2. What is Interviewing?
An
interaction between yourself and an
employer to determine whether or not a
match exists.
Remember…the interview is a mutual
exchange of information. You are
interviewing a possible employer as much
as they are interviewing you.
3. Four Stages of an Interview
1.
2.
3.
4.
Icebreaker
Information Exchange
Interview Close
Follow-up
4. Icebreaker
The
interview begins BEFORE you are
asked the first question.
upon arrival, be courteous to everyone you
meet
there may be a warm-up person in the
waiting area or someone to walk you to the
interview
Talk
about the company or weather
Avoid conversations about politics & religion
5. Information Exchange
The
heart of the interview
can last about 20-45 minutes
May
be asked how you heard of the job
for marketing purposes
Your opportunity to sell yourself!
6. Interview Close
Ask
questions that you have prepared
that have NOT been answered.
Thank each interviewer saying his/her
name and shake hands.
Collect business cards.
7. Follow up
Send
a thank you within 2 days
typed
hand-written
email
You
will have the correct spelling and
address/email of the recruiters from the
business cards that you collected. If you
don’t, call the receptionist.
Be professional!
8. Want to “ace” your next interview?
Then make sure you are
PREPARED.
9. Five Steps for a Successful
Interview
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Research the employer and the salary
range
Know yourself
Wardrobe ready
Know what to bring
Be aware of your speech mannerisms &
non-verbal behavior
10. Step 1:
Research Employer/Salary
Can
be conducted via:
the company website,
company literature,
job descriptions,
current employees,
customers,
internet sources such as www.salary.com &
the Occupational Outlook Handbook
(www.bls.gov.oco)
11. Information to note
Press
Releases
Major events
Mergers
Mission
statement
Leaders
Products/services
Locations
Industry standing
12. Is Your GPS Working?
You
can’t be late for the interview. In
fact, plan on arriving 15 minutes before
the scheduled time.
13. Getting There
Get
good directions to the company.
Travel to the site before the interview to
determine the amount of travel time you
will need to allow.
Remember to travel at the same time of
day that the actual interview is scheduled.
14. Step 2: Know Yourself
Prepare
answers to questions that you
can anticipate
Know if you are a morning or night person
& prepare accordingly
Know your resume and relevant
coursework inside out
15. An interview is a sales
situation so:
Identify
your top three skills or
experiences (related to the job) –
something you can offer the employer
and other applicants can’t
Backup your claims - anyone can rattle
off a list of qualities that are needed for
the job but few can “back them up!”
16. You should . . .
Provide
actual stories from your previous
experiences that support your statements.
Develop
a “Career Portfolio” that can be
used during the interview.
17. “Career Portfolio”
Can
contain:
Your resume
Cover letter
Class project that is an example of your
work
List of references
Certifications, publications, etc.
Anything that will set you apart from the
other candidates
18. Career Portfolio
Can
be developed on-line through
Optimal Resume
Create an account on
https://montclair.optimalresume.com
19. Types & Settings of Interviews
Types
Settings
Traditional
One-on-one
Behavioral
Group
Lunch/dinner
meeting
Telephone
20. Traditional Interview – Some
Questions
•
Tell me about yourself.
Outline
your education & experience
List strengths that tie into the job description
Keep it recent
Stay professional – no social stories please!
•
Why should I hire you?
Draw
parallels between the job description &
your background
Illustrate specific examples from your resume
21. Additional Questions
What
kind of experience have you had?
Include any professional experience that is
related including: full-time/part-time jobs,
internships, class work, research, and
volunteer work
Tell
me about your goals for the next 5 years
Show that you’ve researched career paths
Discuss your interest in professional
development so you can grow with the
company
22. Traditional Interview – More
Questions
What
are your strengths?
What are your weaknesses?
Why do you want to work for this
company?
23. What are your strengths?
List
a few strengths – think of skills pulled
from experiences that relate to the
position you are interviewing for.
Examples:
Juggling
multiple priorities
Excellent communication skills
Teamwork
Organization
Leadership
24. What are your weaknesses?
Remember:
this is not a time to confess
your “sins.”
Always provide a weakness that can be
turned into a positive. For example:
“Computer work was never my strong
point but I’m taking a class to strengthen
this skill.”
25. Why do you want to work for
this company?
An
opportunity for you to relate your skills
to the company.
Also,
you can show that you are
interested in growing with the company.
This
is where your research comes into
play.
26. Behavioral Interviews
Employers
look at past behavior to predict
your future success in the position.
The past is the most accurate prediction of
the future.
Many questions examine leadership,
teamwork, problem solving, and initiative.
If you don’t have relevant work experience,
you can refer to classes you have taken.
27. Behavioral Questions
Tell
me how you handled a time when a
team member didn’t carry his/her weight.
Describe a major problem you faced and
how you handled it.
Tell me about a time when you failed at
something and how you handled the
situation.
28. Preparing for Behavioral
Interviews
Recall
a recent situation that showed
action & be ready to talk in detail about
it.
Be certain that your story has a
beginning, middle, and end.
Be ready to describe the outcome.
Be specific – provide details.
Be ready to answer questions about the
story.
30. STAR - illustrated
SITUATION:
Elected VP of fundraising for
campus club
TASK: Raise money for end-of-the year
awards program
ACTION: Developed a game show where
all undergraduates could participate
RESULT: Raised $1500.00 and increased
membership by 15 students.
31. The Interview Close (part 1):
Do you have any questions?
This
can make or break the interview.
Asking questions demonstrates your level
of interest in the job. SO . . .
Develop intelligent questions from the
research that you did on the company.
Prepare a few standard questions that can
be used for all interviews such as: “Why is
the position available?”
DON’T ASK ABOUT SALARY OR BENEFITS!
32. Questions you can ask . . .
Whom would I report to?
Can you tell me more about …(something you
have learned in your research)?
What upcoming projects do you anticipate?
What happened to the previous incumbent?
Is there anything that we covered that would
hinder my chances of getting this job?
33. Develop Your “Close” (part 2)
Remember
this is a “sales” situation.
Successful salespeople know how to
effectively close the meeting to win the
sale.
Ask what the next step is
Find out when the decision will be made
Restate your interest and qualifications – be
brief
34. Step 3:
Wardrobe
The
interview is today and you have
nothing to wear! Check your wardrobe
out before the big day.
Dress professionally – business attire only!
Make certain that your clothes are neat,
clean, & pressed.
35. What to Wear
Men:
Conservatively colored suit, basic tie,
polished shoes
Little to no cologne
Take out any body piercings
Wear a watch
Cover all tattoos
No white socks!
36. What to Wear
Women:
Conservatively colored suit either pants suit
or skirt (Skirt should come to the knee)
Pantyhose and closed toe shoes
Minimal jewelry and make-up
Little to no perfume
Cover all tattoos
May want to pull back hair
37. Step 4:
WHAT TO BRING/NOT TO BRING
Bring . . .
Resume
Pens
ID
Unofficial Transcript
List of References
Work examples (i.e.
writing samples)
Reference Letter
A pad
Do NOT bring . . .
Family members or
friends!
38. Step 5:
Speech Mannerisms
& Nonverbal Behavior
Firm handshake
Moderate speech rate
Minimize “ums” and “likes”
Enunciate
Avoid nervous habits (i.e. Nail biting)
Keep hands on table or lap
Maintain eye contact
Mirror body image of interviewer
Do not slouch
39. Practice Makes Perfect
Rehearsal
is a key element of the
preparation. Get a sense of what an
interview is like by:
Participating in a mock interview through
InterviewPrep which is available on
OptimalSuite.
Create
an account on
https://montclair.optimalresume.com
Record your “interview” using video
(webcam), audio or both.
40. Some final tips . . .
The day before, confirm the time, location, &
name of the recruiter
Tell the truth
Be yourself
Speak well of others
Maintain good eye contact
Ask appropriate questions
Turn off your cell phone!
Don’t act bored
Find out what the next step in the process is
Close with a smile, a handshake, & a thank-you!
41.
42. Viewing Verification
• To earn the point for viewing this Power Point, please
email your response to the following questions:
• List three examples of “traditional” interview questions.
• What is the “STAR” technique and what is it used for?
• Email your response to freedmand@mail.montclair.edu
and indicate “BUGN – Interviews 101” in the subject line.
• Due: December 4, 2013
• Questions: Please call: 973-655-6965
Hinweis der Redaktion
Icebreaker: The interview begins BEFORE you meet the actual person that you will interviewing with.Info Exchange: The heart of the interviewInterview Close: Your opportunity to ask the questionsFollow-up: The interview does not end when you leave the office!
You should always ask what the next step in the interview process? When will they be making a decision?
The recruiter is going to expect you to know about the company.
Can use this information throughout the interview. It will also be helpful when developing questions to ask the recruiter.
While being late is frowned upon – you should not be too early either!
Don’t schedule a 9 a.m. interview if you know that you can never get out of bed before 10!
Let’s look at these closer. They tend to challenge most students.
Of course you don’t want to list a weakness that is directly related to the job.
The last question gives you the opportunity to clear up any confusion about an answer you have given. It gives you a second chance before you leave the first interview.
There will also be times when an employer will come to campus and run mock interviews for us.
