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- 1. Career Network Master the Interview WorkSource is an equal-opportunity partnership of organizations that provide employment and training services. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to people with disabilities.
- 2. Overview Master the Interview The Evolution of Staffing The Interview Process The Phone Interview Sample Questions The Face-to-Face Interview Company Research Dress to Impress Sample Questions Illegal Interview Questions Finishing and Following-up The Follow-up Interview Conclusion
- 3. The Evolution of Staffing The 1800’s Change is Good Today The 1900’s Agricultural – Relationship Oriented Job Leads Relationship based, communication technology based, and highly competitive Industrial – Relationship obtained, skilled work
- 4. The Interview Process Master The Interview
- 5. The Phone Interview The Fun Starts Here
- 6. Sample Questions Telephone Interview Why are you in the job market now? Why are you interested in this position? What are you looking to find in your next job? How are you well-suited for our company? How will you know after six months that this is the right job for you? What could make you want to move on after a year in this job?
- 7. The Face-to-Face Interview 7 P’s of Preparation
- 8. Company Research 7 P’s of Preparation
- 9. Dress to Impress 7 P’s of Preparation Professional REliable Approachable Knowledgeable Hire-able!
- 10. Sample Questions Face to face Interview What do you know about our company? Tell us a bit about your work background, and give us a description of how you think it relates to our current opening. What are some positive aspects of you last employment/employer? What are some negative aspects? What was your primary contribution/achievement? Biggest challenge? Why should we hire YOU? What are your career path interests?
- 11. Illegal Interview Questions Know Your Rights
- 12. Remain Professional How much are you going to pay me? My last boss, oh man, was he a jerk! I’m going to need two weeks off in December. Oh and I don’t do weekends. **RING RING**Hold on, I need to take this call. You could have an excellent interview overall but a simple mistake could eliminate your chances at being hired.
- 13. Finish and Follow-up Finish Well
- 14. The Follow-up Interview Congratulations!
- 16. Questions? Questions/ Open Discussion
- 17. Sources References http://www.interview-tips-and-tricks.com http://www.shrm.com http://jobsearch.about.com http://jobhunter.wordpress.com WorkSource Career Assessment Network Workbook (2002)
Editor's Notes
- The 1800’s: small rural settings and townships established a workforce that was staffed purely by word of mouth. “Family Trades” where common place and jobs where often inherited. Small population eliminated the need for mass competition based selection. Interviewing was not a necessity because of the close proximity of dwellings and level of transferable skills. Average time spent in occupation – lifetime.The 1900s: Large cities became populated with immigrant settlers. Skilled work was offered by word of mouth and the application process meant showing up to work without the residual effects of vices or illness. Depending on location, work was readily available for those capable and willing to work in harsh conditions. Several growing industries for people with higher educations and steady work for farming communities. Average time spent in job – lifetime unless major life change. Today: Extremely competitive unemployment pool with growing global implications. Regardless of where one lives, it is possible to compete job candidates clear across the country. Computer driven application system with a word of mouth springboard to employment. Possible to find work if one is able to navigate the application and interview process. Average time spent in job today – 7 years.
- - The phone interview: Cost effective for employers and scripted – takes place of the former first round interview. one phone conversation can give an employer a wealth of information about a candidate's overall communication skills, sense of humor, ability to listen, attitude, and professionalism. Other areas the interviewer is trying to verify: the right education, experience and knowledge to do the job.The face-to-face interview: Used to determine if you can do the job and if you are a good fit for the organization. The recruiter wants to know how much you know about the organization, how well your skill based transfers into the job vacancy, and generally what type of person they’d get if they hired you.The follow up interview: Used to select the overall best fit for the job not necessarily the best qualified.
- Preparation:While actively seeking employment ensure your caller-tunes and answering machine message are “job seeker appropriate”.-Our model is dressed in a suit because he had the privilege of rescheduling an interview for another date and time that was more convenient for him – you should too (reschedule that is…..dressing for the interview is optional but recommended). When the day finally arrives have the following item on hand and you’ll be ready to maximize the phone screening process:-Pen and paper, a calculator-The job description, your resume and cover letter you sent in for the application-A list of accomplishments which relate to the job you are discussing-Research you’ve done on the company-A short list of questions about the job-Your planner or calendarMimic Face-to-Face:- Confirm the interviewers name and the name of the company: If proximity allows you may see the telephone interview again during the face to face interview.- Don’t chew gum, eat or drink anything.Rid yourself of vocal disfluency – “ah”, “err”, “uh” Don’t fill silences after you answer questions. The interviewer needs to make notes. Wait patiently – don’t babble or doodle – use the time to ask a question related to your answer.- Repeat questions before answering them – gives you a chance to think and lets the interviewer know you’ve been listening- Let the caller do most of the talking – refrain from interruptingUse Your Voice to Show Your Personality:Talk directly into the speaker on your phone Standing up makes your voice sound stronger Enthusiasm could be the difference between a quick phone screen and a first-round phone interview. Avoid simple yes or no answers – try to give examples from experiences whenever possible (qualify and quantify) If you need time to think feel free to say so – “dead air “ may be perceived as a lack of communication or ability to properly respond to the question- Feel free to laugh and show signs of active listening: Confirmatory remarks like, “I see”, “I understand”, “I have a question”, etc. shows that you’re interested-just ensure you take copious notes so you don’t have to ask a question more than once.Confirm the Process:Ask the pointed question: “When can I expect to hear back from you in regards to scheduling a face to face interview?” or “I would love the chance to speak with additional members of your team and hope that I’ll be selected to come in for interviews. Do you have a sense of when you might be making those decision, and is there anything else I can do to encourage you to include me on you list for the next round?” Briefly point out the things you will do until the next time you talk/meet Express your thanks for the interviewer’s time and consideration
- Don’t gauge your interest in the organization on the phone interview process. Use the subsequent meetings and engagements to make that assessment. Your goal right now – remain a viable candidate for the position by demonstrating why YOU are a good fit for this position.Feel free to follow-up after with the recruiter through email. This is the only time such a response may be acceptable. State your interest in the job and make sure you refer to the specific job vacancy. However, when possible – hand deliver or mail a thank you note.
- Prepare:Face-to-Face preparation starts with fulfilling the promises you’ve made during the phone interview. If you said you’d have a location or work unit preference – be sure that you are prepared to address these issues during the interview. Continue to learn as much about the company as possible. Focus in on current projects or your potential work unit and be prepared to offer your own insights on ways to tackle problems. Whenever possible, link these responses back to your professional experiences. Review your resume – review it some more – and review it again. Link as much of your experience to the job description and organization as possible. If the company uses tag lines such as: “fast, friendly, and fun” – use these terms when you talk about your experiences and goals. Practice the tough questions. Knowing what your strengths and weaknesses are one thing, communicating them without making yourself look too boastful or too self depleting is tough. Use the boomerang approach – start with your strength/weakness – link these approaches to the appropriate situation and end with a strength/goal.Grooming: - Dress appropriate for the interview and in a manner that represents the organization. What works in one organization may not work in another. If possible make an attire assessment during your organizational research. Dress like everyone else. Refrain from intense colognes and perfumes. Don’t wear dangling jewelry, expensive watches or cufflinks. Make it a point not do wear anything that takes the focus off the main reason you’re interviewing – you qualifications.Make it about the Job: When answering questions – relate your answers to the job description and your relevant skill set. Don’t act desperate - be aware of your nervousness – re-channel nervous energy by focusing on your preparation. Sit up straight in your chair. Smile (when appropriate) – listen. Try to make the interview a conversation and not just questions and answers; this can Be in the moment – don’t talk yourself out of the job. Focus on how great a fit you are for the organization. Imagine your office down the hall. Be prepared to ask relevant questions – and ask follow-up questions as necessary. Don’t waste this time, make it useful to you in the fact that you gain great information, but also make it clear that you understand the business and are a creative and intuitive thinker. The number one behavioral reason people do not get hired after interviewing is a lack of thoughtful questions to ask of the interviewer.Finish and Follow-Up:Thank you notes NOT emails (when possible). Hand deliver when possible and try to address people by their names. Notify your references that they may receive a call or email from your potential employer. Professional references are always better than personal references.
- Your research should include elements of the organization’s past, present and future. This information will make your interview more interactive and may just give you the leg up necessary for an offer or a follow-up interview. Bottom-line: it doesn’t hurt to have a good body of information on what widgets and services the organization is focused on and figuring out how your skills are best suited for THAT position. At the same time, be ready to talk about your knowledge of the organization during the interview and be ready to make the necessary highlights.
- OfficeTeam, a professional survey organization, surveyed 670 HR managers at companies with 20 or more employees in the United States and Canada about the strangest interview outfits they had seen or heard of. Among the responses:A cat suit.A leather vest with no shirt.Pajamas and slippers.A blanket worn as a shawl.Bright yellow shoes.A Star Trek T-shirt.A skirt made of plastic.Dressing as a Goth.Wearing the uniform from a former employer.Key points:Wear monochromatic clothingChoose age-appropriate clothes that are conservative and classic.Dress to be approachable by all age groups, ethnicities and genders.Be impeccably clean and well-groomed.
- Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on these traits. Therefore, any interview questions that attempt to establish a basis for discrimination based on these factors may be considered illegal. The question is – how do you answer an illegal question?You COULD “tell it like it is” and let the interviewer know that they have just asked an illegal question, you don’t appreciate it – and you refuse to answer – “lets move on”. However, this is not recommended.Jobsearch.about.com states:Answer the question. Answer the "intent" of the question. For example, if you are asked whether you are a United States citizen (not legal to ask), reply that you are authorized to work in the U.S., which is a question the employer can ask you and which is appropriate to answer. -or-Try to change the topic of conversation and avoid the question. Refuse to answer the question which might cost you the job if you are very uncomfortable with the question. However, consider whether you really want to work somewhere where you are asked questions that are not appropriate.
- *Don’t over share details about your personal life. Personal problems, whether past or present, should not be brought up during an interview (ex. Divorce, bankruptcy, etc.). The employer will immediately see your personal life possibly interfering with your ability to do this job. *Never talk negatively about a previous supervisor or company. Keep the answer positive, in terms of where you want to go, not what you want to get away from. The employer doesn’t know your previous supervisor so this will make you appear inflexible—even worse, they may know the person you are talking about. Either way this can’t be good. *Don’t ask about pay, benefits, or paid time off during an interview. This is the employer’s conversation to initiate and often would happen at time of job offer. Doing this could be construed that you are only interested in the company or the position for the money. *Don’t ask about schedule accommodations during the interview. These requests can be made after hire and will make it seem that the job is not a priority for you or that you are high maintenance. *Don’t say “I was fired.” It’s a negative word in general and will cause the employer to start focusing on bad attributes. Say “I wasn’t a good fit at my last job, I’ve learned a lot about my skills and abilities and what I want to bring to this position.” *Don’t use slang or expletives. Keep it clean. *Leave your cell phone behind or off. *Don’t use stereotypical language referencing gender or races. Ever. *Forget to ask the interviewers questions about the position or company. Show you don’t just want A job, you want THIS job. Show that you have researched the company. *Stay positive. Employers will pick up a negative or desperate attitude from your answers and demeanor. Employers want to see that you will be a positive addition to the company.
- In some cases your thank you note should be hand delivered and refer to the job vacancy that you are applying for within 24 hours. However, this may be impractical for you and the employer – in which case an email will suffice. Email follow-ups can be acceptable in the occasion that employers use this as the main method to communicate with you, but thank you notes should be accompanied with postal mail thank you notes.Make sure you grab a business card (or two) so that you’ll have the follow up information readily available when you want to get in touch with the hiring manager.One week rule: This is MY personal rule for interview follow-ups. In a week’s time, the first round of interviews should be completed and the hiring manager should be in the process of narrowing down his/her list of follow-up candidates – perfect timing for you to put your name back on their minds with a follow-up phone call. Avoid emails - remember the trash bin?
- Congratulations – you’ve been selected as the best of the best for this job vacancy. You should be excited about the possibility of actual getting this job – let that frame of thought be your motivation as you prepare.Go back to your telephone/face-to-face interview notes. Do more research and make any necessary updates to your resume with the job description as a target. You’re going to have a new set of questions this time and expect them all to be related to how WELL YOU FIT WITH THE ORGANIZATION.This interview is about establishing a rapport with the hiring manager/recruiter. Allow your “professional personality” to shine. Make “good” eye contact. Laugh when appropriate – smile. Give clues of active listening. Most importantly – don’t give one word answers and don’t use general statements – be specific. If the question addresses you knowledge of a computer system – give a concrete example of how, where, and why you understand the use of that system. Be prepared to ask NEW questions – don’t ask the same questions. And don’t ask dollar questions.
- In conclusion – when the stars align, you put your best foot forward and you use some of these best practices you will be able to hit the stop button on your job search and start the next part of your career. Nothing offered is fool proof – there is no replacement for commonsense. Your careers thus far have given you ample opportunity to develop a level of emotional intelligence that should allow you to decipher when a conversation is turning poor – redirect back to the job description and tie your skills to the organization’s needs. Better results will follow.