COM 323 Employment Interviewing Assignment - Irwin Mallin, IPFW Communication

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Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne Department of Communication
COM 323 – Business and Professional Communication – Summer Session I 2003
Instructor: Irwin Mallin
Employment Interviewing Assignment

For this assignment, your instructor will assign you an interview partner. On the designated date, you and your partner will take turns in the roles of interviewer and interviewee in class.

Part 1: Preliminary Documents (Due at the start of class on Tuesday, May 27)

• Choose an organization for whom you would like to work and a position for which you would like to apply
• Conduct research on this organization and position, using the strategies and resources discussed in class and other strategies and resources that you may discover.
• Prepare and bring to class three copies (one for you, one for your partner, one for the instructor) of each of the following documents:

• an organization/position profile (described below)
• a resume, following the criteria presented in class
• a cover letter, following the criteria presented in class

Part 2: In-class interviews (Monday June 2 and Tuesday, June 3)

• On the designated date, bring to class two copies (one for you, one for the instructor) of a list of at least 25 questions you will ask your partner when you are the interviewer.

• These questions will reflect both your knowledge of good interviewing practice as discussed in class and the textbook and your knowledge of the position and the applicant as reflected in the preliminary documents your partner gave you.

• You and your partner will take turns in the role of interviewer and interviewee. Each interview will last approximately 10 minutes.

As always, everything you hand in for both parts of this assignment should be typed. Documents longer than one page should be stapled

The organization/position profile is a one to two page, typed (double spaced, one-inch margins all around, font no bigger than 12) and stapled document in which you provide the following information:

• The name and nature of the organization and its major products or services

• What attracts you to this organization

• What you see as major opportunities the organization may experience in the coming years

• What you see as major challenges, issues, problems, competitors, etc. the organization may need to contend with in the coming years

• The type of position you are seeking and the major responsibilities associated with that position

• What attracts you to this type of position

• Potential disadvantages associated with this position

• Anything else your interviewer should know, either about the organization or the position

Why bother preparing this document?

• It gives your partner the context she or he needs to take the role of interviewer for this position

• It gives your instructor the context he needs to evaluate the interview

• Most importantly, it helps you do the sort of preparation you need to do in advance of interviewing for any position.

Go to Assignments | Go to Syllabus | Go to Course Schedule | Go to Irwin's Main Page | E-Mail Irwin