Interviewing Skills 1

8/6/2019 Interviewing Skills 1

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Saint Louis University Career Services

The Ins and Outs ofInterviewing


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Interviewing-What is it?

- A structured

meeting between

you and an

employer

- Interviewing is a

skill- like ridingyour bike

- PRACTICE makes

PERFECT


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Interviewing is a two-way street

- Employers are

attempting to

determine if you

are an

appropriate fit

for the job andtheir culture

- You decide if the

environment is


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Types of Interviews

Phone: used as an initial screen of candidates or tonarrow the pool of applicants

One-on-One: most common interview style andincorporates you with the potential employer

Panel or Group: allows many individuals to interviewyou at once

Meal: used to see how you interact or function in asocial setting

Second or On-site Interview: this allows one to geta tour of the facility, meet the staff, and

additional questioning from different employees


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Pre-Interview Preparation

Research position, company, & industry

Know yourself and be able to articulate

skills, strengths, accomplishments, and

career goals

Prepare necessary materials (Copies of

resume, references, portfolio/pen, palm

pilot or organizer, breath mints)

Ask for directions and where to park


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Arriving

Be sure to allow yourself plenty of

time to arrive at your destination(you may want to conduct a dry run

prior to your interview day)

Try to arrive 10-15 minutes early atthe site to allow you to park, walk to

the interview, use the restroom, or

just gather yourself


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Greeting & Introduction

Only 1 chance to make a

good 1st impression

Dress appropriatelySmile

Maintain eye contact

Firm handshakeRemain poised and

confident



Body Language:

What signals are you sending? Positive Signals

Leaning forward =

interest

Smiling = friendly

Nodding = attentive

and alertEye contact = curious

and focused

Negative Signals

Crossed arms =

defensive

Fidgeting hands or

tapping feet = nervous

or boredLack of eye contact =

untrustworthy

Leaning back=

discomfort



Types of Interview Questions

Standard or

traditional- targeting your

education, work

experiences, andcareer goals

Sample Questions

Tell me about yourself?

What is your greateststrength? Weakness?

Why did you choose to

interview with us?

What did you like mostabout your last job? Least?

What are your short and

long term career goals?


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Inappropriate or

unethical questions

- Questions which probeinto your private life or

personal background- Questions about your

ethnicity, religion,

sexual orientation,

disabilities, marital

status

Sample Questions

How old are you?

Do you have

children?

Do you have adisability?

What religion do

you practice?


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Questions asked by

the interviewee

To determine if you

are an appropriate

fit for the company

and position,prepare a list of

questions for the

interviewer

Sample QuestionsWhat type of assignmentscan I expect within thefirst year?

What do you like most aboutthis company?

What is the biggest

challenge facing thisdepartment right now?

What skills are you lookingfor in this position?

What is the next course of

action?


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General Interview Strategies

-Be prepared to talk about yourself and your

experiences-Master the art of storytelling-Provide specific and concrete examples of

your results/accomplishments

-Remain positive, enthusiastic, poised, and

confident throughout the interview process


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Remember an interview is a formalconversation--avoid filler words like Um,

Ah, & You knowAvoid indecisive phrases like: I think, Iguess, probably, or pretty good

Think before speakingAvoid long verbose answers--limit yourresponse to 1-2 minutes

If you do not hear or understand a question,ask them to re eat or clari it or ou


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Remain calm,

relaxed, and be

yourself

Try to focus on the

message you are

trying to convey--NOT how well you

are doing!


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Dressing for Success-Men

Suit-Single or double

breasted

Polished shoesSolid white shirt

Conservative tie

Neatly groomed hair,beard, and mustache

Avoid strong colognes,

earrings, and body

piercing


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Dressing for Success-Women

Pant or skirt suit

Pumps with small to

medium heels

Light makeup,

perfume, and

jewelry

Wear neutral color

hosiery


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FOLLOW-UP

Ask good questions

Thank the interviewer

Request a business card

Inquire about next steps in the process


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Final Thoughts

Remember that only 15% of thesuccess of an interview is out of yourcontrol

Take some time to reflect

- Overall, how well did I do? - What went well? - What steps can I take next time to

improve?


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Need additional help?

Call (314) 977-2828 oremail [email protected] to

schedule a mockinterview

Stop by during our walk-inhours to meet with a

peer advisor if you have aquick question

Schedule an appointmentwith a career counselor if

you have a concern aboutyour career or ob search


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.Why did you join the hotel and tourism sector?

There are two things that you can touch upon as an answer to this question. Thefirst relates to the statistics regarding the sector. Tell your interviewers that it

is a dynamic sector that is growing at a rapid pace and you want to be in the

middle of the boom, the excitement and the energy.

However, before saying so, make sure that you have the required data to support your claims. What is

the growth rate of the industry? What is the size of the industry? When did the boom start? Who

says there is a boom? Basically, doing your homework well is advised in case you want to wax eloquent

on the hotel and tourism industryThe other aspect that you should always touch upon as an answer to this question is how you and your

personality are well suited to this sector. Convince the interviewers that you are made for the industry and the industry is made for

you. Talking about basic traits like people skills, patience, ability to work under pressure

etcetera, which are prerequisites to succeeding in the hospitality and tourism sector and

how you excel at all these, should constitute a good answer.

What are the various sectors in the hotel industry? Why are they important?Knowing your text books well always helps, especially when you are faced with questions like


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Talk about the different sectors like house keeping, accounting, maintenance, public relations, security,

sales, food and beverages, front office and accounting and give brief descriptions if asked. Say

something about how each one is important for the proper functioning of a hotel.

We get a lot of irate and angry customers. How do plan to deal with them?

Any hotel or tourism institute worth its salt spends a lot of time teaching its students about dealing with

tough customers. Checking your textbooks for answers is a good idea, but please manage to do so before

the interview takes place. If you know somebody in the industry, then it would be a good idea to speak

to him or her and ask about how such situations are handled real time, in the real world. If you can base

your answer on these inputs, then nothing to beat it. If you have time, then give an example or two

about how you dealt with an angry or bad customer in the past with tact, politeness and firmness.

Suppose you have to plan a business meeting or a party for some clients. How will you go about

the task?

This seems like a simple enough question, but it is more like a trick question. Many interviewees,

either due to anxiety, or because of the overconfidence that comes from being asked such a

simple question, mess this up by missing out an important step of the process. Think this out

carefully, remember everything that you have been taught or have done and then answer this

question slowly and methodically, convincing your interviewers that you can handle a situation

under pressure well.

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Interviewing Skills 1