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Employer Feedback For CLA Students
Non-Profit, For-Profit, & Government
Non-Profit
Feedback from:
What is the most important
thing on a student’s resume?
0
1
2
3
4
5
WorkExperience
StudentLeadershipExperience
Volunteer /CommunityExperience
Internships College /UniversityAttended
ExtracurricularActivities/Clubs
ResearchExperience
GPA Study Abroad CollegeMajor(s) /Minor(s)
Please indicate the importance of each of the following items on a student's resume
(5= Very Important; 1= Completely Irrelevant)
What are ways that a CLA student
can stand out in an interview?
“Relax and be genuine! We want to get to know you
as a person and not simply hear you recite your
prepared responses.”
-Minnesota Children's Museum
“CLA students can stand out during interviews by
having a comprehensive understanding of what the
job description and qualifications are.”
-ServeMinnesota
“Have responses to well known interview questions. Ask
for an internship or job. Have visited our website and
know something about the company and the interviewer.
Have relevant questions to ask of the interviewer.”
-Center for Homicide Research
“Know their StrengthsFinder strengths and give
examples of how they have used them.”
-The Arc Greater Twin Cities
What is the best way a student can
prepare for an interview with your
organization?
“Review the job description and take the main skills
listed into consideration. Think of experiences you
have that would fall under them, but don't spend too
much time rehearsing the responses. We really want
to see your personality and see how that will fit in
with the culture of the organization.
-Minnesota Children's Museum
“Know and understand the job description and
qualifications”
-ServeMinnesota
“go to the web and find sample interview questions. Tailor
the answers to personalize them. Fill out all application
materials completely. If an expository portion allows 500
words, use 500 words. We want to see how you think as
demonstrated by your writing.
-Center for Homicide Research
“know how they plan to contribute to the
organization's goals specifically, not generally.
where can they make a difference/impact?”
-The Arc Greater Twin Cities
For-Profit
Feedback from:
What is the most important thing
on a student’s resume?
0
1
2
3
4
5
GPA Internships StudentLeadershipExperience
Volunteer /CommunityExperience
ExtracurricularActivities/Clubs
WorkExperience
CollegeMajor(s) /Minor(s)
College /UniversityAttended
Study Abroad ResearchExperience
Please indicate the importance of each of the following items on a student's resume
(5= Very Important; 1= Completely Irrelevant)
What are ways that a CLA student
can stand out in an interview?
“Professionalism (handshake, business attire, having
materials put together, confidence, etc.) and
Pleasantness (smile, kindness, etc.).”
-ACR Healthcare Group
“Come prepared with questions and do prior
research on the company and the position”
–SPS Commerce
“Personality is everything!! Bring lots of
energy and show that you are excited about
the opportunity you are interviewing for.”
–Insight Global
“Have a past trajectory of success in their life,
whether that be in school, work, or sports.”
-Pomerleau Team
What are ways that a CLA student
can stand out in an interview?
“Research the organization and the position they are
interviewing for.”
-Securian Financial Group
“Research the position and how your experiences will match
with the position. Do not focus solely on the organization.
Interviewers are generally thinking what it would be like to
work with the interviewee on a day to day basis, so tailor your
message to the specific position as opposed to the organization.”
-McGladrey LLP
“Have questions available for interviewer and
research position and company.”
-Ameriprise Financial
“Learn about the position you're interviewing for , prepare for
behavior based questions (do you have experiences top of mind that
you're ready to talk about? ), and be ready to talk through your
experiences and the role you played.”
-Target
What is the best way a student can
prepare for an interview with your
organization?
“Looking through our website (www.acrhomes.com) and reading
our Core Values Statement. Also, coming to the interview with a
full and completed application as well as other materials they
are told to bring. Wear professional attire, arrive 5 minutes early,
and just be yourself!”
-ACR HealthCare Group
“Do prior research about our company by referring
to our website at www.spscommerce.com and have
questions prepared about the company and the
position.”
-SPS Commerce
“Research the company! Come prepared to the interview
with great questions and knowledge about the role you
are applying for.”
-Insight Global
“Be prepared to share what their past trajectory of
success is.”
-Pomerleau Team
What is the best way a student can
prepare for an interview with your
organization?
“By showing that they have experience in a variety of
areas, including analytical skills, proven people
leadership and strong communication skills.”
-Securian Financial Group
“Displaying knowledge of the specific position for
which they are interviewing (i.e., not just company).”
-McGladrey LLP
“Do research about the company they are
interviewing with. Talk about relevant work
experience. Professional dress.”
-Ameriprise Financial
“I think students can stand out in an interview when they allow the
interviewer to really understand who they are personally. Have a
1-2 minute elevator speech prepared where you can tell the
employer what you’re most proud of (internship/work experience,
involvement on campus, personal strengths, etc.).”
-Target
Government
Feedback from:
What is the most important thing
on a student’s resume?
0
1
2
3
4
5
Internships Volunteer /CommunityExperience
WorkExperience
CollegeMajor(s) /Minor(s)
StudentLeadershipExperience
ExtracurricularActivities/Clubs
College /UniversityAttended
GPA Study Abroad ResearchExperience
Please indicate the importance of each of the following items on a student's resume
(5= Very Important; 1= Completely Irrelevant)
What are ways that a CLA student
can stand out in an interview?
“Dress well, know about the current trends, know about
what the county is doing, display self confidence and the
desire to learn.”
-Dakota County Community Corrections
“Be prepared to answer in-depth questions regarding your
background, experience, accomplishments, and other transferrable
skills . Take time to research the company/organization before an
interview. Know their mission, vision, and values , and how your skills
and attributes align with these aspects. Learn more about the
leaders of the company (LinkedIn is a great resources for this). Have
a clear and compelling answer WHY you want to work for that
specific company in the position for which you are interviewing.
Follow up your interview with a thank you email that is genuine, free
of spelling and grammar errors, and expresses your continued
interest in the position. Learn the industry lingo and demonstrate
that you are aware of how to communicate effectively with other
industry professionals.”
-State of Minnesota, Minnesota Management and Budget
What are ways that a CLA student
can stand out in an interview?
“A CLA student is coherent, well-versed, confident, and knows a
little about a lot. These are all skills that a government employer
wants to see. Additionally, CLA students are able to multi-task,
learn complex ideas quickly and distill them down, and are heavily
involved in their community. These three character traits are
particularly important in any kind of government work. By
communicating these traits to the interviewer, a CLA student can
succeed. Government employers like seeing "an interest to public
service" generally. CLA students can get this experience by
volunteering and doing internships (relevant to government/public
interest) around the Twin Cities.”
-Hennepin County Attorney's Office
“Dress business attire appropriate , show confidence--firm
handshake, eye contact, ask follow up questions , and
connect how your knowledge/experience will help the business
succeed.”
-Minnesota Zoo
What is the best way a student can
prepare for an interview with your
organization? “Practice, and learn about who they are interviewing
with. Know about current trends and updated resume with
no errors on it.”
-Dakota County Community Corrections
“Take time to review our careers website and agency websites.
Research our agencies and staff on LinkedIn. Learn how people have
progressed with our company and the accomplishments they have
attained. How does that compare with your career goals? Prepare 1-
2 questions that both demonstrate you have researched our agency,
but also help you learn new things about us. Don't just quiz us or try
to stump us. think of 1-2 specific examples of when you performed
each of the action items on your resume. If appropriate, prepare
examples of your work to share to the hiring team (i.e. portfolio).
This is incredibly helpful for marketing, design, education, and
training positions. Attend on-campus networking events and meet
directly with professionals from the organization you are
interviewing (as available).”
-State of Minnesota, Minnesota Management and Budget
What is the best way a student can
prepare for an interview with your
organization?
“Practice, practice, practice. Know your "elevator speech."
Know why you want to work in public service/for the
government and not a private organization. Know what you
bring to the table that other candidates might not. Pull from
your experiences and internships as to why you are committed
to public service. Public servants need to show they are ok
with working long hours and not getting paid a lot - they need
to be humble and caring. Be able to talk about times you
worked in a team, worked under pressure, and conserved limited
resources. Government employees have to work with finite
resources and heavy caseloads.”
-Hennepin County Attorney's Office
“Check out our website, know our mission, review the job
description, be prepared with a list of questions.”
-Minnesota Zoo
2015 Nace Report: Attributes Employers Seek
NACE: 2015 Attributes employers
seek in candidates
Employer Site Visit Feedback for
CLA Students:
What advice do you have
for CLA Students?
“You are prepared for success. Go get it!”
-John Risdall, Founding Chairman
“As Daniel Pink said, “Passion is overrated.”
Rather, find what you love to do and do it well.”
-Ted Risdall, Chairman/CEO
“Be yourself. Have fun. Ask questions.
Keep your promises.”
-Tina Karelson, Executive Creative Director
What advice do you have
for CLA Students? “You will be surprised...and gratified...down the road, to see
that even what you might consider to have been a completely
irrelevant class taken in your past, has application to
SOMETHING you will experience in your chosen career.
Statistics and algebra became those classes for my chosen
line of work.”
-Jim Sandstrom, Media Director
“Have you learned to be resourceful? That's all you need. The
greatest gift a teacher can give you is the opportunity to be
resourceful. The greatest gift an employer can give you is to
respect your resourcefulness. Seriously, if you don't feel like
you are a resourceful person, you are probably struggling in
school for one, but also... you're going to annoy your colleagues
in the "real world." Test your resourcefulness. See what you can
do. Learn and develop your strengths. Finally, demand a career
that makes you happy. You might spend a lot of time at work, like I
do. I like puzzles, music, and freedom, so I am quite happy here.
-Beth Varela, Digital Marketing Manager
What advice do you have
for CLA Students?
“Write for the school newspaper, use your
communications skills with nonprofits, join PRSSA and
AdFed, find internships while in school --- basically do
anything to get real-world work in your portfolio.”
-Joel Swanson, President – Public Relations
“Best advice: grab that internship early. It's tough to land an entry
level position without some working knowledge of agency
mechanics. And the ideal time to get this "best advice" is the student's
sophomore year. That gives the student a couple of years to have fun
before buckling down and finding that internship. Completing your
internship after your junior year makes that senior year so much
more enjoyable.
-Tom Wilson, President – Account Services