On The Hill

Nichols HR Students Experience MAPFRE’s New HireVue Interview Tool

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BY ERICA MILOSH

Nichols College human resource management students recently got an inside look at an innovative online interview tool created to help individuals find jobs.

On March 22, Nichols Board of Advisors member and MAPFRE Talent Acquisition Project Consultant Jackie McGravey and MAPFRE Recruiter Dave Maglione presented the HireVue tool to approximately 30 students. The presentation was held in the College’s new academic building, which features state-of-the-art technology in classrooms.

HireVue uses a digital interviewing process that makes selecting the right candidate for a job easier and more efficient. The program is appealing to not only Nichols students, but also college graduates everywhere because it allows them to complete numerous interviews anytime and anywhere.

McGravey and Maglione demonstrated how to use HireVue by walking students through the online process and using volunteers from the class. They explained that MAPFRE, a Webster, Mass.-based insurance company, has adopted this method of interviewing because it allows them to meet candidates who live farther away and they can get a better feel for a prospective employee through a camera rather than on paper. It also saves time. Instead of scheduling dozens of interviews and taking the time to meet each candidate, MAPFRE can review the videos and make quicker decisions, which is vital for a large global company.

Olivia Barrett, a senior human resource management and general business major; and Tim Born, a sophomore human resource management major, volunteered to interview through HireVue. They found that the system allows candidates to rerecord their answers if they made a mistake the first time. The volunteers and audience had fun learning how to record their responses and explore HireVue’s options.

Sophomore general business major Aaron Perry also decided to try HireVue, following Barrett and Born. Perry voiced his skepticism toward this system; he saw the tool as impersonal and would defeat the purpose of interaction during an interview. He said watching himself be recorded was uncomfortable and made him lose his train of thought.

McGravey and Maglione assured Perry and his classmates that HireVue is mostly used as a filtering system to weed out unqualified candidates. They do not expect perfect interviews, they explained, and an in-person consultation would always follow a decent HireVue interview.

On The Hill

Poetry Club Dreams Big

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BY ERICA MILOSH

Poetry Club is one of the most recognized clubs on campus that continues to evolve with each semester. The club gained popularity when Class of 2014 student, Dan Snyder, ran the group around Fall 2010. Former member of the Nichols English department, Professor Samantha Libby, also helped to build up the club and inspired students with her own poetry and feedback.

Now senior English majors, Marquice Jackson and Ian Sotoloff, who have expanded and diversified the organization, lead the club. Poetry Club frequently puts on poetry slams and open mic nights where anyone can read their work. So far this semester, Japanese slam poet G. Yamazawa has visited the campus and a small poetry slam was held on Jan 30. G. Yamazawa has been featured on the Button Poetry YouTube channel with nearly 400,000 views.

“Poetry Club has become more of a safe haven for students to vent, write, or just sit down and absorb the poetry,” Marquice explains.

The club has big ideas for some future events and collaborations. With the help of poetry club advisor, Katie Moulton, the club is forming a partnership with Bartlett High School. This will allow Bartlett students to attend poetry related events on campus, and Nichols members will be allowed to judge student poetry competitions at Bartlett High School.

Junior economics major, Robert Beauvoir, describes what club meetings are like. “It’s a really cool environment that motivates me to practice my writing.”

Upcoming on-campus events include a celebration of National Poetry Month. Poetry Club and the English department will be presenting their poetry in the library on April 18. There are also plans for the club to put on a show with Dream Junkies on April 13. Dream Junkies are a hip-hop group from southern California who have opened for popular artists such as Snoop Dogg and Wu-Tang Clan.

Marquice is satisfied with how diverse the club has become. There are members of every ethnicity who are free to write about any topic in any form. Most common styles of poetry used are free verse and spoken word. Popular themes include fear, family, success, sex, and many controversial topics.

This year there are 25 members of the Poetry Club with about 10-15 students performing regularly at open mic nights and slams. New members are always welcome and club meetings are every Thursday at 3:30 in Fels, room 323.

On The Hill

Over 70 Employers, Recruiters Meet with Nichols Students at Career Fair

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BY ERICA MILOSH

Resumes in hand and decked out in professional attire, 400 job- and internship-seeking students recently met with over 70 employees at the annual Nichols College Career and Internship Fair. Held in the College Athletic Center on Feb. 23, 2016, the students (and even some local residents) were prepared and eager to find their dream job.

The Career and Professional Development Center recently released the Class of 2015’s employment statistics. The annual graduate survey of the Class of 2015 shows that 92 percent of graduates are employed, enrolled in graduate school, or enlisted in the military.

Brian J. Levitre, recruiter for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, attended the fair and met with several Nichols students, whom he praised.

“I am so impressed with how prepared Nichols College students are,” Levitre said. “They meet with the recruiters at the fair, having already done their background research on the companies and agencies, and are polished and professional.”

Many businesses—such as MAPFRE, Mohegan Sun, and The Walt Disney Company—have had recruiting representation for several years at the fair. The event also attracted fair newcomers like The Bozzuto Group, GEICO, and Newport Hotel Group to come and explore what makes Nichols students desirable employees.

MAPFRE, a global insurance company based in Webster, Mass., has hired numerous Nichols graduates, and is looking for call center representatives, claims representatives, as well as applicants for available internships.

Casey Frank, senior international business major, works part-time in MAPFRE’s customer service contact center. “I started as an intern last summer. It’s a really wonderful learning environment; when you have a question, people are happy to help you.”

As a newcomer to the career fair, Newport Hotel Group set up at the fair in hopes of finding motivated hospitality management majors. The group’s hotels are located throughout New England, with one location in Wyoming.

“We’re looking for individuals who are interested in creating a career in hospitality. We have a lead manager in training program that is about a yearlong program where people can rotate positions within the hotel,” said Human Resources Coordinator Nicole Pytell.

GEICO, also new to the fair, is one of largest auto insurers in the U.S., operating for over 75 years. Nicholas Pasquale, a 2014 grad who received his MBA in 2015, is an auto damage adjuster at GIECO.

“Being in the management development program with Geico absorbs all of the aspects of the business world that I learned here at Nichols,” said Pasquale.

Randall Filighera, GEICO’s college recruiter, described his ideal applicants.

“What we’re looking for are leaders,” he said. “Students who have good grades, but also have a little bit extra. Do you run a club on campus? Are you an athlete on campus? Those types of things go a long way.”

Unum, a disability insurance company, had two Nichols graduates representing their business. Matt San Clemente and Steven Colon—who both graduated last year—work at the Worcester, Mass.-based company, dealing with supplemental insurance policies.

San Clemente, service specialist at Unum said, “My experience at Nichols led to this opportunity.”

Steven Colon, IDI workflow coordinator, has worked at Unum for almost two years. “I’ve learned a lot through my position and use my Nichols experience to form relationships and broaden where my future goals are.”

Alumni also offered valuable advice for their fellow Bison. They urged students to never be intimidated by potential employers and stressed the importance of networking and forming work relationships.

Mackenzie Walsh, a 2012 Nichols grad, is the division director for Office Team of Robert Half in Westborough, Mass. Office Team is currently looking for temporary summer employees, a staffing manager, and a recruiter.

“The best thing I love about Nichols grads is that they’re motivated, energetic, they know how to be a team player, and the biggest thing is that they’re professional.”

This was the fourth year that the Career and Internship Fair offered to take free professional headshots. Students can use the photos for their LinkedIn profiles or portfolios.

Every student attending the fair appeared prepared. Junior criminal justice management major, Amanda Alarcon, had some helpful tips to share about making the most of the fair. “Find a way to make yourself memorable among hundreds of people. Confidence is key; show the companies what you can do for them.”

John Reilly, a sophomore finance major, was looking for investment companies for portfolio management. He credits his Professional Development Seminar (PDS) course for preparing him for the fair. Every student is required to take a PDS course every year from freshmen to senior year- the seminar is designed to prepare students for college, the working world, and surviving after college. During junior PDS, it is mandatory for students to attend the fair and communicate with employers.

https://www.nichols.edu/academics/degrees-and-programs/professional-development-seminar

Produced by the Bison for the Nichols College Community