Interviewing SkillsInterviewing Skills

March 15, 2007March 15, 2007

Dale Kyser, Program Director Beth Ann Nylander, Sr. Category Buyer

Hana Kim, Sr. Engineer

Kraft VisionKraft Vision

Helping People Around the World Eat and Live Better

Mission: Undisputed Global Food LeadershipMission: Undisputed Global Food Leadership

Consumers Consumers –– First ChoiceFirst Choice

Customers Customers –– Indispensable Indispensable PartnerPartner

Alliances Alliances –– Most Desired PartnerMost Desired Partner

Employees Employees –– Employer of ChoiceEmployer of Choice

CommunitiesCommunities –– Responsible CitizenResponsible Citizen

InvestorsInvestors –– Sustainable GrowthSustainable Growth

The Best Brands in the WorldThe Best Brands in the World

Focused R&D InfrastructureFocused R&D InfrastructureFocused R&D InfrastructureFocused R&D Infrastructure

Core Category Centers Of ExpertiseCore Category Centers Of ExpertiseCore Category Centers Of ExpertiseCore Category Centers Of Expertise

Biscuits in East Hanover, NJ

Cheese & Dairy, Glenview, IL

Coffee, Banbury, UK

Meat, Madison, WI

Cereal, Tarrytown, NY

Chocolate, Munich, Germany

Convenient Meals, Glenview, IL

Regional Development

Tarrytown, NY Campus15 Miles Northeast of New York City

East Hanover, NJ Campus25 Miles West of New York City15 Miles West of Newark, NJ

Madison, WI Campus80 Miles West of Milwaukee

Glenview, IL Campus 20 Miles North of Chicago

Career Opportunities at U.S. Career Opportunities at U.S. Kraft Sites with GTQ Facilities Kraft Sites with GTQ Facilities

*to learn about International opportunities, go to our web site www.kraft.com/careers

Beverages, Coffee, Desserts, and Cereal GTQ

Biscuit, Confections, and Salted Snacks GTQ

Oscar Mayer Cheese, Meals, Enhancers, and Pizza GTQ

Corporate HeadquartersNorthfield, IL Campus20 Miles North of Chicago

Global Marketing

Kraft’s Approach to Career DevelopmentKraft’s Approach to Career Development

1.1. Recruit the best peopleRecruit the best people

2.2. Challenge them to add the most value Challenge them to add the most value and to fulfill their potential and to fulfill their potential

3.3. Provide a wide range of career and Provide a wide range of career and development opportunitiesdevelopment opportunities

4.4. Offer World Class TrainingOffer World Class Training

KRAFT Leaders

Preparing for the InterviewPreparing for the Interview

How do I research the company?How do I research the company? What do I wear?What do I wear? How do I prepare by resume?How do I prepare by resume? How can I prepare for the interviewer’s How can I prepare for the interviewer’s

questions?questions?– A quick tutorial on Behavioral InterviewingA quick tutorial on Behavioral Interviewing

What is the protocol for informational What is the protocol for informational meetings / job fairs?meetings / job fairs?

You Will – or Should! – You Will – or Should! –

Spend More Time Getting Spend More Time Getting ReadyReady

Than You Will at the Than You Will at the

Interview Itself.Interview Itself.

Where do I start?Where do I start?

Know what you are passionate aboutKnow what you are passionate about

Know what you have to offerKnow what you have to offer

Use the resources available to you at Use the resources available to you at Engineering Career ServicesEngineering Career Services

Researching the CompanyResearching the Company

– Become familiar with the organization’s Become familiar with the organization’s products, structure, services, financial status, products, structure, services, financial status, competitors, reputation, and any major recent competitors, reputation, and any major recent changeschanges

– Learn what you can about a company’s culture Learn what you can about a company’s culture and career development opportunitiesand career development opportunities

What do I research?

Researching the CompanyResearching the Company

– Start with your Engineering Career Services Start with your Engineering Career Services resourcesresources

– Do an internet searchDo an internet search– Talk to people who have had experience at the Talk to people who have had experience at the

company…especially previous internscompany…especially previous interns– Attend job fairs and info nights to hear from Attend job fairs and info nights to hear from

the company first handthe company first hand

How do I research?

Dress for SuccessDress for Success

First impression is importantFirst impression is important

You can never go wrong with the You can never go wrong with the traditional interview suittraditional interview suit

– Suit and tie for menSuit and tie for men– Suit with skirt for womenSuit with skirt for women

Some companies have gone more casualSome companies have gone more casual– If in doubt, ask … or wear your suitIf in doubt, ask … or wear your suit

Keep your wardrobe and appearance on Keep your wardrobe and appearance on the conservative sidethe conservative side

Have Your Resume PreparedHave Your Resume Prepared

First impression is importantFirst impression is important– Spell check, keep accurateSpell check, keep accurate– One page for undergraduates, two for PhD One page for undergraduates, two for PhD

candidatescandidates

EducationEducation– Include degree, graduation date, and GPAInclude degree, graduation date, and GPA

Work experienceWork experience– Focus on relevant applicable experienceFocus on relevant applicable experience

Leadership activitiesLeadership activities

Behavioral InterviewingBehavioral Interviewing

The key to finding out how someone The key to finding out how someone will will performperform in a job is to collect examples of in a job is to collect examples of how they how they have performedhave performed in the past in the past

Past behavior predicts future behaviorPast behavior predicts future behavior

Examples include: personal leadership, Examples include: personal leadership, superior execution, risk taking, superior execution, risk taking, innovation, drive for results, etc.innovation, drive for results, etc.

What is the interviewer looking for?

Behavioral InterviewingBehavioral Interviewing

The elements of a STAR:S/T = The situation or

taskA = The action you tookR = The result of your

action

Behavioral InterviewingBehavioral Interviewing

Demonstrate, through concrete Demonstrate, through concrete examples, your accomplishments and examples, your accomplishments and underlying behaviorsunderlying behaviors

Prepare your examples ahead of timePrepare your examples ahead of time– Many examples can be adapted to suit the Many examples can be adapted to suit the

recruiter’s specific questionrecruiter’s specific question

Behavioral InterviewingBehavioral Interviewing

Tell me about a tough time you had to resolve with team members.Tell me about a tough time you had to resolve with team members.

Give me an example of a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty to get Give me an example of a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty to get a project done.a project done.

Describe a time when you’ve had to sell an idea.Describe a time when you’ve had to sell an idea.

You may have had a team project example that could be used to

answer all three of the questions above!

Behavioral Interviewing QuizBehavioral Interviewing Quiz

A: I usually have no A: I usually have no problems with my problems with my teammates. As team teammates. As team leader, I feel that it’s my leader, I feel that it’s my job to resolve issues job to resolve issues quickly and move on. quickly and move on. Sometimes we disagree Sometimes we disagree but we always find a but we always find a compromise that suits compromise that suits everyone.everyone.

B: Our Senior Design B: Our Senior Design team was having difficulty team was having difficulty agreeing on how to divide agreeing on how to divide responsibilities. As team responsibilities. As team leader, I made a list of the leader, I made a list of the individual tasks and asked individual tasks and asked everyone to choose 3 everyone to choose 3 items. Handling the items. Handling the problem that way helped problem that way helped us to get past the issue us to get past the issue quickly. quickly.

Tell me about a tough time you had to resolve with team members.

Behavioral Interviewing QuizBehavioral Interviewing Quiz

A: Our Senior Design A: Our Senior Design project was due in two project was due in two days and we hadn’t days and we hadn’t completed all of the completed all of the computer simulation. One computer simulation. One teammate and I took turns teammate and I took turns running the analysis at running the analysis at night while our third team night while our third team member wrote the member wrote the presentation. We were presentation. We were able to turn in the project able to turn in the project on time.on time.

B: Our Senior Design B: Our Senior Design project was due in two project was due in two days and we hadn’t days and we hadn’t completed all of the completed all of the computer simulation. But computer simulation. But we all pitched in and we all pitched in and worked through the night. worked through the night. I think that our final I think that our final presentation went very presentation went very well.well.

Give me an example of a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty to get a project done.

Behavioral Interviewing QuizBehavioral Interviewing Quiz

A: My team often looks to A: My team often looks to me for ideas because of me for ideas because of my creative side. For my creative side. For Senior Design, I sold the Senior Design, I sold the team on the idea of doing team on the idea of doing the distillation project. the distillation project. After some discussion, After some discussion, the team agreed with my the team agreed with my suggestion.suggestion.

B: Our team had to B: Our team had to choose a project for Senior choose a project for Senior Design and the distillation Design and the distillation project looked very project looked very interesting to me. I interesting to me. I explained to my team why I explained to my team why I thought it would be thought it would be challenging and gave my challenging and gave my thoughts on how we could thoughts on how we could approach the project. approach the project. After some discussion, the After some discussion, the team agreed with my team agreed with my suggestion. suggestion.

Describe a time when you’ve had to sell an idea.

Behavioral InterviewingBehavioral Interviewing

Experiences to use:School Projects, Intern

Experiences, Summer Jobs, Volunteer Examples, Hobbies

& Special Interests...

Informational Meetings and Job FairsInformational Meetings and Job Fairs

– Golden Rule: Talk to the company reps!Golden Rule: Talk to the company reps!

– Use the time for researchUse the time for research Find out all you can about the company … it’s Find out all you can about the company … it’s

structure, culture, career opportunities, location, structure, culture, career opportunities, location, etc.etc.

– Use the time as a “mini-interview” Use the time as a “mini-interview” Always bring a resume and be ready to sell Always bring a resume and be ready to sell

yourselfyourself– Career Fairs are where many companies pre-select Career Fairs are where many companies pre-select

their interview schedulestheir interview schedules

How should I take advantage of info nights and job fairs?

Informational Meetings and Job FairsInformational Meetings and Job Fairs

Tips:Tips:– Dress the part … business casual is usually Dress the part … business casual is usually

appropriateappropriate– Bring a resumeBring a resume– Be ready to “interview”Be ready to “interview”– Bring a list of questionsBring a list of questions– Smile and have fun … this is also your Smile and have fun … this is also your

chance to “interview” the companychance to “interview” the company

Informational Meetings and Job FairsInformational Meetings and Job Fairs

The dreaded company rep question…The dreaded company rep question…

““So do you have any questions about XYZ So do you have any questions about XYZ Company?”Company?”

The answer to this question is always “Yes!”

Informational Meetings and Job FairsInformational Meetings and Job Fairs

Good questions to ask:Good questions to ask:– ““Can you tell me about the job responsibilities Can you tell me about the job responsibilities

of a new hire?”of a new hire?”– ““What are the types of projects that an intern What are the types of projects that an intern

would work on at XYZ?”would work on at XYZ?”– ““What are the qualities that make someone What are the qualities that make someone

successful at XYZ Company?”successful at XYZ Company?”– ““How do you train your new hires?”How do you train your new hires?”– ““What do you find most challenging about What do you find most challenging about

your job?”your job?”

Informational Meetings and Job FairsInformational Meetings and Job Fairs

Avoid questions about:Avoid questions about:– Salary or bonusesSalary or bonuses

– Vacation or holiday scheduleVacation or holiday schedule

– Repeating something they’ve already talked Repeating something they’ve already talked about, unless it is to get further clarificationabout, unless it is to get further clarification

So you’ve done you’re homework…So you’ve done you’re homework…

You’ve researched the companyYou’ve researched the company

You know what to wearYou know what to wear

You’ve prepared your resumeYou’ve prepared your resume

You have your list of STAR You have your list of STAR examplesexamples

You’ve been to the info nightYou’ve been to the info night

Take a deep breath and smile…

You’re ready for the interview!