*formerly posted on the BGSU MBA blog in 2009
Greetings from the GEPB Office! How are you all today?
As a soon-to-be alumnus of the full-time MBA program, I have been actively pursuing full-time employment for after graduation. Well, recently I stumbled upon an interesting revelation in the midst of the application process.
Much is said in business about "thinking outside the box". We need to be creative and innovative. We need to be able to adapt to change. We need to take new perspectives and find new meanings. On the flip side is a more reserved approach to business. We need to be able to be effective and efficient on a consistent basis. We need to be able to carry out daily tasks and adhere to certain routine tasks.
In the job search and application process, both a traditional mindset and a creative mindset are needed. This applies to all employers, not just some, although some employers may appreciate creativity and innovation more than others do. Regardless, in answering application and interview questions, there are the obvious meanings of questions, and meanings beyond what is stated in the questions. While I was aware of this, I found out that paper-based and online assessments contain more open-endedness than meets the eye. Ethics is critical, and I thought that some of these questions were intended to catch people stretching the truth or flat-out lying. While this may be the case in some instances, in other instances employers are really checking to see if we have critical thinking skills and transferrable skills. In the case of transferrable skills, we might have them and not even know it.
Do not misunderstand my words: please always keep honesty in mind when applying and interviewing for jobs. Tell the truth. Be ethical. Be authentic. At the same time, remember that what you learned from past experiences, whether at a full-time job, as a full-time student, in a social organization, etc. may be useful at any time later in life. I do think that it is possible for a person to be so far outside the box that he/she becomes impractical. However, in completing online assessments while applying for jobs, there just might be no limit to how far outside the box we can be.
Greetings from the GEPB Office! How are you all today?
As a soon-to-be alumnus of the full-time MBA program, I have been actively pursuing full-time employment for after graduation. Well, recently I stumbled upon an interesting revelation in the midst of the application process.
Much is said in business about "thinking outside the box". We need to be creative and innovative. We need to be able to adapt to change. We need to take new perspectives and find new meanings. On the flip side is a more reserved approach to business. We need to be able to be effective and efficient on a consistent basis. We need to be able to carry out daily tasks and adhere to certain routine tasks.
In the job search and application process, both a traditional mindset and a creative mindset are needed. This applies to all employers, not just some, although some employers may appreciate creativity and innovation more than others do. Regardless, in answering application and interview questions, there are the obvious meanings of questions, and meanings beyond what is stated in the questions. While I was aware of this, I found out that paper-based and online assessments contain more open-endedness than meets the eye. Ethics is critical, and I thought that some of these questions were intended to catch people stretching the truth or flat-out lying. While this may be the case in some instances, in other instances employers are really checking to see if we have critical thinking skills and transferrable skills. In the case of transferrable skills, we might have them and not even know it.
Do not misunderstand my words: please always keep honesty in mind when applying and interviewing for jobs. Tell the truth. Be ethical. Be authentic. At the same time, remember that what you learned from past experiences, whether at a full-time job, as a full-time student, in a social organization, etc. may be useful at any time later in life. I do think that it is possible for a person to be so far outside the box that he/she becomes impractical. However, in completing online assessments while applying for jobs, there just might be no limit to how far outside the box we can be.