Interviewing  101Resumes

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Interviewing

Starting  a  new  Job

Donald  A.  Upson,  Ph.D.October  21,  2017

9  Proven  Steps  – take  no  short-­cuts!

1. Resume  preparation2. Identify  target  employers3. Research  target  companies  and  their  needs4. Cover  Letter  – link  your  abilities  to  company  needs5. References6. Interviewing  skills.    Phone/Skype  interview7. Interviewing  skills.    On-­site interview8. Job  Offer  – how  to  respond9. Starting  a  new  job  and  super-­charging  your  careero Introduction  and  Welcomeo Program  Structureo About  Mentoringo Expectations  for  Mentorso Expectations  for  Menteeso The  Mentorship  Process/Timelineso Program  Resources

Resume  – your  key  “Sales”  document• You  have  30-­‐90  seconds  to  impress  hiring  Manager!

• Key  Facts  hiring  manager  is  looking  for:    Does/Do…

1. Your  degreematch  the  job  requirements2. Your  career  objectivematch  the  job3. Your  accomplishments prove  you  can  perform  the  job4. Your  writing  show  skill,  attention  to  detail,  intelligence

• You  need  to  beat  about  100  applicants.    Check  all  the  boxes  and  you  will  be  as  competitive  as  possible.

Constructing  your  Resume• General  Principles– Make  it  Easy for  the  hiring  manager  to  find  your  Degree,  Objective,  and  Accomplishments

– Brief• 2  pages  max.    At  least  12  Font.    Business-­‐like• Leave  white  space  for  manager’s  note-­‐taking• Prioritize  – only  include  what  is  directly relevant.    Do  not  overwhelm  the  manager  with  all  you  have  ever  done.

– Letter  Perfect  – perfect  spelling  and  grammar

– Customized to  each  audience

Constructing  your  Resume  – Nuts  and  Bolts  – 1  

• Name,  contact  info,  highest  degree(s)– Addresses  key  fact  #1

• Objective:    write  it  to  match the  job  applied  for– Addresses  key  fact  #2

• Education:    UG,  Grad,  Postdoc,  anticipated  Degrees.– Ph.D.  – Dissertation  Title,  Major  Prof,  years  at  UA,  special  honors.    Enhances  key  fact  #1

– BS/BA/MS  – where,  when,  GPA,  honors

Constructing  your  Resume  – Nuts  and  Bolts  – 2  

• Experience:    Most  significant  Accomplishments  (addresses  key  fact  #3)  – Ph.D.  Research  – what  did  you  do,  why  does  it  matter?– Previous  employment  – valuable  if  relevant to  the  job

• Short  Personal  Section  – items  that  show  your  ability  to  persevere  and  succeed  (Eagle  Scout,  1st Violin,  etc.)

• References – Line  up  3.    They  may  only  be  called  if  you  are  in  the  Top  3-­‐5  candidates  for  the  job.

Step  2:    Identify  Target  Employers  – 1• Strategic  Decisions– Large,  Medium,  or  Small  Company?– Public,  Private  or  Government?– Geography  – where  are  you  willing  to  go?– How  closely  does  job  need  to  mirror  Ph.D.  work?– Type  of  work:    Research,  Development,  Support– Advancement:    Important?    Rather  stay  at  Bench?– Do  you  have  a  spouse  that  needs  a  job  in  same  area?    

Identify  Target  Employers  – 2  

• ID  Employers  that  fit  (most  of*)  your  criteria– Confirm  “fit”  through  research  as  necessary– *  No  such  thing  as  the  “perfect”  job  situation

• Seek  Connections– LinkedIn:    find  previous  CBC  grads  at  the  company– Professor  that  has  links,  maybe  consults  for  company

Step  3:    What  do  the  Target  Companies  Need?• They  fit  your needs.    But  do  YOU  fit  THEIR  needs?

• Job  Posting  will  list  needed  skills,  experience

• Check  Website  for  added  clues

• Use  your  connections

• If  you  attend  a  professional  meeting,  seek  out  chemists/biochemists  from  the  company.

Step  4:    Cover  Letter

• Up  to  2/3  of  a  page

• Address  it  as  directed  in  the  job  posting.    

• How  to  write  it:– From  your  list  of  Company  Needs,  show  how  you  can  fulfill  (most  if  not  all  of)  those  needs.  

– Don’t  repeat  your  resume  – refer  to  it.  – Ask  directly to  set  up  a  phone  interview.

Step  5  – References

• Recruit  3  references  that  know  your  work,  skills,  personality  and character.

• Hiring  manager’s  purposes  for  reference  calls:– Check  your  skills,  work  ethic,  and  character– Gain  evidence  of  your  personality  and  fit– Learn  about  your  teamwork,  leadership  and  communications skills

– Not  all  hiring  managers  make  reference  calls

Step  6  – The  Phone/Skype  Interview  – 1  • Congratulations!    If  you  get  a  phone/Skype  interview  you  are  a  Top  5  candidate!

• Skype requires  added  preparation  – dress  well,  ensure  your    “set  up”  is  right…camera,  lighting,  microphone  – do  a  “dry  run”  with  a  friend.    Look  directly  into  the  camera.

• Your  next  goal  is  to  become  a  Top  3,  one  that  will  be  on-­‐site interviewed.  Don’t  become  #4  or  #5!

Step  6  – The  Phone/Skype  Interview  – 2• Phone  interviews  generally  focus  on  softer  skills  and  attitudes,  similar  to  the  Reference  call….  

…unless on  Skype.  Prepare  a  3-­‐5-­‐min  version  of  your  seminar.   Objective,  Experimental  design,  results,  conclusions,  next  steps.

– Career  goals  – what  you  want  to  learn,  where  you  want  to  be  in  X  years

– Listening  and  communication  skills• Do  you  answer  the  questions  that  are  asked?• Organization,  brevity  of  responses• Confidence,  enthusiasm

Step  6  – The  Phone/Skype  Interview  – 3

• Motivation:  besides  income,  what  do  you  want?–Work  on  projects  that  matter  for  the  company– Learn  from  colleagues  and  other  disciplines– Advancement– Publish,  present,  patent  to  grow  as  a  professional

• Flexibility,  risk-­‐taking.    Willing  to:– Follow  your  research  results  into  production?– Accept  a  project  for  which  you  have  little  background?

Step  6  – The  Phone/Skype  Interview  – 4

• Show  high  Interest  in  the  Company:    prove  you  KNOW  what  they  do,  and  make  connections  between  what  they  do  and  what  you  can  do.

• Emphasize  evidence  of  your  teamwork

• Accomplishments  you  are  most  proud  of

• Interest  in  the  company  location  (See  step  2).

Step  7:    Interviewing  skills  – the  on-­‐site  interview  – 1  General  advice• Seek  an  “unfair”  advantage!    I’ll  provide  ideas  for  how.

• Schedule  interviews  close  together  – a  goal  is  to  have  multiple  offers/choice

• Pay  attention  to  grooming,  hygiene,  posture,  manners,  eye  contact,  and  wear  a  conservative  business  suit.

• You  are  the  “Product.”    The  secret  to  selling  yourself:    Maximize  the  Perceived  Value you  can  bring.

Interviewing  skills  – the  on-­‐site  interview  – 2• Preparation

– Predict  >90%  of  the  questions  you  will  be  asked.• Devise  your  answers,  short  and  focused  – this  will  set  you  apart  from  most  competitors!    Unfair  advantage!

– You  will  be  asked,  “What  questions  do  you  have?”• It  is  very unimpressive  to  have  none!  Prepare.  Unfair  advantage!• Ideas  – find  out  about:    Company  culture,  Projects  and  project  teams  – how  formed  and  led,  Will  a  mentor  be  assigned  to  you,  how  decisions  get  made,  performance  evaluations,  what  do  you  like  best/worst  about  the  company,  etc.,  etc.

– Prepare  a  3-­‐5  minute  summary  of  your  seminar  to  give  several  times  during  the  day  to  potential  co-­‐workers  who  could  not  come  to  the  main  event.

Interviewing  skills  – the  on-­‐site  interview  – 3

• Seminar  – done  well,  gain  advantage  over  others

– Teach:    you  are  the  world’s  expert  in  your  area– Don’t  present  too  much!    Bigmistake…– Speak  conversationally,  not  too  fast.    – Allow  time  for  discussion– Show  only  enough  of  your  process  and  data  to  clearly  make  your  points,  and  draw  your  conclusions

Interviewing  skills  – the  on-­‐site  interview  – 4• Seminar  – Purposes  

– See  you  perform  on  your  feet  – looking  for  confidence,  clarity,  courtesy,  enthusiasm

– Judge  your  communication  skills,  the  ability  to:• Stay  focused  and  logical.  Each  section  flows  from  the  previous  and  sets  up  the  next• Show  how  you  think  as  a  scientist• Clearly  answer  questions.  • Teach

Step  8:    Job  Offer!    How  to  respond?

• Phone  the  hiring  manager  immediately– Thank  her/him  for  the  offer.    Express  excitement– Indicate  schedule  for  making  a  decision

• OK  to  ask  for  up  to  2  weeks.  Longer  can  be  a  problem…• Do  not  stall  or  offer  may  be  rescinded

– Ask  about  any  assistance  with  moving  costs– Ask  to  be  connected  to  a  real  estate  agent– As  soon  as  you  can,  commit to  a  starting  date,  or  turn  it  down  – be  decisive

Step  9:    How  to  start  a  new  job,  and…super-­‐charge  your  career  – 1  

• The  first  day(s)– Get  to  know  your  management  and  colleagues– Be  introduced  to  your  mentor  – form  a  tight  bond– Find  your  way  around– Learn  the  projects  you  will  work  on,  their  goals  and  status,  and  meet  with  your  team  members

– Learn  about  your  colleagues’  projects,  ask  questions,  take  notes.  

Step  9:    How  to  start  a  new  job,  and…super-­‐charge  your  career  – 2

• The  first  month

– Cycle  back  to  your  mentor  & management  frequently,  ask  questions

– Devote  time  to  meet  with  your  project  leader(s)  to:  • Understand  background  information,  your  role,  objectives,  timeline,  your  teammates and  how  you  are  expected  to  work  together

Step  9:    How  to  start  a  new  job,  and…super-­‐charge  your  career  – 3

• The  first  year(s)– Seek  out  important  projects– Tightly  focus  on  your  project’s  needs– Be  open  to  suggestions  of  team  members– Do  more  than  expected  – Have  the  attitude  that  you  are  “re-­‐interviewing”  for  your  job  every  single  day.

–Make  no  enemies  – even  if  you  feel  slighted– No  such  thing  as  a  “perfect  job”  – take  the  long  view

Step  9:    How  to  start  a  new  job,  and…super-­‐charge  your  career  – 4

• The  first  year(s)  – 2  

– Accomplish as  much  as  possible.   Your  goal:  become  a  “High  Potential  Employee!”

• Document  your  contributions,  especially  Invention  Records  • Patent,  publish,  present  whenever  possible• Present  your  work  to  upper  management  and  get  known  • Accomplishments/Skills  are  your  job  security.  The  current  job  may  vanish,  but  your  accomplishments  and  skills  will  usually  take  you  to  the  next  opportunity.

Final  Thoughts

In  conclusion….

• Use  your  CiCS mentors  to  the  fullest– They  can  help  with  the  details.    Their  approach  may  be  different,  but  the  goals  are  universal

• This  PowerPoint  will  be  available  to  you  through  CiCS

• Open  for  Questions