Dr. Lori Varlotta

In this month’s Career Corner, Dr. Lori E. Varlotta, 2025 Presidential Fellow at Chapman University, shares a few tips with recent graduates on getting through an interview and landing a job. Dr. Varlotta recently participated in the “Building the Careers You Want” panel hosted by Wilkison College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences and Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Ethics.

Are you one of the many Chapman University graduates who is putting the final touches on the interview materials that will land you a meaningful job? If so, here are some key takeaways from the April 24th Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences “Building the Careers” panel in which I participated. During that program, several folks referenced “soft skills”— communication, critical thinking, teamwork, and respect for differences. I encouraged the audience (and now you) to call them what they truly are: power skills. Why? Because employers tell us again and again that technical training can happen on the job. It’s the power skills that make you stand out and get promoted.

But here’s the challenge: You can’t just say you have them. You must show prospective employers—on your resume, in your cover letter, and throughout your interview — that these are skills you have honed.

Written and Oral Communication

In Your Cover Letter: Don’t say “I have strong communication skills.” Prove it with a vivid example.

As a peer writing tutor who coached more than 30 students each semester, I began by asking them three things: What’s your message? What should the reader remember? What tone are you trying to strike? These “pre-writing” conversations sharpened my listening and synthesis skills and helped me build emotional intelligence. Once we got to the writing stage, I applied my editing and feedback skills. I am eager to bring all these skills to my first professional position.

In Your Resume: Avoid vague phrases like “conducted research.” Instead, provide bulleted details that show what you did.

As an undergraduate teaching assistant, I spent one month interviewing students to learn how professors can make the capstone experience even more meaningful.

  • Gathered and organized feedback from interviewees
  • Presented that feedback via “preliminary findings” to an audience of 50+ faculty and students
  • Suggested changes the faculty member could make to strengthen the learning outcomes

In Interviews: Speak clearly, stay on point, and try to shake the use of any filler words such as “like,” “um,” or “you know.” Also, avoid nonverbal body language such as eye rolling or shoulder shrugging. Practice your answers out loud or on video aim so that you come across as polished, not mechanical.

Critical Thinking

In Your Cover Letter: Frame a moment when you solved a real problem using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).

As the new president of the History Club, I inherited a shrinking membership that I wanted to reverse. Therefore, I analyzed past events, surveyed students, and proposed a new program series; these efforts helped bring in five new club members and double the program attendance the following semester.

In Your Resume: Use action verbs like evaluated, redesigned, or interpreted.

Evaluated marketing data and adjusted campaign strategy, increasing click-through rates by 15%.

In Interviews: When asked about problem-solving, share the process you used; don’t just talk about ‘the win.’ Don’t shy away from lessons learned through mistakes, as long as you explain what you learned and would do differently.

Teamwork

In Your Cover Letter: Focus on shared success and your role in making it happen.

As co-lead of our campus sustainability initiative, I brought together environmental and urban gardening clubs to partner with facilities staff and launch our first composting program.

In Your Resume: Call out collaborative wins.

Worked with a team of student leaders to plan and run a service day involving 100+ volunteers.

In Interviews: Expect questions like “What role do you usually play on a team?” Be honest—whether you’re the organizer, mediator, or idea-generator, give an example that shows how you helped the group succeed.

Respect for Difference

In Your Cover Letter: Share how you work with people whose backgrounds or views differ from yours.

Volunteering at the Center for International Students taught me to approach differences with curiosity instead of assumptions. This is a mindset I am eager to bring to your company.

In Your Resume: Note experiences that build cultural awareness.

  • Participated in the Difficult Dialogues Series.
  • Practiced my listening and empathy skills more often than my argumentation and persuasion skills.

In Interviews: Describe how you’ve navigated differences in culture, identity, or opinion to reach a common goal.

Bottom Line: Demonstrate Those Skills!

Your degree opens the door, and your Power Skills keep you moving far beyond the doorway. So, don’t just tell employers you’ve got them. Show them every step of the way.