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What If I Can't Attend SRU Interview Day?

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What If I Can't Attend SRU Interview Day?

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We understand that factors such as academic responsibilities, distance, cost, and personal schedules may prevent some candidates from attending Interview Day. However, we strongly encourage candidates to attend in person. This gives you an opportunity to meet prospective GA supervisors in person, view work sites, and meet other SRU professionals.

If you cannot attend, it is important to let Dr. Aaron George (aaron.george@sru.edu) know so that we can inform GA providers, and other arrangements can be made. GA providers will hold virtual interviews for remote candidates.

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8:00am - Hospitality Table Opens (3rd Floor Lobby)

Starting at 8:00am, we will have a hospitality table on the third floor where you will check-in and receive a folder with your interview schedule.  Current graduate students from our programs will be there to greet you and provide directions around the building.  We will also have coffee/tea and breakfast goodies for folks as well!

8:30am - Announcements (Room 321)

We will begin with welcome and announcements in room 321.

9:00am - Interviews Start

Interviews will be held in 30-minute time blocks from 9:00am to noon.

12:00pm - Lunch Break

All students participating in GA interviews will be provided lunch.

Clinical Mental Health Counseling/School Counseling: Faculty from these programs will be available during the lunch hours, 11:30am – 1:30pm, to talk with students and answer questions about those programs.

Student Affairs in Higher Education/College Counseling: There will be opportunities during the afternoon to interact with faculty, current students, and alumni of the program. See the schedule below for details.

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Check out the resources posted below. Here are some key things to consider as you prepare to interview for GA positions:

1. GA interviews are only 30 minutes long and that time will fly by. You want to make sure you answer each question carefully but be mindful that the GA providers probably have a list of questions for you. Practice your answers to keep them concise so you allow enough time to answer all of the interviewers' questions.

2. Be sure you have questions to ask the GA provider in case there is time at the end of your interview. Have a few questions prepared that are general enough to ask every GA provider. Asking questions of the GA provider shows you are interested.

3. Take time to think about the skills you have developed from jobs and leadership positions you have held. You will want to demonstrate in your interview how those skills and abilities will enable you to succeed in the GA role.

4. Be specific. Come up with some brief stories that describe your accomplishments. See the description of the STAR interviewing method below.

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How to Prep for Graduate Assistantship Interviews

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How to Prep for Graduate Assistantship Interviews

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Understanding what is expected of a graduate assistant

A graduate student is hired to support the functioning of a particular office/department on campus. Most graduate assistants receive a tuition waiver and a small stipend for the tasks they perform in that role.

As a grad assistant, you will have the opportunity to do the following:

Learn the job roles and responsibilities associated with a specific student affairs functional area.

Develop foundational skills and competencies necessary for successful student affairs work.

Network with student affairs professionals who share your passion and goals.

Gain practical, quality, and hands-on student affairs work experience

Collaborate and learn with other graduate students in your field of study

Offset the cost of graduate school with a stipend and tuition waiver.

Interviewing doesn't come naturally to everyone, and that's okay! There are many ways to prep for a graduate assistantship interview, including anticipating the kinds of questions you will need to answer. The following are some questions you may be asked as part of the interview process.

1. Why do you want to be a graduate assistant in this office?

Graduate assistantships are competitive, and for this reason, you need to be able to adequately and efficiently explain why you want to be chosen for the position. Perhaps you want to learn more about this functional area of student affairs, or you are interested in the type of work that they do.

Are there specific skills this GA role requires? Share what skills you are interested in further developing; for example, administrative, communication, or student advising skills. You should be prepared to highlight two or three specific reasons that you want to work in this office or in this particular GA role.

2. What do you hope to gain from your participation in an assistantship?

Similar to the previous question, you should be ready to give a detailed response regarding what you hope to get out of your assistantship and how it might prepare you for a professional role in the field of student affairs. The graduate assistantship doesn't have to prepare you to work in that specific student affairs functional area. Reflect on what skills and knowledge you might acquire in that GA role that would be relevant to your own professional goals.

3. What specific skills make you qualified for the position?

You need to be able to articulate what sets you apart from other candidates, and you can do so by focusing on skills or character traits that will positively impact the team with which you will be working. For instance, you could provide examples related to time management skills, organizational abilities, attention to detail, and how well you work with others.

You should also make sure to provide tangible examples of your strengths — especially examples that will complement the responsibilities in the position you are interviewing for.

4. How will you balance your assistantship responsibilities and your coursework?

This is a logistical question, but it is one that makes a lot of sense to ask during an interview for a graduate assistantship. You need to be able to adequately describe your ability to manage multiple deadlines, navigate tasks simultaneously, and apply what you are learning to your own graduate coursework.

You might want to answer this question by providing examples of times that you've had to juggle a variety of time-sensitive projects and describe the ways in which you did so with success.

5. What are your long-term career goals?

You don't have to be very specific in your answer here. But, you should be able identify some general goals based on your interests. How might your general goals relate to the GA experience in this office? A graduate assistantship is an investment — for you and the department in which you will be working. As such, the professionals you are working with and for during your assistantship need to feel you demonstrate an interest and commitment to to the work of their office.

Have questions prepared to ask GA providers.

This is also a great opportunity to ask some of your own questions and learn more about how the assistantship could help you to achieve your career goals, so don't hesitate to show your excitement and ambition with some relevant questions.

These were just a few of the kinds of questions that you should know how to answer before your interview, but here are a few more to consider as you prepare:

Why did you choose to pursue a career in student affairs?

How will your involvement in the assistantship positively impact the department?

How would you describe your work style?

What kind of time management skills have you developed?

What challenges have you experienced and how have you resolved them?

What motivates you as a grad student?

Can you describe your expectations for professional development?

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Slippery Rock University is located 45 minutes North of Pittsburgh just off Rt. 79.

On rt. 79, take Exit 105 (Slippery Rock Exit). At the exit, turn onto Route 108 East (4 miles). Once in the village of Slippery Rock, turn right onto Route 173 South (Main St., first set of lights). Turn left onto Kiester Rd.

The street address for the Robert M. Smith Center is 107 W Central Loop, Slippery Rock, PA 16057.

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If you are an SRU student, there are no specific parking instructions.  If you have a car on campus, or are a commuter, you will follow established SRU parking policies associated with your permit.

If you are not an SRU student, please click on the image above for instructions to obtain a visitor parking pass.  This pass will allow you to park in any open permit spaces on the SRU campus.

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All Graduate Assistantship Interviews will take place in the Smith Center Ballroom. Candidates will first meet in room 321. GA Providers can proceed directly to the Smith Center Ballroom.

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Here's a short video that highlight some things to consider when preparing for Interview Day.

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Top Interview Tips: Common Questions, Nonverbal Communication & More | Indeed

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This video describes how you can use the STAR method to develop concise, effective answers to interview questions.

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Behavioral Interview Questions and Answers: Use the STAR Technique | Indeed Career Tips

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Winter weather in Western Pennsylvania can include snow and ice. In the event of a winter snow storm that makes travel unsafe, we will shift the Interview Day event online.

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Carruth-Rizza Hall is the home of the Department of Counseling and Development. While you are on campus, we invite you to check out the building. We will offer guided tours by a current graduate student during our afternoon activities.

We are the only department housed in Carruth-Rizza Hall, so it feels very much like our own home! Our spacious lobby with a fountain makes for a great space to gather between classes and host events. The building is equipped with $250,000 worth of state-of-the-art laboratory space for developing skills in counseling and group work.

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Click on the SRU Parking map to enlarge

Interview Day participants can park with a guest parking pass in any of the open permit spaces (in orange) on the SRU parking map.

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The afternoon portion of the day is for students applying to the Student Affairs in Higher Education and College Counseling programs. During this time, faculty will be discussing the curriculum, internship opportunities, and professional pathways in the field. Students will also have the chance to meet with current SAHE & CC students, program alumni, and SRU student affairs professionals. We will also offer tour opportunities for students.

We invite you to end the day with us at a local coffee shop for refreshments.

Stop back soon... we are finalizing the details!

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Interview Day provides CDEV prospective students with the opportunity to come to campus for a day to meet various stakeholders of our programs. While on campus, students will meet with fellow prospective students, CDEV faculty, and Graduate Assistantship providers.

Interview Day gives CDEV prospective students the opportunity to participate in an expedited GA selection process. During the morning hours, Graduate Assistantship providers will participate in an interview fair to discuss their GA positions with CDEV applicants. GA providers represent a wide array of offices, such as student activities, the career center, the office of inclusive excellence, residence life, and student support.

CDEV faculty will be available over lunch to connect with prospective students.

Some of the CDEV master's programs will have programming in the afternoon that includes sessions with current students, faculty, and a tour of our facilities.

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Interview Day is only open to students applying to CDEV master's programs. Students applying to these programs are eligible to participate:

Student Affairs in Higher Education

Clinical Mental Health Counseling

School Counseling

College Counseling

Graduate students not in these programs must apply through the normal university process via Handshake!.