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Interview Tips for
First Time Job
Seekers
Winter,Wyman
www.winterwyman.com
Introduction
Job interviews can be stressful for first-time job seekers – you
are unsure of what to wear, how early to arrive and what
questions to ask.
But take a deep breath, you’re not alone.
Here are some tips from Dave Sanford, Executive Vice
President of Business Development at the staffing firm
Winter, Wyman, to help you ace that first job interview.
This presentation by Dave Sanford, Winter, Wyman’s EVP of Business Development,
originally appeared as an article on Boston.com and has been re-used here with the
publisher’s permission.
Winter,Wyman
www.winterwyman.com
Top ten tips
1. Do your homework
2. Practice
3. Dress for success
4. Arrive early
5. Be observant
6. Know yourself
7. Put your best foot – and hand – forward
8. Listen first, answer second
9. Concluding the interview
10. After the interview
Winter,Wyman
www.winterwyman.com
1. Do your homework
• Before the interview, you should do basic research into the
company: key people, their products or services, locations,
competitors, and the latest news on the industry.
• Start with the company’s website, research databases such
as Hoover’s, local newspapers and business publications,
and professional associations servicing the industry.
Winter,Wyman
www.winterwyman.com
2. Practice
• If you have never interviewed, or haven’t done so in
awhile, get ready by practicing with a friend, parent or
mentor.
• Be able to easily answer the typical questions that may be
posed to you:
– “Tell me about yourself.”
– “What are your strengths and weaknesses?”
– “Where do you hope to be in five years?”
– “Why should we hire you?”
Winter,Wyman
www.winterwyman.com
3. Dress for success
• It is imperative that you dress appropriately for the job and
99 percent of the time that means wearing a business suit.
• Even if you know the company has a casual environment,
dressing up for your interview sends the message you are
serious about your career and the job.
• Being neat, clean and professional goes a long way toward
making the first impression a good one.
Winter,Wyman
www.winterwyman.com
4. Arrive early
• There is nothing worse than being late for your first
interview. Even though it’s not your fault a truck turned
over on the highway, or you got stuck behind a school bus,
arriving late sends the wrong message to your prospective
employer, and it puts extra stress and time constraints on
everyone involved.
• If you are going to be late, call as soon as you know.
• Likewise, don’t arrive too early either. Enter the lobby
about 15 minutes before your meeting so you can relax and
study the atmosphere.
Winter,Wyman
www.winterwyman.com
5. Be observant
• As you progress in your career, you will become more
aware of the importance of corporate culture and clues on
how to judge an organization’s climate. For a first-time job
seeker this may be more difficult, but not impossible.
• Chat with the receptionist and see why he or she likes
working at the company.
• When walking to and from your interview, look at how
employees are dressed, their age range, how they are
behaving (seeing laughter and smiling is always good!) and
if it appears to be a conservative or creative environment.
• In other words, can you envision yourself working there?
Winter,Wyman
www.winterwyman.com
6. Know yourself
• Know what you are good at – your accomplishments, skills,
traits – and what sets you apart from other job seekers.
• Right before the interview, review your resume and make
sure you know the content and dates so you can effectively
answer questions without referring to your copy.
• If you are in a creative field, don’t forget to bring your
portfolio, and know how best to show off examples of your
work in a timely fashion.
Winter,Wyman
www.winterwyman.com
7. Put your best foot – and hand – forward
• Always present a firm handshake to both men and women,
smile, make eye contact and greet the interviewer by
name.
• Be positive and enthusiastic and prepared to make small
talk – especially during walks to and from interviews.
• During the meeting, stress accomplishments, but don’t talk
about yourself for long periods of time and try to relax.
• Be engaging and confident but humble in all your
interactions.
• And, if at all possible, refrain from taking notes until after
the interview is complete and you are in private.
Winter,Wyman
www.winterwyman.com
8. Listen first, answer second
• Listen carefully and attentively and ask for clarification if
you don’t understand a question being asked.
• Don’t be vague or try to bluff your way out of a question. If
you need more time to respond or to provide additional
information, don’t hesitate to state that.
• Ask the interviewer insightful questions, but don’t pose off-
the-wall, lengthy or hypothetical questions.
• Prepare at least three follow-up questions to ask of your
prospective employer that will provide more information
about the job or working at the company. Not only will that
help you evaluate the opportunity, but it will also show you
are engaged and interested.
Winter,Wyman
www.winterwyman.com
9. Concluding the interview
• At the end of the interview, be cordial and thank the
interviewer for his or her time.
• Be direct in asking what the next step is in the hiring
process. If appropriate, ask if you can check back with him
or her.
• Make sure you express your interest in the company and
the position. The only time you shouldn’t do this is if you
are 100 percent sure you don’t want to work there. If that’s
the case, it is better to say nothing.
• Also, never ask about benefits or vacation time (save that
for later in the negotiation process). Most companies have
competitive offerings and by asking too early, you show
you are more interested in the benefits than the work.
Winter,Wyman
www.winterwyman.com
10. After the interview
• Shortly after you return home from an interview, e-mail or
mail a note of thanks to everyone you interviewed with.
• The note should express your gratitude for taking the time
to meet with you and also reaffirm your interest in the
position.
• If you haven’t heard from the interviewer in the time frame
in which they told you they were making a decision, it is
perfectly acceptable to follow-up with a quick e-mail or
phone call to again express your interest and gauge theirs.
Winter,Wyman
www.winterwyman.com
About Winter, Wyman
• Established in 1972
• An industry leader and one of the largest and most
recognized staffing firms in the Northeast
• Service the New England and Metropolitan New York
job markets with national technology contracting
capabilities
• Specialize in recruiting permanent, contract and
contract-to-permanent professionals
• Specialty areas include:
– Accounting & Finance
– Creative & Digital Technology
– Human Resources
– Information Technology
– Investments & Financial Services
– Software Engineering
Thank you for joining us.
Visit the “Job Seeker” section of
www.winterwyman.com
for additional job search resources.

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Winter wyman interview tips for first time job seekers

  • 1. Interview Tips for First Time Job Seekers
  • 2. Winter,Wyman www.winterwyman.com Introduction Job interviews can be stressful for first-time job seekers – you are unsure of what to wear, how early to arrive and what questions to ask. But take a deep breath, you’re not alone. Here are some tips from Dave Sanford, Executive Vice President of Business Development at the staffing firm Winter, Wyman, to help you ace that first job interview. This presentation by Dave Sanford, Winter, Wyman’s EVP of Business Development, originally appeared as an article on Boston.com and has been re-used here with the publisher’s permission.
  • 3. Winter,Wyman www.winterwyman.com Top ten tips 1. Do your homework 2. Practice 3. Dress for success 4. Arrive early 5. Be observant 6. Know yourself 7. Put your best foot – and hand – forward 8. Listen first, answer second 9. Concluding the interview 10. After the interview
  • 4. Winter,Wyman www.winterwyman.com 1. Do your homework • Before the interview, you should do basic research into the company: key people, their products or services, locations, competitors, and the latest news on the industry. • Start with the company’s website, research databases such as Hoover’s, local newspapers and business publications, and professional associations servicing the industry.
  • 5. Winter,Wyman www.winterwyman.com 2. Practice • If you have never interviewed, or haven’t done so in awhile, get ready by practicing with a friend, parent or mentor. • Be able to easily answer the typical questions that may be posed to you: – “Tell me about yourself.” – “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” – “Where do you hope to be in five years?” – “Why should we hire you?”
  • 6. Winter,Wyman www.winterwyman.com 3. Dress for success • It is imperative that you dress appropriately for the job and 99 percent of the time that means wearing a business suit. • Even if you know the company has a casual environment, dressing up for your interview sends the message you are serious about your career and the job. • Being neat, clean and professional goes a long way toward making the first impression a good one.
  • 7. Winter,Wyman www.winterwyman.com 4. Arrive early • There is nothing worse than being late for your first interview. Even though it’s not your fault a truck turned over on the highway, or you got stuck behind a school bus, arriving late sends the wrong message to your prospective employer, and it puts extra stress and time constraints on everyone involved. • If you are going to be late, call as soon as you know. • Likewise, don’t arrive too early either. Enter the lobby about 15 minutes before your meeting so you can relax and study the atmosphere.
  • 8. Winter,Wyman www.winterwyman.com 5. Be observant • As you progress in your career, you will become more aware of the importance of corporate culture and clues on how to judge an organization’s climate. For a first-time job seeker this may be more difficult, but not impossible. • Chat with the receptionist and see why he or she likes working at the company. • When walking to and from your interview, look at how employees are dressed, their age range, how they are behaving (seeing laughter and smiling is always good!) and if it appears to be a conservative or creative environment. • In other words, can you envision yourself working there?
  • 9. Winter,Wyman www.winterwyman.com 6. Know yourself • Know what you are good at – your accomplishments, skills, traits – and what sets you apart from other job seekers. • Right before the interview, review your resume and make sure you know the content and dates so you can effectively answer questions without referring to your copy. • If you are in a creative field, don’t forget to bring your portfolio, and know how best to show off examples of your work in a timely fashion.
  • 10. Winter,Wyman www.winterwyman.com 7. Put your best foot – and hand – forward • Always present a firm handshake to both men and women, smile, make eye contact and greet the interviewer by name. • Be positive and enthusiastic and prepared to make small talk – especially during walks to and from interviews. • During the meeting, stress accomplishments, but don’t talk about yourself for long periods of time and try to relax. • Be engaging and confident but humble in all your interactions. • And, if at all possible, refrain from taking notes until after the interview is complete and you are in private.
  • 11. Winter,Wyman www.winterwyman.com 8. Listen first, answer second • Listen carefully and attentively and ask for clarification if you don’t understand a question being asked. • Don’t be vague or try to bluff your way out of a question. If you need more time to respond or to provide additional information, don’t hesitate to state that. • Ask the interviewer insightful questions, but don’t pose off- the-wall, lengthy or hypothetical questions. • Prepare at least three follow-up questions to ask of your prospective employer that will provide more information about the job or working at the company. Not only will that help you evaluate the opportunity, but it will also show you are engaged and interested.
  • 12. Winter,Wyman www.winterwyman.com 9. Concluding the interview • At the end of the interview, be cordial and thank the interviewer for his or her time. • Be direct in asking what the next step is in the hiring process. If appropriate, ask if you can check back with him or her. • Make sure you express your interest in the company and the position. The only time you shouldn’t do this is if you are 100 percent sure you don’t want to work there. If that’s the case, it is better to say nothing. • Also, never ask about benefits or vacation time (save that for later in the negotiation process). Most companies have competitive offerings and by asking too early, you show you are more interested in the benefits than the work.
  • 13. Winter,Wyman www.winterwyman.com 10. After the interview • Shortly after you return home from an interview, e-mail or mail a note of thanks to everyone you interviewed with. • The note should express your gratitude for taking the time to meet with you and also reaffirm your interest in the position. • If you haven’t heard from the interviewer in the time frame in which they told you they were making a decision, it is perfectly acceptable to follow-up with a quick e-mail or phone call to again express your interest and gauge theirs.
  • 14. Winter,Wyman www.winterwyman.com About Winter, Wyman • Established in 1972 • An industry leader and one of the largest and most recognized staffing firms in the Northeast • Service the New England and Metropolitan New York job markets with national technology contracting capabilities • Specialize in recruiting permanent, contract and contract-to-permanent professionals • Specialty areas include: – Accounting & Finance – Creative & Digital Technology – Human Resources – Information Technology – Investments & Financial Services – Software Engineering
  • 15. Thank you for joining us. Visit the “Job Seeker” section of www.winterwyman.com for additional job search resources.