General Electric

Peter Bowen

"The best way for students to prove to us that they possess strong Communication Skills is through our interview process. They can effectively do this by sharing with us specific examples of how they have changed people's minds, how they have articulated their thoughts to groups, or whatever the case might be."

"We use behavioral based interviewing and its through that technique that we go back and ask for specific examples such as these."

"When it comes to interview questions, I really don't have any particular favorites. In behavior-based interviewing, the direction of the interview is determined by how the questions are worded (i.e. 'describe to me …' or 'tell me about a time…'). I don't use any one set of questions. I want to make sure, in essence, that the questions that I ask the student are varied. I will use this technique to make sure I am focusing on that individual in terms of what they have previously accomplished. For example, I might ask someone to "describe your role as president of [a particular organization]."

"When looking at a job candidate's resume, I like to see a diverse person who is involved in various clubs and organizations. However, I don't just stop there - I look at the total person. In addition to extra-curricular activities, I also focus on their work experience (internships/co-ops), their major course of study, and any special projects. Armed with that information, I can better evaluate the individual's true interest in a particular job, and their potential success in that job."

"In terms of the overall interview process, one of the fundamental things students often overlook is the importance of doing their homework as far as the company is concerned. They come in and ask "well, what do you do?" However, I would hope that they would have done some homework relative to the company and further, that they understand what they are looking for in a position."

"Prior to interviewing with our company, I would encourage all students to secure an internship or co-op experience with us. In fact, the single best way to find out about our organization is to try us out for a period of time. This grants us the opportunity to look at prospective job candidates, as well."

"I would hope that, in the very near future, 50% of all of our full time hires will have had an opportunity to do a Co-Op or internship with us."

"During the interview process, students should make sure they are completely honest and that the level of integrity is there. Remember, an interviewer may know just as much, if not more, than a particular student about his university or the clubs on his resume. Therefore, it is imperative that that individual doesn't try to embellish, hide or misrepresent himself during the interview process. Some of the things I've seen of late is someone claiming to be the president of an organization ~ but that organization includes two people, that person and his best friend. If you are a good interviewer, you are going to dig through that and come up with the truth. When that occurs, it certainly does not bode well for the conclusion of that interview."

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