Interview Skills Final

8/12/2019 Interview Skills Final

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INTERVIEW SKILLS


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THE JOB INTERVIEW

It is a face to face meetingLast step in job seeking process

Lasts between 15 to 30 minutes


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Employer: to find the best person for the jobEmployer: reviews candidates experience and abilities

Can you do the job? (ski l ls, abi l i t ies, qual if icat ions)

Wil l you do the job? (interest, att itude & mo tivat ion)How w il l you f i t into the organisat ion? (personal i ty)

You: impress employer and assess position onoffer

What does th is posi t ion o f fer me?How does i t f i t wi th m y c areer plans?

THEIR OBJECTIVES


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HOW TO BE SUCCESS

One important key to success is

self confidenceAn important key to self confidence

is preparation

(Au thu r Ashe)


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PREPARATION

Focus only on the interview is not enough

Cover the entire process


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THREE PHASES OFPREPARATION

Pre-interview strategiesDuring the interview strategies

Post interview strategies


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PRE-INTERVIEW STRATEGIES

Research the company/organization

Study the job description and review resume

Prepare answer for standard questions

Prepare your own list of questionsGet 2 or 3 professional references

Visit interview location

Plan your mode of transportation

Decide what to wearPack your bag

Take good care of your nutrition

Do something to relax and go to bed early


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DURING INTERVIEWSTRATEGIES

Arrive earlyAllow time to relax

Turn off cell phone


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DURING INTERVIEW

STRATEGIES

First impressions very powerful

Entrance, introduction & handshake

Smile and make eye contact

Be aware of own movements

Dont sit until it is offered


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BODY LANGUAGE

Body language is a form of mental and

physical ability of human non-verbal

communication, consisting of body posture,

gestures, facial expressions, and eyemovements.

Research suggests that between 60 and 70

percent of human communication is nonverbal

behaviorin other words, body language.


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BODY LANGUAGE MISTAKES THANT

CAN COST YOU THE JOB

Your perfect resume, flawless cover

letter, brilliant responses to

tough question make you strong

job candidate

But forget to smile, slouch in yourchair etc may cost your job


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Invading personal spaceBe respectful of the hiring managers personal space.

Dont stand too close and certainly don't hug them.


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Weak handshake

Before you shake hands, rise, walk up to the hiring manager

with confidence, make eye contact and smile. Make sure yourhandshake is firm, but don't crush the hiring manager's hand

The secret to a great handshake is palm-to-palm contact. Slide

your hand down into the web of theirs and make palm-to-palm

contact


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SITTING POSTURE

Leaning back suggests lack of interest

Leaning front can be just problematic

Sit up straight sends a message of self-

assuredness


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Bad posture

Sit up straight. Asymmetrical body language can make

you look confused or dishonest.


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Crossing your armsThat can make you

look defensive or

uncomfortable.

Instead, gesture withyour hands. That way

you'll appear more

enthusiastic and

engaging.


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Hiding your hands

Dont sit on your hands or hide them in your lap,

Wood says. Place them on the arms of your chair orthe desk or use them to gesture. Gesturing makes

you look more expressive, and the interviewer can

read how open and honest you are by looking at your

hands.


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Not smiling

You can all too

easily appear

nervous orunfriendly.

Smile, but keep

it subtle.


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Be prepared to answer these standard

questions

Can you tell me a little about yourself?

Why do you want to work here?

What do you know about the company?

What are your strengths/weaknesses?

Why did you leave your last job and what have you

been doing since then?


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Playing with your hair

Its a stress comfort cue that can make you lookchildish.

You dont want to distract the hiring manager with

this body language gaffe.


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Lack of eye contact

Its okay for the candidate to look away when he or she is talking.

Its normal to look around when youre speaking because youre

accessing different parts of the brain by moving your eyes.

But be attentive and make eye contact when the interviewer is

speaking. Think of eye contact as a connection tool.


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Looking like you're not interested

Its fine if you have an expressive face.

It makes you more likeable.

But be aware of your facial expressions, and dont

check your watch or your cell phone during the

interview.


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FidgetingDont touch your face, play with change in your

pocket or bite your nails.

Fidgeting is a distraction and a sign of anxiety


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Your Answers

Listen carefully, seek clarificationIllustrate answers with real examples andevidence

Be positiveconstructive criticism

Keep answers specific and succinct

Think before respond

Be alert to interviewers body language

Speak clearly, smile and show enthusiasm

Know what you want to say, and find theopportunity

Turn weakness into strength


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ATTITUDES

The way you think

The way your feel

The way you behave

Eg: An att i tude of fearAn at t itude of humor


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Ask for clarification if you dontunderstand a question; and be thorough

in your responses while being concise in

your wording.

Use good grammar and good diction.

Say yes, not yeah. Dont fill pauses

with um, uh or ah. Dont punctuate

sentences with you know, like, see

or okay.


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Describe a time when you were faced with problems or stresses at

work that tested your coping skills. What did you do?

Give an example of a time when you had to be relatively quick in

coming to a decision.

Give me an example of an important goal you had to set and tell

me about your progress in reaching that goal.

Give me an example of a problem you faced on the job, and tell me

how you solved it.

Tell me about a situation in the past year in which you had to deal

with a very upset customer or co-worker.

Be Prepared for Behavior-based

Questions


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Be specific, not general or vague!

Dont describe how you would behave.

Describe how you DID behave. If you later decided you

should have behaved differently, explain this.

The interviewer will see that you learned something

from experience.

Your keys to RESPONDING well to these types of

questions are:


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Your Questions

Training programmes

Career development opportunities

Types of projects & responsibilities

Reporting structure

Performance appraisal

Profile of staff

Questions about topics raised in interview

What happens next?


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OTHER IMPORTANT STRATEGIES


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What creates a bad impression

Poor personal appearance

Negative attitudeevasive, using excuses

Lack of interest and enthusiasm

Lack of preparation

Poor knowledge of role

Failure to give concrete examples of skills

Over emphasis on money/rewards

Lack of career plan


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Thank-You Letter Example:

Date:

Name and address of the employerDear Mr.

Thank you for the opportunity to discuss your opening for the position in

Marketing. I enjoyed meeting with you and learning more about your

organization.

I believe my internship with ABC Company and my educational background in

Marketing, Business Administration and Science qualify me for the position. Myexperience in using my marketing, communication, and research skills during

my internship would help me get a fast start Marketing Manager with your

company.

I was very impressed with ABC (name of the company) commitment to giving its

customers individualized attention. I feel this is the only way to maintain

customer relationships and to build future customer relationships.I look forward to hearing from you by the end of the month. In the interim, please

call me if there is any additional information I can provide to help you in your

decision.

Sincerely,


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Interview Skills Final

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