How to Interview for a job in P3S (Pretreatment,

Pollution Prevention, and

Stormwater)

Tracy Wyhlidko and Brian Hodge City of Redding

Industrial Waste Division September 9, 2015

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Goals for this training session

• Present our 3-step approach to job interviews • Describe what can go wrong • Tell stories of real life interview issues

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This presentation

is NOT

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Group discussions are going to be part of our class today.

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Who is in the P3S field already? Please stand up

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Step One: Get to know the job

• Find your dream job announcement • Read the job description • Read the job flier • Read the agencies website • Talk with actual people who have done this job • Job shadow, if possible. • Study Pretreatment Facility Inspection book • Take a CWEA Certification Preparation Session • Pass the CWEA Environmental Compliance

Inspector Grade 1 Certification Exam

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Find your dream job announcement

• CWEA website: www.cwea.org Go to the “Career Resources and Jobs” tab

• “Pretreatment_Coordinators” yahoo group and “CWEAP3S” yahoo group

Go to: Groups.yahoo.com, create a login, join both groups • Check agency websites weekly • Use other internet resources… • Network!!!

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Read the job description, job flier, and agency website

It is astonishing when an interviewee asks a question during an interview that was clearly explained in the job description, flier, or on our website Real life examples: • “Is this an office job or will I be doing field

work too?” • “What is the salary range for this job?” • “How big is Redding?”

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Talk with actual people who have done this job

• Right now you are sitting in a classroom of people who have done this job. The just stood up a few moments ago.

• Meet people and find out what their daily work is like.

• Take a minute to network and share business cards with those around you.

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We’re a friendly bunch…

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Job shadow

• Taking a vacation day off from your current job to follow around an inspector and see what their job is like may save you time, money, and stress.

• If you hate what you do on that day, you probably want to choose another career path.

• It shows an employer that you are serious if you have taken the time to see what the job looks like.

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Maybe you won’t like

driving around by your self and opening manhole lids for a living…

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Maybe you won’t like water sampling or water testing….

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Study the Pretreatment

Facility Inspection Book

Sac State Office of Water Programs Correspondence

Course

http://www.owp.csus.edu/courses/catalog.php 15

Affectionately referred to as

the “Ken Kerri”

book. Rest in peace Mr. Ken Kerri

April 25, 1934 - Dec 15, 2014

age 80

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Don’t let a $49.00 book keep you from trying for a good career.

If you are new to this field, read and study chapters 1-6

• Chapter 1-6 is the first half of the book. • This is going to take some TIME! • It will be time WELL SPENT. • Start at Chapter 1 and go as far as you can in the time

you have before your job interview • Study the mid-chapter review questions and end of

chapter test questions

• Interview questions could come straight from this book

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Do the correspondence course, if you can

• If you have enough time, do the correspondence course that accompanies the book.

• You will get a certificate of completion at the end of the correspondence course.

• This will show a potential employer that you are SERIOUS!

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Take a CWEA Certification Preparation Session

• CWEA offers Environmental Compliance Inspector Exam certification preparation sessions regularly.

• These courses usually last for about 3 hours for the grade 1-2 tests.

• The cost is reasonable (Usually $100 or less depending on the course and the venue)

• Don’t let a $100 course keep you from trying for a good career!

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There happens to be one in a few weeks.

Friday 9/25/15

$35.00 at Fairfield-

Suisun Sewer District 24

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If you’re at this

conference, you have probably

already joined CWEA as a member $164.00

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Take the CWEA Environmental

Compliance Inspector

Grade 1 exam $155.00

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You have to spend money to make money

• The money I spent on CWEA membership and the Ken Kerri course, was the best money I ever spent!

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Total cost so far if you spend all the money I have mentioned

• $49 Ken Kerri book • $50 Correspondence course • $35-100 Certification Preparation Session • $164 CWEA membership • $155 Grade 1 CWEA Environmental Compliance Inspector exam TOTAL $49 (book only) to $518 (completed exam) QUESTION: Have you ever spent money to prepare for a new job? Spend a minute discussing with your neighbors… 29

Step Two: Basic Job Interview Questions

• Search the internet for the top 50- 100 job interview questions.

• Read them all • Write the

questions and your best answer down on PAPER

• This is a test 30

Preparation for the interview can make you stand out from the group

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• What are your strengths? • What are your weaknesses?

Spend a minute with your neighbors answering at least one of these

questions

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Was it hard to come up with an answer that sounded good?

• It is difficult to sound professional • WRITE your answers out on paper • SPEAK your answers out loud • Sometimes words that look good on paper don’t

flow well when you say them out loud.

PREPARE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE AGAIN

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Wrong answers

• What are your strengths? – How much time do you have? – I’m usually right about things. – I’m not sure.

• What are your weaknesses?

– “I have a hard time telling people bad news.” – “I don’t have any.” – “My boss has never complained about anything.”

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Question • Tell me about

yourself.

Wrong Answer • Telling them

your entire life story….

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Question • Why do you

want this job?

Wrong Answer • I want this job

because my current boss is a jerk.

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Question • Where would

you like to be in your career five years from now?

Wrong Answer • In 5 years, I

would like to be a manager.

• That might not be possible in a pretreatment job.

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Question • Why should we

hire you?

Wrong Answer • You should hire

me because, even though I have no experience, I am a quick learner and I’m sure I can figure things out.

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Question • What did you

like least about your last job?

Wrong Answer • I disliked my

co-workers.

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Question • When were you

most satisfied in your job?

Wrong Answer • I was most

satisfied when I first started, but as time went on, I became dissatisfied.

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Question • Why are you

leaving your present job?

Wrong Answer • Because I am

bored.

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More Questions to think about

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• What do you know about this industry?

• Are you willing to relocate?

Other Common Interview Questions:

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• Tell me about a time where you had to deal with conflict on the job.

• If you found out your company was doing something against the law, like fraud, what would you do?

Other Common Interview Questions:

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• Have you ever been on a team where someone was not pulling their own weight? How did you handle it?

• Tell me about a time when you had to give someone difficult feedback. How did you handle it?

Other Common Interview Questions:

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• You better answer this. • It shows a lack of interest if you fail to ask

something. • You can ask about

– The next steps in the hiring process – How many people you’ll be working with – What is the best way for you to check back with

them – Do inspectors specialize in a type of inspection,

an area of the town – How much training is provided to new inspectors

Most Important Interview Question: “Do you have any questions for us?”

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• Tell them how good you are!!! – “I am a great candidate for this job

because_______________.” – “This is my dream job.” – “I am well qualified for this job

because________________.” – “I want to live and work in this

community.” – “Working in Pretreatment is the career

goal that I have been moving toward for several years.”

Closing Comments

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If you interview for the same job more than once, expect the same

questions.

• Government agencies often use the same pre-approved list of interview questions for the same job.

• After an interview, jot down the questions that you were asked.

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Step 3: The Interview

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Major items to consider

• Clothes, shoes • Attitude, facial expressions • Purses/Man-bags/Briefcases • Cell Phones • Drinks, notepads, pens • Handouts • Behavior • Odors, Sweating • Shaking Hands • Follow up afterwards

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Would you hire this guy? Raise your hands

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Clothes • Shop ahead of time

– I have two good interview outfits. One for the first interview and second interview.

• Pay attention to your shoes. No flip flops. • Spend money on something that fits

– I interviewed a lady whose shirt kept coming untucked, showing her bare skin.

– I interviewed a man whose shirt collar was so tight his neck skin was bulging over the shirt.

• Men: Learn how to tie a tie. No crazy ties. – If you wear a button up shirt with no tie, we assume you

didn’t buy a tie or can’t tie one.

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Same person, different clothes

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Attitude and Expression

• Attitude should convey interest and excitement. • You should be happy to be here. • Facial expression should not be fake. We can tell. • Try not to:

– talk with your hands – bounce up and out of your chair – rub the table – cross your arms

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Purses/Man-bags/Briefcases • Leave purses and man-bags in the car.

• A briefcase is ok. They look professional. You may have some papers to give us.

• It’s OK to bring nothing in with you.

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Cell Phones • Leave the phone off and in

your glove box. • You will probably survive for 20

minutes without it. • If you HAVE to keep it, turn it

totally off before you enter the interview room.

• We will hear it vibrating if you get a text during the interview. 57

Drinks, Notepads,

Pens

• Why would you bring these into an interview? • You CAN live without coffee for a few minutes. • Are you really going to take notes? • People just fiddle with these items. It’s distracting!

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Handouts, Letters of Reference

• We don’t really need extra handouts from you.

• We know your friends wrote them…. • If you are shaking uncontrollably, we

will notice it when you are handing us the paper.

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Behavior • We only have about 20

minutes to evaluate you. • If have irritating

behaviors, we will notice.

• We wonder what it will be like to train you and work with you .

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Odor and Sweating

• You are going to be nervous. • Do whatever you can to keep odors to a minimum. • Be careful what you eat and drink for 24-48 hours

before the interview. • Onions, garlic, and alcohol odors all come out

when you sweat. • You will probably be sweating due to warm clothing or due to nerves.

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Shaking Hands

• Everybody stand up and shake hands with at least 2 neighbors.

• Keep a handkerchief or Kleenex in your pocket if you might need it to wipe sweaty hands.

• Wash hands in the restroom before your interview. • Shaking hands tells a lot about you. Practice a good

strong handshake for weeks ahead of time. 62

Follow up

• Send a Thank You note, letter or email to the Human

Resources Department and the Hiring Manager • Don’t keep calling and bugging them. • Do not sent any gifts, flowers, candy, etc. • Keep studying and preparing for the second

interview. 63

Closing Stories

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Story Collection: Bob

• Bob arrived for a job interview. • His face was pink, his hands were shaky, and

he smelled of vodka. • During the course of the interview, the

members of the panel became aware of the odors.

• He did not answer the questions properly. • Bob did not get the job.

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Story Collection - Nancy

• Nancy had scheduled a chimney sweep to come to her house the morning of her job interview. He was late. In the hope of speeding the job up, she helped him. Her daycare lady was also sick that day. Nancy showed up late to her interview with soot on her clothing, with a 7 year old in tow.

• Nancy got the job anyway. Her knowledge and honesty showed through.

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Story Collection - Joe

• Joe, in an attempt to answer an interview question, took out a prepared typed document and began reading it word for word.

• It was his resume. • We had already read it. • We had to ask him to stop after it became

apparent that he was going to read the whole thing out loud.

• Joe did not get the job.

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Story Collection - April

• April dressed in a business suit and high heels for her job interview.

• After the interview she was taken on a tour of the wastewater treatment plant.

• Her heels got stuck in the grates near the clarifier, she came out of her shoes and almost fell.

• She got the job anyway. • Be careful where you step at a treatment plant!

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Story Collection – Sue

• Sue applied for a laboratory technician job. • She had no qualifications. No knowledge. No

experience. • She just believed that she was perfect. • Sue had total confidence that she could learn

anything she put her mind to. • Sue did not get the job.

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Story Collection - Jane

• Jane’s application and resume looked great. • She had experience and was registered in the

field. • Jane showed up in flip flops for the interview. • Jane admitted that she had not read through the

entire job description . • Jane had done very little to prepare for the

interview. • She did not get the job.

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Story Collection - Sam

• Sam applied for an engineer position. • He was qualified and knowledgeable. • The interviewer took Sam to lunch and asked if

he would like to see the town. • Sam said no to seeing the town. • He had no interested in the city, just the job. • Sam did not get hired.

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Story Collection - Bill

• Bill was a college student who applied for an internship job.

• When asked what he sees himself doing in the next 5 years, he was totally honest.

• Bill said that he did not know. • He said he is trying the internship job to

discern whether this would be a good career for him.

• Bill got the job.

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Any other questions or stories?

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THANK YOU Leave us your business card if you want a copy of this presentation.

Tracy Wyhlidko and Brian Hodge City of Redding

Main phone number 530-224-4319 Main email:

iwaste@ci.redding.ca.us

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