizational changes that were going to occur within the office and in the university. Throughout the process, I was shown that the team was very close and supportive of one another. I gained the sense that the hiring manager was trusting of her team and had no issues giving autonomy to her staff. Additionally, I felt that there was very clear information from the whole committee, even if it showed the challenges of the role. I felt like I knew what I was accepting when I accepted the position.