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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 19, 1987)
GPA plays bit part in hiring, say employment specialists By Stan Nelson Of the Emerald Grades. For some, a grade point average will make the dif ference between acceptance or denial to post-graduate studies. But for the recent college graduate seeking initial employment, a high GPA is not a large consideration, according to employment specialists. “You can't downplay the im portance of a good GPA. . .yet we haven't seen a trend (of GPAs) as a major consideration if the other factors are there.’’ said Dan Shankle, a profes sional placement representative for the state Employment Division. E m p loymenl I) i v i s i o n counselors stress transferable skills and the quality of per sonality as well as the quantity and quality of the education, Shankle said. Interpersonal and communication skills, along with how well the person will fit the company’s group dynamics, also are large con siderations. lie said. “Employers are looking for individuals w h o c a n demonstrate they can be suc cessful in a number of endeavors.’’ said Lawrence Smith, director of the Universi ty Career Planning and Place ment Service. Smith emphasiz ed leadership experience, suc cess in competitive situations, and speaking and writing skills as characteristics employers desire. Communication skills have become increasingly important in the banking industry now that automation has shifted the emphasis of most banking jobs to personal service, said Pat Stoll, regional service officer of the southwest region for First Interstate Bank. A grade point average alone will not tell an employer what type of person the applicant is. and the subject is not brought up in an interview unless noted in the applicant’s resume, she said. Most interviews last bet ween 30 and 45 minutes, and if a good rapport cannot be built during that time, it is a good in dication the applicant will have difficulty building rapport with a customer in an even shorter period of time, she said. “You can be a technical whiz, but if you can’t relate to customers and employees, you won’t have a very high success rate,” she said. An applicant’s experience and presentation during an in terview are emphasized by The Oregonian, said Mary Crook, Oregonian assistant personnel manager. Applicants also .ire tested tor skills required tor the position, she said. “We are interested in what (the applicant) can bring to the job from the first day." she said. Transcripts are not required, although Crook said they are appreciated. "The l Iniversitv environment provides students with in numerable opportunities to demonstrate success," Smith said. From participation comes a mature personality, and that is what employers want, he said. “If you sit in the library and crack books for four years and get a 4.00 (CPA), it makes one wonder if you can even speak,” Smith said, noting the need for outside interests. Accounting and engineering firms often use CPAs as a form of sere e ning p o t e n t i a 1 employees, but they are not representative of most other career areas, he said. A high CPA becomes a deciding factor when two ap plicants are equally qualified for a position, but otherwise are not requested often by employers, said Lillian Stewart, employment counselor for Young’s Kmployment Service. The Hast Coast places more emphasis on academic creden tials, Shanklc said, but on the West Coast, it has all but died away. "You don’t see that kind of snobbery in the area," Shankle said. No more than 2f> percent of the total emphasis is placed on a CPA during an interview, he estimated. university SUNNY SERVICE Foreign & Domestic Cars Specializing in Volvo and Volkswagen • Major & Minor Repairs • ASE Certified Technicians 1905 Agate St. • 344 0869 Just a few blocks from campus on the corner of Agate and 19th (•raphti li\ lorralm K.ilh •Vr BAMBM m Oriental Buffet Lunch Downstairs €> Try Out Dinner Upstairs Hours: Downstairs M Th I I 00 7 00. F Sail 00 4 3C Closed Sundays Hours: Upstairs Su Th 4 30 10 00 F Sa 3 00 10 30 1275 Alder Street • 683-8886 Budget Continued from Page 1 to pay about 73 percent of the cost of teaching 14,343 full-time equivalent students, and tuition covers the remaining 27 percent of the cost. The number of FTE students is determined by adding the total number of credit hours for which all students are enrolled, then dividing by 15. However, the 1986 fall-term enrollment at the University was actually 15,304 FTE students. That number exceeds the University’s corridor and also exceeds the 15.030 FTE student enrollment ceiling the State Hoard has established for the University. "We originally weren't to ar rive at that point for another year or so," Sunderland said. To meet this dramatic in crease in enrollment, the State Hoard asked the governor to raise the University's General Turn to Budget, Page 10 HALLEY'S COMET ALLAlin BROS. COPPCt 40* (Sox.) SO* (12ox.) TREE Hatf Si Hatf Across from tho UO Bookstore —UO Bookstore— —UO Bookstore— CASH FOR BOOKS COURSE BOOKS BUY BACK EVERYDAY IN THE BOOK DEPT. LOBBY LAST DAY FOR WINTER TERM 1987 COURSE BOOK RETURNS JAN. 24, 1987 • Receipt required * No receipt, no refund • ID required • 50* restocking fee per book Your store since 1920 up 13th & Kincaid M F 7 30-5 30 SAT 10 00 4 00 Supplies 6M 4331
