3a. Lecture 1 - Dr. Jeff Kudisch: War on Talent (9/21)

What We Did: For our first lecture of the year, we had guest speaker Dr. Jeff Kudisch set the stagefor the semester. Dr Kudisch works at the University of Maryland in the Robert H. Smith School of Business, so he was close to home and had a deep appreciation for Maryland students. Being the managing director of the Office of Career Services, Dr. Kudisch had a lot of first-hand experience in the job search field. He also gave us useful advice on the available campus resources to get help finding jobs and developing our resumes.

Dr. Kudisch mentioned some of the top qualities that employers want: leadership, teamwork, written communication, problem-solving, and a strong work ethic. If you can demonstrate that you have these skills, you will be high in demand. Being a Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Dr. Kudisch has a lot of knowledge on the thought processes of employers and what they look for in people applying, especially during interviews.

We learned that in an interview, it is important to have dialogue- not monologue. When the person conducting an interview asks you a question, responses should be 2-3 minutes long. Nobody is impressed by someone who answers a question in just a few sentences. Every opportunity you are given to talk should showcase a part of yourself. Turn a response into a story about yourself, which shows your personal brand and desirable qualities. Dr. Kudisch also explained the difference between confidence and cockiness. Obviously, you shouldn't appear timid in an interview. Maintaining eye contact, having a strong handshake, and not nervously fidgeting are key tips. However, you don't want to come off as being so confident that you cross the line into arrogance. Employers won't like someone who thinks they are above other people.


Key Takeaways and Future Applications: This first lecture did a really good job at setting the tone of the rest of the semester for me, since I didn't exactly know what type of material CPBE225 was focused around. Dr. Jeff Kudisch was a really good public speaker who allowed me to come home with valuable tips and things to think about for the future. I learned how important job interviews are, because it is your chance to advertise yourself as a person, instead of just what people see on paper (your resume). Staying conversational is key when talking to possible employers, because it shows that you aren't just reciting memorized facts about yourself; instead you are communicating in a way that shows you can think on your feet and are confident around others.

This guest speaker session made me realize that I have a lot of preparation to do for job interviews. I have only even had one job interview, and it was not a very formal one. If I want to land a good job in the future, I need to start practicing now instead of later when I will be behind. Not only will I practice answering commonly asked questions, like, "Could you tell me a little bit about yourself?", but I will also come to my interviews prepared with smart questions. Employers like someone who shows they are interested in the company and demonstrate that they have done their research. In the future, I plan on showing up to interviews with a few questions already planned, so that when the interviewers ask, "Any questions?" I won't look unprepared.