By Joe Marion – Director Career and VA Affairs – Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO)
I have been in Career Affairs at SUNO since 1982. SUNO has developed a very successful relationship with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF).
Brian Grant is a 2014 graduate of SUNO’s AACSB accredited College of Business & Public Administration. He received a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business Administration. While completing his studies, Brian was a very active student in the College of Business. He was crowned the first King of the College of Business & Public Administration in 2012-2013. Mr. Grant was also a part of the National Black MBA, where he served as Vice President of SUNO’s Chapter in 2013-2014. During Mr. Grant’s tenure at SUNO, he was very involved and dedicated
student. He served in many leadership roles at the university. In 2012, Mr. Grant was elected Student Government Association Vice- President. Due to unforeseen circumstances, Brian advanced and served as the SGA President in 2013. During that term, he also served as the Elections Commissioner–at-Large for the Louisiana Council of Student Body Presidents. Mr. Grant is proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. where he served as the Chapter President in 2013-2014 academic year.
Brian Grant served two consecutive years (2012 and 2013) as a Student Ambassador in the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) Leadership Institute. During Brian’s TMCF student leadership tenure, he managed to land an opportunity to intern with Eli Lilly & Company as a sales intern in the Diabetes Division the summer of 2013 in New Orleans, LA. Shortly after completing his internship with Eli Lilly & Company, Mr. Grant decided pharmaceutical sales was not the direction he wanted to take; although he has stated, “I wouldn’t take back any of the scientific knowledge and professional development Eli & Lilly Company taught me!” After this internship, Brian was again chosen for the Leadership Institute in Washington, D.C. (where he was offered a full–time position with the Altria Group Distribution Company (AGDC) as a Territory Sales Manager, in New Orleans, Louisiana). Mr. Grant accepted the offer and is now gainfully employed with the company. Brian stated, he was offered the internship with Eli Lilly & Company and full–time position with AGDC because he displayed discipline, dedication, a passion to succeed, an open mind and a willingness to learn, to be innovative, an ambitious drive, leadership and finally the confidence that the recruiters at the TMCF Leadership Institute were seeking.
Brian Grant has been employed with Altria Group Distribution Company for a year and six months; within his first year with the company, Mr. Grant managed to be named one of the Top 5 Sales Managers within his Unit, District and Section of the company–for outstanding distribution yearly growth within one of Altria’s servicing companies (e.g., John Middleton Company). Because of his continuing commitment to SUNO, Brian recently came back to SUNO to participate in TMCF’s student recruitment fair for the 2015 Leadership Institute. Brian talked to this year’s prospective participants about his pass success stories with TMCF Leadership Institute and how he felt they should prepare for the Leadership Institute (“Where education truly pays off!”). There are careers, internships, networking opportunities, graduate/professional school information, and empowering business sessions that are available to them by participating in the TMCF Leadership Institute. Brian feels that if students attend The Leadership Institute they will leave better prepared for career opportunities.
I have been in Career Affairs at SUNO since 1982. SUNO has developed a very successful relationship with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF). TMCF offers students enrolled in public Historically Black Colleges and Universities (e.g., public HBCUs) the opportunity to participate in programs and activities that enrich their opportunities for career successes. In past years, several SUNO College of Business graduates have obtained career positions as a direct result of participating in the TMCF Leadership Institute.
The Leadership Institute gives HBCU students the opportunity to travel to Washington D.C. for an all-expense paid three-day workshop on resume’ writing, interview techniques, and job contact opportunities. TMCF’s Leadership Institute will have 300 students (from public HBCUs) and more than 20 nation-wide employers participate in the workshop that is held every fall. Each spring semester, SUNO’s Career Affairs Office helps prepare the students interested in participating in this workshop by prepping the students on interview questions, interview dress requirements, business decorum, and GPA requirements.
2020 TMCF Leadership Institute Recap
Interviews for Top Jobs at The Leadership Institute
Community Organizer Interview
I applied online. The process took 3 weeks. I interviewed at The Leadership Institute (Seattle, WA) in Feb 2019
Interview
I’m based out of CT. Was scheduled for two interviews over the course of the hiring process. The first interview was planned for 3pm EST on a Tuesday. Meeting times were well communicated and agreed to prior to the meeting. Come time for the interview, which was setup to be done online, no one from ICL showed up . Over 45 minutes I waited. When that half hour let up, I reached out to ICL’s main offices over phone to confirm the scheduled time. Both the administrative assistant and the lead interviewer couldn’t be reached. I issued an email to follow up with both my interview and phone call, and wasn’t given a response until midday the next day. No explanation or showing of good faith was given for their absence.We rescheduled the online interview with zero hesitations. Again, no explanation was given for administration’s backing out of the interview unannounced. Sometimes things go wrong and last minute changes need to be arranged. No problem– I understand that much. However, come time for the second online interview, scheduled for 9pm EST on a Friday night, with ANOTHER interviewee, we both arrived on time and ended up waiting an hour for the interviewer to arrive. They never came. No email or phone call was given to either of us prior to the interview detailing how we would need to reschedule or to expect a no-show. This, mind you, was the THIRD time the other interviewee in the call was ghosted by ICL. We both gave up on the organization on the spot after consulting one another on the gross level of incompetence displayed by ICL’s hiring staff over the few weeks trying to cooperate with their team.As a working professional I don’t need an apology, but I would appreciate recognition and agency in the hiring process. If the behavior displayed by ICL was behavior recognized in a potential candidate, that candidate would have never made it to the parking lot. For an organization that thrives off providing people with enriching opportunities, it all just seems like awfully backwards behavior—something hopefully unrepresentative of the institution as a whole.I wish ICL as a whole thrives and their mission succeeds, but their hiring process needs COMPLETE and TOTAL review.
- When are you available for the interview?
Journalist/Reporter Interview
I interviewed at The Leadership Institute
Interview
Twice now, I was asked to make custom writing samples and then never heard back. When prompted, they told me I would hear back, and then I never did. Again. For the second time. Fool me once, shame on me…
- Please write a 500 word article
Interviews for Top Jobs at Thurgood Marshall College Fund
Leadership Institute Interview
I interviewed at Thurgood Marshall College Fund
Interview
Very easy. It’s not something you can do in one day but it’s not difficult just takes more time then your normal application. There is a video portion with games u can complete
- Tell us a bit about yourself
Communications Director Interview
I applied through an employee referral. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at Thurgood Marshall College Fund (Washington, DC) in Apr 2016
Interview
I have never had a more unprofessional interviewer. Told me 6 ppl had held the position in 8 years, then casually shared with me that marketing manager had gotten fired two days ago. lastly, he fist bumped me when I gave a good answer.
- No actual questions. He gave me a number of scenarios and then I had to talk about how I would approach them. Very stressful: no way to prepare for it.
It’s very easy to get down on yourself if you don’t know what you want to do in your career, can’t seem to find any internships, or have not gotten any of the internships you applied for. It’s even worse when your peers share their successes with internships while you have nothing to show for all your hard work! But don’t ever give up or get discouraged, because if you keep trying and do everything you can to meet your goals, the rest will fall into place. Researching and applying for internships is an extensive and exhausting process, especially on top of everything else you may have going on in college, but it will be rewarding when your resume boasts excellent experiences after graduation!
– DO NOT USE YOUR PHONE DURING THE INTERVIEW. Even if you are completely used to entering information or taking notes via your phone or tablet, just this once use a notepad. It’s disrespectful to be on a device during an interview, because it’s impossible to know if you’re paying attention or doing other things.
Even if a company isn’t hiring interns until the summer, you should be in contact with them as early as the beginning of February, for an example of the time frame for summer internships. Follow up on your resume or application no later than one week after you send it (if you haven’t heard from the company already). You can follow up a couple more times too to show how interested you are in the position. You don’t want to be annoying, but persistence does pay off, and the worst thing they can say is that you’re too early in applying or that your application hasn’t been reviewed yet. Plus, your consistent communication can help etch your name into the minds of those you’ve been in contact with, so you have a better chance of securing an interview when they do begin reviewing applications.
– Be honest. If the interviewer is detailing the job’s responsibilities and it requires something you can’t do—such as working nights, weekends, and/or more hours in the week than you can give—tell them! It may be uncomfortable, but what’s more uncomfortable is accepting a job offer you can’t fulfill the duties of.
If you’re searching for internships but aren’t completely sure about the career you want, don’t be afraid to try different things in fields that interest you. The point of a college internship is to gain experience and professional skills, and to figure out what you enjoy and what you’re good at. If you’re not sure, having a different internship or job each semester might be just what you need to figure out what you want to do when you graduate.
The award-winning Leadership Institute is a national program intended to develop students’ leadership skills, create a community of scholars, provide companies access to a talented and diverse student population, and help students make connections that lead to careers. This power-packed four-day conference prepares carefully selected students from the 47 publicly-supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs) to compete in today’s very competitive global workforce. The conference culminates with a recruitment fair where Fortune 500 companies, government agencies and graduate program representatives offer jobs, internships and continuing education opportunities.
Brian Grant served two consecutive years (2012 and 2013) as a Student Ambassador in the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) Leadership Institute. During Brian’s TMCF student leadership tenure, he managed to land an opportunity to intern with Eli Lilly & Company as a sales intern in the Diabetes Division the summer of 2013 in New Orleans, LA. Shortly after completing his internship with Eli Lilly & Company, Mr. Grant decided pharmaceutical sales was not the direction he wanted to take; although he has stated, “I wouldn’t take back any of the scientific knowledge and professional development Eli & Lilly Company taught me!” After this internship, Brian was again chosen for the Leadership Institute in Washington, D.C. (where he was offered a full–time position with the Altria Group Distribution Company (AGDC) as a Territory Sales Manager, in New Orleans, Louisiana). Mr. Grant accepted the offer and is now gainfully employed with the company. Brian stated, he was offered the internship with Eli Lilly & Company and full–time position with AGDC because he displayed discipline, dedication, a passion to succeed, an open mind and a willingness to learn, to be innovative, an ambitious drive, leadership and finally the confidence that the recruiters at the TMCF Leadership Institute were seeking.
student. He served in many leadership roles at the university. In 2012, Mr. Grant was elected Student Government Association Vice- President. Due to unforeseen circumstances, Brian advanced and served as the SGA President in 2013. During that term, he also served as the Elections Commissioner–at-Large for the Louisiana Council of Student Body Presidents. Mr. Grant is proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. where he served as the Chapter President in 2013-2014 academic year.
The Leadership Institute gives HBCU students the opportunity to travel to Washington D.C. for an all-expense paid three-day workshop on resume’ writing, interview techniques, and job contact opportunities. TMCF’s Leadership Institute will have 300 students (from public HBCUs) and more than 20 nation-wide employers participate in the workshop that is held every fall. Each spring semester, SUNO’s Career Affairs Office helps prepare the students interested in participating in this workshop by prepping the students on interview questions, interview dress requirements, business decorum, and GPA requirements.
Brian Grant has been employed with Altria Group Distribution Company for a year and six months; within his first year with the company, Mr. Grant managed to be named one of the Top 5 Sales Managers within his Unit, District and Section of the company–for outstanding distribution yearly growth within one of Altria’s servicing companies (e.g., John Middleton Company). Because of his continuing commitment to SUNO, Brian recently came back to SUNO to participate in TMCF’s student recruitment fair for the 2015 Leadership Institute. Brian talked to this year’s prospective participants about his pass success stories with TMCF Leadership Institute and how he felt they should prepare for the Leadership Institute (“Where education truly pays off!”). There are careers, internships, networking opportunities, graduate/professional school information, and empowering business sessions that are available to them by participating in the TMCF Leadership Institute. Brian feels that if students attend The Leadership Institute they will leave better prepared for career opportunities.
Brian Grant is a 2014 graduate of SUNO’s AACSB accredited College of Business & Public Administration. He received a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business Administration. While completing his studies, Brian was a very active student in the College of Business. He was crowned the first King of the College of Business & Public Administration in 2012-2013. Mr. Grant was also a part of the National Black MBA, where he served as Vice President of SUNO’s Chapter in 2013-2014. During Mr. Grant’s tenure at SUNO, he was very involved and dedicated
FAQ
What questions are asked in a leadership interview?
- Can you tell me about a time when you demonstrated leadership skills?
- How do you monitor the performance of the people that you have to lead?
- Are you able to delegate responsibilities efficiently?
- How would you describe your leadership style?
- What can you do to motivate a team?
How do you prepare for a leadership interview?
- Prepare your ‘situations’ for STAR in advance. …
- Understand leadership qualities. …
- Be specific. …
- Try not to waffle. …
- Remember to talk about how you took on a leadership role or demonstrated leadership qualities.
- Don’t badmouth your former co-workers. …
- Don’t talk about failures where you are unable to redeem yourself.
How do you answer leadership skills in an interview?
What do you expect from a leadership interview?
