Month: April 2025

During my career-life, I’ve had my fair share of experience being interviewed for position such as internships and full-time positions. I’m aware interviewers tend to jump to conclusions and make snap judgments during the first few minutes of the interview. I tend to focus on creating a great first impression with all my interviews. I focus on having great energy, great body language, and maintaining eye contact.

In my eyes, the interviews I have been apart of have all felt effective. During the interviews, I would get asked about a quick background into who I am and how I got started on the path I’m currently on. That question gives me a chance to express myself and give the interviewer a glimpse into who I am. After the introduction, I speak about my qualifications and the work I’ve done. When I was looking for an internship, I spoke about my experience on the residential side of construction and my desire to face a larger challenge in construction. When I was searching for a job, I referenced my internship and ambitions. After discussions about my qualifications and experience, the interviewer and I would exchange questions. During the questions, I would strategically “sell-myself” to the interviewer to make myself more appealing as a potential hire. The question period is very effective as it gives me a chance to get to know the interviewer better and I’d use the opportunity to make a good impression.

The only ineffective interviews I’ve experienced are ones where I’m not given a chance to make “sell” my personality and showcase how I am as a person.

If I were to go back and advise my employers on how to improve the effectiveness of their interviews is if time allows, try to get to know the interviewee. I’ve had great experiences in all my interviews because I felt that the employer also cared about learning my background and who I am as a person.

Job descriptions are a provided outline which detail what a person can expect to encounter during the everyday lifestyle of said job. Per Job Analysis and Job Design lecture, job descriptions includes a multitude amount of information.

Job Descriptions Include:

• Job Description

• Job Summary

• Task Assessments

• KSAO’s required

• Physical Demands

• Working Conditions

To met the standards set by the job descriptions can be overwhelming and challenging. In my personal experience, I’ve had confidence in my abilities to fulfill every requirement outlined in job descriptions except KSAO’s required.

Per Job Analysis and Job Design lecture, KSAO’s required is used to describe the attributes workers need to carry out their work effectively. The attributes outlined in KSAO’s are knowledge, skill, ability, and other characteristics such as personality or certifications.

When it came time to do interviews for jobs and internships, I focused on selling my other characteristics to my future employers. I felt my knowledge for the construction field wasn’t up to standard as I was new to the general contractor role. My skill was good and my confidence to increase my skill is a strong trait of mine. In comparison to other classmates of mine, I definitely felt separation between us when it came to knowledge of the construction field. Since my knowledge wasn’t something that was up to par yet, I knew my next best selling point was my character and personality. I spoke with great energy and presented myself as someone with great ambition and with a keen sense to learn. My strategy worked and I received offers for work after graduation.

The challenged I faced with job descriptions was the feeling I wasn’t qualified in comparison to my classmates. I was able to overcome that challenge by focusing in on what my strengths are and using those to receive job offers.

Effective human resource management is crucial for the success of a company. An effective human resource management department is formed through systems that empowers the individual. Companies have figured out key components necessary to build an effective human resource management system. Throughout examining Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For, the companies which have stood out due to their practices are Hilton, Cisco, and Capital One.

Hilton embraces a practice of creating a family-like culture. Employee state how they don’t feel like a “number”. The Hilton ensures they make every employee feel apart a family, boosting morale and performance from the employees.

Something I love about Cisco is the diversity in the executive leadership. I’ve been taught about the significance about ensuring every employee feels represented in the executive leadership. When each demographic present in a company is represented, a clear image of what the company stands for is displayed. The strong support system present in Cisco provides a solid backbone for all people to rely on. Employees who feel supported perform the best.

The practice from Capital One that stood out is the inclusivity. Employees preach how the company allows individuals to express themselves for who they are. Capital One allows employees to express their individuality. Capital One’s emphasis on individuality has resulted in an environment which allows for innovation in the workplace.

As a future manager, I want to create an inclusive environment which promotes the individuality each employee brings when they enter the doors. Creating an environment where everyone feels welcomed and supported with a strong system is a goal I want to pursue. I want to make sure the leadership reflects what the company strives for. A leadership team which represents all the different backgrounds in a company will help inclusivity. Including systems which allow for employees to be properly trained is the key to surpassing challenges and help employees thrive.