WELCOME! Preparing for the Interview - Career Services Workshop Series
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WELCOME! Preparing for the Interview Career Services Workshop Series
Workshop Goals • The purpose of an interview • Before the Interview: Preparation • Different types of interviews • Sample interview questions • During the Interview: Presentation • Practice: You “Elevator Pitch” • After the Interview: Follow-up
Employers Advertise for Technical Skills
and Interview for Behavioral Fit
Technical
Employer’s Skills Your Skills
Required Skills MATCH Resume & Cover
Job Description Letter
Job Posting Job Application
Interview
Behavioral
FIT
Purpose of an Interview Does the COMPANY Do YOU want to want to hire you? accept the position? • CAN you do the job? • Does it meet your NEEDS? • WILL you do the job? • Is it in line with your VALUES? • Do you FIT in? • Does it feel like a good FIT?
Before the Interview:
Know the Company
• Research the Company
• Identify Key Leaders in the Organization
• Search for current News and Events
• Be familiar with the Industry
• Know the Job Description
• Know the Exact Location & Travel TimeBefore the Interview:
Know Yourself
• Review your Resume
• Identify your Key Skills and Behaviors
• Know Your Values
• Memorize your “Elevator Pitch”Values
Before
the
Interview:
Know YourselfBefore the Interview:
Interview Questions
Identifying Your Accomplishments: “STAR Stories”
Identifying an accomplishment is similar to telling a story.
It emphasizes your achievements and successes by using
quantifiable, or measurable, information. The best way to
demonstrate your skills, abilities and valuable experience
is being able to concisely explain your accomplishments.
Use STAR Stories to: Your best stories will be your “accomplishment stories”.
• Answer those
Behavioral Interview
Questions You can make your accomplishments stand out by using
the STAR Format.
• Develop Resume
Action Statements
Situation Briefly give an overview of what needed to be done.
What you were being asked to do?
or
STAR Story
What did you take the initiative to do?
Example: Task What challenges made this task difficult?
“Employee of the
month for three Action Briefly describe (using good action words) the steps, or
consecutive months actions, you took to complete the assignment.
(May, June, July
2009) at The Gap” Result What happened because of what you did? Can you
quantify, or measure, the results?Before the Interview:
Types of Interviews
• Behavioral*
• Phone
• Traditional
• Group
• Panel
• Stress
• Video/Web Conference
* Behavioral questions can be asked within any
interview format (Phone, Panel, etc.)Before the Interview: Interview Questions • Q’s to Get to know you • Qualifications Q’s • Behavioral Q’s • Salary Q’s • Illegal Q’s • Q’s you should ask
Sample Interview Questions
Tell me about yourself… What special aspects of your
education or training have
Why should we hire you? prepared you for this job?
• What interests you about this job?
Why are you leaving your present job? – Or –
Why did you leave your last job?
Why do you want to work here?
How would you describe your
leadership/management/work style?
What are some things you
particularly liked about your last job?More…Sample Interview Questions
Behavioral interview questions will be more focused than traditional interview questions
and you’ll need to respond with specific examples of how you handled situations in
the workplace. This is where your STAR stories play the biggest role in your success at
the interview. Behavior based questions usually begin with:
“Give me an example of a time in which you…”
“Tell me about a time when circumstances required you to…”
“Describe the most significant challenge…”
“Recall the most rewarding…”
Describe a stressful situation at work
and how you handled it.
Tell me about a time when you had a tough customer service
situation to deal with. What was the situation? What did you
do? What was the result?
Give an example of a time when
you had to use problem solving to
handle a tough situation.
Tell me about a time when you had to
work on multiple projects at the same
time. How did you prioritize your work?The Subject of Salary Sample Responses for
Salary Negotiation
At any part of the job search and interviewing
process, expect to be asked your salary history, “Are you making me an offer?”
your most recent salary or your salary
expectations. While you should try to avoid “What is the budgeted salary range for the position?”
discussing salary until an offer is made, there will
be times when you will need to respond. “I’ve researched the local market salary ranges for this
position in our area and am comfortable within that
When asked: What was your salary/pay history? range.”
Usually asked on job applications or in ads. “I’m sure [Company Name] has a fair compensation
You need to be honest, because your scale, and if we decided that this match is a good one,
salary can be verified by a prospective I’m confident that we will be able to agree on a salary.”
employer.
“Could we come back to discuss that after I am able to
When asked: State your salary/pay provide a better picture of what I have to offer?”
requirements.
“I’m most interested in learning about the opportunity
Leave it blank if you can, or fill in required
first. When I more fully understand the scope of
fields with “Flexible”.
responsibility, I’ll be able to give you an idea of the
This is also usually asked on job applications compensation I would expect.”
or in ads or by the Human Resources
representative. It gives the employer a
way to phase you out or in and provides a
starting point on which to base their offer.Illegal Questions
In a perfect world, interview questions should be related only to the position and
your ability to do the job. Occasionally, an interviewer asks questions that could
potentially be used in a discriminatory way. Practicing how you would handle these
kinds of questions will help you respond calmly and professionally.
Remember:
Many interviewers are not trained in interviewing – they may not know which
questions to avoid or which questions are illegal
Inappropriate questions are often unintentional
Often questions are based more on perceived relevance rather than legality –
with no harm intended
What to do if asked potentially discriminatory questions:
Use your common sense and react objectively – not defensively
Maintain eye contact and remain calm and professional
Be aware of your body language and remain as neutral as possible
Ask for clarification on how the question relates to the responsibilities of the job
Stick to only discussions about business – getting personal may open up the
conversation to sensitive or inappropriate topicsQuestions You Should Ask As the interview comes to a close, one of the final questions you may be asked is “What questions can I answer for you?” Not only will having questions ready to ask the interviewer make you look prepared and interested in the position, it will help you assess if the company and/or job will be a good FIT for you! The following are some questions for you to consider asking: How would you describe the responsibilities of the position? What does a typical day/week look like in this job? Is this a new position? If not, what did the previous employee go on to do? What skills and qualities does the ideal candidate for this position possess? What projects must be completed in the next two to three months? What are some of the long-term goals of this position? How many people work in the office/department? How much travel is expected? How would you describe your (the department manager’s) management style? What are the next steps in the hiring process? What is the desired start date?
Before the Interview:
Dress for Success
• Clean
• Pressed
• Polished
• ProfessionalDuring the Interview: Confidence and Lasting Impressions • Smile • Eye Contact • Confident Handshake • Body Language • Attitude is Everything
Your “Elevator Pitch”
Know How to Template - A
Communicate Your Name
_______________________________________________________________________
Your Message Your most recent position
__________________________________________________________
What were your major responsibilities?
Create a 30-second commercial, or _____________________________________________
“Elevator Pitch” for yourself to use:
State an accomplishment that you are proud of from your last job.
__________________________________________________________________________________
• During a job interview __
• During networking What do you want to do next?
event, or a chance __________________________________________________________________________________
meeting with a new __
contact
You can also use it to: Template - B
• Clarify your career “I am a ____________________________________________________________________ with
direction and goals for the
(occupation i.e. “sales manager”)
yourself
bulk of my career involved in
• Develop your personal ______________________________________________________.
(industry/type of work i.e. “medical equipment sales”
branding concept
Most recently, I worked at ______________________ as a
_______________________________
(Company name) (Job title/role)
where I
___________________________________________________________________________.
(briefly describe duties and responsibilities)During the Interview:
Responding to Questions
Do’s Don’ts
• Listen carefully • Don’t speak too quickly
• Ask for clarification • Don’t argue or defend
• Speak with confidence • Don’t appear desperate
• Be thorough & concise • Don’t talk too much
• Use your STAR stories • Don’t exaggerate
• Remain positive • Don’t be negative
• Show Interest – Ask Q’s • Don’t show up unpreparedDuring the Interview:
Closing with Confidence
• Ask the about next step in the process
• Repeat your “Elevator Pitch”
• Ask for the interviewer’s business card
• Remember to Smile
• Offer a confident handshake
• Say “Thank You”After the Interview:
Follow-up
• Immediately critique the interview
• Send a thank-you letter within 24 hours
• Call to check the status of the process
• Continue your job search campaign
• Respond positively when not offered the jobReview & Wrap-up • The purpose of an interview • Before the Interview: Preparation • Different types of interviews • Sample interview questions • During the Interview: Presentation • Practice: Elevator Pitch • After the Interview: Follow-up
Share Your Success!
“Tell Us Your Story”
THANK YOU!
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