Interviewing Strategies & Skills

What is an ‘INTERVIEW’??

An Interview Is A Conversation Between Two Or MorePeople Where Questions Are Asked By The InterviewerTo Elicit Facts Or Statements From The Interviewee.

Interview Process (3 Steps)

1. Preparation

Know yourself

Be Able To Articulate YOURSkillsValues InterestsAbilitiesLong Term Plans

Be Able To Give Examples Of Them Know Your Resume Inside Out Use Common Sense

Know The Employer

Research! Research! Research! Prepare To Demonstrate Your Knowledge Of The

Profession And The Company Prepare To Give Reasons For Your Interest In Working

In That Profession/Company Develop Questions In Advance To Ask About The

Job/Organization

Common Questions To Prepare

Tell Me About Yourself.

Why Do You Want This Job?

How Did You Become Interested In This Field Of Work?

What Do You Have To Offer This Organization?

What Are Some Of Your Strengths And Weaknesses?

What Do You See Yourself Doing In Five Years?

How Do You Handle Stress And Pressure?

Why Are You Leaving Or Have Left Your Job?

Why Should We Hire You?

What Are Your Goals For The Future?

Rehearse

Practice • Tape Recorder• Mirror • Video Camera• Friends, Family

Visualize The Interview No Memorized Answers

• Just Concepts And Key “Buzz Words”

Interview Process (3 Steps)

2. Presentation / The Actual Interview

Types Of Interview

On Campus Interviews Screening Interviews

On Site Interviews Second Round Interviews

One On One Panel Interviews

Group Interviews Over A Meal

First impressions

Men Women

SuitJacketPressed ShirtNo Beepers

SuitPlain JewelryNo PerfumeHair Groomed

Different clothing types

Professional DressInterview outfitDaily clothing for professional office setting

Business Casual DressDress down Fridays or casual office environmentCareer Fair

Casual DressCompany picnicTraveling for work

Women’s Professional

Women’s Business Casual

Women’s Casual

Men’s Professional

Men’s Business Casual

Men’s Casual

Hints

Dress For The Position You Want, Not The Position You Have Men

Wear A White T-shirt Under Dress Shirt Helps With PerspirationHave Someone Help You Tie Your Tie

WomenPull Hair BackGo Easy On Make UpOne Ring Per Hand

Accessories

Shoes Polished, Comfortable

Socks/Hose Do Not Go Without Socks/Hose

Belts If Have Belt Loops, Wear A Belt

Jewelry Minimal

Purse/Attache Case

Day Of The Interview

Fresh Shower, Well Groomed Leave Plenty Of Time For Mishaps Eat Prior To The Interview

Avoid Too Much Caffeine And Sugar Arrive Early

15Too Early Makes Interviewers Nervous Minutes Ample Time

When Arriving A Business, Be Courteous To All Employees

The Interview

Give A Firm But Gentle Handshake When You Meet Your Interviewer(s)

Sit When Invited To Do So Make Direct Eye Contact And Remember To Smile. From The Moment You Meet, Your Communication With

The Interviewer Forms Part Of The Decision-making As To Whether To Recruit You; In Fact Most Decisions Are Made Within The First Three Minutes! So, You Need To Be Aware Of Both Your Verbal And Non-verbal Communication Skills

Verbal Communication

Verbal Communication Show Genuine Interest In The Position Listen And Answer The Questions Asked Never Argue A Point If You Do Not Understand Or Hear A

Question, Ask For It To Be Repeated Do Not Interrupt

Non-verbal Communication

Appearance And Mannerisms Are Very Important – Think Of Body Language And Facial

Expressions Put Your Feet Squarely On The Floor Or Cross Your Legs

At The Ankle Put Anything You Are Carrying On The Floor Rest Your Hands In Your Lap Nod Your Head To Show You Are Listening Do Not Fidget Be Serious But Do Not Forget To Smile

Mistakes To Avoid In An Interview

× Be late × Fidget or look at your watch × Argue × Put anything on the interviewer’s desk × Say anything negative × Appear indifferent × Appear aggressive or act in a superior way – nobody

likes this! × Show too much interest in money and holidays

Tricky Questions

a.k.a..

Behavioral Questions

Behavioral Interview Techniques

S - Situation T - Task A - Action R - Result

STAR METHOD

Behavioral Interview Questions

Give me an example of a problem you encountered & how you handled it? Give me an example of a time when you faced a lot of obstacles to

achieving a goal… Talk about a stressful situation you’ve experienced… Tell me about a time when you’ve been a team player.. Tell me about a project or role that you’ve taken on that is outside your

job description…. How have you handled situations in which you had to deal with something

that you're not totally comfortable with? How do you build your confidence? Give me an example of how you’ve failed… Tell me about a time when you’ve had to challenge authority...

Closing The Interview

• Ask Your Questions - Make Sure You Have Asked All YourPrepared Questions About The Job, Company AndManagement.

• Reinforce The Positive - This Is The Time To Make A PositiveClosing Statement By Highlighting Why You Are The BestJob Candidate.

• Make Sure You Have Addressed The Interviewers Concerns -You Want To Be Sure That All The Issues Have Been DealtWith. Try An Approach Such As,"are There Any Issues OrConcerns That I Need To Address?"

Closing The Interview

• Find Out the Next Step - you need to know exactly whathappens next in the interview process - a second interview,assessments, a medical etc. Establish the timeframe for ahiring decision to be made and who you should get intouch with to follow up the status of your application.

• Thank the Interviewer - Thank the interviewer sincerelyfor the time spent with you. Give a firm handshake andmake confident eye contact when doing this. Ask for abusiness card from the interviewer to follow up and writea thank you note.

Interview Process (3 Steps)

3. Post-Interview / Follow Up

Most Importantly

Remember to be yourself…

Everyone is nervous…

Be prepared

Hope You Learned SomethingWorthwhile..