Interviewing Skills

Interviewing Skills Before you view this PowerPoint, go to View, then Notes Page, so you can see all of the extra information that make the slides more helpful!

Interviewing Skills Tips and Tricks for a Great Interview

Interviewing Skills What is the purpose of the interview? • A way to see firsthand what the organization is like • Gather information about the position • Determine fit with the organization and position • Tell the hiring manager/committee about your skills

Interviewing SkillsWhat to do before the interview: • Research the organization • Mission/Vision/Values • Company History • Products and/or Services • Interviewer Profile • Plan ahead • Map/Directions • Parking • Select appropriate attire • Organizational Culture • Industry • Personality • Comfort • Mock Interviews

Interviewing Skills • Research the organization • Company website • Industry websites • Online (Google, Glass Door, Vault) • Personal Network • Friends and Family • Professional Network • Professional Associations • Professors and Colleagues • LinkedIn

Interviewing Skills • Interview Attire • Business Professional • Business Casual • Business Creative • Industry Quirks • Dress for Success Workshops

Interviewing Skills • Practice • Get Your Story Straight • Mock Interviews • Behavioral Interview • STAR Technique • Technical Interview • Questions for the Hiring Committee

Interviewing Skills • Behavioral Interviewing • Not the typical "Tell me about your strengths and weaknesses" questions • Instead, you'll be asked to provide specific examples of past experience highlighting skills that are necessary for the job • Use STAR Technique to answer based on • Class projects and extracurricular activities • Internships and professional experience • Volunteer experience

Interviewing Skills • Purpose of Behavioral Interviewing • To use past behavior to predict future behavior • To determine the potential for success • To look for evidence of desired traits

Interviewing SkillsExamples of Desired Traits • Teamwork • Communication • Problem solving skills • Conflict management • Initiative • Leadership • Intercultural competence • Continuous learning • Influence • Decisiveness • Flexibility • Business Acumen

Interviewing Skills Common Behavioral Interviewing Questions: • Describe a time when you needed to persuade a person or group to do something they didn't want to do. • Tell me about a time when you faced a lot of obstacles to achieving a goal. • Talk about a stressful situation you've experienced. How did you handle it? • Tell me about a time when you failed.

Interviewing Skills Common Behavioral Interviewing Questions: • Tell me about a project or role that you've taken on that is outside your job description. • Tell me about a time when you went above and beyond at work without being asked. • Describe a time when you had trouble seeing eye to eye with a colleague. How did you handle the situation? • Give me an example of when you worked with a group or team of people to complete a project.

Interviewing Skills Common Behavioral Interviewing Questions: • Tell me about a time that you received a significant amount of critical feedback. How did you handle the situation? • Talk about a time when you were faced with a difficult decision and describe how it turned out. • Give me an example of a time when you were forced to make an important decision without all of the necessary information.

Interviewing Skills • Answer behavioral interviewing questions using theSTAR technique • Situation or Task • Action • Result • Positive outcome OR • What you learned from past mistakes Be able to describe the situation or task in 60-90 seconds.

Interviewing Skills • Behavioral Interviewing/STAR Technique Preparation • Think about situations which match typical behavioral interviewing questions • Write down related experiences using the STAR method • Practice talking about the experience • You may want to record (audio or video) yourself • Optimal resume has mock interview module • During the interview, answer questions succinctly • Avoid rambling

Interviewing Skills STAR Technique Practice: Tell me about a time you demonstrated leadership at work. S/T During my last semester of school, I completed an internship at XYZ Corp. I was the first intern the department had ever had, and they decided they wanted to continue with an official internship program. In order to successfully launch this program, my supervisor asked me to create and administer a training curriculum for the new, incominginterns. A To complete this task, I outlined all the procedures the new interns would need to learn about such as……... Next, I created a three day training agenda covering these topics. Finally, I facilitated it tofour new interns. R The training was a huge success. On a survey completed after the training, all fourinterns rated the program a 10 out of 10 in the areas of usefulness and creativity. In addition, each intern rated my communication and leadership styles as “Excellent.”

Interviewing Skills Be careful! Behavioral Interviewing Pitfalls: • Too much information is shared (TMI) • Potential weaknesses are exposed • Redundant responses • Don’t use the same example (or two) for every question • Off target or abstract answers • Incomplete answers (Most common)

Interviewing Skills • Technical Interviewing • Assess knowledge and expertise related to job scope • Evaluate job competency level • Probing questions may be used to • Gain specifics • Discover truthfulness of resume information • Clarify understanding • Questions vary depending on area of expertise, job

Interviewing Skills • Technical Interview Preparation • Go through job description • Find key words • Formulate your own questions related to those skills • Practice answering those questions • Be clear about your role in group projects • Research anything you are unclear about

Interviewing Skills • Technical Interview Preparation Example • Job description indicates a need for experience with PSpice • Be able to articulate what PSpice is • Be able to explain your experience with PSpice • What is the most complex project you have done with PSpice? Describe it. • Be able to explain what PSpice is best suited for (or not well suited for)

Interviewing Skills Critical Thinking Questions: • Evaluate critical thinking skills • Assess how candidates deal with unexpected situations • It is ok to think the problem through, you don’t need to answer immediately; employers would rather have someone who thinks things through than one who speaks without thinking

Interviewing Skills Examples of Critical Thinking Questions: • Why are manhole covers round? • A car is travelling along a highway carrying helium balloons in the rear seat. The car has a head on collision and comes to a rapid stop. Which direction do the balloons travel? Why? • If you have a refrigerator in a room and leave the door of the refrigerator open, what happens to the temperature of the room? • On a canoe in a pool, you take a 16 pound bowling ball out of the canoe and throw it in the pool. What happens to the water level of the pool?

Interviewing Skills Other Common Interview Questions: • Tell me about yourself • Why did you choose your major? • Why do you want to work here? • What do you know about this company? • Where do you see yourself in 5 years? • What are your strengths and/or weaknesses?

Interviewing Skills How to Handle These Other Common Interview Questions: • Be honest • Do your research before the interview • Ideally, strengths should relate to job skills • Weaknesses should NOT be a critical job skill

Interviewing Skills Other Interviewing Tips: • No one ‘right’ answer • Conversation • Assess fit

Interviewing Skills • Questions for the Hiring Manager/Committee • How would you describe the company’s culture and leadership philosophy? • Could you give me some examples of projects that I’d be working on? • What is the single largest problem facing your staff, and would I be in a position to help you solve this problem? • Is this a new position, or did someone leave? If someone left, why did they leave or what did they go on to do? • What would you say are the three most important skills needed to excel in this position?

Interviewing Skills Common Interview Mistakes: • Not preparing/learning about the organization • Coming without copies of your resume, work example, and a padfolio to take notes • Inappropriate clothing, perfume, accessories choices • Leaving phone on • Arriving late (or way too early) • Treating the receptionist or other staff rudely • Asking about vacation and benefits

Interviewing Skills Common Interview Mistakes: • Talking too much or talking in circles • Verbal tics (Umm, Like, You know) • Badmouthing past employers and/or colleagues • Not asking questions of them • Not enough or too much eye contact • Limp or crushing handshake

Interviewing Skills The Travel Interview: • Assume you are being interviewed at all times • Use travel time to prepare • Check in at front desk/security early • Turn cell phone off • Store any extra items (luggage, coat, etc) • Review materials

Interviewing Skills The Restaurant Interview: • Use good manners • This is still an interview, not lunch with friends • Some employers will work with restaurant staff to deliberately test how you handle difficult situations • Potential employer pays • Do NOT pay or offer to pay

Interviewing Skills The Committee Interview: • Multiple interviewers at the same time • Different perspectives, skills, and experiences • Engage everyone on the hiring committee • Tailor answers to different audiences • Make eye contact with everyone at some point

Interviewing Skills The Group Interview: • One or more interviewer and many job candidates interviewing at the same time • Use good manners • Stand out but do not dismiss or belittle the competition • Engage others in the group

Interviewing Skills Illegal Interview Questions in the US and How to Handle Them • Race, ethnicity, cultural identity • Religion • Disability status • Pregnancy If you are interviewing for work in another country, these questions may be legal.

Interviewing Skills Illegal Interview Questions and How to Handle Them: • Answer anyway • Refuse to answer and indicate why • Answer the question you think they’re actually trying to ask

Interviewing Skills Intercultural Competence: • If you are an international student applying for jobs in the US or if you are a US student applying for expat positions • Research interview expectations and cultural differences BEFORE the interview • GoingGlobal, via Sun Devil CareerLink, has excellent resources • Adapt accordingly

Interviewing SkillsWhat to bring to the interview: • Copies of Resume/CV • Clean and Unfolded • Copy of Job Description • Folio • Black, Brown, Oxblood • Leather or other professional material • Reference Sheet • Portfolio • Paper • Electronic • Notepad and Pen • Questions for them

Interviewing SkillsWhat to do before you leave: • Smile • Ask about the hiring timeline • Say ‘Thank You’ • Affirm your interest in the position • Shake hands • Firm • Confident

Interviewing Skills • Follow Up • Thank you note(s) • Handwritten • Electronic • Forward requested materials

Interviewing Skills • Thank You Note • Handwritten • More formal organizations • When hiring timeline allows • Write and send within 24 hours • Send to every interviewer, if possible • Proofread Write or type the note out first on scratch paper or your computer BEFORE writing on professional stationary.

Interviewing Skills • Thank You Note • Email • Less formal organizations • Short hiring timeline • Write and send within 24 hours • Possible weekend exceptions • Send to every interviewer, if possible • Proofread

Interviewing Skills • Resources • ASU Fulton Engineering Career Center • http://more.engineering.asu.edu/career/ • University Career Services • https://eoss.asu.edu/cs

For More Information Connect with Fulton Engineering Career Center Phone: (480) 965-2966 Email: engineering.careers@asu.edu Website: http://engineering.asu.edu/career Sun Devil CareerLink:MyASU>Campus Services>Jobs & Careers>Sun Devil CareerLink Facebook:Engineering Career Center Arizona State University

Interviewing Skills