COMMUNICATING
TO WIN THE JOB
Being able to communicate is the number one skill all
employers seek in each and every candidate they consider. It is critical in an interview to communicate to the
perspective employer how your skills and abilities will
best benefit their organization. Read on to discover how
you can communicate these things to employer and win
the job!
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DISCOVER IT ► EXPERIENCE IT ► REACH IT
Preparation, practice, and promotion
are the keys to successful interviewing.
To land the job, each key must be thoroughly prepared for and implemented in
an attempt to answer the hiring manager’s primary question: “Why should I
hire you?” The interview is an unavoidable aspect of the job search and first
impressions can make or break your
candidacy. Many hiring managers will
confirm that the decision about a candidate can be made within the first five
minutes of an interview—be prepared.
The interview is also a two-way custom.
Not only will the organization be evaluating you, but you will also have a
chance to evaluate the organization.
(immediate) and long-term (5-10
year) career goals. How will this position help you reach your long-term
goal?
and assure they match your suit.
Men’s belt should match their shoes
as well (black shoes—black belt,
brown shoes—brown belt). Women
should avoid high heels, especially if
Company Research
you are not used to walking in them.
Perhaps the greatest complaint of hiring • Ties (men) and scarves (women)
managers is that the candidates have
should be conservative. Use calm denot researched their organization. Besigns that promote
fore you go into an
your professionalINFORMATION SOURCES
interview, you
ism.
should learn what
Information Interviewing
• Hair should be
you reasonably can
neatly groomed and
about the nature of Corporate Website
out of the face.
the job and the
Trade Publications/Professional AsMen’s hair should
organization. Spesociations
be off the collar.
cific information to
Business Journals
Women should use
look for in your
simple hair accesso(www.bizjournals.com)
research should
PREPARATION
ries. Use your reThird
Party
Websites
include:
search to determine
(www.wetfeet.com;
• Mission, goals,
Self-Assessment
www.hoovers.com; www.vault.com) if you should pull
and values
your hair back or
A large part of the interview will be you
• Primary competi- Annual reports
allow it to be down
answering questions about yourself and
tors
over your shoulders.
your background. In order to effectively
• Avoid perfume or cologne when inter• Primary services/products
communicate your qualifications to an
viewing.
employer, you must have a clear under- • How company is viewed by competistanding of what you have to offer and
• Men should wear dark socks that cotors
ordinate with their suit. Women
what you are seeking in a position.
• Size (profits, employees, locations)
should always wear coordinating
• Inventory your strengths and weak• Clues to the culture or atmosphere
stockings when interviewing—never
nesses. Include transferable skills,
employees experience
attend an interview bare-legged.
personal qualities, and job-specific
Pack an extra pair of nylons, runners
Dress for Success
skills in this inventory.
always appear at the worst times!
The first impression in an interview is
• Review your abilities, interests, and
•
Accessories should be held to a minivalues through completing the FOCUS crucial. Many employers can make their
mum. Rings should be limited to one
decision
in
the
first
five
minutes
of
an
career guidance program online. Rering per hand (one ring total for
interview. Don’t let a decision be made
late these to the position for which
men). Women should limit necklaces
on you in the first
you are interand bracelets both in number and
five seconds by folviewing.
SKILLS OF THE PERFECT CANDIDATE
style. Avoid anything that jangles,
lowing
these
• Are there any
clanks, dazzles, shimmers, or attracts
grooming
tips:
discrepancies
more attention than your skills and
1.
Communication
(verbal
and
writ• Wear a conservabetween the exqualifications for the job.
ten) skills
tive suit/dress (the
pectations for
darker the clothes, • Fingernails should be trimmed. Polish
this position and 2. Honesty/integrity
should be limited to neutral tones.
the more conservawhat you do
3. Interpersonal skills
tive they are) that • Make-up should be simple, natural,
well, what you
4. Strong work ethic
is clean and
like to do, and
and professional.
pressed. Women
what is important 5. Teamwork skills
should avoid lowto you? Before
PRACTICE
6. Analytical skills
cut blouses and
the interview,
7. Motivation/initiative
high-cut skirts. The
know how you
Their Questions
focus of the interwill settle these 8. Flexibility/adaptability
Oftentimes, candidates can predict poviewer should be
disagreements
kept to your profes- tential interview questions simply by
and be prepared 9. Computer skills
sional qualifications reviewing their resume and the job deto communicate 10. Detail-oriented
scription. Chances are extremely likely
for the position.
such.
10. Leadership skills
that the interviewers will ask you to
• Polish your shoes
• Know your short
2
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COMMUNICATING
TO
WIN
THE
JOB
PRE-INTERVIEW WORKSHEET
Preparing for an interview involves researching what the organization does, how well it is doing and it’s standing
within the industry. Look for information about how well the company is doing, new projects/products/services, news
and press releases. Use the company website, links on Career Services Website (www.urbana.edu/careers.htm) or
Vault.com.
Fact 1:
Fact 2:
Fact 3:
Evaluate the company’s mission statement or philosophy to determine three personal qualities the organization might
value in prospective employees. Think about experiences or situations in which you displayed some of those personal
qualities.
Quality 1
Quality 2
Quality 3
Assess how individuals pictured on the website are dressed. Do they tend to be in business suits, business casual, or
khakis and polo shirts? Other appearance items to consider are the hair (off-collar, well-kept, pulled back, etc),
amount of jewelry (for men and women, including piercings), and amount of make-up.
Notes:
Review the job description for required (or desired) knowledge, skills and abilities the employer is seeking. Compare
your qualifications to their requirements. Write PROVE-IT STATEMENTS that summarize your experience or knowledge. Target the unique selling points you should highlight during the interview.
Company Requirement
My Prove-It Statement
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
Think of specific examples that will help illustrate the selling points listed in your Prove-It Statements. Using the
STAR technique, prepare stories to convey these examples during the interview.
Review practice questions and schedule an appointment for a mock interview with Career Services at 937-484-1417.
Career Services
3
DISCOVER IT ► EXPERIENCE IT ► REACH IT
provide greater detail about a statement or project mentioned on your resume from prior work experience. There
are also some standard questions you
can be prepared for simply by going
through a thorough self-assessment and
knowing what you want in an organization or position.
Behavior Based Interviewing
Behavior Based Interviewing is a currently popular interviewing technique.
You can identify behavioral questions in
that they ask you to “Describe a situation in which. . .” The basis of this
technique is that future behavior can
best be predicted by past responses to
similar situations. Therefore, the interSO, TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF
viewer is attempting to learn how you
have reacted to various situations similar to those you may face in the new
The simplest of questions can often
position.
be the worst to answer. Where do
you begin? How much should you
To answer behavioral interview quesshare? Follow this general guideline:
tions, use the following acronym:
• Situation: describe the situation.
Present Where are you now? FinishWhat was the assignment or request
ing your education—share about your
that had to be done?
major, extra-curricular activities,
and other current involvement.
• Task: what was the specific task or
problem facing you?
Past How did you get here? Why did
• Action: What specific actions did you
you choose Urbana University, your
take to address the task? How did you
major, to become involved in these
handle this situation?
activities? What have been some influential experiences in your life?
• Result: Describe what happened as a
result of your actions.
Present Why are you looking for a
Your goal in behavioral interviewing is
job? Are you graduating, trying to
to communicate detail. You want to
augment your major with an internback up your claims with specific eviship?
dence—quantify and qualify as much as
Future Where do you hope this job
possible. Tell the story to make the inwill take you? What are your immediterviewer feel he/she was right there,
ate and long-term goals? How will
watching you address this situation.
this position help you achieve these?
Following is a strong example of an appropriate response:
• What are your strengths? Weaknesses? Interviewer: On your resume, you note
that as Editor for the Lancer, you in• Why are you interested in working
creased
advertising revenue. Tell me
with this organization?
more
about
that.
• How did you come to major in
Candidate:
(Situation) The Lancer is
________?
Urbana University's student newspaper.
• Why did you choose to attend Urbana
When I accepted the responsibilities of
University?
Editor last summer, I noticed that we
• Tell me about your short and/or long did not have good advertising revenue.
term goals.
(Task) I did some research and found
that it had fallen significantly in previWhen answering their questions, be
ous years. We also had several longyourself and be honest. Always try to
term advertisers who did not renew
present yourself in the best possible
light. If they ask a question that forces their contracts.
you to divulge potentially negative in(Action) To strengthen advertising reveformation, be sure to include informanues, I focused on two areas. First, we
tion about what you have learned or
designed a new promotional packet to
taken away from that experience, put- go with the rate sheet based on survey
ting the negative experience in a posiresults of students who read the Lancer
tive light..
versus those who read other local print
4
media. Second, we set up a special
training session for the editorial staff
with a Marketing professor who discussed personal selling.
(Result) As a result, we signed contracts
with four former advertisers for weekly
ads and five for special editions. We
also increased new advertisers by 25%
over the same period last year.
Achievement Based Interviewing
A second format of interviewing is recently becoming popular. Achievement
based interviewing is still quite new but
gaining popularity. The basis of this
type of interviewing is to search for
verifiable facts from the candidate.
Questions are based on the candidate
providing evidence of their qualifications.
There are five basic questions in this
form of interviewing, each looking for
specific information from the candidate
to support his or her candidacy.
Tell me about your very first paid job.
Powerful learning is always tied to
strong emotions. Early experiences usually evoke the strongest emotions of all,
which is why this question is asked. A
candidate’s first work experiences
shape their expectations for future
work.
Which achievement at work, in school,
or in your personal life makes you feel
most proud? The achievements you
value the most will reveal your strongest character traits and strongest desires.
On a scale from zero to ten how would
you rate yourself? How you see yourself
may not be how others see you. It’s how
you expect others to see you which is
most important to the interviewer.
Let’s talk about your performance
review. Here you will likely be asked
similar questions to what they will ask
your references—are you dependable?
Do you go beyond what is expected?
What would you like to ask me about
out company? Read on.
Your Questions
To show your motivation in obtaining
the job for which you are interviewing,
it is best to have questions prepared for
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the interviewer. As a general rule of
thumb, your questions should not include readily available information
about the company—your research
should have already uncovered that information.
Sample questions include:
• What changes do you see for this
company in the next couple years?
• Where are previous people who have
been hired into this position? Are they
still with the company or have they
moved on?
• What would a normal work week in
this position be like?
• What type of training does this organization provide?
may be faced with an inappropriate
question or two. An inappropriate question can be characterized as one dealing
with marital or family status, race, gender, or some other taboo topic that has
no bearing on your candidacy for the
position. There are three ways to respond to such questions:
1. Answer the question as asked.
2. Don’t answer the question. Inform
the interviewer that the question
asked has no influence on your performing the job.
3. Answer the question behind the
question. For example, if you are
interviewing for a sales position
that requires a great deal of overnight travel, you may be asked
about family status. What the interThe Salary Question
viewer is likely asking, is how you
At all costs, avoid bringing up salary in
feel about frequently being gone
the first interview. The interviewer may
from your family.
inform you of the initial salary range
and ask if that is suitable—this is okay.
PROMOTION
However, you should be prepared for
salary questions and armed with data.
Inappropriate Questions
In the course of your interviewing, you
Arrival
First impressions count. Be on time and
look sharp. Those with whom you will
SALARY INFORMATION
Major
Business
Communication Arts
Comprehensive Science
Criminal Justice
Education: Primary
English
History
Human Services Leadership
Intervention Specialist
Liberal Studies
Education: Middle & Secondary
MIS
Nursing
Political Science
Psychology
Sociology
Sports Medicine
Sports Science
Urbana
University
$43,000
$25,449
$26,500
$29,148
$55,000
Sources: Class of 2005 Destinations Survey, Urbana University
NACE Salary Survey, Fall 2005
Career Services
National
Average*
$39,480
$31,879
$31,623
$29,583
$30,904
$31,451
$31,739
$26,623
$31,773
$32,725
$31,845
$43,653
$41,060
$32,985
$30,073
$31,368
$35,251
$30,643
interview are already employed and
have nothing to prove. You, however,
are seeking employment.
• Plan to arrive 15-20 minutes early,
just in case. This will give you the
opportunity to look around and get a
feel for the atmosphere. Find the
restroom and double-check your appearance.
• Everyone you meet could have a say
in the hiring decision. Many interviews have failed because candidates
are rude to the “front line” people
such as receptionists.
• Feel free to bring a pad folio with a
writing utensil (not one that is
chewed up or that you can click
throughout the interview), extra copies of your resume, list of references,
transcript, and possibly a professional
portfolio.
The Interview
Waiting is usually the worst part of an
interview. Anyone having gone through
a professional interview will tell you
that once the interview begins, it is just
a conversation with another person. If
you have prepared properly, you will
experience the same. Screening interviews will have three sections: their
questions, your questions, and the closing. Often, you will interview with more
than a single individual, the following
tips apply whether there is one individual or several.
• Once the interviewer invites you to
the inner office, he/she will likely
make some small talk with you to
help set you at ease. Topics cover the
weather, your arrival, sports, current
news. Review that mornings paper
just so you are prepared to discuss
current topics.
• When settled, the interviewer may
describe a little more about the position and/or organization. They may
choose to do this at the end, or
throughout as well. Their goal is to
sell you on the organization.
• Most often, you will be asked to respond to their questions first. No
problem—you’re prepared.
• Once they have asked all their questions, they should give you a chance
to ask the challenging questions
5
DISCOVER IT ► EXPERIENCE IT ► REACH IT
you’ve prepared. Go ahead and impress them!
• Finally, they will close the interview.
If they do not explain the next steps
at this point, feel free to ask when
you should hear from them. They will
likely give you a rough timeline of
how they plan to fill the position.
This will help you in planning your
follow up timetable. If the hiring
manager promises a call , ask when
the call might occur.
Follow Up
Follow-up can get you the job! A wellwritten letter (preferably typed) sent
within 24 hour of an interview can be
the key to getting the job. It can also
reinforce your interest (or even lack of
interest) in the position. Many hiring
managers will tell you that when they
have two equal candidates for a position, the one following up gets the position most often. The reason being that
the one who takes the initiative to send
a nice thank-you letter shows more motivation in the job search process which
will likely spill over into the job as well.
If someone else is selected for the position, remember that “No” does not always mean “You were a bad candidate,
we do not want you.” It could mean
“For this particular position we found
another candidate who we believe is a
better match.” By following up with a
nice thank you letter, if their first
choice candidate declines the offer, you
have proved your worth as a viable candidate and may still get the position.
SAMPLE THANK YOU LETTER
579 College Way
Urbana, OH 43078
March 15, 2006
Ms. Fran Freedom
Top Organization
111 Main Street
Anytown, US 11111
Dear Ms. Freedom:
Thank you for the opportunity to spend yesterday at your facility. The discussion we had was particularly informative. I found the tour of your facility and informal conversation with your staff to be quite beneficial. I was
particularly impressed with the effective team atmosphere in which Top
Organization has met and succeeded your stated objectives. I believe my
skills and qualities we reviewed yesterday, including my team orientation
and strong project management skills, will greatly benefit Top Organization.
The entire experience has confirmed my interest in Top Organization, and I
look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
Anita Career
937-652-1234
[email protected]
6
RULES
OF INTERVIEWING
Include concrete, quantifiable data. Interviewees tend to talk in generalities. This
fails to convince interviewers that the
applicant has assets. Include measurable
information and provide details about
specific accomplishments when discussing
your strengths.
Repeat your key strengths three times.
It’s essential that you comfortably and
confidently articulate your strengths.
Explain how the strengths relate to the
company or department’s goals and how
they might benefit the potential employer. If you repeat your strengths and
back them up with quantifiable accomplishments, they will be more likely believed.
Prepare five or more success stories. In
preparing for interviews, make a list of
your skills and key assets. Then reflect on
past jobs and projects. Pick out one or
two instances when you used those skills
successfully.
Image is often as important as content.
What you look like and how you say
something is just as important as what
you say. Studies have shown that 65%
of the conveyed message is nonverbal;
gestures, physical appearance, and attire
are highly influential during job interviews.
Ask questions. The types of questions
you ask and the way you ask them can
make a tremendous impression on the
interviewer. Good questions require advance preparation and good knowledge
of both yourself (goals, abilities, skills,
etc.) and the company. Write out specific
questions that you want to ask ahead of
time, and then look for opportunities to
ask them during the interview. NOTE:
do not ask about benefits or salary during
the first interview.
Research the company, product lines and
competitors. Research will provide the
information to help you decide whether
or not you’re interested in the company.
It also provides important data to use in
the interview.
Keep an interview journal. As soon as
possible, write a brief summary of what
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happened in the interview, including
your perceptions. Note any follow up
action that you need to take and put it in
your calendar. Critique your presentation and the interview; are there improvements that you can make? Remember to immediately follow up with a
thank you note to the interviewer; restate
your skills and stress what you can do for
the company.
Turn off electronics. Cell phones,
PDAs, and other electronic devices
should be turned off before you walk
into the interview. Answering the phone
or checking messages is discourteous to
your host.
we would enjoy hanging out with at an
airport during a snowstorm.”
“We want to see your enthusiasm about
the position; reveal to us your passions
and confidence. Know your major
strengths and accomplishments.”
SOURCES
Kleiman, Mel. “Why Achievement and
Evidence Are the Best Hiring Metrics.”
www.deploy.com/newsletter/200510/
aricles_kleiman.htm, October 21, 2005.
ADVICE FROM EMPLOYERS
“Being comfortable with yourself is
key.” Be comfortable in the job description and highlight how you’re
suited to the job.
“You should always be very prepared for
the questions you know you will be
asked: Why this kind of work? Why this
organization? What have you done in the
past that would make us want to hire
you?”
“Make sure the objective on your resume matches the position we are interviewing for. We are looking for clear
focus on your part.”
“If you didn’t look at our website, we
will not hire you.”
“We expect you to attend our oncampus Employer Information Session.” (if offered)
“You should make an assertive effort to
market yourself, as in; This is what I
have to offer you.”
“The depth of your answers and the
depth of your questions are both important. You should have specific examples on the tip of your tongue.” Ask
meaningful questions.
“We look for times in which you had an
idea, pursued it, lobbied for resources
and organized a team to get the work
done.” Show us ways you’ve exceeded
our expectations.
“We look for high energy, ability to turn
on a dime and experience meeting
deadlines. We also look for people who
Career Services
7