#TD

Tag: #TD

Mastering HireVue Interviews: Tips and Tricks for Success

HireVue is a digital interviewing tool that enables companies to optimize their recruitment process and more efficiently evaluate candidates. This AI-powered service assesses candidates remotely using video, audio, and AI technologies. In this article, I will share my experience and give you a few tips and tricks on how you can prepare to ace your next HireVue interview.

Over the past year, I’ve had the opportunity to participate in two different HireVue interviews from two competitors in the same field, EY, and Deloitte. On the one hand, EY asked me three long and elaborate questions (see example below) and only gave me 30 seconds to prepare, making it difficult to structure my responses properly. Deloitte, on the other hand, had a total of 8 questions, but they were shorter, and I had a full two minutes to prepare, making it simpler to organize my thoughts and successfully answer the questions.

Example of long-form question asked (EY):

  • New technologies and new ways of doing business are emerging all the time. In such a disrupted environment, you must embrace innovation or risk being left behind. We believe that having an innovative mindset is critical in this time of near-constant change. That’s why at EY, we recruit people today based on their mindset – not just their skill set. With a focus on innovation in mind … Provide a recent example of how you leveraged your expertise on a specific technology or topic to drive innovation and impact the results of a project, organization or role. What steps did you take? What challenges did you face? What was the end result?

Examples of short-form questions asked (Deloitte):

  • Tell me about yourself and why you are interested in this position.
  • Provide an example of a challenging situation you faced and how you overcame it.
  • Describe a project you worked on and the results you achieved.
  • What are your strengths and weaknesses?

Here are a few tips and tricks I wish I knew before going into my first few HireVue interviews:

  • Practice all the most common interview questions ahead of time so you know how to respond before you begin.
  • Make the most of your preparation time! If you are unsure what to say after the initial preparation period, use the entire length of your first take to gather your thoughts and figure out how you want to answer so you can be much more confident in your second take (remember, that will be the one and only take you will have). It’s better to have one really good take rather than two average ones.
  • During the preparation period, develop a bullet point list of the points you intend to cover; don’t stare at it, but use it in case you run out of ideas.
  • Be confident and, if possible, look at the camera – this will make it appear as if you are speaking straight into the viewer’s eyes – it’s a simple way to differentiate yourself from others, as eye contact (even virtually) goes a long way.

HireVue is a useful tool for companies looking to optimize their recruitment process, but it can also be a difficult experience for candidates. If you are prepared, you’ve been practicing interview questions, and you know what to expect, you will be able to navigate the HireVue process with confidence and give yourself the best chance of standing out against other applicants.

If you want to learn more about my experience with HireVue, practice behavioral interviews, or have any questions, feel free to email me (oliver.decroock@lawrence.edu) or schedule an appointment.

Oliver De Croock ’24, Student-Athlete at Lawrence University majoring in Economics and Data Science. Oliver works as a Career Peer Educator at the Career Center and is the President of the Lawrence University Business Networking Club. Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn.

Break into the Tech Industry with CodePath

Breaking into the tech industry requires a number of factors: industry-relevant knowledge, connections, specific hard and soft skills, and an understanding of the technical interviewing process. Unfortunately, even the most well-funded, prestigious CS programs can have gaps and lack the support needed to help students succeed in the tech world. CodePath was founded to change that. With more than 20,000 students enrolled, CodePath provides the access, exposure, and community they need to successfully navigate the tech industry and jumpstart their careers, at no cost to them.

CodePath provides career-ready courses for students that are applicable to the real-world scenarios you will experience once hired. Some examples are:

  • Pathway: Cybersecurity – no cost, 10 weeks (Fall 2024 / 5-10 hours per week) Explore the complex field of digital security. Learn about real-world tools and attacks, empowering you to confidently discuss the basics of different areas of cybersecurity.
  • Pathway: iOS Development – no cost, 10 weeks (spring 2025 / 7-10 hours per week) Experience building iOS applications from scratch using Apple’s native IDE and programming language in a project-based journey of iOS development.
  • Technical Interview Prep – no cost, 10 weeks (summer 2024 / 5-10 hours per week) – Ace technical interviews and gain a preview of real-world challenges in the industry. Designed to prepare you to solve challenging problems in real interviews at top companies.

These are just a few of the many courses available through CodePath. If you want to break into the tech field, any way you can distinguish yourself from others and go beyond the ordinary can help you get the dream job. If you want to learn more about CodePath or explore future career opportunities, feel free to check out their website.

Oliver De Croock ’24, Student-Athlete at Lawrence University majoring in Economics and Data Science. Oliver works as a Career Peer Educator at the Career Center and is the President of the Lawrence University Business Networking Club. Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn.

AI – Efficiency Tools to improve your chances of getting hired

A big part of job searching and applying for jobs is being able to use the resources you have available to your advantage. Over the last few years, I’ve learned about and used many different types of software to try to make this process easier. Artificial intelligence (AI) tools have grown in popularity in recent years due to their ability to provide valuable assistance in a wide range of tasks. Here are four free AI tools that I have previously used to help you stand out from the crowd and improve your chances of landing your dream job:

  1. Quillbot: This AI tool allows users to rewrite sentences in a more fluent, efficient way that sounds more professional. This can be especially helpful when writing a resume or cover letter, as it can help you present yourself in a more polished and sophisticated manner. Visit Quillbot’s webpage.
  2. Canva: Canva is an excellent tool for creating visually appealing marketing materials, such as LinkedIn header images or social media posts. By using Canva to create a professional-looking header image, you can make a strong first impression on potential employers and showcase your personal brand. Visit Canva’s webpage.
  3. VMock: This software is specifically designed for Lawrence students looking to create a resume from scratch or improve their current resume. VMock provides a score on how your resume compares to other Lawrence students’ resumes and offers feedback on areas for improvement. Visit VMock’s webpage (sign in with your Lawrence Email)
  4. ChatGPT: ChatGPT is a strong artificial intelligence platform that allows users to interact with it as if it were a person. By submitting your CV to ChatGPT, you can request a summary of your previous experiences or suggestions on how to improve your wording. ChatGPT may also assist you on ways to better highlight your skills and accomplishments, as well as how to tailor your CV to a certain position or industry. Visit ChatGPT’s webpage.

Whether I needed to rewrite my resume in a more professional manner, generate a visually appealing LinkedIn header image, or obtain feedback on my resume, I discovered how much these AI tools had helped me, and my hope is that after you read this article you will be able to benefit from them as well.

Don’t hesitate to reach out or schedule an appointment with me if you have any questions about any of these powerful resources, or if you need help with your process of looking for a job or an internship.

Oliver De Croock ’24, Student-Athlete at Lawrence University majoring in Economics and Career Peer Educator. Connect with me on LinkedIn.

Start building your résumé using VMock!

Lawrence University has partnered with VMock to help you create a powerful résumé and accelerate your career journey. VMock SMART Résumé platform leverages technologies like data science, machine learning, and natural language processing to provide instant personalized feedback on your résumé and interview based on criteria gathered from employers and global best practices – from anywhere, at any time of the day. 

Simply login into VMock dashboard, upload your résumé, and VMock will: 

  • Give you an aggregate résumé score to assess the strength of your résumé benchmarked against your own community peer group 
  • Provide you with résumé guidelines based on Career Center standards to ensure that you do not miss fine details and establish a great first impression 
  • Assess how well you have marketed your core competencies to showcase the right skill set reflected in academics, experience, service, achievements, etc. 
  • Give you line-by-line suggestions to improve your résumé content in view of your academics and level of experience 

VMock is designed to work with résumé from many different fields across various industries. Once you receive the detailed feedback, make relevant changes to the résumé and re-upload it to see the increased score and associated improvements.  

Don’t have a résumé, yet? No problem. Log into VMock and start creating a résumé from scratch.

Check out the VMock Video to learn more.

Oliver De Croock ’24, Student-Athlete at Lawrence University majoring in Economics and Career Peer Educator. Connect with me on LinkedIn.

Looking for Tech Internships? The Pitt Computer Science Club can Help!

The University of Pittsburgh Computer Science Club has compiled a list of tech internships on Github for Summer Internships! Go through the links to explore the various openings. They also have a list of new Grad Applications if that interests you instead. All in all, this is an excellent resource for job and internship search.

Career Highlight: Data Analyst

Adapted from northeastern.edu and snhu.edu 

Job Duties: 

Responsibilities of data analysts will vary depending on the type of organization and the extent to which a business has adopted data-driven decision-making practices.  Usually, the responsibilities of a data analyst include: 

  • Designing and maintaining data systems and databases; this involves fixing coding errors and other data-related problems.  
  • Mining data from primary and secondary sources then reorganizing it in a format that humans or machines can easily read. 
  • Using statistical tools to interpret data sets, highlighting trends and patterns important for diagnostic and predictive analytics efforts. 
  • Preparing reports for leadership that effectively communicate trends, patterns, and predictions using relevant data.  
  • Collaborating with programmers, engineers, and organizational leaders to improve processes, recommend system modifications, and develop policies for data governance. 
  • Creating documentation that allows stakeholders to understand the data analysis process and duplicate or replicate the process if necessary. 

Data Analyst vs. Data Scientist vs. Business Analyst 

When reading about data analysts, you might also be wondering about the similarities and differences between other related careers like data scientist and business analyst. The differences between what they do comes down to how the three roles use data: 

  • The data analyst gatekeeps an organization’s data so stakeholders can understand and use data to make strategic business decisions. It is a technical role that requires an undergraduate degree or a master’s degree in analytics, computer modeling, science, or math. 
  • A business analyst serves a strategic role focused on using the data analyst’s information to find problems and propose solutions. These analysts typically earn a degree in a major such as business administration, economics, or finance.    
  • The data scientist takes the data visualizations created by data analysts and sifts through them to find weaknesses, trends, or opportunities to organize the data. This role also requires a background in math or computer science, along with some study or insight into human behavior to help make informed predictions. At startups and other small organizations however, it is not uncommon for a data analyst to take on some of the predictive modeling or decision-making responsibilities that may otherwise be assigned to a data scientist.   

Education and Training: 

A bachelor’s degree is necessary to get started in the field. While many people begin a data analytics career with a degree in math, statistics or economics, Lawrence’s Statistics and Data Science minor would be a nice supplement to any student with a quantitative skillset who is interested in a post-graduate role as a data analyst. 

Within a bachelor’s program, you may wish to explore courses in mathematics while also pursuing classes and research projects focused on data mining, simulation and optimization. You can learn to find and define data challenges across industries, gain hands-on practice collecting and organizing information from many sources and explore how to examine data to find relevant information.  

A master’s in data analytics can further your career, exploring how to use data to make predictions and how data relates to risk management. This also helps you dive deeper into data-driven decision-making, explore project management and develop communication and leadership skills. Finding an internship can give hands-on experience that helps you stand out when applying for data analyst jobs. 

Pay and Job Outlook: 

The average salary ranges from approximately $60,000 to $138,000. Roles at financial and technology firms tend to pay higher than average. The data analyst role can also act as a gateway for more senior data-driven jobs. According to PayScale, data analysts move on to roles such as senior data analyst, data scientist, analytics manager, and business analyst which also come with substantial increases in pay. According to IBM, the annual salary of data scientists will start at nearly $95,000, while analytics managers will make nearly $106,000 per year. Moreover, demand for mathematicians and statisticians is projected to grow by 33% and jobs for database administrators are expected to grow by 8% through 2030 according to the BLS.