Career Development 2201 1 Module Sixteen

NAME: CCP:

4.06 outline the preparation required and the skills necessary to successfully participate in a job interview

Interviews

To be successful, you should always seek to retain control of the Interview process, and the only way to do this is to have control over the final decision. Your objective in every inter-view should be to take yourself one step further toward generat-ing a potential job offer. You can do that by doing your very best in each and every interview. Treat every interview as if it were the only one you will ever get with that company and your only opportunity to convince them that you are the best candi-date for the position. Successful interviewing begins with preparation.

What can you do to set yourself apart in your interview? The most important aspect of successful interviewing is not your ex-perience, or your resume. The key to successful interviewing can be summed up in one word: passion. It’s your passion for the job that will set you apart from the crowd. How can you demonstrate your passion in the inter-view? Though your enthusiasm for the job and behavioral examples of how your passion has had a positive impact on results. If you can show, in your words, actions and past behaviors, that you have true passion toward achieving excellence, you can be chosen over the superstar. Let your passion for the job show through in every aspect of your interview.

Another key element to successful interviewing is your attitude. If you want to rise above others with better experience, better grades, or better anything, you will need to work on developing a highly positive work attitude. Why is attitude so important? Ask any manager who the most valu-able member of his team is, and he will point not to the star, but to the person who has the “can do” attitude, the person who can be counted on in any situation, the person who truly strives for excellence. Attitude is everything.

Dressing for Interview Success

Oxfords and business suits are still in. I don’t like a necktie (noose?) any better than the next person, but it is still a fact of life in interviewing. Even though many companies have relaxed the internal company dress code, interviews still follow the conservative standard. Don’t buck the trend. Conservative is “in” for interviewing. Why? Because you should be doing the talking, not your clothes.

Go for quality over quantity. One or two well-chosen business suits will serve gentlemen OR ladies all the way to the first day on the job and beyond. Then, when you are making some money (and have a chance to see what the standard “uniform” is for the company), you can begin to round out your wardrobe. Communication

Career Development 2201 2 Module Sixteen Many interviews fail because of lack of proper communication. But communication is more than just what you say. Often it is the nonverbal communication that we are least aware of, yet that speaks the loudest. Following are the top five nonverbals, ranked in order of importance when it comes to interviewing:

Eye Contact — unequaled in importance! If you look away while listening, it can indicate a lack of interest and a short attention span. If you fail to maintain eye contact while speaking, at a minimum it can indicate a lack of confidence in what you are saying and can even send the nonverbal cue that you may be lying. Next, watch a recording of yourself. It does not necessarily have to be your mock interview; in fact, if you were recorded informally (that is, you were not aware you were being recorded), this will provide even stronger evidence. Then sit down with a friend and practice until you are comfortable maintaining sincere, continuous eye contact throughout the interview. Body language is merely the smaller, less prominent nonverbal cues that we give others while communicating. Following are some typical interpretations of body language cues:Your words tell me a story but your body tells me the whole story.

Openness and warmth — open-lipped smiling, open hands with palms visible, unbuttoning coat upon being seated Confidence — leaning forward in chair, chin up, putting fingertips of one hand against fingertips of the other hand in “praying,” or “steepling” position, hands joined behind back when standing

And keep in mind the person on the other side of the desk. As you talk with an interviewer, be aware of (although not preoccupied with) their body language and nonverbal cues. Do not try to read more than is actually being communicated, but try to develop a sense of the interviewer’s re-ception of you. The most obvious example is the smile connection—when your smile brings about a smile from the interviewer. Do your best to stay connected with your interviewer—both verbally and nonverbally.

Bring samples or copies of your work to the interview as concrete examples of your capabilities. Use reports, projects, photos, programs, or whatever it is that provides a tangible example of what you have done. It’s one thing to say “I developed a report,” and quite another to actually show the report you developed. You can incorporate several samples and examples into an effective job portfolio. (Employability Skills Portfolio)

Career Development 2201 3 Module Sixteen

Ten Tough Interview Questions and Ten Great Answers

In addition to preparing yourself physically, you need to prepare yourself mentally. The best way to prepare mentally is to know what may be coming. Fear of the unknown can only exist when there is an unknown. Take the time to understand some of the “standards” when it comes to inter-viewing questions.

The following are some of the most difficult questions you will face in the course of your job inter-views. Some questions may seem rather simple on the surface—such as “Tell me about yourself”—but these questions can have a variety of answers. The more open ended the question, the wider the variation in the answers. Once you have become practiced in your interviewing skills, you will find that you can use almost any question as a launching pad for a particular topic or compelling story.

The following answers are provided to give you a new perspective on how to answer tough inter-view questions. They are not there for you to lift from the page and insert into your next interview. They are provided for you to use as the basic structure for formulating your own answers. While the specifics of each reply may not apply to you, try to follow the basic structure of the answer from the perspective of the interviewer. Answer the questions behaviorally, with specific examples that show that clear evidence backs up what you are saying about yourself.

1. Tell me about yourself. It seems like an easy interview question. It’s open ended. I can talk about whatever I want from the birth canal forward. Right?Wrong. What the hiring manager really wants is a quick, two- to three-minute snapshot of who you are and why you’re the best candidate for this position.So as you answer this question, talk about what you’ve done to prepare yourself to be the very best candidate for the position. Use an example or two to back it up. Then ask if they would like more details. If they do, keep giving them example after example of your background and experi-ence. Always point back to an example when you have the opportunity.“Tell me about yourself” does not mean tell me everything. Just tell me what makes you the best.

2. Why should I hire you? The easy answer is that you are the best person for the job. And don’t be afraid to say so. But then back it up with what specifically differentiates you.For example: “You should hire me because I’m the best person for the job. I realize that there are likely other candidates who also have the ability to do this job. Yet I bring an additional quality that makes me the best person for the job--my passion for excellence. I am passionately committed to producing truly world class results. For example . . .”Are you the best person for the job? Show it by your passionate examples.

3. What is your long-range objective? Make my job easy for me. Make me want to hire you.The key is to focus on your achievable objectives and what you are doing to reach those objec-tives.For example: “Within five years, I would like to become the very best accountant your company has on staff. I want to work toward becoming the expert that others rely upon. And in doing so, I feel I’ll be fully prepared to take on any greater responsibilities which might be presented in the long term. For example, here is what I’m presently doing to prepare myself . . .”Then go on to show by your examples what you are doing to reach your goals and objectives.

Career Development 2201 4 Module Sixteen4. How has your education prepared you for your career? This is a broad question and you need to focus on the behavioral examples in your educational background which specifically align to the required competencies for the career.An example: “My education has focused on not only the learning the fundamentals, but also on the practical application of the information learned within those classes. For example, I played a lead role in a class project where we gathered and analyzed best practice data from this industry. Let me tell you more about the results . . .”Focus on behavioral examples supporting the key competencies for the career. Then ask if they would like to hear more examples.

5. Are you a team player? Almost everyone says yes to this question. But it is not just a yes/no question. You need to provide behavioral exam-ples to back up your answer.A sample answer: “Yes, I’m very much a team player. In fact, I’ve had opportunities in my work, school and athlet-ics to develop my skills as a team player. For example, on a recent project . . .”Emphasize teamwork behavioral examples and focus on your openness to diversity of backgrounds. Talk about the strength of the team above the individ-ual. And note that this question may be used as a lead in to questions around how you handle con-flict within a team, so be prepared.

6. Have you ever had a conflict with a boss, coach or teacher? How was it resolved? Note that if you say no, most interviewers will keep drilling deeper to find a conflict. The key is how you behaviorally reacted to conflict and what you

did to resolve it.For example: “Yes, I have had conflicts in the past. Never major ones, but there have been disagreements that needed to be resolved. I've found that when conflict occurs, it helps to fully understand the other person’s perspective, so I take time to listen to their point of view, then I seek to work out a collaborative solution. For example . . .”

Focus your answer on the behavioral process for resolving the conflict and working collaboratively.

7. What is your greatest weakness? Most career books tell you to select a strength and present it as a weakness. Such as:

“I work too much. I just work and work and work.” Wrong. First of all, using a strength and present-ing it as a weakness is deceiving. Second, it misses the point of the question.You should select a weakness that you have been actively working to overcome. For example: “I have had trouble in the past with planning and prioritization. However, I’m now taking steps to cor-rect this. I just started using a pocket planner . . .” then show them your planner and how you are using it.Talk about a true weakness and show what you are doing to overcome it.

8. If I were to ask your instructors to describe you, what would they say? This is a threat of reference check question. Do not wait for the interview to know the answer. Ask any prior bosses or professors in advance. And if they’re willing to provide a positive reference, ask them for a letter of recommendation.Then you can answer the question like this:“I believe she would say I'm a very energetic person, that I’m results oriented and one of the best people she has ever worked with. Actually, I know she would say that, because those are her very words. May I show you her letter of recommendation?”So be prepared in advance with your letters of recommendation.

9. What qualities do you feel a successful manager should have? Focus on two words: leadership and vision.

Career Development 2201 5 Module SixteenHere is a sample of how to respond: “The key quality in a successful manager should be leader-ship--the ability to be the visionary for the people who are working under them. The person who can set the course and direction for subordinates. The highest calling of a true leader is inspiring others to reach the highest of their abilities. I'd like to tell you about a person whom I consider to be a true leader . . .”Then give an example of someone who has touched your life and how their impact has helped in your personal development.

10. If you had to live your life over again, what one thing would you change? Focus on a key turning point in your life or missed opportunity. Yet also tie it forward to what you are doing to still seek to make that change.For example: “Although I’m overall very happy with where I’m at in my life, the one aspect I likely would have changed would be focusing earlier on my chosen career. I had a great internship this past year and look forward to more experience in the field. I simply wish I would have focused here earlier. For example, I learned on my recent internship…” …then provide examples. Don’t just read these questions—practice and rehearse the answers. Sit down with a friend, a parent and go through all of the questions. If you have not yet completed a mock interview, do it now. Make the most of every single interview opportunity by being fully prepared!

The Reframing Technique

The word “control” is often used with regard to interviewing. Often it is used incorrectly, by giving the interviewee the impression they should attempt to take full “control” over the questioning in the actual interview. This is, quite simply, a mistake which shows a lack of understanding of inter-view dynamics. If you attempt to take one-sided control of the interviewer and the interview, you may win the initial battle, but will certainly lose the war. I may let you take control, but I will press the “reject” button as soon as you leave my office.

The right use of “control” in the interview is your ability to control both the context and perspec-tive of your answers. You can do this effectively by utilizing the Reframing Technique. To do this, you should always attempt to answer the questions as straightforwardly as possible initially, but then reframe the original question to illustrate an area of your background that can further en-hance your overall image. This requires a thorough understanding of your strong points so you have a planned direction and course. By properly using the Reframing Technique, you will find yourself covering the same core topics (which reflect your greatest strengths) in nearly every in-terview, regardless of the questions used as the launching point.

For example, if you are asked who your favorite professor is, you might give a short answer about a particular professor, then reframe the question by telling why that professor is your favorite and use it as a connection to your internship experience. “She has the ability to tie in all of the class-room theory with practical business applications; in fact, it was her inspiration that encouraged me to participate in a two-week internship over winter break, where I combined my classroom knowl-edge with practical experience in the field of _____.”

Reframing can take many forms, but at its best there is always a solid connection between the original question and the reframed emphasis. If the reformatting of the original question goes into a totally unrelated topic area, it will be counted against you. The key is to stay within the same general frame and use the question as a launch pad in a new, yet related direction (the reframed question). When done smoothly, the interviewer will not even be aware of the slight shift in focus. And you will have the opportunity to put forth your strongest points. Know your strong points and all the bridges you can use to reach them so that you can use reframing to your advantage in the interview.

Read pp 214 – 221 in the textbook

Career Development 2201 6 Module Sixteen

Read the following advertisements and then list 5 questions that you would ask prospective employees in an interview.

Career Development 2201 7 Module Sixteen

Shepherd Interview Questions:

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Harp Sales Interview Questions:

Career Development 2201 9 Module Sixteen

The following activity can be thought of as a summary of the big ideas of the course. Treat it as such.Understanding your questions, p.236 BLM 69

HIGH FIVE PRINCIPLES RELATED QUESTIONS (p 236)

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS (THAT ARE RELEVANT TO ME)

1. Change is constant.

2. Learning is ongoing.

3. Focus on the journey.

4. Follow your heart.

5. Access your allies.

Career Development 2201 10 Module SixteenThere are a number of “How to” videos online (on career topics such as resumes or interviews) you may see some in class, but if not find a couple and have a quick look, then answer the following

1. Title or host:

Best advice given in your opinion:

Something from the video that apply to you or didn’t seem to make sense:

2. Title or host:

Best advice given in your opinion:

Something from the video that apply to you or didn’t seem to make sense:

Career Development 2201 11 Module SixteenIn the space provided below provide a summary of an interview that you have experienced: