AdvancePCS recently visited ACU’s College of Business Administration with a clear objective—tap into the talent pool that once included their current Chairman and CEO, David Halbert.
While most companies are struggling through the current economic slowdown, AdvancePCS continues to grow at an astonishing rate. To keep pace with their 138% compounded annual revenue growth, the firm realizes the need to find outstanding employees. This past week, their search came to ACU’s campus as twenty-seven business students participated in either full-time, internship, or mock interviews with the company.
The three-day event began on Monday, February 24th, as AdvancePCS hosted a breakfast buffet in the atrium of the business building. Students were greeted by Nic Belcher, 2002 COBA graduate and AdvancePCS HR Specialist. Those students scheduled for Monday’s internship interviews were able to take this time to hear about Belcher’s recent transition from college to professional life. Throughout the day, COBA juniors interviewed with Kirstin Kulovitz, AdvancePCS recruiter, for a chance to participate in a unique internship opportunity.
Kulovitz continued her interview schedule on Tuesday and Wednesday, meeting with thirteen career-seeking seniors. Unlike most situations where the candidate knows of an available position, AdvancePCS conducts interviews with COBA students very differently. “Typically, they fill business positions with MBA candidates from top schools in the nation. In our case, they come with few limits. Just find the best talent,” said Matt Boisvert, COBA’s Career Development Center director. “As a result, our candidates are not really interviewing for a specific job. Instead, they are promoting their ability to contribute results to a functional area,” continued Boisvert. Kulovitz plans to forward her top picks to various hiring managers in the coming weeks.
In addition, several of COBA’s Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) students participated in mock interviews with Belcher and Kulovitz. Mock interviews provide ACU’s business students with valuable interview experience in a less threatening environment. In addition, “it is a rare opportunity for the interviewer to tell you what you did right and what you absolutely need to improve,” said Boisvert. The mock interviews and following critique sessions were videotaped, allowing the participants to review the exercise prior to future interviews. According to Boisvert, the benefit is that “it really gives them an opportunity to polish their interviewing skills.”
Formed in July 2002, the Career Development Center was established to develop stronger relationships between alumni, students, and businesses. In addition to providing several student services, it is currently working on a career readiness program for COBA students and a series of alumni involvement opportunities to enhance career placement within the business program.
AdvancePCS is the nation's largest independent provider of health improvement services, touching the lives of more than 75 million health plan members and managing more than $28 billion in annual prescription drug spending. AdvancePCS offers health plans a wide range of health improvement products and services designed to improve the quality of care delivered to health plan members and manage costs.
