A Case in Point: From Active Learning to the Job Market - Case Study Collection - National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science

by
Mary M. Walczak, Chemistry Department, St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN
Juliette M. Lantz, Chemistry Department, Drew University, Madison, NJ

Ken O’Brien opened his day planner to see what Monday held in store for him. He had worked at Byzantine Science Company for the past five years, but lately it seemed like his responsibilities were growing exponentially, while his time was shrinking rapidly. He wondered briefly if he should have accepted the promotion to management six months ago, but he quickly brushed that thought away. He liked his new position; it was challenging and gave him some authority, and he was well-compensated.

Today, he had to review the reports on the projects the group completed over the last six months before sending them on to Byzantine’s CEO. He glanced at the titles on the reports produced by his project managers: Health Effects of Mosquito Control Efforts in Marriott County, Cost of Land Reclamation for Zindell's Mine, Advantages and Disadvantages of Garbage Incineration as a Fuel Source, and Materials for Building Stronger Yet Softer Highway Barriers. Ken knew he would be pleased with the final reports because his people did excellent work.

Ken sighed, realizing the reports would have to wait. They were not the most pressing need today. Ken had been given the go-ahead from the front office to hire an additional scientist for his project team. He really couldn’t predict in what discipline a person was needed, as the Byzantine Company did mostly consulting work for other industries and each project called for different skills. That was one of the aspects of this company that attracted Ken. He could never predict what projects they would be working on six months down the line. His project team already had strong people in most every critical discipline, so he had the luxury of choosing the person he thought would best fit the company in general. He glanced again at the advertisement he had placed:

Byzantine Science Company seeks a self-motivated entry-level scientist to join our multidisciplinary project team. The successful candidate will participate in our consulting program within a team-oriented environment. Analytical reasoning skills, original ideas and unique approaches to problem solving are highly desired. This position requires a bachelor’s degree in any field of science. Working knowledge of instrumentation in that field of science is expected and strong computer skills are assumed. All applicants should possess excellent written and oral communication skills. Byzantine Science is an equal opportunity employer.

With a determined look, Ken picked up the manila folders he had on his desk, which he had previously requested from personnel. The company’s Human Resources Division had sent his ad to the placement offices of the local colleges; in response, many graduating seniors had requested that their prepackaged dossiers be forwarded to him. In an initial perusal last week, he had already narrowed his choice down to five most outstanding candidates. Now, he had only to choose the best candidate for his particular department and arrange an interview for later this week. He was somewhat concerned that with his additional job responsibilities, he would have minimal time to invest in training a new employee; he wanted someone who could learn quickly and who would stay with the company for more than a few years. He opened the top file and focused on the evaluation that was part of the prepackaged dossiers. These evaluations, he thought, would be instrumental in finding the right person for the job.