Job Interviews

1. Successful Strategies for Interviewing Job Interviews http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1ucmfPOBV8

2. Preparing for an Interview • Research the company • Study yourself to identify how your qualifications match the job • Be ready to provide clear, specific evidence of your qualifications • Plan a professional appearance • Plan to arrive several minutes early • Practice

3. Effective Interviewee Behaviors • Look interested — attentive posture and eye contact • Avoid negative mannerisms • Be able to avoid answering illegal questions without offending the interviewer

4. Effective Interviewee Behaviors • Opening • Greet the interviewer by name with a smile, direct eye contact, a firm handshake • Wait for the interviewer to ask you to be seated • Sit erect and lean forward slightly to convey interest

5. Effective Interviewee Behaviors • Body of the Interview • Explain how your qualifications relate to the job requirements using specific examples • Ask pertinent questions that communicate intelligence and interest in the company • Allow the interviewer to initiate a discussion of salary and benefits • Be prepared to provide a general salary range for applicants with your qualifications

6. Effective Interviewee Behaviors • Closing the interview • Watch for cues the interview is ending • Rise, accept the interviewer’s handshake and communicate enthusiasm • Express appreciation for the interview and say you are eager to hear from the company

7. Research the Company • Why? • To show your interested • Provides an edge over other candidates • You may be asked any of the following questions: • What do you know about our company? • Why do you want to work here? • What do you think it takes to be successful in this career? • How? • Company websites • Contact the company and ask for literature or details about the position you are applying for • Networking

8. Practice Interviewing • Step 1: Prepare answers to common interview questions • Step 2: Rehearse with a friend or videotape yourself

9. 2 Types of Interview Questions • Traditional • Ex. “Tell me about yourself.” • Ex. “Do you prefer to work alone or in a group?” • Behavioral • Used to predict future on-the-job behaviors

10. General Interview Questions • Tell me about your recent work experience(s). • Why did you leave your previous place of employment? • Why are there gaps in your employment history? • What strengths and weaknesses would you bring to this position? • What is your understanding of this position and what skills do you bring to the position? • What types of job responsibilities do you find to be most rewarding? Why? • What types of job responsibilities do you find to be most frustrating? Why?

11. Behavioral Interview Questions • Describe a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince someone to see things your way. • Describe a time when you were faced with a stressful situation that demonstrated your coping skills. • Give me an example of a time when you set a goal and were able to meet or achieve it. • Give me a specific example of a time when you had to conform to a policy with which you did not agree. • Tell me about a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to get a job done. • Tell me about a time when you had too many things to do and you were required to prioritize your tasks.

12. Behavioral Interview Questions • S-A-R Method • Situation • Action • Result • Question: • Describe a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince someone to see things your way. • Answer using S-A-R Method: • Recently my company asked for bids on a phone system for our new college campus. Two companies came in very close with their bids, and most of my department wanted to go with a vendor that we have used in the past. After I looked over the proposals, it was clear that this was the wrong decision. So, I talked individually with each member of our staff and was able to change their minds and get the best product that would save money and provide the highest quality.

13. S-A-R Activity • Directions: Select 1question, from the list of behavioral questions, and answer them using the S-A-R method. • Put a circle around the situation, a square around the action and underline the results to distinguish each step of the S-A-R method. • Please answer the questions on a clean sheet of notebook paper.

14. Illegal Interview Questions • National origin and religion • Age • Disabilities, health conditions, and physical characteristics not reasonably related to the job • Marital status, spouse’s employment, or dependents • Arrests

15. Interviewee Questions • What is a typical day like? • What type of people would I be working with and for? • What is the turnover rate of people in this job? • How would you describe initial and on-going training for this position? • How do you expect the company to change in the next ten years? • When can I expect to hear from you about your decision?

16. Interviewer and IntervieweeQuestions Activity • Directions: Search the internet and find 10 questions (other than the one’s previously listed) an interviewer may ask during an interview. • Directions: Search the internet and find 10 questions (other than the one’s previously listed) an interviewee can ask during an interview.

17. Appropriate Attire • First impressions • Competitive edge • Marketing a product • You CAN overdress for an interview • Dress to fit the job’s culture • Classic advice: • “Dress 10 percent better than you ordinarily would” • “Dress for the position you’d like to have, not for the one you do have, so you’ll be seen as promotable.” • “Dress the best your ever going to look in the job you want.”

18. Appropriate Attire • Attention to detail • Clean and polished conservative dress shoes • Well-groomed hairstyle • Cleaned and trimmed fingernails • No body odor, minimal cologne or perfume • No visible body piercing • Well-brushed teeth and fresh breath • No gum, candy, or other objects in your mouth • Minimal jewelry

19. Tips for Women • Conservative colors: • Black • Dark Navy • Brown/Beige • Gray • Skirt length should be a little above the knee • Hair should be worn up, out of your face • Minimal make-up • Lipstick and nail polish in conservative tones (natural colors) • Jewelry • One set of earrings, and no more than two rings

20. Appropriate Attire

21. Tips for Men • Conservative colors: • Black • Dark navy • Gray • White long-sleeved button-down dress shirt with a simple tie (that matches suit) • Belt should match shoes • Facial hair should be neatly trimmed • No jewelry

22. Appropriate Attire

23. After the Interview • Take some time to review the interview while it is fresh in your mind • Interviewing is a learnable skill, use the experience to help you in the future • Ask yourself: • How could you have better answered the questions? • Where did you succeed? • Where did you fail? • What will you do differently next time?

24. After the Interview • A thank-you letter is essential! • Get it in the mail the day of or the day after the interview • Avoid excessive enthusiasm • Keep your note cordial and brief • Thank the interviewer for inviting you to the interview • Say it was a pleasure to meet him or her • Mention something you learned during the interview and assure them of your continued interest in the position - provided you are still at all interested • See handout for more information on what to include in a thank-you letter.

25. Sources • http://jobsearch.about.com/od/thankyouletters/a/thanktemplate.htm • http://www.quintcareers.com/Quintessential_Careers_Press/Job-Interview-Preparation/