The “real world” is a mysterious place many college students have been sheltered from.
Although everyone around students (parents, teachers and older friends) have given us a vague idea of what the outside world consists of and how we should act, we don’t truly know how the workforce views us once we graduate college and seek a career.
Christopher Newport University has shaped every one of us in a particular yet diverse way.
CNU’s liberal curriculum allows students room to explore other fields and clubs and activities are never stagnant, but when it comes to preparing for a real world experience, most of us are blind.
According to Hollyn Griffith, Ferguson Enterprises recruiting manager, grade point average is not as important as some might think.
Instead, leadership positions in extracurricular activities and sports are better assessed by this large construction supplier company located in Newport News.
Griffith said that Ferguson doesn’t “focus on one particular asset but on the candidate’s overall strengths and abilities.”
Students must have graduated with a bachelor’s degree from a four-year university in order to qualify for their Trainee program.
Griffith tends to lean towards those applicants with a variety of communication skills.
Griffith suggests that a strong work ethic and enthusiasm towards an applicant’s career however, are also important qualities to showcase while searching for a job.
Lastly, Griffith urges students to always research the company they are interested in before the interview.
She adds that students must “focus on the long-term career opportunities and not just the in initial position they would be starting in.”
