In the Sport Management Practicum class (SMGT 276) with professor Tom Stallings, students were given the opportunity to gain insight from three Human Resource Generalists about the do's and don'ts at interviews. This Sports Management class is designed to prepare students for their internships by gaining real-life experiences working for different Houston programs. Students were able to have open dialogue with representatives from Academy Sports + Outdoors, the Houston Rockets, and the Houston Astros about what they look for and want in an employee.
When asked the importance of career fairs, Lori Vanlandingham from Academy told the class that "they are very important in order to have an idea of what you want to do in a company."
"Make sure and do your research on a company before the fair," said Sonia Jethva, a Human Resource Generalist with the Houston Rockets. "This will help you sound more intelligent and appealing to the campus recruiters."
Students in this class are preparing for their own internship interviews so the main questions asked had to do with what they can do to "seal the deal" with a company. From attitudes to apparel, these three ladies answered it all.
"It is all about attitude, aptitude and drive," said Chanda Lawdermild, the Human Resources Manager for the Houston Astros. "It is not just about the 'me' in a company but instead about the 'we.'"
"I agree 100%," Jethva said. "It is about being one team in a company. Don't constantly talk about yourself in an interview."
After they told the class what questions to expect and how to prepare to answer them correctly, they then on went to discuss what you need to bring to the interview.
"The company is not just interviewing you, but you are interviewing the company," Lawdermild told the class. "The best thing to do is bring a sheet of paper with 2-3 good questions on it to ask after they are done. It lets the interviewer know that you are serious about wanting the job and shows that you came well prepared."
Megan Shafer, a sophomore from The Woodlands, Texas, is majoring in Sport Management.