Delta Sigma Pi and SIFE team up to help students gain interview experience

August 31, 2012

The Epsilon Chi Chapter of the Professional Business Fraternity Delta Sigma Pi and Georgia Southern University’s Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) teamed up to host mock interviews for the professional development of Georgia Southern business students. The project, Supplying Underprivileged Individuals Tools for Success or SUITS, and was organized by President of SIFE Matthew Chambers and senior marketing and management major Joel Wituka. Local business leaders Kate Gary, Bill Cartwright, and Bryce Bunting were brought to campus to interview seven College of Business Administration students.

According to Chambers, the idea for SUITS arose after he attended an alternative break trip to Heifer Ranch in Perryville, Arkansas last spring. Focusing on world hunger and poverty, Heifer works to provide a long-term solution to struggling communities. Participants of the trip worked to gain knowledge on issues facing poverty stricken areas and also to find solutions to fight those problems.

“The experience at Heifer really made us think about ways that we could apply the knowledge we learned to our community, to those who were struggling,” said Chambers. “I thought what better way than through employment.” Thus, the idea arose to create an exercise for students to improve their interviewing skills.

The students prepared for an imaginary management position at Coca-Cola and were subjected to both individual and group interviews. The focus of the exercise was to gain confidence and be as personable as possible. In addition, students were to focus on being able to offer creative problem solving on a moment’s notice. “I thought a challenging interview process would give our participants first-hand experience preparing and presenting their best self for future interviews with top companies,” said Wituka.

Less than three months following the mock interviews, several of the students pursued jobs and four of them landed their desired positions. IKEA’s logistics department hired senior logistics major Deon Rhodes for a summer internship. “The interviews made it very clear that you have to be prepared for any question at all times,” said Rhodes, “I was asked about the last book I read which I wasn’t expecting. Being ready for anything helped me land the position at IKEA.”

Other students involved with the interviews also were hired. Senior Information Systems major Christian Bond is now a community leader with Georgia Southern Housing. Shamah Taylor landed the position of crew member at Sonic Restaurant, and Joel Wituka is now serving as a community liaison between Georgia Southern’s Office of Student Leadership and Civic Engagement and Joseph’s Home for Boys.

Overall, the experience was a developmental success. The goal for the future is to have SUITS at least three times of year involving different local business leaders. Next year, in addition to the interviews, students will be given the opportunity to rent a suit for their interview. “Instead of just giving students the different interview skills and worthy information, we are also trying to provide students with professional attire by the means of donated suits,” said Chambers. In the future, Delta Sigma Pi is planning to team up with SIFE to expand the interviews and include more of Georgia Southern’s budding talent.

pictured right (from left to right): Joel Wituka, Shamah Taylor, Christian Bond, and Deon Rhodes.