UNIVERSITY
Class offers job hunting skills
By Julie Swensen
Emerald Contributor_
In a lime of a bleak job markol where many col
lege graduates can't find employment, some Uni
versity students are preparing themselves with the
skills necessary to boat out the competition.
Twenty University studunts spent two days last
week in a seminar called "Success Skills: Bridge to
your Future." a pilot project that teaches effective
resume writing, interview skills and ways to con
vey abilities to prospective employers
A class of the same name will be offered next
term.
All students should register for this class, said
Dennis Boehm, a senior in psychology and a par
ticipant in the seminar.
“I think this class should lie a requirement."
Boehm said "This is at least ns important as your
education. No matter how educated you are. if you
can’t present your skills and abilities, you’re not
going to get the job you’ve been working for. You
« ould be the best there is, hut if vou don't let your
employer know, you’re not going to get hired ”
The program is important because even well
qunltiiad graduates won’t get jobs if they don’t pre
sent their skills in interview situations, said 1-nrry
Smith, direr tor of C iareer Planning and Placement
Services.
Siumints have a wealth oi unowioog® ana ami*
ities itinl in sometimes difficult lor them to
express." ho said "What wo re trying to Ho with
this program in to provide a vocabulary that trans
lates those skills and abilities into words We re
focusing on the vocabulary of sin cess. "
The participants began the seminar by rating
themselves in what skills they were highly effec
tive as compared to their peers
They then watched a video depicting situations
that will come up in the workplat e, such ns work
ing as a team, handling conflicts, goal setting and
interpersonal relationships
The program directors then stopped the video
and asked the students what they would do in
each situation. After they chose from four res|K)i>s
es, the answers were entered into a computer, and
participants re< eived a ranking of their skills lo
i ompare to their self-ratings
The video gives students a chance to Improve on
their weaknesses before entering the job market,
said Beth Swank, a counselor for Career Planning
and Placement Services.
"We're using this video to show this is what you
need to be successful in the workplace." Swank
Miui. "You need to know what your strong skills
are, because those ore the things vou want to he
selling to employers."
Michael Omogrosso. a pre-journalism major who
attended the seminar, said identifying his weak
skills would help him in the future.
"This gives you the opportunity to select class
es to fill out those areas that you aren't so strung
in." he said. "It's hotter to address those than to
ignore them.”
After the students realized their strengths, they
practiced those abilities in writing resumes ami
interviews in front of the class, while.others
offered constructive criticism.
The program started after Smith spent years ask
ing employers what they look for in job applicants.
Swank said
"The same things taint* up over and over.' she
said. "Problem-solving. Critical thinking, trader
ship, self-esteem and initiative. It didn't matter if
you talked to someone in the insurance industry,
or you talked to somoone in graphic arts. All of the
responses seemed to be the same."
At the same time Smith discovered a video that
measured these exact kinds of skills, two students
from the ASUO. Robb Gilbert and Christen Drue,
approached him about starting a program to get
students aware of the ex pet Nations of them in the
workplace.
Gilbert said he saw a need for the program to
compensate for skills students weren't receiving in
the classroom.
"The student body needs something like this to
give them more exposure and confidence." Gilbert
said "It will expose them to the things that indus
tries need them to know, and to be effective in the
future jobs they're going to have."
It wasn't just seniors who are graduating who
attended the program. Dennis Bolt, a freshman in
architecture, attended as well
"I've always been interested in leadership, self
improvement. or anything I can do to help my
prospects of getting a job in the future." Holt said.
"With this seminar. I've gained insight into my
abilities. I've learned how to look at myself and fig
ure out what the interviewers might want."
Students would be better off if they followed
Bolt's lead and came into Career Planning and
Placement Services during their freshman or
sophomore year. However, many don't because
they either haven't heard of the services, or fear the
reality of graduation. Swank said
'Our challenge is getting them in here early
enough." she said "The students that use our ser
vices sav. 'I wish I’d known about you two years
ago. so I could have gotten some internships or
more information on careers ' Some people come
in three months before graduation, and we could
have done more for them if they would have start
ed earlier "
Students would be more prepared if they uti
lized the program's services sooner. Gilbert said.
"If you get them in here, it really reduces the
fear of going into the job market." he said "If
you’ve been exposed to and you can identify the
skills that we re zoning in on. 1 think soon to-be
graduates would lie more comfortable with them
selves.'’
Many of the students left the program feeling
self-assured.
"I feel much more confident in creating ray
resume and in going into interviews," Boehm said
"Not only can I say. 'This is what one of my l>est
skills are.' but I can quantitatively say. ‘This is
what I have done.' Before. 1 didn't quite muke the
connection. Now. I've got the connection, and it's
going to make a lot of difference."
The “Success Skills" class is not listed in the
spring term course guide However, students may
register for the one-credit class (CPSY 408/508) by
using the CRN 6447/6448
The class, which is limited to 100 students, con
sists of four short seminars in April, three in the
evening beginning at 6 p m., and one on Saturday
from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p in
Extra credits may
mean higher cost
By Meg Dedolph
F me* air! Report tv _
.Students exceeding a certain number of credits in pursuit of
s bachelor's degree will be charged out-of-state tuition in a
plan being considered by the Oregon State Board of Higher
Education.
The specific details of the plan are still under review, among
them the number of credits at which tho threshold will be set
and whether an opportunity for an appeal will be given.
Despite the lack of final details for the policy. Dave Quenz
er. associate vice chancellor for budget and fiscal policy, said
he believes there will be a threshold policy.
Quenzer said the board initially planned to charge out-of
state tuition to those people who took 32 credits more than tho
minimum needed for a degree, and offer an opportunity for a
pennon oi appeal, uui is
reviewing that plan to
ensure its feasibility.
Another suggestion
before the board is that the
number of credits be
raised to 4H hours before
out-of-state tuition is
assessed, and no chance
for appeal be offered.
Quenzer said the final
policy would take effect
during the 1‘>93-04 school
year. He said the final
decision on the policy’s
specifics will not be made
until late spring.
‘It's part of sending
a signal to the
university
community that we
do want to have
progress toward a
degree
— George Pernsteiner,
OSSHE Associate
Vice Chancellor
uoui^t? i tmisicmni, me
associate vice chancellor for the Oregon State System of High
er Education, said the idea of a credit threshold began in the
fall of 1991. when the governor asked each state agency to
determine its major budgeting issues.
OSSHK was concerned with the amount of time some stu
dents took to get a college degree and the perception that some
students were taking more classes than necessary, without any
real progress toward a degree.
Pemsteiner said the credit threshold is designud to "encour
age students to complete a degree in a timely fashion."
"It's part of sending a signal to the university community
that wo do want to have progress toward a degree," he said.
Both Pemsteiner and Queerer said the issue is not primari
ly a money issue, hut more an issue of the wise use of
resources, such as class space.
)oe Wade, director of Academic Advising and Student Ser
vices, said ho believes the number of students who are actual
ly abusing the system is small
Wade said many students with high numbers of credits are
pursuing two majors, are transfer students, have changed
majors, or are returning to school after a long absence and tak
ing core classes to meet new prerequisites.
Students with circumstances like these should have an
opportunity to appeal any credit threshold that may be applied
to them, Wade said.
"1 do think it's only fair to determine some number, but then
allow exceptions to occur." Wade said. "I think it's a laud
able idea, and I think there are a few people who abuse the sys
tem. We need to deal with the people that abuse the system."
Freshman Seminars
DUCK CALL Registration for Spring Term
February 22,1993 - March 12,1993
ARK 199
MUS 199
CSPY 199
PHIL 199
CHN 199
ENG 199
INTL 199
PHYS 199
Public Art and the Making of Place
The Complete Film Experience: Understanding the
Manner in which Drama, Photography, and Music Work
Together to Form the Whole
Journey to the Self
Nietzsche's Zarathustra
Literature, Law and Sometimes Justice
Crucial Human Issues in Our Culture
The Vietnam Phenomenon: Migrating Images
and Alternative Perspectives
The Search for Extraterrestrial Life: from the Fiery Birth
to the Big Crunch
See the back page of the Schedule of Classes for more information
Office of the Doan of Students • 364 Oregon Hall • 346-1136
IK • IK • IK • IK • \K • IK • IK • IK • IK
Life is Short
Go Sigma Kappa
IK • IK • \K • '_K • IK • IK • IK O.K • K
$5 OFF!
Dr. Marten Shoes
LAZAR'S BAZAR
57 W. Broadway
957 Willamette
Downtown Mai
J