"Your life after graduation"
Special Career Issue University of Central Oklahoma
The Student Voice Since 1903
TUESDAY April 21, 1992 (Graphics by T. A. Clark)
Official expectations: What are corporations looking for? By Roger Groce Staff Writer Like a common battery commercial, constant bad economic news is sounding like an over played refrain: Nothing stops the recession. It keeps going, and going, and going. But unlike the commercial, no one is laughing. Economists are beginning to say that the recession has bottomed-out and consumer confidence is on the rise. The unemployment status, however, (currently at 9.2 million) will not begin to show much improvement until some time in '93. Consumer confidence is on the rise but with a stagnant economy and a tottering job market, what is in store for the almost 1.5 million students due to graduate this spring? To answer this question the personnel and recruitment offices of several corporations were contacted and questioned regarding their expectations of incoming college graduates. Among the companies contacted were AT&T, Kerr-McGee, IBM, American Fidelity, Southwestern Bell and General Motors Corporation. The interviewees were asked to rate the following categories very important, important or not important as criteria they look for in an applicant. The categories considered were: • Oral Communication Skills • Written Communication Skills • Attitude • Experience • Resume • GPA • Appearance • Personality • School Attended • Recommendations • Knowledge of Company • Poise Communication skills were
most often cited as the most important. "I think it is very important," said Linda Chape, manager of Recruiting and Employee development for Kerr-McGee. Chape said the ability to write well, speak and express yourself and your ideas are a top priority. Ed Beltram, manager of Human Resources and Public Relations at AT&T, also emphasized communication skills.
cc You must be able to communicate with coworkers and subordinates — both verbally and in writing. Having a degree is only the beginning.
—Ed Beltram manager, AT&T
"You must be able to communicate with co-workers and subordinates — both verbally and in writing," Beltram said. "Having a degree is only the beginning." Robert Marks, an actuary for American Fidelity said, "We look for both good verbal communication skills as well as good technical skills." Although a potential employee's grade point average is important to Marks, especially for an actuarial position, they do not want "bookworms," he said. "They must be a well-rounded individual," Marks said. Another essential qualification employers are looking for is past involvement in extra-curricular activities. "The ones that are going to be set apart," Beltram said, "are the ones that are going to be able to
put on their resume some kind of leadership experience," he said. Because of layoffs and the resulting crosstraining, people are being forced to communicate and work closer together, Chape said. Experience was considered very important but not necessarily in the specific field, they said. Work experience during college, regardless of the field, teaches a "work ethic," Beltram said. If the graduate has work experience on their resume they are more likely to have learned how to work with others and accept responsibility. Having an aggressive, positive attitude was very important among all those interviewed. An accurate resume makes the difference between hiring equally qualified people, Chape said. It is very important to have your resume reflect who you are, she said. The school attended became important primarily for filling certain positions. "We study schools all the time,"
cc The ones that are going to be set apart are the ones that are going to be able to put on their resume some kind of leadership experience.
Graduates board
economic ship By Roger Groce Staff Writer
Driving thousands into a job market already plagued with layoffs and growing unemployment, this spring U.S. colleges will confer a projected 1,011,000 bachelors degrees, and 302,000 graduate degrees, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Since the recession began in June of 1990, over two million jobs have been lost nation wide. Daily reports of budget belt-tightening and employer cutbacks are weighing down an already sinking economic ship. Into this dark and bleak picture, enters the 1992 college graduate. According to the Jan. 6 issue of Forbes magazine, IBM shed 10,000 —Ed Beltram workers last year and plans to eliminate another 20,000 in this year. Forbes also reported that when Pan Am and Midway shut down, manager, AT&T 12,500 people lost their jobs. Apple, meanwhile, laid off 1,000 in 1991, Digital Equipment has trimmed 11,000 since 1989, and Xerox anChape said, "graduate lists, place- nounced plans to cut 2,500 this year. ment lists, how they have done The film industry has also experienced difficulty. As Orion Pictures here." entered file for bankruptcy, the American Broadcasting Corporation was Grade point averages are con- the only one of the three major networks to report a profit in 1991. And, Forbes, in their "Annual Report on American Industry" noted: sidered important, but strong communication and leadership quali- "In the 1981-82 recession, drastic cutbacks in employment and factory ties make up for other weaknesses, closings helped create a leaner, smarter, more efficient corporate secChape said. Marks said a GPA of tor." Profits, they reported, later came "roaring back," they said. 3.5 is required before being able to The more optimistic commentators are expecting similar results. take an actuarial entrance exam. They contend as America goes through its seasonal gleaning, it will "It's a damn tough world out emerge more productive, efficient and wiser for the next economic freethere," Chape said. V , for-all, whatever it may be. V