By Professors Deanna Davies and Wendy Whitehead, SLC School of Business
This spring, graduating students from St. Lawrence College’s (SLC) Human Resources and Project Management Graduate Certificate programs collaborated on an interdisciplinary experience called The Interview, whereby each program focused on the various requirements of both Recruitment/Selection (R&S) and Career Readiness/Personal Leadership courses.
Human Resources students prepared by creating and delivering a screening system for job applicants and studied the importance of reliable and valid R&S methods and created tools to objectively screen cover letters, resumes, and facilitate an interview process for Project Management candidates applying to real-world careers.
Project Management students researched businesses, looked for job postings for positions across Canada, and crafted application packages. As these students will be graduating this spring, these discipline-specific tasks were a unique learning opportunity for them as they begin their careers. Objectives of this project also included elements of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion (EDI) as a priority at SLC, as well as the values of Students First, Teamwork, Innovation, Integrity, and Belonging.
“This was an excellent initiative which was implemented with a high level of professionalism, and which required the same from all students who participated. It required that students demonstrate respect and appreciation for each other in our various individual personal and academic pursuits, and to concurrently provide support during this time,” said Shanta Louis, Project Management student. “My experience being interviewed by a panel of three articulate and professional human resource students/professionals, did feel like a typical interview environment, but was also complemented by empathy by the panel, a critical skill required by hiring managers and HR professionals during the interview process. I recommend that this interaction be further enhanced to include another aspect of HR and PM interaction, which is specific to human resource selection for a project.”
At SLC, programs are designed with real world experiences and challenges in mind. At a recent webinar held by the School of Business in its NEXT Webinar Series, global leaders learned and explored the Future of Work and Redesigning the Employees’ Experience in Business. With a range of learning experiences and supports available, our students are regularly demonstrating the Essential Employability Skills as outlined by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities including Critical Thinking and Problem Solving, Interpersonal, Numeracy - Data Analysis, Information Management, and Communication Skills. This collaborative project touches on all aspects of these objectives and students may now be able to better leverage these skills through this learning experience in future career developments.
“The HR-Project Management Experiential Learning Activity was an impactful experience that helped me develop my interviewing skills by learning how to create effective questions, listening actively to responses, and providing constructive feedback,” said Elmar Dionisio, Human Resources student. “These skills are necessary to become a well-rounded Human Resources professional. This experience has better prepared me for real-world job interviews. I feel more confident and equipped to pursue my career goals and secure job opportunities.”