Situation: John just
graduated with a Bachelor degree in Finance. As a result, he wants to find a
job in his field of studies instead of continuing to hold his current Payroll
position.
Nancy: Hi. It is good to
see you, John.
John: Same here, Nancy.
It has been a long time since I last saw you.
Nancy: Yes, the last time
we saw each other was New Year’s Eve. How are you doing?
John: I am doing OK. It
would be better if I have a new job right now.
Nancy: You are looking for
a new job? Why?
John: I already finished
my studies and graduated last week. Now, I want to get a job in the
Nancy: How long have you
been looking for a new job?
John: I just started this
week.
Nancy: Didn’t you have any
interviews with those firms that came to our campus last month? I
believe quite a few
companies came to recruit students for their Finance departments.
John: I could only get
one interview with Fidelity Company because of my heavy workschedule.
A month has already
gone by, and I have not heard from them. I guess I did not make it.
Nancy: Don’t worry, John.
You always did well in school. I know your good grades will help
John: I hope so.
Nancy: You have prepared a
resume, right?
John: Yes.
Nancy: Did you mail your
resume to a lot of companies? How about recruiting agencies?
John: I have sent it to a
dozen companies already. No, I have not thought about recruiting
Nancy: Are there a lot of
openings?
John: Quite a few. Some
of them require a certain amount of experience and others are willing to
Nancy: My friends told me
that it helps to do some homework before you go to an interview.
You need to know
the company well—what kind of business is it in? What types of products does it
sell? How is it doing lately?
John: Yes, I know. I am
doing some research on companies that I want to work for. I want to be ready
whenever they call me in for an interview.
Nancy: Have you thought
about questions they might ask you during the interview?
John: What types of
questions do you think they will ask?
Nancy: Well, they might
ask you some questions about Finance theories to test your academic understanding.
John: I can handle that.
Nancy: They might tell you
about a problem and want you to come up with a solution.
John: I don’t know about
that. I hope I will be able to give them a decent response if the need arises.
Nancy: They will want to
know you a little bit before they make a hiring decision. So, they may ask you
to
describe yourself.
For example, what are your strengths and your weaknesses? How do you get along
with people?
John: I need to work on
that question. How would I describe myself? Huh!
Nancy: Also, make sure you
are on time. Nothing is worse than to be late for an interview. You do not want
to give them a bad impression, right from the start.
John: I know. I always
plan to arrive about 10 or 15 minutes before the interview starts.
Nancy: Good decision! It
seems that you are well prepared for your job search. I am sure you will find a
good job in no time.
John: I hope so.
Nancy: I need to run;
otherwise, I will be late for school. Good luck in your job search, John.
John: Thank you for your
advice. Bye!
