Tips for Inteview

1. Skills for
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2. Understand Yourself
• Interest in this career and employer
• Accomplishments and achievements
• Skills and competencies
• Community service (Clubs and organizations)
• Extra-Curricular activities
• Work ethics Values
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3. Factors influencing
• Candidate’s timekeeping (96%)
• Candidate’s interview preparation (93%)
• Ability to hold eye contact (82%)
• Personal appearance (73%)
• Quality of banter or small talk (60%)
• Strength of handshake (55%)
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4. Important factors
• Work experience (36%)
• First impressions of the candidate (24%)
• Education (12%)
• Professional qualifications (10%)
• References (9%)
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5. Pre-interview Preparation
• Documents
• Professional Attire
• Prepare Route
• Prepare answers to possible questions
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6. Documents
• Copy of resume for each interviewer +1
• Pen & paper
• Interview Agenda
• Copy of job posting
• References
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7. Professional Attire
• Try on your intended outfit (fit)
• Check for stains, rips, missing button, creases
• Coordinate accessories
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8. Prepare Your Answers
• Use recent examples where you excelled
• Identify your skills throughout your response
• Use industry terms
• Avoid casual language
• Be objective, not subjective…just the facts
• Length: 1-3 minutes
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9. STAR technique
• Situation existed
• Task needed to be accomplished
• Actions taken to perform the task
• Results of the actions
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10. Preparation Tips
• Be prepared to discuss negative experiences
• There are no right or wrong answers
• Keep a record of your achievements
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11. First Impression
• Greet the interviewer with a comfortably firm
handshake, eager smile and direct eye contact
• Allow interviewer to indicate where to sit
• Have documents in order, and offer copy of
resume to each interviewer
• Assume a receptive posture
• Breathe and try to relax…remember: you are
prepared!
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13. Five Stages of an Interview
• Opening - rapport building
• Questions about experience and skills
• Exploring professional style (fit)
• Interviewee questions
• Closing - final message
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14. Job Interview Questions
Tell me about yourself. (Don’t ramble. Stay focused on
those things about yourself that make you best qualified
for the job.)
What are your strengths? (Make sure you know what they
are before you get to the interview. Make a list.)
What are your weaknesses? (Careful of this one.
What you say can and will be held against you.)
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15. Job Interview Questions
Describe a conflict or disagreement you have had at work
and explain how you handled it.
How do you react to criticism? (This is not the time
for ego)
Give an example of a risk you took at college and how it
turned out. What did you learn from the outcome?
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16. Job Interview Questions
What accomplishment in your life are you most proud?
Would you hire you for this job? Why?
Why should we hire you over other finalists for this
position? (Of course, you won’t know their
credentials, so focus on your own.)
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17. Job Interview Questions
What motivates you?
How do you motivate others to achieve their
personal best? (Keep in mind that motivation
is internal. You can only “motivate” yourself.)
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18. Types of Interviews
• Structured / non-structured
• One-on-one / panel / group
• Responsive / reactive (stress interview)
• Phone (pre-screening)
• Informational
• Traditional / Behavioral
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19. Behavioral interview
• A structured interviewing style
• Based on questions designed to probe past behavior
in specific situations
• Focuses on experience, behaviors, knowledge, skills
and abilities related to the position
• Used to get an idea of how an individual will manage
duties based on their past behavior
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20. SKILL: Coping
QUESTION: Describe a high-pressure situation you had to
handle at work or school. What happened, who was involved
and what did you do in terms of resolution?
SKILL: Tolerance of Ambiguity
QUESTION: Give an example of a time when you had to deal
with frequent and unexpected changes. What does this say
about your ability to work in an ambiguous or unstructured
circumstance?
Behavioral Based Interviewing
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21. SKILL: Versatility
QUESTION: In work situations, as in life, we sometimes have to
compromise to make things happen. Tell me about a time when
you
felt it necessary to compromise your own immediate interests in
order
to be flexible and tolerant of another’s needs.
Behavioral Based Interviewing
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22. Behavioral Based Interviewing
Leadership
SKILL: Energizing
QUESTION: Give an example of a time when your positive
attitude caused others to be motivated or energized into
action. Be specific.
SKILL: Team Building
QUESTION: Building a team spirit to get results is often
difficult. Tell me about a time when you had your greatest
success in building a team spirit. What specific results did the
team accomplish?
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23. Behavioral Based Interviewing
Leadership
SKILL: Influence
QUESTION: (1) Give an example when you first used fact and
reason to persuade others to take action. Be specific. (2) Give
an example of a time when your communication skills were
powerful enough to enable you to influence the way others
thought or acted, even in a very difficult situation.
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24. Behavioral Based Interviewing
Problem Solving
SKILL: Analytical
QUESTION: Give an example where you actively designed
several solutions to a single problem.
SKILL: Creativity
QUESTION: Give an example of a situation where you were
inventive and explored new ways of thinking. What was the
outcome?
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25. Behavioral Based Interviewing
Problem Solving
SKILL: Decision Making/Decisiveness
QUESTION: (1) Give an example of how you reached a practical
business decision by an organized review of the facts and
weighing of options. (2) Give an example of a situation when
you had to stand up for a decision you made even though it
made you unpopular.
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26. Behavioral Based Interviewing
Personal Work Habits
SKILL: Commitment to Tasks
QUESTION: (1) Describe a time in which you were able to be
very persistent in order to reach goals. (2) Give an example of
any specific time in which you found it necessary to give long
hours to the job.
SKILL: Goal Setting
QUESTION: What has been your experience in defining
long and short-range goals? Tell me what specific goal
was set, how was it set, and how successful you were
in its achievement?
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27. Behavioral Based Interviewing
Communication
SKILL: Interaction
QUESTION: Being skillful in dealing with others on the job is
an important factor in being productive. Describe a time
when you were successful in dealing with another person
because you built a trusting and harmonious relationship.
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28. Behavioral Based Interviewing
Communication
SKILL: Spoken Communication
QUESTION: Careful listening and effective communication go hand
in hand. Tell about a specific time when your ability to listen helped
you communicate better. Tell about a specific experience of yours
that illustrates your ability to influence others verbally.
SKILL: Written Communication
QUESTION: In some jobs, it is necessary to document work
thoroughly. Give an example of a project you completed that
required detailed written documentation.
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29. Activity
• Pre-interview - What to do before the
interview; up to the time you reach the front
door
• Interview - What to do during the interview;
from the moment you walk into the building
to the end of the actual interview
• Post-interview - What to do after the
interview; from the moment you walk out of
the interview room and onwards
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30. Non-verbal Communication
Non-verbal communication is composed of
appearance, posture and body language
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31. Appearance
• Personal hygiene
• Clothing
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32. Posture
• Attentive listening position
• Avoid slouching or sitting on edge
• Make comfortable (slight) adjustments
• Avoid crossing your legs
• Allow for a personal space of about 36 inches
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33. Body Language
• Hands movement
• Handshake
• Eye contact
• Facial signals and head movements
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34. Hands movement
• Hand movements can liven up an interview,
but should be used in moderation, and below
eye level
• Avoid crossing your arms
• Avoid unconscious hand movements (biting
nails, picking at nails, adjusting tie, wringing
hands, rubbing the back of your neck, hands in
pockets, clicking a pen, etc.)
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35. Handshake
• Comfortably firm; 2 - 3 shakes
• Use only 1 hand and put it all the way into the
interviewer’s hand, with palm up
• Be aware of possible perspiration
• If you don’t feel comfortable shaking hands
for cultural/religious reasons, you can
‘gesture’ a greeting
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36. Eyes
• Eye contact is essential and an excellent way
of conveying your interest in the job
• By looking directly at the interviewer you are
giving them a sign of trust
• Allow for eye movement to avoid staring
• Avoid looking away, down, or over your
glasses when answering questions
• Panel interview: focus on the person who
posed the questions, and ‘sweep’ the others
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37. Facial Signals
• Present a warm and natural smile
• Nod your head slowly in agreeance
• Avoid head bobbing
• Avoid biting / licking your lips
• Be aware if you are rubbing your nose
• Be aware of subconscious facial expressions
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38. Closing the Interview
• Provide a copy of your References
• Confirm the follow-up timeframe and phone
number
• Restate your interest in the position and why
you feel you are the ideal candidate
• Thank the interviewer(s) for their time
• Shake the interviewer’s hand
• Remember to SMILE!
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39. Post-Interview
• Reflect on interview – note unexpected
questions, or answers that need polishing
• Send a Thank You email / card (within 24
hours)
• Follow up (clarify during interview)
• Prepare for a second interview
• Continue your job search
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40. Stay positive!
• The right opportunity is waiting for you!
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41. Getting an interview is an achievement
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