Interviewing
- Research the Industry
- Research the Company
- The World Wide Web
- Bookstore, libraries, and Newspapers
- Know your Strengths
- Preparation is as Important as the Job Interview Itself
- Dress for Success
- Verify the Details
- The Interview Kit
- Traditional Interview
- Behavioral Interview
- Practice, Practice, Practice
- First Impressions
- How is a Behavioral Interview Different from a Traditional Interview?
- SAR - Situation, Action, Result
- Answering Interview Questions Tips
- Sample Interview Questions & the Traits/Skills Sought
- Traditional Questions
- Other questions to think about
- Asking Questions
- Illegal Questions
- Salary Questions
- Seal the Deal
- Follow Up
Research the Industry
The more information you have about a prospective employer and industry, the better prepared you will be during the Interview. Knowing about the organization's products, trends, and employment requirements are vital to your interview preparation.
One effective way to research a particular company is to break down the process into 3 parts: 1) take a broad look at the target industry, 2) compare and contrast a small group of companies, and 3) research one particular company in depth.
Research the Company
There are numerous publications that profile companies. They range form general to specific, covering particular companies in particular regions of the county. Internal company information can be helpful for large and small companies. With this information simply try to get an overall picture, so that you don't get bogged down in details. The more you know about a company, the better prepared you are to discuss what you can bring to them. Think about the location, size, products, services, any news lately?
The World Wide Web
The World Wide Web can be an excellent source of information, if you know where to look for it. Otherwise, the Internet can be a confusing, time-consuming service. If you have a specific company in mind, but cannot seem to find a link anywhere, it is usually a good bet to type in http://www.company name.com and see what happens.
Bookstore, libraries, and Newspapers
- Directories provide information about an organization's products or services, number of employees, principal executives, history, etc. You should be able to locate the directories listed below in the reference section of a public library.
- Reference librarians can be an excellent source of information. If you let a reference librarian know what type of information you are looking for, or what company you wish to locate information on, they will most likely be able to assist you with the appropriate resources.
Know your Strengths
- Avoid bottle necking your stories, prepare success stories as they relate to the position
- Read and know the job description and recognize how you feel about each point, write it down, say it out loud and review
- Make a list of all your strengths-soft and technical, example “work with a sense of urgency” technical, specific skills related to job
- Have a minimum of 3 stories to share – can include how you saved the company money, how you improved time and efficiency processes, and how you may have generated a profit for the company, money talks, people listen. Describe the entire process from the start of brain storming, initializing, identifying obstacles and how you overcome those obstacles. Talk about all the leg work, even the less glamorous work that went on behind the scenes, the tasks no one else wanted and separated you from the rest.
- Identify experience and skills
- How have I demonstrated the skills needed to do the job?
- What are my strengths? Weaknesses? Goals?
- What can I offer the company?
- What kind of working environment do I prefer? Supervised? Fast paced?
- 3 “M’s” are measure, mentor and motivate – not only employees but also show examples of applying to projects
Preparation is as Important as the Job Interview Itself
- Turn your thoughts to the questions and answers you've prepared. Go over them in your mind, fine-tuning your responses.
- Give yourself plenty of time to dress appropriately. Choose clothing that is simple, yet professional.
- Eat a light but nourishing meal. You'll want to keep your energy high while being interviewed.
- Review your notes regarding your current or previous employment. Be ready to talk about specific examples related to your talents and skills.
- Gather your resume, letters of reference, and other pertinent documents. When asked for evidence or credentials you'll have then on hand.
- Check your car for fuel or the bus schedule if you're taking public transportation. Always allow more time than you need so you arrive without stress.
Dress for Success
- Know the Company's Culture
- You never get a 2nd chance to make a good first impression
- Wear something you feel and look great in
- Pay attention to details
Verify the Details
- Where is the interview?
- What time is the interview?
- With whom will you be interviewing?
The Interview Kit
- Professional Portfolio Folder
- Buy or borrow a nice folder to carry the following to the interview
- Extra copies (on quality paper) of your resume and references. You may be interviewing with a committee, make sure each of them has a 'nice' copy of your resume... not one that was photocopied, faxed or emailed An official transcript which indicates your degree(s)
- Your list of questions to ask the interviewer(s)
- Anything else the interviewer has specifically asked you to bring. Samples of your work, recommendation letters, etc
- Kit For The Car or Home
- Quality stationery or note cards.
- For women - extra hosiery and make-up to freshen up if needed.
- For men - an extra tie
Leave your book bag, backpack, etc. locked up in the car. Carry only the bare necessities!
Traditional Interview
Questions deal with hypothetical situations "What would you do if ....?" and generally include questions such as "Tell us about yourself" or "What did you do in your position with XYZ Corporation?“
Behavioral Interview
A technique used by employers in which the questions asked assist the employer in making predictions about a potential employee's future success based on past behaviors. These question deal with real life examples. "Tell us about a time when you had a conflict with a co-worker and how you resolved it.
Practice, Practice, Practice
You must practice your responses to interview questions. It is unwise to go to any interview without spending considerable time thinking about how you will respond to questions. A search on the internet will produce a wealth of sample questions and there are numerous books available in Career & Counseling Services containing interview questions.
First Impressions
- Make it the best!
- Be on time - or, better yet, arrive 10 minutes EARLY!
- Smile warmly when you enter the room where you were asked to report. The receptionist!!!
- Make and maintain good eye contact and offer a firm handshake.
- The interviewer will usually try to make you feel at ease by making small talk with you while escorting you to the location of the interview and while getting settled into the room where the formal interview will take place. Follow the lead of the interviewer on the topic of the small talk and participate.
How is a Behavioral Interview Different from a Traditional Interview?
While preparing, identify examples of events where you demonstrated the skills or behaviours sought by the organization. Use examples from classes, team activities, past internships, etc.
Brainstorm, test yourself and write down examples.
- Send energy and enthusiasm that you already want this position and want to work for them!
- Instead of asking how a candidate would behave in a situation, the interviewer asks how the candidate behaved.
- The interviewer can structure the interview to concentrate on areas important to him/her, not necessarily to the candidate.
- Interviewer can question and probe candidate responses.
- Candidates usually have to talk more and provide more details. Refer to your successes and real practical experience.
- Interviewer can target specific information more easily.
- Interviewer is more interactive with candidate.
- Candidate may have less control over telling prepared stories.
SAR - Situation, Action, Result
- Keep your response specific and detailed. Use a three step process: 1) situation 2) action 3) result/outcome. Always cite a specific event and briefly fill the employer in on the situation.
- Have a thorough understanding of the questions. Ask for clarification if needed.
- Deal with all questions positively; some questions give you the chance to acknowledge your failures while showing how you have learned from them. Just as in a traditional interview setting, make the negatives into positives. Don’t be lulled into disclosing your weaknesses.
- Don't be afraid to take a few moments to think about the question--it's better than making something up! Always spend the necessary time to process the question in your head before you start talking. Don’t begin talking hoping that an answer will eventually “pop up.” They generally don’t and you will not impress the interviewer by a lot of disjointed words. Remember that the interviewer understands that you don't know what will be asked of you.
- Never lie. Interviewers have been trained to recognize fake stories and it will come back to haunt you someday!
Answering Interview Questions Tips
- Consider each question as an opportunity to market yourself and your skills
- You will be evaluated on your answers, not your resume.
- Pause a couple of seconds before answering, people generally are nervous and could “go blank” or babble on.
- Ask for clarification of the question if you do not understand
- Never just answer with only a “yes” or “no”
- Talk confidently about your abilities, this is your time to shine
- Be positive
- Repeat important facts as necessary
Sample Interview Questions & the Traits/Skills Sought
The behavioral interview targets a candidate's past performance as the best indicator of the type of employee he/she will likely be. It differs from other interviews in its focus on facts and specific information. Candidates can best prepare for such an interview by concentrating on specific past experiences that show certain skills or behaviors.
- Focus and Dedication
- Why did you choose your major and career
- Professional Knowledge
- Sometimes it is easy to get in "over your head." Describe a situation where you had to request help or assistance on a project or assignment
- Teamwork
- Describe
a situation where others you were working with on a project disagreed
with your ideas. What did you do?
- Adaptability
- How was your transition from high school to college? Did you face any particular problems
- Analysis
- What steps do you follow to study a problem before making a decision? 2) We can sometimes identify a small problem and fix it before it becomes a major problem. Give an example of how you have done this.
- Work Standards
- Describe some times when you were not satisfied with your work. What did you do about it?
- Job Motivation
- What
type of supervisor do you work best for? Provide examples. (ANSWER: 1)
type 2) why this preference)
- Perseverance
- Describe for me a time when you failed at something and how you responded.
- Organization & Planning
- How
do you determine priorities in scheduling your time? Give examples.
Describe the process you went through to choose the Master’s in
Development Practice.
Traditional Questions
Tell me about yourself – use your 60 second commercial.
What are your greatest accomplishments or achievements? – Deliver one of your success stories
Why are you looking? - Never bad mouth anyone or anything. This is a liable question, turn it into an asset. Say something like “while …….has been good to me, when I found out about your position, I became very interested”. This brings the focus back to the interviewer/company, the positive asset.
Why are you interested in us? - Use your prepared answers when you reviewed the job description.
Other questions to think about:
- What are your long-range career goals and objectives?
- When and why did you establish these goals?
- How are you preparing yourself to achieve them?
- What do you see yourself doing five years from now?
- What are the most important rewards you expect in your career?
- What do you expect to be earning in five years?
- Why did you choose the career for which you are preparing?
- What do you consider to be your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
- How would you describe yourself?
- How do you think a friend or a professor who knows you would describe you?
- What motivates you to put forth your greatest effort?
- How has your college experience prepared you for a career?
- Why should I hire you?
- What qualifications do you have that make you think you will be successful?
- How do you determine or evaluate success?
- What do you think it takes to be successful in a company like ours?
- In what ways do you think you can make a contribution to our organization?
- Describe the relationship that should exist between a supervisor and subordinate.
- What two or three accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction and why?
- What led you to choose your major field of study?
- If you were hiring a graduate for this position, what qualities would you look for?
- Why did you select your college or university?
- What classes did you like best? Why?
- If you could do so, how would you plan your academic study differently? Why?
- What changes would you make in your college or university? Why?
Asking Questions
- Prepare ahead of time to ASK QUESTIONS!
- Make sure they are appropriate. Now is not the time to ask about salary or benefits.
- Write down your questions on the writing pad inside your portfolio folder that you will carry into the interview
Sample questions to ask on the first interview
- Describe the typical first-year assignments.
- What are the challenging facets of this job?
- What are the company's plans for future growth?
- What are the company's strengths and weaknesses?
- How would you describe your corporation's personality and management style?
- What qualities are you looking for in the right person for this position?
- What characteristics does a successful person have at your company?
- What kind of ongoing professional development programs are available to help me continue to grow?
- Whom would I report to in this position?
- Any other questions brought about by your company research...
- Go ahead and ask what their time line for hiring is so are able to follow up appropriately. Inquire if there is additional information they need to assist them in evaluating your fit for the job.
Illegal Questions
- What is your maiden name
- What business does your spouse in? Any expectation of relocating?
- What religious holidays will you be unavailable?
- How many children do you have? Are you planning to have children?
- Where did you learn to speak English?
- Any health problems?
- Where are you from? Born?
Salary Questions
- You have already done research in preparing for the interview so you know the range.
- Suggest a range rather than a set number, this may make it worthwhile to accept less money if the company offers training and advancement opportunities
- Consider other expenditures such as vehicle, parking.
“Based on my research for this role, most start between $50,000 and $55,000 per year, I would like to earn near the higher end based on my summer employment and academic standing, but I am also interested in what opportunities the position offers”.
Seal the Deal
Use the tried-and-true sales technique called sealing the deal. Summarize why you are a good choice for the job. Use the skills you learned in the "60 Second Commercial" to develop a short snippet about your strengths and fit for the job and how much you want to work for their company. This snippet should be developed and practiced long before you have to use it in the interview.
- Now is the time to make a lasting impression!
- Be sure to get a business card from each person with whom you speak. These will come in handy. If they are not offered to you by the interviewer, ask for one.
- Ask when you can expect to hear from him/her.
- Shake hand firmly if offered
Follow Up
- Evaluate the interview
- Write thank you notes (debatable)
