These Career Center Partners have generously supported Michigan Tech students!

These Career Center Partners have generously supported Michigan Tech students!

Plant Trips and Job Offers

Tips for second interviews and understanding benefitpackages

Second Interviewsaka: Plant Trips

Purpose of plant trips• Company has more time for in-

depth assessment of you• You can decide if this is the right

organization and location

Preparing For Your Visit

•Review initial interview notes•Employer’s web site•Annual report •Promotional material•Industry/business publications•Alumni or contacts within company

Resources for Company Information

Dun & Bradstreet (dnb.com)Directory of Executive RecruitersBizweb.comHoover's OnlineLexisNexisPeople

Additional Resources

• S&P’s Register of Corporations, Directors, & Executives

• Fortune’s 500 biggest U.S. co.• Bus. Week’s 100 best small

U.S. companies• Inc. list of 500 fastest-growing

U.S. companies• Forbes’ list of best small

companies in America

Understand Your Arrangements

Using email is preferred for communication• A detailed itinerary • Who makes travel / hotel arrangements?• Is the company financing your travel?

– Pre-paid or reimbursed?– Keep all receipts!

• Married? Will your spouse accompany you?

Details about your trip

Important details• Directions to the company• Dates/times and places you are

expected to meet • Recommended way to get from

airport to hotel or company (shuttle, limo, cab)

• Expected dress code• Required materials you should bring

What to take ?

• ID, credit cards, some cash• Resumes, transcripts, other

supporting materials• Appropriate clothing and shoes• Professional binder with

note pad and pens• Briefcase vs. backpack

Arrival and Hotel Details

• Use hotel alarm clock & wake up call

• Avoid room charges – Local calls, room service . . . Movies???

• Do not bill long distance calls to your room

BIG Hint

• You are being evaluated during EVERY part of your trip

• Everyone from hotel staff to cab drivers to janitors may communicate with your prospective employer if negatively impressed

The Interview Day

• May need to check out of hotel that morning

• Know how you will get to facility• Day is usually very full with no breaks• Two types of plant trips

– Individual– Group visits

Individual Interviews

• Average 3 to 5 one-on-one interviews with people from various levels such as:– Potential supervisors– Department managers– VP or plant managers

• Be knowledgeable about the company’s products, services and competition

• Ask appropriate questions– Avoid questions about pay, benefits, etc.

Individual Interviews

• Asked same question many times– Remain upbeat

and energetic– Don’t worry

about repeating your answers

• Dining with the company– You are always

being evaluated

Group Interviews

• Usually 20 – 40 candidates• May have one-on-one

interview time• Company will observe your

behavior in a group:– Who asks questions– Who communicates easily

with others– Who dominates conversations– Who hides in the corners, etc.

Individual /Group Interviews

• Both types will involve a facility tour• Testing

– Psychological profile inventory– Aptitude test– Drug test (hair or urine)

After your trip

• Write a thank you note to your main contact

• Send brief notes to others who had significant meetings with you

The Waiting Game

• Find out when the Find out when the company expects to company expects to make a decisionmake a decision

• No news yet? Contact No news yet? Contact the company a few the company a few days after the days after the deadline to see if deadline to see if any other information any other information is needed is needed

Negotiating the Offer

• You do not have to take first offer You may be given a week or more time to make your decision

• How to delay a decision Ask for more time—contact the Career Center

for advice

• Consider all your options

Salary and Cost of Living Resources

• www.homefair.com/homefair/calc/salcalc.html Calculates cost of living comparisons between actual cities.

• www.quintcareers.com/salary_negotiation.html Lots of information about salary negotiation tips

• www.careerjournal.com(Click on the Salary and Hiring Information tab, then salary by title) Wall Street Journal data

• www.monster.com(Click on Career Advice tab, then targeted advice, then salary center) Can get free basic salary report or pay for more detailed

report. Provides salary data specific to materials engineers of varying degrees and experience levels

Salary and Cost of Living Resources

Career Center’s Salary Information at www.career.mtu.edu:

• Salary Survey with recent grad data• Remember to fill out a job offer

form on the Career Center’s web site!

The Value of Benefits— Salaries Are Only Part of the Picture! Ingrid Cheney, Director of the Benefit

Office at MTU