Excelling interview skills
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1. Introduction 2. Preparing a great Resume 3. Preparing for your Interview 4. Questions you should be able to answer 5. Communication and your Personal Brand 6. Managing nerves and Portraying Confidence 7. At the Interview
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Excelling interview skills
- 1. EXCELLING INTERVIEW SKILLS GRACE Training And Development Services
- 2. OVERVIEW 1. Introduction 2. Preparing a great Resume 3. Preparing for your Interview 4. Questions you should be able to answer 5. Communication and your Personal Brand 6. Managing nerves and Portraying Confidence 7. At the Interview
- 3. 1. INTRODUCTION Interviewing is all about research, confidence and creating a good rapport. It is a myth to think that the most skilled person will get the job. The hiring manager needs to know that you are capable of performing the tasks of the job and also that you will be a good addition to the team. When it comes to hiring the right person, it is about the overall package - skills, personality, confidence and also the passion you show in your interview.
- 4. 1.1 WHAT IS AN INTERVIEW? Wikipedia defines a job interview as the “process in which a potential employee is evaluated by an employer for prospective employment in their company, organization, or firm.
- 5. 1.2 PURPOSE OF AN INTERVIEW From an employer’s perspective, the purpose of an interview is to gather information about you, so they can determine whether or not you are the best person for the job. From your perspective, the purpose of the interview is to provide information to the interviewers so they can make their decision, preferably in your favor.
- 6. 2. PREPARING A GREAT RESUME Choose a clear font such as Arial or Times New Roman. Bold your headings. Ensure your name, address, telephone number and email contact details are at the top of your first page. Have Your Resume of Maximum 2 Pages. Have a positive personal profile and key skills that represent you and your experience. Career summary/Experience: Begin with your most recent work experience first. Shine a light on your positive qualities, positive people are much more attractive to employers.
- 7. RESUME TEMPLATE YOUR NAME [Street Address] | [City, ST ZIP Code] | [Phone Number] | [E-mail Address] OBJECTIVE [An entry-level marketing or management position with a medium-sized business.] EDUCATION [Bachelor of Science, Business Administration] [State College, Oakhill] [Expected June 2007] [Major: Management] [Minor: Marketing] [Related course work: Personnel management, business management, business ethics, business law, macroeconomics, statistics, marketing, and sales.] EXPERIENCE [Advertising Manager] [State College Student News] [Start Date]to [End Date] [Responsible for page and classified advertising sales and promotions.] {Organized and implemented several successful advertising promotions, which cumulatively increased ad revenue by 65%.]
- 8. RESUME TEMPLATE CONTINUES… SKILLS & ABILITIES [Management] [Developed and implemented new fundraising program for social fraternity, which brought in more than $1,500 for local charity.] [Worked with local and national alumni chapters to coordinate chapter house expansion, including negotiating a construction contract and schedule.] [Organized and communicated to chapter alumni a house expansion fundraising program, which to date has brought in enough to cover 50% of expansion costs.] [Organized and implemented advertising promotion, which increased number of advertisers by 45%.] [Communication] [Presented monthly financial reports to chapter members and quarterly reports to national headquarters.] [Leadership] [Served as fraternity president, business manager, and social chairman.] Named to [Organization name.] INTERESTS/HOBBIES
- 9. 3. PREPARING FOR YOUR INTERVIEW
- 10. 3.1 THE COMPETENCY BASED INTERVIEW People management Communication skills Team working skills Leadership skills Customer care skills Problem solving Some of the most popular competencies are:
- 11. 3.2 THE JOB SPECIFICATION The job specification provides essential information. The interview panel will want to hear specific examples of how you can demonstrate the skills and abilities that they consider essential for the post. Prepare by starting with the key competencies / skills that are required for the job, which you will find on the Job specification.
- 12. 3.3 MATCHING YOUR SKILLS TO THE JOB REQUIREMENTS • Motivating colleagues • Organizational skills • Enthusiastic about work Leadership skills • Listening to a colleague • Writing a leaflet • Chairing a meeting and ensuring the minutes clear to read Communication skills • Helping colleagues with tasks • Assisting staff to agree to disagree • Enthusiastic about role, company and customersTeam working skills • Listening to the situation and providing several possible solutions • Thinking creatively about the problem Problem solving
- 13. 3.4 DRESSING FOR THE INTERVIEW Blue • Words that describe the color blue include: trust, loyalty, wisdom, peacefulness. These are exactly the type of feelings you want to be portraying in your interview. Red • Red is a strong color, very emotional, an extreme color that in an interview scenario can work against you. Orange • Although orange is not seen to be as aggressive as red, it is still perceived as a colour that can evoke feelings of power and aggression.
- 14. 3.4 DRESSING FOR THE INTERVIEW CONTINUES… Grey • Many people’s second favorite color to wear after blue. Grey gives the look of sophistication and authority. Purple • The color of “royalty”. Purple symbolizes power, aristocracy, lavishness, and extravagance. Black • Be careful when wearing just black to an interview. Black is seen as a power color and can be viewed as threatening
- 15. 3.5 HOW TO NAIL THE TELEPHONE INTERVIEW Speak in a steady voice. Don’t rush what you’re trying to say. Ensure that you sound enthusiastic and passionate. Answer the questions which are being asked. Do not make the mistake of telling the interviewer what you want to tell them. Give them the answers to their questions. Keep a glass of water handy. Nothing is worse than having a dry mouth. Address the interviewer in the appropriate way. Do not shorten people’s name. They are your potential employer not your “Friend”. “Cheat Notes” Prepare beforehand with notes to help drive you through the interview. If the interview is going to be technical, have notes ready to prompt yourself if needed. What to do during the phone interview?
- 16. 4. QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO ANSWER What are your weaknesses? Where do you see yourself in five years time? What motivates you? Why have you applied for this job? What do you know about our company? Do you have any questions for us? The Curveball Question
- 17. 4.1 WHAT ARE YOUR WEAKNESSES?
- 18. 4.2 WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN FIVE YEARS TIME?
- 19. 4.3 WHAT MOTIVATES YOU? A sense of achievement Good working relationships with my colleagues The ability to develop new skills Achieving goals and targets Overcoming challenges and solving problems Working towards realizing my potential
- 20. 4.4 WHY HAVE YOU APPLIED FOR THIS JOB?
- 21. 4.5 WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS COMPANY?
- 22. 4.6 DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US?
- 23. 4.7 THE CURVEBALL QUESTION • Very detailed level of knowledge is required to answer them. • If you have some ideas on the issue raised, share what you know. Technical/Legal Questions • The interviewer outlines a hypothetical scenario and asks you how you would deal with it. • It requires you to offer your opinion and remember it is always valid, because it is your opinion. Challenging Questions
- 24. 5. COMMUNICATION & YOUR PERSONAL BRAND 7% of the message is found in the actual words that are spoken. 38% of the message is paralinguistic (the way that the words are expressed e.g. tone.) 55% of the message is found in facial expressions.
- 25. 5.1 THE WAYS WE CAN USE OUR VOICE Volume Tone Clarity Emphasis Speed
- 26. 5.2 MINIMIZE VERBAL FILLERS The interviewers want to learn about me so they want me to be relaxed and to speak clearly. The interviewers cannot wait to hear what I will say to them. The interviewers are professional at what they do and I’m professional at what I do, so this is really a conversation between equals. More positive thoughts, more empowering beliefs will minimize your verbal fillers. How about these beliefs?
- 27. 5.3 BODY LANGUAGE • Many interviewers operate on the premise that a weak handshake denotes a weak candidate. If you are not sure about yours, practice it and ask for feedback. Handshake • A pleasant expression communicates you are relaxed and friendly. Smile and nod as you normally would during a conversation.Facial Expression • An upright posture allows us to breathe more easily which helps us feel calmer. Upright posture • Avoiding eye contact by looking either side of the interviewer can communicate lack of trustworthiness or even aggressiveness.Eye Contact
- 28. 5.4 DETERMINING YOUR PERSONAL BRAND Appearance • Dressed professionally and in accordance with the accepted norms of the company. Accessories • Don’t wear or carry any accessories to distract the interviewers and detract from their overall experience of interviewing you. Punctuality • An interviewer may think that if you cannot be trusted with time, you cannot be trusted with anything. Social Media • A new factor that influences our personal brand is our social media presence. LinkedIn is the social media platform that lends itself to business professionals.
- 29. 6. MANAGING NERVES & PORTRAYING CONFIDENCE
- 30. 6.1 WHY DO WE GET NERVOUS? It is important to remember that you are only nervous before an interview because you care about doing well and because you want the job. It is useful to remember that feelings of stress, anxiousness, nervousness, even fear, are all symptoms, the root cause is a feeling of not being in control. At an interview, we are being asked to present/sell ourselves, and for many people that is like being in a spotlight, where any feelings of lack of confidence or nervousness are magnified.
- 31. 6.2 WHY CONFIDENCE IS IMPORTANT? The origin of the word confidence is the Latin word confidere meaning to trust or to have faith in. So to approach something confidently is to approach it with faith, faith in ourselves, faith in our abilities and faith that everything will work out for the best.
- 32. 6.3 STRATEGIES FOR MANAGING NERVES AND BOOSTING SELF- CONFIDENCE
- 33. 6.3.1 VISUALIZATION You know what you will be wearing to the interview. You may know the number of people interviewing you; you might even know who they are. You know the content of your Resume or application form that will be the source of the initial questions. You won’t know all the questions you will be asked, but you will be able to predict a good number of them and you can visualize yourself communicating your answers articulately. You may know the competencies they are seeking so you can visualize yourself sharing your examples that illustrate those competencies.
- 34. 6.3.2 SLOW DOWN YOUR BREATHING To breathe more deeply try this simple exercise:
- 35. 6.3.3 THREE SIMPLE QUESTIONS FOR RE-FOCUSING THE MIND What’s the worst that can happen? What’s the best that can happen? What’s likely to happen?
- 36. 6.3.4 ASK YOURSELF EMPOWERING QUESTIONS How can I relate well to the interviewers? How can I remain confident, yet relaxed throughout the interview? How can I show them that I am the right person for the job? How can I demonstrate motivation and enthusiasm during the interview? How can I ‘wow’ them? How can I enjoy this experience? How can I learn from this?
- 37. 7. AT THE INTERVIEW If you are not successful on this occasion, make sure that you get feedback on your interview and build from that feedback into your personal reflection on this interview, most importantly, how can you transfer this learning back into your next experience. If you are successful, enjoy celebrating your new job! The first 90 seconds of the interview are crucial, so practice introducing yourself positively, using open body language, smiling and giving the whole panel eye contact.
- 38. FINAL TIPS If you want to practice your interview skills, consider applying for a job that you are not particularly interested in. Asking for feedback when you haven’t been successful will help you prepare for the next interview. Your Resume and/or your application form will also be used by the interviewers as a source for questions. Make sure you are very familiar with all the information contained in them. One last piece of advice - at an interview your primary role is to be yourself, the best of yourself.
- 39. WORDS OF THE WISE
- 40. RESOURCES How to excel at Interviews, eBook- James Sweetman Interview Secrets Exposed, eBook- Gavin f. Redelman, RedStar Resume The Art of Interview Skills, eBook- Fiona Setch
- 41. BE IN TOUCH WITH US… +91-07073168457 www.facebook.com/GRACE7SERVICES grace.ruash@gmail.com www.gracetraining.weebly.com
Editor's Notes
- Interviewers are not trying to catch you out. In most instances they want you to be at ease, because when you are relaxed, you will speak more fluidly and it is easier for them to learn about you and your potential to be successful in the role.
- Other Important Points: Remember that your potential employer may have received many applications for one vacancy, so the Interview panel will skim read and match the Resume experience(If Any Required) with the job specification, so tailoring your Resume to the job is essential to ensure you get an interview. Avoid abbreviations and words that you wouldn’t normally use. Make sure you have ensured your dates flow, if you changed jobs and had an extended holiday, make sure to write this down and what you gained from the experience, avoid gaps in dates. If you have a relatively good work experience, then prepare a CV not Resume of minimum 2 Pages. Bullet points are an effective way of highlighting your achievements in work, university or voluntary work. If you are a fresh college graduate, have your resume of 1 page but not more than 2 pages. Write references only if asked.
- A competency is a behavior that you must have or be able to acquire to be effective in the role. The majority of companies will break down each vacancy into a number of core competencies and the interview panel will ask questions that require the candidates to show evidence of demonstrating them.
- Try and have two to three examples of each competency prepared which will ensure you have a very thorough approach.
- The most important aspect is to dress appropriately for the role you are applying for. Applying for a position in a coffee shop is a lot different to applying for a role in a law firm. The best way to find out what the type of appropriate clothing to wear to the interview is to do a 10 minute stalk out of the organization and see what the employees are wearing. This way you can’t go wrong. Studies have shown that the colors you decide to wear in an interview can actually make a difference. In the competitive world we live in you need to ensure that you take every advantage you possibly can.
- Different colors evoke different emotions and it is imperative when you’re interviewing that you evoke the right emotions from the interviewer. Know your audience and dress accordingly.
- What NOT to do during the phone interview: • Don’t eat, drink, chew gum • Do not smoke • Don’t interrupt the interviewer • Don’t answer with just a “yes” and “no”- elaborate your answers, provide examples if applicable • Don’t be too casual/informal • Don’t use long-winded answers to questions
- There are a number of questions you are almost guaranteed to be asked at an interview, so it makes sense to give them some thought beforehand. You don’t want your answers to be rehearsed to the point of being robotic, but you do want to know the key points you want to communicate. Above are some of the common questions asked at an interview.
- The absolute wrong answer to give to the weaknesses question is ‘I don’t think I have any weaknesses.’ Someone who responds this way is only advertising their arrogance and their lack of self awareness, ironically two real weaknesses!
- The wrong way to answer this question is ‘to be sitting in your chair doing your job.’ Even when said in a humorous way, you will still come across as a little arrogant and it also shows you have not prepared for the question.
- The clue to answering the motivation question is in the word ‘motivation’ itself. The first part of the word, if we add in an ‘e’ is ‘motive,’ why something is important to you. If we add a ‘c’ to the second part of the word we have ‘action.’ So, what’s important to you about your work/career? Reflecting on this question will help you shape your answer to the motivation question. How would you answer that question right now? The above mentioned are the factors that often figure in candidates’ answers.
- If your main reason for applying is because you are thinking to leave, what you consider to be a toxic working environment, for example, you dislike your current manager, best to keep that to yourself. Complaining about your current or past employer, will not serve you at an interview, focus instead on the future and why you feel the company is a good match for you at this stage in your career.
- Knowing the basic information contained on the company’s website is the minimum that is expected in response to this question. If the company has been in the news recently you would also be expected to be aware of this. For senior positions, knowledge of the industry as well as social and economic issues impacting the company would be required.
- Examples of questions to ask - ‘What training will the successful candidate receive?’ ‘Who would I report to?’ ‘To be considered a success in this role, what would the successful candidate need to achieve in the first six months?’ ‘When will I hear about the outcome of this interview?’ Of course you don’t need to ask a question, but there are ways you can use this time at the end of the interview to your advantage.
- The interviewers will usually endeavor to create an environment of stress in the interview to see how you respond. The most common way they do this is to ask you some questions where they don’t expect you to know the answers. It can also happen that one member of the interviewing panel will play the role of devil’s advocate. He or she will ask the challenging questions and may come across as unfriendly and unsympathetic. That is the role they are playing, so don’t take it personally! When the interviewer asks you detailed, testing questions, remember the main reason they are doing this is to determine how you react. Challenging, stress-inducing questions generally fall into two categories (mentioned above).
- Volume- We want to be easily heard, so we need to speak loudly enough so the interviewers are not straining their ears. Tone- When we vary our tone we are demonstrating energy and enthusiasm. If you feel you struggle in this area, practice by repeating the same sentence portraying a different emotion each time. Clarity- Speak clearly and be in control of your words. This conveys confidence. Emphasis- Emphasize words to draw attention to the important points you are making. Emphasizing words punctuates our delivery and it steers the interviewer to the key parts of our answer. Speed- Speaking too fast is a common trap people fall into during interviews, usually as a result of being nervous. When we are breathing quickly, we will speak quickly. The antidote is to control your breathing.
- In linguistic terms, a verbal filler is a sound or a word used in conversation to indicate that you have paused to think, but are not finished speaking. Some of the common fillers are ‘like,’ ‘you know,’ ‘basically,’ ‘right,’ ‘I mean,’ ‘actually, ‘just,’ and ‘mmm.’
- Body language is not an exact science, different postures and gestures can mean different things depending on the context. Interviewers are usually not experts in body language; they are not going to scrutinize your every move and gesture. They will however notice if you are uncomfortable, or if your body language is not consistent with what you are saying.
- Personal branding is about how we market ourselves. It is the experience we want others to have when they interact with us. At an interview, your personal brand is the words the interviewers will use to describe their impression of you and their experience of interviewing you.
- Interviewers want to feel confident that they are making the right decision in offering you the job, but it will be difficult for them to have confidence in their decision and in you, if you don’t feel confident yourself.
- Purposeful visualization is about rehearsing in your mind how you want to perform a task. With your eyes closed you imagine, as best you can, every aspect of the interview. You won’t know all the details in advance, but there is plenty you can work with.
- Another Exercise: Breathe in through your nose to the count of three. Hold your breath for a second, then breathe in again for a second count of three. (The second in breathe really expands the lungs.) Then slowly release your breath through your mouth to the count of six. Repeat this several times and feel your shoulders relax.
- This question gets us to view head on the specific issues that are worrying us. So what’s the worst that could happen at an interview? You are not offered the job. You go blank. You waffle. This question gets us to think about our definition of a successful interview (above and beyond being offered the role.) Your answer might include - everything runs smoothly, I come across as professional and enthusiastic, I speak clearly and share some good examples, I manage my nerves and leave the room feeling I did my best. As we are experts in knowing ourselves, our answer to this question will usually be quite accurate. It might not be exactly what we hope the ideal interview will be (the best that could happen,) but it probably won’t be the worst case scenario either. This question ensures our thinking is balanced.
- By asking yourself empowering questions like these you are engaging your mind in a positive way. Even if you cannot consciously answer them, you are training your mind to search for an answer.