IN TERVIEWING SKIL LS
PREPA RIN G FO R JO B INTERVIE WS
Good Resumes Open Doors: Great Interviews Get You Hired
• Understand how your education, skills, and experience relate to the job you are interviewing for
• Learn as much as possible about the company you will be interviewing with
• Anticipate questions you will be asked and prepare questions you will ask
Practice What You Will Say and Develop ‘Talking Points’
• Develop a brief elevator speech/profile that explains your skills, experience and education
• This will also help you when preparing for telephone interviews
Understand What Are Employers Looking For
• Employees that best fit best their needs and work well with their current team
Embody the Skills and Values That Employers Need
• Attitude, Communication, Creativity, Team Work, Time Management, Customer Service, Ethics
• Hiring decisions are based 85% on interpersonal skills and 15% on technical skills
C O MMUNICATIO N EFFEC TIV ENE SS
What You Say is More Than Just Words: It’s How You Say It
• More than 90% of communication effectiveness is determined by nonverbal cues and voice
• Less than 10% is determined by the actual words used
Use Nonverbal Communication Cues when you Communicate
• Be aware of nonverbal communication and use it to reinforce what you are saying
• Use your body language to project openness, confidence, cooperation and professionalism
– Facial Expressions: Smile! It creates a perception of openness, friendliness and enthusiasm
– Eye contact: Eases the flow of communication and signals interest in the conversation
– Voice: Modulate vocal elements of tone, loudness and inflection to hold interest when you speak
– Gestures: Lively speaking and active listening reinforce what you are saying and indicate interest
– Posture: Sit forward, sit up, keep an open posture and stay engaged in the conversation
– Humor: Lowers stress for you and the interviewer and fosters a friendly and engaging conversation
INTERVIE W STR ATEG IE S
The Interview Question Formula: Problem + Action = Results
Results oriented questions ask about past performance as indicators of future performance.
Questions will present a problem and ask what action you would take to provide a specific result:
• “Give me an example of...” “Tell me about a time when...” “How would you handle...”
Don’t Stress Out!
Interviews are designed to be stressful. The employer wants to see how you perform under
pressure and how you will represent them to the outside world. Make yourself comfortable:
• Be yourself, be honest, stay positive and be confident throughout the interview
• Have a personal conversation and don’t worry about every single word you say
• Don’t assume you’ve done a bad job if you don’t have all the answers
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B EFO RE THE INTERVIE W
Research is Essential
Know as much as possible about the industry, company, and position before the interview.
Use the internet to conduct research about:
• The company • The industry • The job • The people you will be interviewing with
• Appropriate questions to expect and ask in the interview
• How your education, skills, and experience relate to the job you are interviewing for
• The ‘keywords’ of the business and industry
Prepare for the Interview
• Clothes & Grooming: Dress appropriately and be comfortable with your outfit
• Bring your portfolio, copies of your resume, and know your elevator speech & talking points
• Plan your trip to the interview and know how long it will take; plan to be 10 minutes early
• Find out with whom you will be interviewing if possible
• Anticipate interview questions and prepare questions you will ask
• Don’t smoke prior to your interview
Preparing for a Telephone Interview
• Dress for the interview so that you feel prepared and professional
• Schedule a time that works for you and talk in an environment without distractions
• Have your resume and 30-second summary/talking points in front of you
Telephone interviews are difficult
You’ll be speaking without the benefit of body language and facial expressions to help
communicate mood and emotions. Tone of voice and inflections are even more important than in
a face-to-face interview. Project a positive image, speak with a smile, and use an enthusiastic tone
of voice. Ask for clarification if you don’t understand a question.
DURIN G THE INTERVIE W
The interview starts as soon as you arrive. Greet everyone you meet with enthusiasm and a firm,
friendly handshake, and be prepared to meet many people:
– The receptionist – Human Resources staff
– The direct supervisor for the position
– Potential co-workers
– Other members of the management team, perhaps even the company president
Use Keywords in your Questions and Answers
• Use appropriate keywords based on your research about the company, industry, and job
Interviews are a Performance
• Be an intensified version of yourself on your best day
• Listen actively, be attentive, and project thoughtfulness in you answers
• Ask smart, well-informed questions based on your research
• Be aware of your nonverbal communication
– Posture
– Body language
– Tone of voice
– Eye contact
– Facial expressions – keep smiling!
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A F TER THE INTERVIE W
Make a Lasting Impression
• Get business cards for each person you talk with and offer yours to them
• Confirm names of people you met with the receptionist if you are not sure
• Have thank you cards on hand to mail immediately after the interview
• Send initial thank you email AND card within 24 hours to each person you talked with
• Follow-up again within 5 days; offer an additional insight/skill that will benefit the company
• Ask about second interview/hiring schedule and continue to follow-up every week
• Do not discuss salary and benefits except in general terms until a position is offered
The Importance of Saying Thank You
Send a thank you card and/or email to each person you spoke with. This will demonstrate that:
• You communicate well
• You can present a positive image when you represent their company
• You’re thoughtful, have good manners, and appreciate others’ time
• That care about details and how other professionals perceive of you
Following Up and Continuing the Conversation
Saying thank you and additional follow-up conversations are an opportunity to reinforce a strong
point that you may have made in the interview and introduce additional ideas.
E VA LUATIN G A ND NEG OTIATIN G JO B O FFERS
Is The Job A Good Fit?
• Be as objective as possible and refer back to your self-assessment research
• Does the company share your values and beliefs and will you will be happy in the position?
Negotiating Offers
You are in a good position to negotiate your compensation once the employer wants to hire you
• Only start negotiating terms and compensation after the employer offers you the job
• Have confidence in your skills and enthusiasm for the job and what you can offer the employer
• Research payscales for positions based on U.S. Department of Labor statistics
– http://www.careeronestop.org/lmi/LMIHome.asp
UNDERSTA ND W H AT EMPLOYERS A RE LO O KIN G FO R
Excerpts from an interview with Bobbi Brown, founder of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics
The New York Times, January 24, 2010
When I interview someone, I know in the first two minutes if I like them or not. I find that if it’s easy to talk
to someone and I see an openness and honesty and integrity, then I usually hire them.
The most important thing is people need to be themselves. And someone could be totally, on paper,
perfect for the job. But they might not have the openness, the vision. I like when people bring energy,
creativity, newness to me.
If it’s the right person, I can barely speak and they understand what I’m saying. But if it’s not the right
person, they have trouble understanding, because creative people are not like other people. Any other
creative C.E.O. will understand what I’m talking about.
I never learned management. I never went to business school. I’m an artist. I happened to have really
clear ideas of what I thought my business should be.
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TO P 5 INTERVIE W MISTA KE S MILLENNIA L S M A KE
Forbes.com
September 26, 2012
Jenna Goudreau, Forbes Staff
In today’s job market, older workers have a definitive
edge over younger workers. According to a new
survey by recruiting firm Adecco, hiring managers
are three times more likely to hire a worker that is
50-years-old or older than hire a millennial.
The survey of 501 hiring managers was conducted in
late August and defined millennial workers as those
born between 1981 and 2000, meaning workers
age 31 and under. The recruiters seemed most
concerned with millennials’ long-term commitment,
professionalism and reliability. They also said
millennial workers need major improvement in their
interview skills.
Here are the top five interview mistakes millennials
make, based on the survey results—and how you
can avoid them.
1: Wear Inappropriate Interview Attire
The top interview mistake millennials make is
wearing the wrong clothing, according to 75% of
hiring managers surveyed. When Angela Romano
Kuo was vice president of human resources at professional job-matching company TheLadders,
she recalls being appalled that a young man came
to an interview wearing a golf shirt, shorts and flip
flops. He did not get the job. “Err on the side of being
overdressed to make a good impression,” she advises.
In an interview, stay away from flashy jewelry,
plunging necklines, too-short hemlines, t-shirts,
and shoes that are too casual or too difficult to walk
in. “You never want to wear something that can be
distracting, so if you have to think twice about it—skip
it.”
2: Post Questionable Social Media Content
An overwhelming majority (70%) of hiring managers
said millennials make the mistake of posting
potentially compromising content on social media
channels like Facebook and Twitter. Conversely,
managers reported that only 19% of older workers
post improper content. According to a recent survey
by Intel, top social media faux pas include posting
inappropriate or explicit photos, sharing toopersonal information about yourself or others,
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using profanity, and writing with poor grammar and
spelling. Young people should be especially careful
of their grammar, considering that 46% of hiring
managers believe millennials need to improve their
writing skills.
3: Haven’t Done Their Research
Hiring managers are generally skeptical of
millennials’ research skills, and 62% said it hurts
them in an interview when they have not done
enough research or preparation on the company
and position. While young professionals are most
associated with being creative (74%) and strong
networkers (73%), they are not believed to be
organized (8%) or detail-oriented (17%). The
easiest way to flip this assumption on its head is
for millennials to be as prepared as possible for the
interview. Do internet research on the company,
position and interviewer; read as many recent
articles as you can find about the industry; and
use your LinkedIn connections to talk directly to
someone already working there about the culture
and environment.
4: Don’t Ask Enough Questions
Three in five interviewers say that millennials often
show a lack of interest in the job by not asking
questions about the company or position. If you
don’t ask smart questions, you’ll appear indifferent
or clueless. Some of the best questions for a job
candidate to ask in an interview are: How would you
describe the ideal candidate? How does this position
fit into the company’s long-term plans? What can I
do for you as a follow-up? Questions you should stay
away from in an interview concern salary, benefits
and hours, which should be discussed once an initial
offer is made.
5: Overconfident In Themselves
A whopping 57% of hiring managers say millennials
can be overconfident in their abilities and experience
in an interview. “I love Gen Y, but we all know that they
have been conditioned to have a wonderful sense of selfesteem,” says Kate White, longtime Cosmopolitan
editor and author of career guide “I Shouldn’t Be
Telling You This.” “One mistake younger people tend to
make is making it all about them.” White recommends
keeping the focus on specific accomplishments and
how you’d apply what you’ve learned to get results in
the new position.
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