INTERVIEWING SKILLS AND
TECHNIQUES
John M. Robinson (SES Retired)
Former Director of the Office of Civil Rights and Chief Diversity Officer
U.S. Department of State
June 14, 2017
Research shows that
most "yes" or "no"
decisions are made
within the first few
minutes of an interview!
Your Interviewing IQ
TRUE OR FALSE?
1) Interviewing is interviewing. If you have interviewed
successfully in the past, this one is essentially no different.
Do what worked before and stay calm. No big deal. Just be
yourself.
2) Interview committees have by and large already made up
their minds. The interview is really just final verification. It
is more or less out of your hands. Just be there and smile.
3) The interview is about skills, abilities, and aptitudes. Go
light on your opinions and emphasize experience.
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Your Interviewing IQ
4) They already have read your bio, checked references, and
reviewed your resume. The interview is basically about image,
dress, and use of language.
5) In every interview team, there is one decision maker. Figure
out who it is and focus your answers there.
6) If there is a person on the panel that you have seen at
conferences before, don’t acknowledge this fact or talk about
related issues.
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Before the Interview
Do your homework - learn as much as you can about the organization
o Web page, strategic or operational plans, performance measures,
news, periodicals, colleagues
o Think through how you will help them achieve goals
Be familiar with the vacancy announcement—and what they are looking for
Know your application package (resume, ECQ’s, KSA’s)
PRACTICE — Trusted colleagues and mentors can help
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Before the Interview
Get a good watch
Check transportation arrangements — directions, travel details,
parking, public access
What to take with you
o Contact names, phone numbers
o Extra resumes, application packages
o List of your questions
o Mobile phone; any emergency items you might need (e.g.,
medical)
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Top 10 Interview
Questions
Rather than memorizing somebody else's idea of a good
answer, it's much more useful to be able to think on your feet
and come up with your own responses.
1)
What do you know about this organization?
2)
Why do you want this position?
3)
Give an example of a situation where you didn't meet your goals or
objectives.
4)
Give an example of a situation where you faced conflict or difficult
problems.
5)
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
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Top 10 Interview
Questions
6)
What would your current manager say are your strengths and
weaknesses?
7)
Why should we give you this position?
8)
Give us an example of when you have worked to an unreasonable
deadline or been faced with a big challenge.
9)
Do you like working in teams?
10) What is the first thing you would change, if you were to start work
here?
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Types and Strategies
Types of Interview
How To Handle Them
STRUCTURED,
COMPETENCY-BASED
o Review job description or vacancy
announcement.
Employer identifies
competencies (skills, ECQ’s,
abilities, experience) required
for role.
o Identify the types of skills, abilities and
experience required for the role.
o Think of examples (tell your story) in your
career where you have demonstrated these.
It may help to make notes.
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Types and Strategies
Types of Interview
How To Handle Them
BEHAVIORAL, SITUATIONAL o Difficult to second-guess which questions
might come u; prepare as for Structured
Competency-Based Interview.
Assessing how you would act
in certain situations, behave in
o Listen to the question. Make sure you have
the role, if hired.
understood it. Take a moment to think about
what they're looking for.
Hypothetical questions. These
might be about a time in your
past, or asking you to imagine
yourself in a future situation.
o Give an honest answer, but make sure you
remain positive. If possible, back up your
answer with an example.
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Types and Strategies
Types of Interview
How To Handle Them
TELEPHONE
Remote, can be first point of
screening.
o Prepare as you would for in person.
Daunting, but actually good thing—
means resume, ECQ’s impressed
enough to make them want to find out
more.
If called to in person interview, means
they're serious about you and not
wasting your time.
o Dress smartly and arrange a time for the call when
you're not at work and can finish without
interruptions.
o Be able to clearly explain why you think you're a
suitable candidate.
o Pay attention to tone of voice.
o Make sure to focus on interviewer, don't get
distracted by other things in room.
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Types and Strategies
Types of Interview
How To Handle Them
PANEL
o Prepare as for a 1:1 interview. Don't let
multiple interviewers stress you out.
Want candidates seen by
number of managers, peers—
candidate meets interviewers at
once.
May play "Good Cop/Bad Cop”
where one is aggressive and
another sympathetic to see how
you perform under stress.
o Focus on person who asked the question,
but make good eye contact with all
interviewers.
o Don't be put off if one seems grumpy, but
also don't be lulled into false sense of
security if one seems very friendly.
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For SES Interviews
ECQs Can Show Up in Both Competency-Based and
Behavioral Interviews
Leading Change
Leading People
Results-Driven
Business Acumen
WHAT IS YOUR
STORY?
WHAT ARE YOUR
STORIES???
Building Coalitions/Communications
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Some Interviewing
Tips
Understand that interviews are competitive. Come to play. Play
to win.
Pay careful attention to dress. Wear comfortable, polished
shoes. Avoid flashy or revealing clothes, loud perfume or colors.
Pace your answers so that interviewers get time to do their work
of asking questions.
Some questions are off-limits. Volunteer information that may
help in your positive evaluation even if not asked (Vietnam vet,
church goer, grown kids, good health).
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Some Interviewing
Tips
You are likely to be asked what you did to prepare -- shows
seriousness and respect.
You can tell more, but be sure that you answer the question asked.
If in doubt that your response was sufficient, ask if you answered the
question.
Show up (ON TIME). You may have it in the bag, but no-shows don’t
get jobs and often don’t get a second chance.
Secretaries and assistants (are often asked to) provide input more
often than you think, so be polite and respectful of all personnel you
meet in and around the interview.
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More Interviewing Tips
Interviews are often lost to mosquitoes rather than dragons and lost
within the first two minutes.
Most employers are as scared as you are during the hiring interview.
During the interview, observe the “50/50 rule,” speaking and listening.
Confidence has a lot to do with interviewing; that, and timing.
Michael Parkinson
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Still More
Interviewing Tips
Ask good questions when the table turns to you; relevant,
genuine, and intelligent inquiries make a great final impression.
o What do you want to know about the organization, team,
culture?
o What do interviewers like most about working there?
o What would they change if they could?
o Organization research may have raised other questions for
you to ask.
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Scenarios
How would you handle these?
Your primary reason for job hunting is that your present boss is
racist (sexist/unfair/very poor leader).
This job is just one of several for which you are applying, and not
your first choice going into the interview.
You have an inside “undercover” contact who has given you lots of
inside information on this organization, its leadership, and
workplace issues.
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Interview Follow-Up
Thank you letter, call, e-mail can help double chances of job
offer, help them remember you; use judgment to see which
approach works best — send it the same night.
Could add information not covered during interview—“might be
of interest" to reader.
Finish with warm, but professional, sign-off that gently urges
them to action—"I look forward to hearing from you soon."
Top Tip: Make sure you have correct spelling of your
interviewers’ names — avoid offending them!
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Interview Follow-Up
Follow up, but don’t pester. Get an idea of the timeline for decisions—then
remember that recruitment always takes longer than everyone
expects…including them.
If you get the offer….before you accept it—NEGOTIATE the compensation
package (see “Closing the Deal,” InteviewStuff.com)
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Interview Follow-Up
If You DON’T Get the Job …
Self-analysis (some, but don’t “ruminate”)
Learn how to deal with interview rejection
Make a feedback request call
o Make sure you are not angry
o Call main recruitment contact or primary decision maker
o Prepare list of questions
o Don’t try to argue the point
o Accept opinion without contradicting (sign of maturity)
o Thank them for their time and feedback
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References
What Color is Your Parachute, Richard N. Bolles
Taking Charge, Making the Right Choices, Perry
M. Smith
If You Don’t Know Where You’re Going, You’ll
Probably End Up Somewhere Else, David
Campbell, Ph. D.
InterviewStuff.com
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