University of Mississippi Career Center

1. University of Mississippi Career Center Effective Interviewing

2. What are some of the goals of a job interview? • to get a job • to figure out if a position is right for you • to provide potential employers with a stronger sense of why they should hire you, your skills, how you stand out • to provide further articulation and illustration of the skills listed and experiences provided in your resume

3. Some Goals of a Job Interview • Employer evaluates candidate • skills applicable to the job • competence to do the job • potential to contribute to the team/organization • ability to mesh with team’s/organization’s mission, philosophy, and environment • Candidate evaluates employer • match between interests and job tasks/work • degree of responsibility and challenge • potential for growth and further education • ability to mesh with team’s/organization’s mission, philosophy, and environment

4. How can you best prepare for a job interview? • dress appropriately  depends upon business; “dress for the job you want”; better to overdress • back up documents; e.g., writing samples, copy of resume, transcripts, other docs, references; letters of recommendation (dossier or portfolio) • research the company  Google the company, talk to people about what they know, BBB, Chamber of Commerce • make sure you know how to get there

5. Four Keys to Success • understanding what to expect • preparing and researching • anticipating questions • following up

6. Understanding What to Expect Types of Interviews • Conversational • Behavioral • Case or situational • Stress situation all four of these interview types can be one-on-one or might be a panel conversation

7. Types of Interviews: Conversational (Traditional) • typically a question-and-answer discussion • usually a relatively short interview (e.g., 1 hour) • interviewer’s main goals are to: • assess whether or not the job-seeker has the skills and abilities to perform the job • evaluate whether or not the job-seeker possesses the enthusiasm and work ethic that the employer expects • analyze whether or not the job-seeker is a team player and will fit into the organization

8. Types of Interviews: Behavioral • typically an assessment of past performance • interviewers will expect to hear about specific situations and/or scenarios • initial questions are typically followed by follow-up questions • specific, key details related to situations/scenarios are expected • interviewer’s main goals are to: • assess candidate’s behaviors and approaches by exploring specific situations • analyze past behavior to try to predict future performance

9. Types of Interviews: Case or Situational • primarily used by management and consulting firms to determine how well a candidate fits in a field or job • typically interviewee is provided a problem or a scenario and asked to work through it • interviewer’s main goals are to: • analyze how well interviewee can identify and work through a problem • assess problem-solving skills • evaluate tolerance for ambiguity and ability to start on tasks • analyze communication skills

10. Types of Interviews: Stress Situation • typically used for jobs where high degrees of stress will be encountered regularly • interviewers sometimes rely upon rudeness, sarcasm, or outright hostility to provoke a response • interviewer’s main goals are to: • assess how well interviewee deals with unexpected and/or stressful situations • evaluate how well interviewee can work and communicate under pressure

11. Preparing and Researching • research the field • research the employer • research the job, team, and context

12. Preparing and Researching Research the Field • explore different branches • review trade journals/magazines • assess various career paths • know the major players • be familiar with current trends • goals are to: • be informed about who you are professionally (and what professional community you are entering) • be able to talk widely and wisely about trends, techniques, and tasks performed by professionals within different facets of your field

13. Preparing and Researching Research the Employer • review annual reports • read the organization’s mission statement and philosophy documents • research the organization history • familiarize yourself with the organizational scheme • look for recent performance markers or success indicators • goals are to: • familiarize yourself with what the organization does • familiarize yourself with what workers in the organization do, write, produce, create, etc. • assess how the particular job for which you’re interviewing fits into the bigger organizational picture • get a sense of the key players in and key outcomes of the organization • develop a strong sense of what they might seek in an employee

14. Preparing and Researching Research the Job, Team, and Context • review the original job post/call • research the “jobs” or “employment” area of the organization’s web site • make contact and try to get a stronger sense of the specific job responsibilities • analyze your possible role in relation to the team, unit, or division you would work in • find out who you would report to • analyze how success is evaluated and rewarded

15. goals are to: • answer the questions you should be asking yourself (e.g., is this really a job I want? what will I gain by getting this job? what do I bring that this organization needs? • become knowledgeable so that you can speak specifically as to how you fit in the job, team, and context • have a strong sense of what you will be expected to perform, and how that performance will be measured and evaluated • address questions like: • what might I be asked to answer? • how will they expect me to answer? • how might I be expected to demonstrate what I know and what I can do?

16. Before the Interview • sleep • eat • choose your clothes the night before • prepare the materials you want to bring with you—ideally, this is done long before the interview

17. What types of materials would you want to bring to a job interview? • Letter of Introduction • Resume • Work Samples • References • Letter of Recommendations

18. Getting Introduced • prepare and practice a two-minute introduction: “I am… I am interested in…” • prepare to • demonstrate knowledge about the employer • express enthusiasm and interest • relate your background to the company’s needs

19. Anticipating Questions • “Tell me about yourself.” Hint: They’re not asking for your life story, and it’s not a trick question… • interviewer is looking for: • a brief statement of your professional status and career objective • some detail about your progression to this point and strengths/ skills you can offer them

20. A Heuristic for Answering Questions • identify the skill sought by the question so that you can best focus your answer • give a STAR answer: • Situation—what was the context? • Task—what was the specific problem or need? • Action—what did you do? (produce, write, create, etc.) • Results/resolution—what did you learn? what skills did you develop?

21. STAR Example Can you tell me about a time from your work experience when your manager or supervisor was unavailable and a problem arose? • Situation • quickly explain the situation—what happened? who was involved (e.g., clients, coworkers, customers)? • Task • what was the particular problem that needed to be resolved? • Action • what specific action did you take to resolve the problem? what did you do or produce? • Results/resolution • what were the results of your action? what did you take from this experience?

22. At the End of the Interview • review what you’ve heard and state why you’re interested in the position • consider asking: • is there anything else I can provide—specific references or example materials? • what’s the next step in the process? when is your decision date? • how can I contact you to check my status?

23. After the Interview • send a thank you email or letter after being interviewed • tailor the letter to the organization and to the interview itself • individualize a letter slightly if you’re sending it to more than one person in the organization • send it within 24–48 hours of the interview • goals: • shows you’re courteous • differentiates you from other candidates and keeps your name in front of the potential employer • proves that you’re interested in the job

24. 10 Interview Bloopers • poor handshake (limp hand, tips of fingers, arm pump) • talking too much (talking too long, but not answering direct questions; nervous talking) • talking negatively about current or past teams, coworkers, employers/managers • showing up late or way too early • treating the receptionist rudely

25. asking about benefits, vacation time, or salary in an initial interview • not preparing for the interview • verbal ticks (uhmmmm, like, you know) • not enough/too much eye contact • failure to match communication styles (e.g., too informal, too businesslike)

26. HINTS: • be yourself (not who you think they want you to be) • be ready to talk about why you want the job (and think about how they might respond to your answer) • ask ahead of time the format of the interview (e.g., panel/one-on one? expected to perform a task?) • ask about the function of your job in the larger organization • ask about how the specific position you are interviewing for fits in the larger unit/team/department and within the larger organization/company • be prepared to actually do/perform/write a task during the interview process (e.g., writing documentation, marking up a document for editing) • ask the interview what their favorite aspect of the job is (and, perhaps, what their least favorite is) • find out how writing is perceived and how people negotiate textual ownership issues

27. HINTS CONTINED: • carefully consider who you ask which questions • take notes with you (with your ideas, goals, questions); take notes during the interview • learning opportunities and experiences not, never “problems” • ask if the organization has a policy toward funding/supporting employee professional development opportunities (e.g., STC membership and conferences, further education) • stay focused (even if it’s a long interview); take notes to help stay focused • get comfortable with pauses and strategies for giving yourself a bit of time to prepare an answer • stay upbeat! (there will be painful moments—learn from them and move on) • don’t get flustered (if you can at all avoid it—and practicing really, really helps) • recognize the gatekeepers! (e.g., initial phone interview with seemingly unrelated person)

28. Preparing for Job Interviews • For more help on Interviewing contact The Career Center at 662-915-7174 and setup an appointment with a Career Advisor.