“Whatever discipline you are in, take all the possible courses you can, whether it is accounting, marketing or any other major. By taking advantage of every possible course you can you will have a good, solid background when you receive your degree.

And summer work. Try to get as much real world experience in the area you want to go into. If you are going into manufacturing, for instance, try to work in manufacturing even if it means working on the line and doing dirty work. It will really give you a background and a good idea of what goes on in a company. Don’t be too uppity about your summer work because those types of jobs are really good at helping you realize, first, why you are in college and second, what other people go through to make a company successful.

You said to get all the courses you could in a particular field…

As someone who hires people, when I see a person’s transcript of grades, if I see that they have taken a lot of fluffy, light courses, it doesn’t look as strong – it doesn’t look like someone is trying to gain the maximum from their education. But if I see that they have taken a lot of different things, I realize that they are there to work hard and get all the education they can get, and also that they are more well-rounded.

What types of things should I think about before my interview?

You are likely to be asked what you are proud of accomplishing. You may be asked what you would do differently if you could live the past four years of college over again. What are you not so proud of having done? Why have you chosen the field of study that you did? What during your youth pointed you this way? What courses did you take that you learned most from? Who was your favorite professor, and why? What summer job did you like best – or liked least? What are your skills with people, and how do you get along with people you don’t like?

This is a little thing also. If you are coming to fill out an application, you should have a pen with you and your references with you. If you don’t, it shows you aren’t prepared.

In the interview process, can you distinguish between someone who is confident in their abilities versus someone who is trying to oversell themselves?

My personal advice to applicants would be: ‘Just answer the question!’ You don’t have to boast about your abilities and try to convince someone how great you are. Just answer the questions honestly. I get put off by someone who is really trying to put the frosting on about how great they are. A good interviewer will dig down and ask them the questions that will give them the chance to say what they’ve done.

We want our interviewers to avoid “Yes or No” questions. We want to ask questions where the interviewee has to talk in paragraphs of explanations, and then we burrow in to those answers and we dig and we dig -- and you can usually find out if someone is bluffing.

We don’t ask “Are you flexible?” We ask them questions such as:

“Tell me about a time when you started a project but you got interrupted and you met with obstacles; how did you finish that project?
“Give me an example of something you have done that you are really, really proud of – and tell me why you are proud of that.
“Give me an example of a time you worked on a team and for some reason or another there was someone on that team that you couldn’t get along with.
“How did you manage to get over that and work to make that team successful?
“Tell me about a time that you had to meet a deadline, and you had to manage your time to complete it?”

I think it is impressive when someone comes in and knows about the company. They have done their homework. I can usually tell if someone is bluffing about what they really know.

Any other interview hints?

Be clean. Be really, really clean. Dress nicely. You don’t have to wear a suit if you don’t own one – they are impressive if you own one. But the cleanliness and the good grooming is really important.

Body piercings?

It often gives off a negative signal to many people who are hiring. Legally they can’t discriminate, but as I talk to many people in HR with other companies, and the body piercings give a very negative impression. They aren’t accepted very well in business, at least here in the Midwest where our company is. They may be more lenient on the East and West coast.

After the interview, how important is the impression I make as an applicant to others within the company I am introduced to? Isn’t my interview over?

The interview isn’t really over. Many times the interviewee will let their guard down after the official interview, and we see the real person. We purposely have employees outside the HR department interview the applicant because we want their impressions as well.

Occasionally when Mr. Dick Anthony (IMMI chairman of the board) had a big executive in for a high position, he would situate it so that in between their official interviews, I would meet the executive and offer him a cup of coffee. He wanted to see how the applicant treated me: Were they still as polite, honest, humble as in their interviews? Then we would get together afterwards and compares notes.

Remember, the minute you walk in the door of a company, you are being watched by somebody. Eyes are on you.

But turn about is fair play. You should also be evaluating the company: Are these people nice? Would I want to work for them? Is there yelling and profanity coming out of the next room?

You need to walk in with your eyes open. You should expect to be told about the company. If you feel that people are not honest, if you feel that you aren’t being given the straight scoop on what will be expected of you, you have a right to think “I don’t know if I would want to work for them.”

Is there ever a time I as an applicant should be glad I was turned down for a job?

Yes. We have told people that we like them as a person, but the current job opening isn’t a good fit for them. There are people that we have interviewed, told them “no” and then called them back later with a job that is a better fit.

I don’t want to put a fish in a birdcage when I hire this person. If those people have a good background and they impress us in the interview, we will call them back later for another position. You shouldn’t take that as a big negative.

What are the most important things for me to remember my first year on the job?

Always be on time. Don’t be absent. Show that you are interested and willing to do whatever you are asked to do. Ask good questions – don’t be afraid to ask. Be ready to roll up your sleeves and work. Work hard to get along with people around you. There is bound to be someone that you don’t have a natural affinity for. Don’t spend a lot of time drinking water or Cokes in the break room.

Everyone here at IMMI is on a 90 day probationary period; if they are absent a lot, if they are late, it creates black marks -- it makes you think that this person doesn’t care if they are working here or not.

How important is it in today’s economy that students be flexible?

It is very important that you be flexible. With the bad economy your ability to be flexible means you are willing to do a number of different jobs; it might not be your most perfect job, but you can fit in more than one slot. Then you can work your way up and around after you have been in that company for awhile; in the meantime you still have a job and you are still contributing.

That actually happened to me here at Indiana Mills. I started in the accounting department. Accounting wasn’t my favorite thing, even though I did have a number of accounting courses. I really felt I was strongest in the administrative area. I moved up in the accounting department, and then Mr. Anthony asked me to be his personal assistant because I knew accounting -- but I also knew other things, too. I was able to work with him for 10 years and learn all about the other aspects of our company.

I am not an engineer, but I learned all about how engineering fits in with the quality department and the purchasing department. It gave me a wonderful background. Then Mr. Anthony said “You understand Indiana Mills so well, you understand the culture and the type of people we want. I would like you to work with Human Resources.”

As I stay with the company, are you expecting me to keep learning?

We would expect you to learn more things; the chance to go to different seminars or classes in whatever discipline you are in. I would expect interest in that; it’s not that you have a degree now and you’re done learning.

Today I had a supervisor come into my office and talk about wanting her group to be certified in a specific area; she said “I want them to do this, but they aren’t motivated. Do I offer them some kind of a reward?” I told her, “We have never done that before. To me they should show that they are interested. You shouldn’t have to prod them and push them. They should grab onto this. It’s important.”

Any parting words to students?

Don’t let the initial job offer dismay you; if it is the type of market and type of company you want to be in, don’t limit yourself. As I said earlier, I didn’t want to go into accounting, but there were so many things about this company that I liked that I said “I’ll take it.” Look for a company and product and company mission that you believe in and would like to grow in.

Thank you, Janet.