Don’t Get Fired Before you Get Hired

Tips for Successful Interviewing

In a NutshellBefore the Interview

• Logistics/Research• Appearance/What to bring• First Impressions

The Interview• 3 Types of interviews• 3 Question styles

After the Interview• Follow up• Final thoughts

“We’d like you to come in for an interview.” How do you get ready?

You Get the Call…

Get Ready, Get Set… Get the logistics

• With whom are you interviewing?• Directions and parking

Research and review• Organization and industry• Your goals, values, experiences• Resume: Know what is on it

Practice, practice, practice• Answer common questions• Visit your career service office

Prep

Make It Look Good

Appearance Timing Preparation Non-verbal Communication

Prep

Dark suit (black, navy, grey) Light colored long sleeve shirt

(white, cream, light blue)

Hem falls on your shoes No funky tie- keep it simple Wing tip or other polished

business shoes

No athletic socks Limited accessories Err on the side of conservative

Tips for menPrep

Tips for women

Dark suit (black, navy, grey) Pants or skirt Shirt underneath with

appropriate neckline Panty hose Conservative shoes (closed toe,

not high-heeled, simple) Keep accessories and jewelry simple Err on the side of conservative

Prep

Before You Go…

What to bring but leave in the car:

• Water, breath mints, grooming items• Directions/parking information• Cell phone!What to bring in with you:• Extra copies of your resume and

references• Professional-looking folder and pen• List of questions to ask the interviewer• Any requested items from employer

Prep

First Impression

Body Language• Sit up straight, head up, eye contact, no

fidgeting Enthusiasm

• Smile when greeting others and while speaking

Speak Clearly• Watch language: um, like, ya know

Firm Handshake Confidence

• All of the above become easier with confidence

Let’s practice your first impression

Prep

It’s the big day. Knowing what to expect is key.

The Interview

Interview TypesInterview

Screening InterviewsAssess for basic qualifications and understanding

Traditional One-on-OneAssess skills, knowledge,

abilities and fit with company

Group or Panel 2-5 or more people interviewing candidate at once

Open-Ended Questions

Allow you to expand on your experiences

Give specific descriptionsExamples:

• Tell me about yourself.• What do you consider to be

your greatest strengths?• What are your goals?• What motivates you to put

forth your greatest effort?

Interview

What is your greatest weakness?

• Give honest answer of what you struggle with

• Avoid canned answers“I’m a perfectionist”or “I work too hard”

• Important to follow up with what you are doing to overcome, manage, or improve

As someone who enjoys variety in my day, I find it hard to focus for a long period of time on an

involved project. To help me manage this, I create a segmented to-do

list so that a long project becomes several shorter projects.

This helps me be much more energized and efficient.

Interview

Direct Questions

Require a specific answer, sometimes just one or two words

Often used in the “stress” interview Examples: • Are you willing to

travel?• Why did you leave

your last job?• What other

companies are you interested in working for?

Interview

Why should we hire you?• Try and answer what they REALLY want to

know• Reiterate your strengths and how they relate• Tell them what you can do for them

This job is centered around providing excellent customer service and having pride in the company

mission. I’ve worked very hard to gain experience directly

relating to these principles by seeking opportunities to help others and getting involved

in activities that aligned with my passions. I feel like I can positively contribute and add value to this company with my background, enthusiasm,

and willingness to learn each day.

Interview

Behavioral Questions

Designed to elicit patterns of achievement

Challenge you to think on your feetExamples:• Tell me about a time you worked

with a team effectively.• Describe a significant or creative

project you have had to complete.

• By providing examples, convince me you can adapt to a wide variety of people, situations, and environments.

Interview

Be a STARBehavioral questions should be

answered by addressing:

SituationTaskActionResults

Interview

Tell me about a time you demonstrated leadership

Explain in detail your role in STAR formatSituation: My communications capstone course required a large

group project and I was selected to be the leader of our team.

Task: We had to develop a full marketing plan for a local business.

Action: I coordinated group meetings and stayed in constant communication with members, the local business, and our professor. I monitored the progress of each member on a variety of tasks, from creating ads to designing a website. I edited the design and text contributions from the team into a final portfolio and developed the presentation we made to the class and the business.

Result: The business was so pleased with our plan that they used two of our print ads and our website design, and our group received an “A” on the project.

Interview

Illegal Questions

Address characteristics that are protected by law – age, race, religion, marital status, etc.

Asked out of ignorance, innocence, or arrogance

You can answer, not answer, or deflectExamples

• Are you married? Do you plan to have children?

• That’s an unusual name. What is your heritage?

Interview

Your Turn to Ask

Bring 3-6 questions to ask the employer Avoid questions to which you can

easily find the answersExamples:

• What has been your own experience with this company/organization?

• Can you describe what the training program entails?

• What do you like most about working here?• Tell me what a day in the life would be like for me

here?

Interview

Practice Time!

Interviewer/Interviewee: Pick one Tell me about yourself. What is your greatest strength and

weakness? Describe a time when you contributed to a

team project. What role did you play and what was the outcome?

By providing examples, convince me you can adapt to a wide variety of people, situations, and environments.

Interview

Whew! You’re done with the interview. Great job, but there’s more to do…

After the Interview

Interview Follow Up

Ask about next steps Write down impressions

• Your fit with the environment, co-workers, job duties

• Areas of strength/improvement for next interview

SEND A THANK YOU NOTE! Give a heads up to your references Begin salary research and determine your

range Call/email to check on status of the position

After

Did You Show Them…

Leadership Communication Creativity Flexibility Well-

Roundedness Professionalism

Enthusiasm Positivity Maturity Intelligence Personality Confidence

Skills: Attributes:

After

Wrap It Up

Research and practice! Know yourself

Read your resume, write down examples to use, reflect on your strengths, values, and interests

Be confident Know how to get there Put an outfit together and go get

‘em!

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