Preparing for Job Interviews

2. What are some of the goals of
a job interview?
• to get a job
• to figure out if a position is right for you
• to provide potential employers with a stronger
sense of why they should hire you, your skills,
how you stand out
• to provide further articulation and illustration of
the skills listed and experiences provided in
your resume

3. Some Goals of a Job Interview
• Employer evaluates candidate
 skills applicable to the job
 competence to do the job
 potential to contribute to the team/organization
 ability to mesh with team’s/organization’s mission,
philosophy, and environment
• Candidate evaluates employer
 match between interests and job tasks/work
 degree of responsibility and challenge
 potential for growth and further education
 ability to mesh with team’s/organization’s mission,
philosophy, and environment

4. How can you best prepare for
a job interview?
• dress appropriately  depends upon
business; “dress for the job you want”; better
to overdress
• back up documents; e.g., writing samples,
copy of resume, transcripts, other docs,
references; letters of recommendation (dossier
or portfolio)
• research the company google the company,
talk to people about what they know, BBB,
Chamber of Commerce
• make sure you know how to get there

5. Four Keys to Success
• understanding what to expect
• preparing and researching
• anticipating questions
• following up

6. Understanding What to Expect
• conversational
• behavioral
• case or situational
• stress situation
Types of Interviews
all four of these interview types can be
one-on-one or might be a panel
conversation

7. • typically a question-and-answer discussion
• usually a relatively short interview (e.g., 1 hour)
• interviewer’s main goals are to:
 assess whether or not the job-seeker has the skills
and abilities to perform the job
 evaluate whether or not the job-seeker possesses
the enthusiasm and work ethic that the employer
expects
 analyze whether or not the job-seeker is a team
player and will fit into the organization
Types of Interviews: Conversational (Traditional)

8. • typically an assessment of past performance
• interviewers will expect to hear about specific situations
and/or scenarios
• initial questions are typically followed by follow-up
questions
• specific, key details related to situations/scenarios are
expected
• interviewer’s main goals are to:
 assess candidate’s behaviors and approaches by
exploring specific situations
 analyze past behavior to try to predict future
performance
Types of Interviews: Behavioral

9. • primarily used by management and consulting firms to
determine how well a candidate fits in a field or job
• typically interviewee is provided a problem or a scenario
and asked to work through it
• interviewer’s main goals are to:
 analyze how well interviewee can identify and work
through a problem
 assess problem-solving skills
 evaluate tolerance for ambiguity and ability to start
on tasks
 analyze communication skills
Types of Interviews: Case or Situational

10. • typically used for jobs where high degrees of
stress will be encountered regularly
• interviewers sometimes rely upon rudeness,
sarcasm, or outright hostility to provoke a response
• interviewer’s main goals are to:
 assess how well interviewee deals with
unexpected and/or stressful situations
 evaluate how well interviewee can work and
communicate under pressure
Types of Interviews: Stress Situation

11. Preparing and Researching
• research the field
• research the employer
• research the job, team, and context

12. • explore different branches
• review trade journals/magazines
• assess various career paths
• know the major players
• be familiar with current trends
• goals are to:
 be informed about who you are professionally (and
what professional community you are entering)
 be able to talk widely and wisely about trends,
techniques, and tasks performed by professionals
within different facets of your field
Preparing and Researching
Research the Field

13. • review annual reports
• read the organization’s mission statement and philosophy
documents
• research the organization history
• familiarize yourself with the organizational scheme
• look for recent performance markers or success indicators
• goals are to:
 familiarize yourself with what the organization does
 familiarize yourself with what workers in the organization do,
write, produce, create, etc.
 assess how the particular job for which you’re interviewing fits
into the bigger organizational picture
 get a sense of the key players in and key outcomes of the
organization
 develop a strong sense of what they might seek in an
employee
Preparing and Researching
Research the Employer

14. • review the original job post/call
• research the “jobs” or “employment” area of the
organization’s web site
• make contact and try to get a stronger sense of the
specific job responsibilities
• analyze your possible role in relation to the team, unit,
or division you would work in
• find out who you would report to
• analyze how success is evaluated and rewarded
Preparing and Researching
Research the Job, Team, and Context

15. • goals are to:
 answer the questions you should be asking yourself
(e.g., is this really a job I want? what will I gain by
getting this job? what do I bring that this
organization needs?
 become knowledgeable so that you can speak
specifically as to how you fit in the job, team, and
context
 have a strong sense of what you will be expected to
perform, and how that performance will be
measured and evaluated
 address questions like:
• what might I be asked to answer?
• how will they expect me to answer?
• how might I be expected to demonstrate what I
know and what I can do?

16. Before the Interview
• sleep
• eat
• choose your clothes the night before
• prepare the materials you want to bring with
you—ideally, this is done long before the
interview

17. What types of materials would you
want to bring to a job interview?
• Letter of Introduction
• Resume
• Work Samples
• References
• Letter of Recommendations

18. Getting Introduced
• prepare and practice a two-minute
introduction: “I am… I am interested in…”
• prepare to
 demonstrate knowledge about the
employer
 express enthusiasm and interest
 relate your background to the company’s
needs

19. Anticipating Questions
• “Tell me about yourself.”
Hint: They’re not asking for your life
story, and it’s not a trick question…
• interviewer is looking for:
 a brief statement of your professional status
and career objective
 some detail about your progression to this
point

20. A Heuristic for Answering Questions
• identify the skill sought by the question so that
you can best focus your answer
• give a STAR answer:
 Situation—what was the context?
 Task—what was the specific problem or
need?
 Action—what did you do? (produce, write,
create, etc.)
 Results/resolution—what did you learn?
what skills did you develop?

21. STAR Example
 Situation
• quickly explain the situation—what happened?
who was involved (e.g., clients, coworkers,
customers)?
 Task
• what was the particular problem that needed to
be resolved?
 Action
• what specific action did you take to resolve the
problem? what did you do or produce?
 Results/resolution
• what were the results of your action? what did
you take from this experience?
Can you tell me about a time from your work
experience when your manager or supervisor was
unavailable and a problem arose?

22. At the End of the Interview
• review what you’ve heard and state why you’re
interested in the position
• consider asking:
 is there anything else I can provide—specific
references or example materials?
 what’s the next step in the process? when is
your decision date?
 how can I contact you to check my status?

23. • send a thank you email or letter after being interviewed
• tailor the letter to the organization and to the interview
itself
• individualize a letter slightly if you’re sending it to more
than one person in the organization
• send it within 24–48 hours of the interview
• goals:
 shows you’re courteous
 differentiates you from other candidates and keeps
your name in front of the potential employer
 proves that you’re interested in the job
After the Interview

24. 10 Interview Bloopers
1. poor handshake (limp hand, tips of fingers,
arm pump)
2. talking too much (talking too long, but not
answering direct questions; nervous talking)
3. talking negatively about current or past
teams, coworkers, employers/managers
4. showing up late or way too early
5. treating the receptionist rudely

25. 6. asking about benefits, vacation time, or salary
in an initial interview
7. not preparing for the interview
8. verbal ticks (uhmmmm, like, you know)
9. not enough/too much eye contact
10.failure to match communication styles (e.g.,
too informal, too businesslike)

26. • be yourself (not who you think they want you to be)
• be ready to talk about why you want the job (and think
about how they might respond to your answer)
• ask ahead of time the format of the interview (e.g.,
panel/one-on one? expected to perform a task?)
• ask about the function of your job in the larger
organization
• ask about how the specific position you are interviewing
for fits in the larger unit/team/department and within the
larger organization.company
• be prepared to actually do/perform/write a task during the
interview process (e.g., writing documentation, marking
up a document for editing)
• ask the interview what their favorite aspect of the job is
(and, perhaps, what their least favorite is)
• find out how writing is perceived and how people
negotiate textual ownership issues
HINTS:

27. • carefully consider who you ask which questions
• take notes with you (with your ideas, goals, questions); take
notes during the interview
• learning opportunities and experiences not, never “problems”
• ask if the organization has a policy toward funding/supporting
employee professional development opportunities (e.g., STC
membership and conferences, further education)
• stay focused (even if it’s a long interview); take notes to help stay
focused
• get comfortable with pauses and strategies for giving yourself a
bit of time to prepare an answer
• stay upbeat! (there will be painful moments—learn from them and
move on)
• don’t get flustered (if you can at all avoid it—and practicing really,
really helps)
• recognize the gatekeepers! (e.g., initial phone interview with
seemingly unrelated person)
• draw upon good sources of info: Business Library resources
(e.g., looking up companies, looking up company news,
requesting annual reports); www.net-temps.com (info section on
latest resume advice/ideas/formats, info on job positions and
requirements)

28. • know that there are things beyond your control
that will affect the interview, interview situation,
and what happens afterwards… (e.g., funding
cut for a position; in-group dynamics; turf
battles; already have a person chosen for the
position but, legally, have to openly search
and interview)

29. Job Interviewing Power Point
Credits
this presentation originally written by Kelly
Bishop
modified 9/19/2007 by Bob Reedy