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Jena - Interviewing
- 1. Interviewing Jena Mahne, MS CareerCounselor Barnard Career Development jmahne@barnard.edu
- 2. Interview Tips andEtiquette “Interview Mode” Research Preparation Presentation Questions Final Statement Following Up
- 3. Interview Mode Youshould be in “interview mode” as soon as you send your resume and cover letter out! All representations of yourself that are accessible must be professional Voice mail greeting Email address Social media Search yourself on the internet to see what comes up
- 4. Research Tips Company Learn about the company’s history, specialties, areas of service, and what makes them unique company website LinkedIn YouTube glassdoor.com media coverage Position Familiarize yourself with the job description and review the job’s standard description on O*NET. Interviewer(s) and format Ask for the details in advance! Look up the people you will be interviewing with on the company’s website and LinkedIn to familiarize yourself with their role and background.
- 5. Preparation Tips Choosewhat to wear in advance, making sure it both looks and feels good Rule of thumb is to dress a step above the everyday norm for the company/organization/industry Keep accessories and colors simple Make sure clothes are ironed and neat looking Make sure pants are not too tight or low rise or skirts are too short Don’t wear excessive cologne/perfume Make sure what you wear is not distracting Bring a portfolio or a nice folder For them: copies of your resume and references, projects, supervisor reviews, etc Bring paper and pen to take notes Practice, practice, practicePractice, practice, practice
- 6. Preparation Tips cont. Plan your route to arrive early to the area, but wait to check in at actual location until 10-15 minutes prior to interview time Accept water so you can take a sip as you gather your thoughts to answer a difficult question, or if you just feel nervous in general Ask for clarification if you are unsure what the interviewer is asking Asking for a minute trick
- 7. Presentation Tips Regardlessof the field, you should always present in an interview as Eager Energetic Interested Show the above qualities by Being knowledgeable about the company and position Expressing and explaining your excitement and enthusiasm Be ready to discuss ideas you may have to bring to the job or team
- 8. Body Language Firm handshake Goodeye contact Sit up straight, lean in at times as you answer Minimize “tics”, both verbal and physical Be mindful of talking speed and cadence
- 9. 2 fundamental questions Yourpotential employer wants to know: Can you do the job? Will you be a good fit in our work environment? (You want to know this too!) 9
- 10. Can you dothe job? You have the most control over answering this question Strategy: continue making the case you started in your cover letter and resume, giving clear examples of times when you have demonstrated success performing key aspects of the job Story telling Being able to provide concrete examples in the form of a story is more memorable and convincing 10
- 11. Will you bea good fit? You have somewhat less control over the outcome to this question--it’s more subjective Strategy: present your best self confident comfortable enthusiastic articulate 11
- 12. 3 Things AboutYou What 3 things do you most want the interviewer(s) to know about you by the time you walk out the door? Brainstorm your key qualities as they relate to this job narrow down to 3 develop 2-3 examples from your work and/or volunteer experiences that demonstrate each of these 3 qualities 12
- 13. 5 COMMON INTERVIEW QUESTIONS Tellme about yourself. Why do you want to work for our organization? What are your greatest strengths? What is your greatest weakness? Behavioral Questions: Tell us about a time when...
- 14. “Tell us aboutyourself” In other words… “Walk us through the highlights of your resume” DO: Highlight recent education and relevant work history and activities Use one or two of your three key points as a focus 2-3 min DON’T: Go through your whole resume or life story Feel bound to follow chronological or reverse chronological order 30 second Elevator Pitch
- 15. “Why do youwant to work for our organization?” In other words… “What do you know about us?” This is your opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of the company/organization overall mission place within the industry reputation and work atmosphere End your answer with your desire to bring your skills and experience to their mission/company/team
- 16. “What are yourgreatest strengths?” In other words… What makes you a good match for this job/Why should we hire you? Work in 2-3 of your key points Remember the job description Give additional examples of the strengths you focused on in your cover letter Focus on one or two points mentioned in the job description that you didn’t fit into your cover letter
- 17. “What is yourgreatest weakness?”In other words… “Are you self-aware, and can you change your behavior as needed?” Make sure to Avoid clichés Choose something that wouldn’t be a huge part of the new job Change the language to “challenge”, and use the past tense “In my first management position, delegating tasks was a real challenge for me….” Discuss how you became aware of the problem (self- analysis, feedback from boss?) and how you worked to fix it (be specific!) “I talked it through with my manager, and we agreed that weekly check-ins with each of my direct reports would assure me that the work was getting done.”
- 18. “Tell us abouta time when...” In other words… “How well do you handle problems and obstacles?” These are often referred to as behavioral or situational questions Work in one or more of your key points Prepare 3-5 examples about times you successfully handled problems Tell me about a time you had to make an important decision. Tell me about a time you had to work on a team project. Tell me about a time you showed leadership. Tell me about a time you worked with a challenging client. Tell me about a time something did not go according to plan. Describe your problem solving approach.
- 19. BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEWING Situation Brieflydescribe the circumstances. Obstacle What was the specific problem or task? Action What you did specifically do to resolve the problem. Result Outcomes, what was learned, what was changed because of this experience.
- 20. Behavioral Questions “Give mean example of a time that you had to work with a difficult person” Situation: “Working in teams for a class project, we turned in an assignment late because my teammate had not finished her part in time for me to finish mine.” Obstacle: “I had a teammate who had a different working style than me. She did things at the last minute, where I liked to complete things early.” Action: “I scheduled a meeting with this teammate, and we decided we would make timelines together and follow them.” Results: “With this new timeline, we were able to compromise. I realized I did not have to do things so early, and my teammate adhered to an earlier deadline. Our next project was turned in on time.”
- 21. Other Challenging Questions Avoidbeing thrown for a loop by thinking about the following questions ahead of time: What types of tasks do you dislike? What salary are you looking for? Can you explain this gap in your employment history? Examples of Illegal Questions: Are you married? Do you have children? How old are you?
- 22. Asking Questions Alwaysask questions! Short Reflection on each answer Standard questions What do you love about your job? What is a typical week like? Can you clarify OR tell me more about the responsibilities (x) of the job? Can you describe your ideal employee OR what characteristics are you looking for in ______? How will my position be evaluated? What upcoming projects would I be working on? Deeper questions If I were to be offered the position, what would you like to see me accomplish within the first 3 months of my employment? Tell me about some recent successes of the company OR what are your short and long term goals? What is the overall structure of the company and how does your department fit into that structure? What are the strengths in you company? What do you see as your biggest challenge? I noticed in Time Magazine that your company was rated #1 in innovation. Congratulations! What do you think is a the strongest contributor to that? Organic questions that arise during the interview “You mentioned staff retreats. How often do these occur, and what is the usual format?” Wrap up question: What are the next steps? Is there a time frame?
- 23. Final Statement • Summarizeyour 2-3 assets and how you will benefit the company • Reconnect your values and passion • State that you are interested in and excited about the position
- 24. Thank you notes Send notes within 24 hours of the interview Highlight and elaborate on interview topics Confirm your current interest and excitement about the position Withdraw applicaion Send notes to everyone you met at the interview Obtain business cards while there, or call the office afterwards to confirm correct names, spelling, and titles Email versus snail mail Email has become accepted and you should definitely use it if the timetable is tight Handwritten notes do stand out – have prepared ahead of time.
- 25. Sample Thank YouEmail Dear Ms. Williams, It was wonderful to speak with you this morning regarding the Education Assistant position at the Museum of the Moving Image. The job seems to be an excellent match for my skills and interest. The hands-on approach to education that you described confirmed my desire to work with you. In addition to my energy and enthusiasm for education, I will bring to the position strong writing skills and curriculum development experience. I appreciate the time you took to interview me and I am very interested in and excited about the Education Assistant position. Please do not hesitate the contact me with any additional questions. I look forward to hearing from you regarding this opportunity. Sincerely, Amy Smith (555) 555-5555 LinkeIn: linkedin.com/in/amysmith
- 26. Contact References • Informyour references that you interviewed with ________ and they should expect a call/email. • Give them a list of 3 things to say • Make it easy for them • Align with interview
- 27. Following Up Atthe end of the interview, ask about their time frame for making a decision If you don’t hear back from them within that time frame, call or email to check in
- 28. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Tipsheets on interviewing Barnard.edu/cd > students> tip sheets>interviewing Interview Preparation with myself or another counselor in the office Brainstorming and refining answers to common interview questions Mock interviews
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