Chapter 7
Applying for a Job
Lesson 7.2
Putting Your Best Foot Forward
Putting Your Best Foot Forward
Discover
How to prepare for an interview
What happens in an interview
How to follow up after an
interview
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Putting Your Best Foot Forward
Why It’s Important
Interviews are an important
part of applying for a job. The
more practice you get, the
more confident you’ll be in
future interviews.
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Key Terms
interview
pre-employment tests
body language
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Putting Your Best Foot Forward
Putting Your Best Foot
Forward
An interview is a formal meeting
about a possible job between a
job seeker and an employer.
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Putting Your Best Foot Forward
Putting Your Best Foot
Forward
The interview is an employer’s
chance to meet you and decide if
you’re right for the job.
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Putting Your Best Foot
Forward
The interview is your chance to
convince an employer that you are
the right person for the job, and to
decide if the job is right for you.
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Getting Ready for an
Interview
What you do before an interview is
an important as what you do
during the interview.
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Be Prepared
You need to be prepared to
answer questions about your
interests, skills, work experience,
education, and career goals.
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Be Prepared
Be prepared for pre-employment
tests.
Pre-employment tests are tests
given to a job seeker by an
employer to find out if the job
seeker fits the job.
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Be Prepared
Pre-employment tests can
evaluate your personality and
your skills.
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Know the Job and the
Company
To succeed in an interview, you
need to know as much as possible
about the job you want.
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Know the Job and the
Company
Find out as much as you can
about the job before the interview.
Then you will be better able to sell
yourself as the best possible
candidate.
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Know the Job and the
Company
Get to know the business or
organization where you’re
interviewing.
Be prepared to ask questions
about the job and the employer.
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Putting Your Best Foot Forward
Practice Makes a
Difference
The more practice you have, the
more comfortable you’ll feel during
the interview.
One way to practice is to ask a
friend or family member to roleplay an interview with you.
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Putting Your Best Foot Forward
Practice Makes a
Difference
Make a list of questions you might
be asked.
Prepare answers.
Make a list of questions you want
to ask.
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Putting Your Best Foot Forward
Try This Activity
Role-Play
Role-play interviewing techniques with a
partner. Have your partner ask you
typical questions. Practice answering
them.
continued
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Putting Your Best Foot Forward
Try This Activity
Role-Play
Practice, Practice, Practice! Taperecord or videotape the interview if you
can. Then listen to yourself. Look at
yourself. Keep practicing until you get it
right.
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Dress the Part
Give some thought to what you
are going to wear.
Remember, first impressions
count.
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The Interview Itself
If you’ve put effort into preparing
for an interview, it’s likely it will go
well for you.
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A Winning Attitude
The biggest boost you can have
going into an interview is a
positive attitude.
If you feel positive, you’ll have
just the attitude employers are
looking for.
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A Good Conversation
A good interview is like a good
conversation.
Each person should have a
chance to speak and ask
questions.
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Putting Your Best Foot Forward
A Good Conversation
Each person should listen
carefully and pay attention to the
other.
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Graphic Organizer
Be Prepared for These Questions
What can you tell
me about yourself?
?
Do you prefer to
work with others or
on your own?
What are your
greatest strengths?
?
Why do you want
this job?
What are your
greatest
weaknesses?
What are your
career goals?
?
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?
?
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Putting Your Best Foot Forward
Watch Your Body
Language
Body language plays an important
part of an interview.
Body language is the gestures,
posture, and eye contact you use
to express yourself.
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After You Say Good-Bye
There are some important things
you should do following an
interview.
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Take Time to Say
Thanks
Write a letter of thanks no matter
how the interview went.
A letter of thanks should go out no
later than a day after the interview.
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Take Stock
Make some notes for yourself
while the interview is still fresh in
your mind.
Write a summary of the interview.
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Take Stock
In your summary, write down
anything you’d do differently next
time.
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Take It in Stride
You may get the job. You may not.
If you don’t, don’t give up.
Rejection is part of life and part of
the learning process.
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Investigating Career
Clusters
Government and
Public Administration
Government The institution through which the
state keeps order, provides services, and enforces
laws
Public Administration The administrative
management of government and nonprofit
organizations
continued
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Investigating Career
Clusters
Government and
Public Administration
People in the Government and Public
Administration career cluster collect taxes, build
infrastructure, protect the nation’s borders, and
make laws. Workers in this cluster often have
excellent job security and benefits.
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Critical Thinking Review
Critical Thinking
Q What questions should you be prepared to
answer at a job interview?
A Answers will vary but should include
questions about skills and past work
experience that qualifies the applicant for
the job.
continued
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Putting Your Best Foot Forward
Critical Thinking Review
Critical Thinking
Q What questions would you ask an employer
at a job interview?
A Questions students ask should focus on the
company or organization, the job itself, their
responsibilities in the job, and opportunities
for growth in the company or organization.
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End of Chapter 7
Applying for a Job
Lesson 7.2
Putting Your Best Foot Forward