Exclusive Interview! Go ahead and quote me.

Matt Sodon interviewed me on November 20, 2012. The interview took place in Butler Library at Buffalo State College. The goal of the interview was about professional communication and two way communication. It is important to be able to communicate effectively in the field of communication. Interviewing is a good way to practice two way communication. Being able to answer questions and writing the answers down thoroughly is key in an interview. The interview questions were aimed at my goals for my education and my future as a professional. Below is the interview:

How do you plan on self-promoting yourself?

            I plan on self-promoting myself by using Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin. Aside from using social network sites to self-promote myself I will use the method of good old networking. I will do this by introducing and getting to know people in my field and outside of my field in person.

Name three goals you have between now and graduation.

            Three goals that I have between now and graduation would be to actually make it to graduation, make the dean’s list again and to obtain a cumulative GPA of 3.2.

What employment goals do you have after graduation?  Name three of them.

            After graduation I want be able to quit working my retail job. Start a career in political communications or have a job that requires me to travel.

Name three best-case scenario jobs you would like to have and why.

            The first job I would like to have is Director of communications for a politician. I want this job because I want be the go to person and hold press conferences etc… Also I have a strong passion for politics. This would be my dream job.

            The second job I would like to have is teaching political communications. This job combines my major and my passion while letting me teach. Everyone has that one teacher that inspired them to be the best they can be. I want to have a positive effect on young people who share the same interests as I do.

            The third job I would like to have is to be the CEO of own company. My company would be called Truluck Inc. and it would be a full-service agency. This is a sound investment in my opinion. Clients can have all their business needs in one company instead. It would be like a one stop shop.

Do you prefer to work professionally with a group or on your own and why?

            I am prefer to be introverted and work alone but in past experiences I have done amazingly well when working in a team. The reason why I prefer to work on my own is because I like to sit and think to myself and solve problems on my own. I feel accomplished when I do this. Sometimes I need to think to myself and team work does not always allow me to do that.

What contributions can you make to a group dynamic?  Name three things.

            Three contributions I can make to a group dynamic would be working hard, creativity and leadership skills

What contributions can you make working independently?  Name three things.

            Three contributions I can make working independently would be self-sufficiency, self-motivation and being detail oriented.

What are your pet peeves in a work environment?

I only have one and that is slackers. If I am working hard everyone around me should be working hard as well. I work at a retail store and there are times when I am in the stock room folding clothes and everyone around me would be talking or sitting. In moments like this I get so frustrated because it would be more efficient if everyone was doing something.

Name three things you feel passionate about professionally - this could be school related, current job related, group or organizationally related - and outline why you feel passionate towards them.

            The first thing I feel passionately about professionally is ethics. I think it is a great foundation for personal standards. When people know that you are an ethical worker, it is something to hold on to. It is a trait that I feel is passed on. It is sort of contagious but definitely in a good way.

            The second thing I feel passionately about professionally is learning. Working is like a learning experience. Everyday something new arises and something can always be learned from it.

            The third thing I feel passionately about professionally is strength in character. I gain confidence in knowing that I can complete a hard task that I felt was not so easy before.

How do you handle stress and pressure?

            I handle stress and pressure by diving into the problem head on. The most important thing to completing the task is working through the stress and pressure to get it done. There is a great feeling of accomplishment and relief at getting through the stressful moments in life.

Name the last three jobs you had, and the best success and the worst failure you experienced at each of these jobs.

1.      Abercrombie & Fitch

a.       My best success was being able to unload eight boxes of shipped merchandise, where normally I could only do four.

b.      My worst failure is not completing all of my tasks before the end of my shift.

2.      Day Camp

a.       My best success was stopping a fight that was about to occur between two campers.

b.      My worst failure was being named the camps strictest counselor by the campers.

3.      Interned at Arcos Communications

a.       My best success was acquiring more responsibility and work experience as time went on

b.      My worst failure was not completing a project before my internship hours were up.

How do you handle criticism?

            I take criticism with a grain of salt, evaluate what was said, and most importantly I try to improve from it.

Outline three strengths you have in school.

            Three strengths that I have in school is being organized, motivated and I am a great researcher.

Outline three strengths you have in your workplace.

            Three strengths that I have in the workplace is being a hard worker, communicating well and being efficient.

How has creating a WikiPage strengthened your communication skills?    Name and elaborate on three things:

1.      Added a new skill

a.       I was previously unaware of how to create a WikiPage

2.      Strengthen writing skills

a.       My ability to give directions through writing has improved. This project forced me to write a thorough set of direction that someone else could follow successfully.

3.      Learned basic coding for a WikiPage

a.       I Will be able to code a WikiPage if a WikiPage is needed for a client

How will Facebook be used to promote yourself?

Name and elaborate on three things:

Facebook will be used to promote myself in the following ways:

            First it will show how I vary in communicating. I can keep up with the trends but still be professional. Secondly it will show how I think things through by the written content on my timeline. Lastly it will show visuals of me. Appearances matter to people and by the pictures I post people can see that I take pride in my appearance.

How would you promote an organization on Facebook?

Name and elaborate on three things:

            I would create a fan page so that it would allow people to be friends with the organization on Facebook. Fan pages are a good way to get in direct contact with the organizations key publics. I would also update Facebook regularly by posting updates, pictures and videos and making sure all public events by the organization is up. Another way I would promote on Facebook is by interacting with the public. It would not be just the organization communicating to the public it would be the organization communicating with the public.

How will Twitter be used to promote yourself? 

Name and elaborate on three things:

            I would use Twitter the same way I would use Facebook. I would create a verified organization account. I would keep the public updated with any upcoming events by tweeting it. I would twitpic pictures that are relevant to the organization. I would also make sure to tweet people back. I noticed that on twitter a lot of the times people are tweeting the organization but the organization is not tweeting back. People want to feel a part of the organization or close to the organization not like groupies.

Graphically what do you want to have on your website.

Name and elaborate on three things:

            This website is a way for me to showcase my skills and abilities. On my website I would like to put my resume up. Putting my resume up could lead to career opportunities. I want to put all of my past work up like news releases that I have done to show off my competency in my field. Also I would put a mini biography up. This will allow the person browsing my website to get to know me.    

The interview went well. The interviewer stayed on track and made sure not to stray off into other conversations. There are a two things that Matt should look out for in future interviews. First, he should make the interviewee feel comfortable and make them feel like he wants to interview them. At times in the interview I felt like he did not want to do the interview and he was just doing a school assignment. It is important to make the interviewee feel like their time is not wasted. Second, he should not try to prompt an answer or make an answer "sound better." It makes the interviewee feel inferior and less likely to answer questions fully. I think that with some improvement Matt Sodon could go from being a decent interviewer to a better interviewer.