Job-Applications.com Interviewing Lesson Plan

http://www.job-applications.com/resources/lesson-plans/©Copyright Job-Applications.com
Preparing For An Interview
BY DOUG CRAWFORD, SPHR, SHRM-SCP Job-Applications.com

http://www.job-applications.com/resources/lesson-plans/
Remember: It’s
Just An Interview
Relax, you aren’t the first
person to ever be nervous
before an interview.

©Copyright Job-Applications.com
It’s Not Just About Answering Questions…
 It’s a conversation, not an interrogation.
 The interview should be a back-and-forth discussion, with both sides asking questions of each other.
 Hit the right talking points.
 Focus on industry-related topics and conveying knowledge about the job at hand.
 Don’t downplay your experience.
 Stop picking apart what you’ve done. It should never be, “I was just a cashier.” All experience should
come across as being proud of the work you accomplished.
 Practice being confident.
 Take the time to practice interviewing with someone to build confidence and avoid the “um’s” and
“like’s.”
 Anecdotal experiences do help.
 Conveying what you’ve done well and how you achieved goals on the job may help show experience

General Tips and Knowledge
 Dress appropriately
 Come prepared
 Be polite
 Show up on time
 Turn off your phone

Dress
Appropriately
 Always dress professionally
 For a young man, a tucked-in polo and
khakis or a dress shirt, slacks, and tie.
 For a young woman, a polo and dress
pants or a dress shirt and workplace-
appropriate skirts.
 You’re making an impression from the
moment you walk in the door.

Come
Prepared
 Bring a copy of your resume and a list of
references, just in case.
 Research the company beforehand.
 Prepare questions for the interviewer
concerning job responsibilities, company
culture, and the interviewer’s experiences
in the company.
 Salary questions should only be asked
when initiated by the interviewer.

Use
Common
Sense
 Do:
 Show up early, not on time
 Shake hands when greeting and leaving
 Maintain eye contact
 Thank the interviewer for their time
 Don’t:
 Chew gum
 Bring your cell phone
 Slouch or act distracted
 Overshare

How To Answer Typical Interview Questions

Tell me about yourself.

Tell Me About Yourself…
 This question may trip up interviewees because the initial thought process
goes to giving personal background information.
 The interviewer is actually asking about your skills, training, and education
background, all related to the job at hand.
 Your answer should take no more than a minute or two to relay.
 Use the “elevator pitch”
 Summarize skills and achievements, with deliveries theoretically occurring in the
same amount of time as a shared elevator ride.
 Stories with concrete examples of skills or highlighting important
accomplishments tend to win over employers in the end.

What would you consider
your strengths?

What Would You Consider Your Strengths?
 Finding the “right” answer typically falls to preparation and building
confidence in your delivery.
 Assess what makes you unique, all while considering relevant experiences,
special trainings, and skills you’ve acquired applicable to the job at hand.
 The question really is open-ended:
 Practicing answering beforehand by making lists to help focus on two or three
especially strong qualities may prove beneficial
 Thinking of relevant stories demonstrating job-related strengths may also help

How about weaknesses?

What are your weaknesses?
 You’re allowed to have weaknesses, you just have to show how you
assess such shortcomings and be able to describe steps toward
improvement.
 Avoid portraying a weakness as a strength. The answer will sound
contrived and false.
 Interviewers typically do not hire candidates that can not admit to flaws.
 Always frame answers in terms of how you are taking steps to improve in
areas of weakness.
 Keep answers honest, focused, and concise, all while choosing a
weakness that is related to the job at hand.

Why would you like
to work here?

Why Would You Like To Work Here?
 On the outside, you may just want a job for a paycheck. Employers may be
hoping for a little bit more.
 Employers are trying to gauge both personal and professional reasons candidates
apply to that particular company
 Research the potential employer and look into aspects of service, particular
programs designed to retain employees, and the company business model.
 Showing you know and understand these things stand out to an employer
 Cite specifics about how you heard about the job or the company culture
 What to avoid?
 Talking about money as the reason you want to work there
 Bad-mouthing former employers

Why should we hire you?

Why Should We Hire You?
 Avoid generic responses, such as “I’ll be a hard worker” or “I can do the
job better than anyone else.”
 Instead, prove it.
 Base responses off personal work histories combined with positive personality
traits.
 Discuss spearheading possible problems the typical job may face and give
specific examples of how you would try solving them.
 Pull from experiences starting and finishing projects and how the desired effect
was achieved.
 Always have a back up answer ready
 Practice responses to avoid getting tongue-tied or from appearing nervous.

So What Have We Learned?
 Why is an interview more of a
conversation than an interrogation?
 What should you focus your
conversation on?
 When is the only time you should talk
money?
 What kind of questions should you
prepare ahead of time for the
interviewer?
 How should you dress for the
interview?
 What are some examples of what you
should do the day of the interview?
 What are some examples of what you
shouldn’t do?
 Should you bring anything with you to
the interview?
 If so, what should you bring?

Additional Resources
For more information about preparing for an interview, check out the
following resources from Job-Applications.com:
http://www.job-applications.com/
http://www.job-applications.com/blog/
https://www.youtube.com/user/MrJobApplications
http://www.job-applications.com/video-library/
https://www.facebook.com/JobApplications

Job-Applications.com Interviewing Lesson Plan

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