Interview Preparation Techniques May 5, 2011

1. Interview Preparation Techniques • May 5, 2011

2. INTERVIEW • Definition for interview • Types of interview • Preparation for interviews • Do’s and Don’ts • Interview questions • Useful Website

3. Interview • An interview is a conversation between two people (the interviewer and the interviewee) where questions are asked by the interviewer to obtain information from the interviewee. • Arranged to examine the suitability of the candidate • Tested for subject knowledge, skills and desired behavior within a limited timeframe.

4. Types of Interview • Phone Interview: One interviewer on candidate. Typically without visual connection. • Panel Interview: Three or more experts sit across a table from the candidate. • Face-to-Face Interviews: One interviewer one candidate. Informal in nature less distance between interviewer and candidate less stressful and relaxed environment compared to panel interview.

5. Prior Interview • Know the company • Go to the company website • Annual reports • Business news papers, magazines • Directly contact the employees

6. Know Thyself • Why are you qualified for this role? • Why are you better than the competition? • What projects have you done in the past that prepare you for this role. • What are your weaknesses and how can you compensate? • Why are you worth the risk?

7. Know thyself • Who can sing your praises better than you? • Prepare answers to these questions • Prepare examples of how you have done this job in the past • Be ready to show how what you have done in the past will work in this role even if it is different than what you know. • Be ready for them to try to sink your battle ship.

8. During an interview Employers Evaluate • Self Confidence – you should be confident while appearing for interview • Interpersonal skills –listen attentively and answer to the questions asked by the interviewer • Honesty – While answering in the interview, even if you don’t know the answer for certain question, be honest in answer to the interviewer.

9. Non- verbal or BodyLanguage • Posture: Square your shoulder to your audience. This makes you seem open and approachable. It also helps you feel more centered. • Make eye contact when you speak, but avoid continuous staring • Don’t use too many hand movements and frequent change of facial expressions not in relation to words you have expressed

10. Do’s • Do show enthusiasm in the position and the company • Do make sure that your good points come across to the interviewer in a factual sincere manner • Do stress your achievements

11. Do’s • Take a practice run to the location where you are having the interview • If presented with a job application, fill it out neatly, completely and accurately • Bring extra resumes to the interview • Greetthe interviewer & do shake hands firmly • Wait until you are offered a chair before sitting.

12. DON’TS • Avoid controversial topics (religion and politics) • Don’t lie. Answer questions truthfully, frankly and succinctly • Don’t say anything negative about former colleagues, supervisors, or employers • Don’t answer questions with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Explain whenever possible. Describe those things about yourself that showcase your talents, skills and determination. Give examples.

13. Don'ts • Don’t inquire about salary, vacations, bonuses, retirement, or other benefits on the first interview. • Don’t bring up or discuss personal issues or family problems • Don’t give a chronology of your job history. That should be known from your resume. Discuss specific situations that relate to the role and where you were when you did this.

14. Rejected by the committees • Vague and irrelevant answers to the questions • Very fidgety: little eye contact; nervous mannerism, such as playing with hair, nail biting etc. • Lack of sincerity or Sarcastic humor • Utter superficial remarks to impress the interviewer – project work

15. INTERVIEW QUESTIONS Tell me about yourself. Why did you leave your previous job? What sort of job you are looking for? What appeals to you about this job? Why do you think you’d be good at this job? What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? What skills do you have that would benefit our company?Would you accept this job if it were offered to you? What do you know about this company? If you take this job, how long would you stay? Don’t you think you may be over-qualified?

16. Tell Me About Yourself The most often asked question in interviews Tell your academic record Your skills Your qualification etc. Talk about things you have done and jobs you have held that relate to the position you are interviewing for Time: 3 minutes Prepare written answer for this question and rehearse

17. Top 4 hard to answer Questions • Why did you get fired/ terminated? - This question is tricky yet needs to be answered with full honesty. The interviewer would want to hear your honesty and your side of the story. Support your answer with a very good explanation. In case you get fired due to legal issues, explain that you were currently working on it and that it does not have anything to do with your performance. Your explanation in your answer is very important; it should be direct and should not contain intersections.

18. Top 4 hard to answer Questions 2. Tell me about problems you encountered with Supervisors- Another tricky question that will test how you worked with your superiors. I suggest not to be too honest in answering this question. For example, common observations such as being bossy, opinionated, authoritarian, or being a keen observer are the common traits of a Supervisor that are incorrectly used. Instead, cite a personal experience that you had encounter with a supervisor so that the interviewer would understand why it became your problem.

19. Top 4 hard to answer Questions 3. What Qualities do you look for in a boss? - Do not answer with the most common traits that a boss should possess like "being nice to employees" or a good leader. You should relate your answer with your work. For example “My ideal boss is someone who can make time to hear employees' opinions or ideas, and a boss who cares to listen and give fair his/her opinion with my work.”

20. Top 4 hard to answer Questions 4. As a professional, do you have any disappointments? - Cite the experience that really disappoints you, as you relay the story behind it make sure that you state something that you have learned after.

21. Why did you leave your last job? • An explanation exists that doesn’t make you sound like a “problem employee” and your former employer does not sound like an undesirable company. As unfair as it may seem, no time is the right time to say something bad about your former employer. It can be said about the lack of potential for upward mobility, the fact that your job responsibilities changed to the point that they no longer fit into your career plans, your need for a more challenging job, or anything else that does not get into personalities or other conflicts. Practice your answer to this question with someone who has Interview experience. However, don’t lie. If you can’t say anything positive about your former employer, don’t say anything. It could come back to haunt you.

22. What do you think you do to be good at this job? • The best is to stay general and say something like: A job where I love the work, like the people, and can contribute more to the company • A job which is challenging, a job which gives me opportunities to prove my knowledge and skills

23. What are your strengths ? • Strength of your subject knowledge • Your ability to prioritize • Your problem –solving skills • Your ability to work under pressure, • Your ability to focus on projects • Your professional expertise, • Your leadership skills and • your positive attitude.

24. What are your weaknesses? • This is where you make a weakness a strength. • A “good” weakness might be that you have trouble leaving the office behind when you go home in the evenings. This is a very difficult question that is not asked often, but it’s the one you should prepare for anyway. If you talk about your temper, your tendency to gossip or the fact that you’re lazy, you may as well pack up and go home right then. If you mention a weakness such as your lack of patience with people who don’t do their share of the work, you should also mention that you keep this impatience to yourself and try very hard not to express it toward others.

25. What appeals to you about this job? • Speak specifically to your skills as they related to the role and how you love doing them. • Talk about how you can grow in the role and be an integral part of the company’s growth as well.

26. What do you know about this company ? • Go to the website and look for the details like company, products, services, year of starting the company, their annual reports,agenda. • How many workers are working in that company, volume of the business future plan of business and other specific details . • How would you be an asset to this company? - Another tough question. Confidence is the key to surpass this one. Give a clear two-liner explanation on how you can become an asset to the company

27. We don’t see where you are a good fit. • If your skills are not exactly those that the company may have requested, you can point out those skills that would be valuable to any company. • Examples of these skills are your ability to plan and execute long-term projects, your ability to organize information into usable data, you can mention how quickly you were able to adapt and learn in other situations.

28. Would accept this job, if were offered to you ? • Yes, I believe that my work ethic and skillset dovetail beautifully with the corporate direction and culture as you have laid it out for me. • No, you have give reason.

29. If you take this job,how long would you stay ? • You see an opportunity to grow in this role and with the organization so you see this as a long term commitment. • The opportunity to contribute to an organization and be a part of it’s success excites you and you see this company as being your corporate home for the long term.

30. Don’t you think you may be overqualified? • Admit that you may have more experience than the role requires. However explain why this is to their benefit and way you aren’t a flight risk. This may well be a way of saying you are too old. This is where you need to show that you are on top of whatever trend is relevant to your industry.

31. Interview Day • The Old School Advice Still Holds True: • Dress for Success • Be in the moment • Manners – Don’t speak over the interviewer • Active listening • Ask for a Business Card • Most job seekers forget to: Askfor the job!!!!

32. Dress outlook • Dress formally and be well groomed • You will never get a second chance to make a good impression • Wear something that makes you feel comfortable • Use simple accessories like simple jewelry, watches, ties, etc • Scents, perfumes and after shaves lotion should be avoided

33. Expected qualities of the candidate Effective Verbal communication • Natural delivery, fluency • Pronounce sentences clearly • Speak little more loudly or lower your voice to draw attention of the experts if there is an important point or opinion

34. Thank You! • http://www.jobinterviewquestions.org/ • Contact: • Gretchen Gunn • ggunn@mgdservices.com • Office: (877) 643-8378 • Mobile: (973) 945-9817 • www.mgdservices.com