Interviewing for Employment
Before the Interview |
During the Interview |
After the Interview |
What Kinds are there |
Interview Content |
Questions
The interview is the last step of the hiring process--and
the most important. It offers both you and the employer the opportunity
to meet one another, exchange information and come to tentative
conclusions about "hiring" one another.
The interview is a two-way process. You evaluate
the employer while he/she evaluates you. Since there is no one
way of interviewing, you will have to develop your own style.
In the short amount of time that you will spend with a potential
employer, you will either be screened in or screened out, so you
must project yourself in a positive, enthusiastic manner.
The interview gives the employer the opportunity
to meet you in person and to evaluate the "total" you.
This includes your attitude, appearance, personality, confidence,
knowledge about yourself, and knowledge about the company, as
well as basic ability to do the job.
BEFORE
THE INTERVIEW
Research |
Know Yourself |
Prepare Yourself
(The interview starts long before you appear in
the interviewer's office.)
Research
the Employer
Thoroughly research the organization to impress
those with whom you meet and to allow more time for you to tell
your story and discuss specifics of the position. Some of the
information you will want to know includes:
| • |
size of organization |
| • |
location of facilities |
| • |
structure of organization - by product line,
function, past, current & potential growth |
| • |
types of clients |
| • |
product line or service |
| • |
potential markets, products, services |
| • |
price of products or services |
| • |
present price of stock |
| • |
structure of assets |
| • |
who the competition is |
| • |
name of recruiter |
| • |
training provisions |
| • |
relocation policies |
| • |
length of time in assignments |
| • |
recent items in the news |
| • |
others you know in the organization |
It is also important to research issues, trends,
problems, and jargon of the field. Such information can be obtained
from people in the field, company literature, public and career
libraries, trade journals, newsletters, business magazines, and
directories. Prepare a list of well-researched questions for the
interviewer.
Know
Yourself
Analyze your strengths and weaknesses and know
exactly what you want to say and do not want to say during the
interview.
Evaluate problem areas in your record and be prepared
to offer a strong case for these during the interview, if necessary.
Do not volunteer negative information about yourself or a former
employment situation.
Write out answers to possible questions from the
interviewer, as a practice activity. Do a mock interview with
a staff member at OCPP, a friend, or relative.
Prepare
Yourself
Know the name, role, and level of responsibility
of each individual with whom you are to meet.
Know exactly how to get to the organization and
be prepared to arrive early and stay late.
Dress to project an image of confidence and success;
your total appearance should be appropriate to the job.
Prepare to bring additional materials to the interview
such as copies of your resume, a list of references, samples of
your work, or transcripts.
DURING
THE INTERVIEW
Before the interview you should have considered
WHAT you want to communicate and HOW you are going to communicate.
What you will want to communicate are: personal qualities, functional
skills, and special areas of knowledge that relate to the particular
interviewer or organization. How you communicate those personal
attributes and background facts is indicated by your attitude,
non-verbal behaviors and verbal responses.
Your first task will be to help to build rapport
with the interviewer(s). The characteristics of building rapport
involve your (1) attitude and your (2) non-verbal and (3) verbal
behaviors.
| 1 |
Your attitude should be one of
openness or sensitivity to the interviewer's style and a feeling
of mutual responsibility for creating a comfortable atmosphere,
establishing a common ground. You should be thinking positively.
(If you don't think you are the best candidate for the job,
how can you hope to convince the employer you are?) |
| 2 |
The non-verbal behaviors which
contribute to rapport are: dress and posture, eye-contact,
handshake, voice level, and gestures. |
| 3 |
The verbal behaviors contributing
to build rapport include: courteous observations, initiation
of discussion, disclosure of personal qualities. |
Be aware of your body language, how you communicate
non-verbally. You will want to convey sincerity, a dedication
to achievement, confidence and a high energy level. These attributes
are communicated through your attitude and actions as well as
through your verbal responses.
Congruence between the non-verbal and verbal messages
is very important to an effective interview. The non-verbal behaviors
that are important in an interview include:
| • |
eye contact which should be open and direct
when listening, asking and responding to questions. Eye contact
is usually broken when concentrating or reflecting on what
you want to say or what was said. |
| • |
posture which should be well balanced, erect,
relaxed, straight-on and open. Know your nervous habits and
practice controlling them. |
| • |
hands which should be used in a relaxed way
for animation, communicating excitement, interest. |
| • |
facial expression which conveys your sincerity
and can add to or detract from your words. |
| • |
voice tone which should be firm, warm, well-modulated
and relaxed. |
| • |
timing which involves your use of silence,
and comfort with pauses. |
| • |
active listening which affects how you respond
and communicates your interest. |
How you communicate verbally involves your ability:
| • |
to use active verbs. |
| • |
to use concrete examples. |
| • |
to be concise and complete. |
| • |
to summarize and make transitions. |
| • |
to be positive and "own" what you
have done and what you know. |
Your knowledge of what contributes to a "strong
answer" also contributes to effectiveness. A strong answer
does not create more questions than it answers. The components
of a strong answer include:
| • |
backing up a statement with a specific example. |
| • |
sharing your role (the challenge and accomplishments). |
| • |
sharing the outcome or solution. |
| • |
summarizing to emphasize your strengths. |
Strong answers can also be described as frank,
open, thoughtful, complete, concise and "uncanned".
Be ready to ask questions from your prepared list.
Techniques for asking good questions begin with the use of who,
what, when, where, why, and how. Questions should be developed
ahead of time and should reflect the amount of research you have
done rather than your lack or research. Refer to the list of "questions
to ask" to help you develop your own list.
Salary questions are usually inappropriate in the
first interview, but you should research the salary range for
the job/field ahead of time, consider how much the job is worth
to you, and recognize that the pay raise structure of the organization
is just as important as the entry level rate in assessing an offer.
Be alert to and evaluate management style, organizational
structure, turnover, job responsibilities and growth potential,
work atmosphere, staff/supervisor and co-worker relationships.
At the end of the interview set parameters for
the next contact.
"When may I expect to hear from you?"
"What is the next step?"
AFTER
THE INTERVIEW
| • |
Use the interview as a learning experience.
Take notes on what you would like to improve after you leave
the room. |
| • |
Send a follow-up letter to thank the interviewer,
and stress points in your background that qualify you for
the position. |
| • |
If you are not contacted within the specified
time, call to restate your interest. |
| • |
It is usually best not to accept a job offer
on the spot; state your interest and appreciation for the
offer and request a reasonable amount of time to consider
it, e.g., several days, 1-2 weeks. |
| • |
Be sure to evaluate all aspects of the job
before accepting it rather than afterward. Once you have accepted
a position, your commitment is considered binding by the employer. |
| • |
If you do not get the job, you may want to
ask the interviewer for some constructive criticism or recommendations
for future interviews. If you are consistently passed over
for positions, try to identify potential problems; then seek
guidance for improvement. |
WHAT
KINDS OF INTERVIEWS ARE THERE?
Interviews differ depending on the purpose and
where they are held. On-Grounds interviews are usually half-hour
interviews conducted by professional interviewers who are screening
candidates for additional interviews. A positive on-Grounds interview
can result in an invitation for a selection interview at the employment
site. Off-Grounds interviews that you develop on your own may
be very different in length and type of person interviewing you.
Often these are less formal and longer. Interviews conducted at
personnel offices are typically screening interviews similar to
those on-Grounds, while interviews with department heads are more
likely to be longer, less structured selection interviews.
Interview Formats
| 1 |
Screening |
| |
| • |
done by a person well trained in the
act of interviewing. |
| • |
purpose is to weed out candidates to
cut down on work of hiring person. |
| • |
may be brief (1/2 hour). |
| • |
based primarily on facts - follow the
interviewer's lead. |
| • |
may be done on-campus, in personnel offices,
by school systems or large companies, etc. |
|
| 2 |
On-site (See handout on "Site
Visits") |
| |
| • |
often involves a whole day or longer. |
| • |
offers you opportunity to see the physical
plant. |
| • |
you will be meeting different people
within the organization who will have input into the
hiring decision. |
|
| 3 |
One-on-one |
| |
| • |
usually with the person who will make
the hiring decision. |
| • |
50% of supervisors who interview have
no professional training in interviewing. |
|
| 3 |
Panel |
| |
| • |
less subjective - better odds at overcoming
an individual bias. |
| • |
can get a better idea of how the staff
works together. |
| • |
greater chance of anxiety if you are
not expecting this. |
| • |
questions may be more rapidly paced because
they can frame questions while you're answering someone
else. |
| • |
it is more difficult to achieve feelings
of rapport. |
| • |
you should maintain eye contact and involve
everybody; be professional; smile. :) |
|
INTERVIEW
CONTENT
Frequently, the interview progresses in stages:
(1) establishing rapport, (2) obtaining data from the applicant,
(3) discussing the position and the organization, describing your
career objectives, asking interviewer questions, (4) closing.
The content of the interview is based on the style
and priorities of the interviewer. Any or all of the approaches
that follow could be used during an interview. The interviewer
may want to:
| 1 |
GATHER BACKGROUND INFORMATION |
| |
| • |
Objective: To gather facts about experiences
the applicant has faced (probably most common approach). |
| • |
Method: |
| |
| - |
Uses detailed questions, usually
prepared in advance. |
| - |
Follows progression of application/resume
as far as experience and education are concerned
- basically an amplification of the resume. |
|
| • |
Pros/Cons: |
| |
| - |
Yields a wealth of information
(including personal) and encourages analysis of
data. |
| - |
Can be a lengthy process as it
covers candidate's life. |
|
|
| 2 |
ENCOURAGE DISCUSSION |
| |
| • |
Objective: To form an overall impression
of the applicant. |
| • |
Method: |
| |
| - |
Avoids use of set questions. |
| - |
Follows in unstructured progression
allowing applicant to set directions. |
|
| • |
Pros/Cons: |
| |
| - |
Lack of set questions - may not
cover significant portion of candidate's background. |
| - |
Emphasis is on analysis of impressions,
not facts. |
|
|
| 3 |
CREATE STRESS |
| |
| • |
Objective: To "test" reactions
of applicant in a difficult situation. |
| • |
Method: Puts applicant on the defensive
by interrupting, criticizing opinions, questioning decisions,
etc. |
| • |
Pros/Cons: |
| |
| - |
Fallen out of favor although once
used by major corporations. |
| - |
Interview situation is already
"stress". |
|
|
| 3 |
ASK PROBING/HYPOTHETICAL QUESTIONS |
| |
| • |
Objective: To evaluate probable job performance
or technical knowledge of the applicant. |
| • |
Method: |
| |
| - |
Asks hypothetical questions (what
would you do if?) related to job performance based
on candidate's concepts or attitudes of what it
takes to do a given job. |
| - |
Asks for solutions, recommendations. |
| - |
Requires a set of situations carefully
prepared in advance. |
|
| • |
Pros/Cons: |
| |
| - |
Does not give a broad range of
personality characteristics. |
| - |
Requires a skilled interviewer. |
|
|
| 4 |
ASSESS PAST BEHAVIORS |
| |
| • |
Objective: To identify characteristics
and uncover competencies of the applicant, leaving the
interviewer to draw conclusions and evaluate what the
applicant is likely to do in certain situations. |
| • |
Methods: |
| |
| - |
Asks questions that will reveal
what the applicant has actually done, focusing
on both positive and negative experiences. |
| - |
Concentration on in-depth description
to which the interviewer will compare the candidate's
qualifications. |
|
| • |
Pros/Cons: |
| |
| - |
Requires employer to establish
beforehand "model" descriptions to which
he/she will compare the candidate's qualifications. |
| - |
Requires careful formulation of
questions so that all areas of model are covered. |
|
|
Two new types of interview style, case interviewing
and behavioral interviewing, are becoming very popular in certain
industries.
QUESTIONS
You ask Employers |
About Yourself |
Career Goals/Plan |
School |
Previous Experience |
Specific to Company/Job |
Problem Questions
QUESTIONS
YOU CAN ASK EMPLOYERS (Use only if applicable
to your situation)
Your research of an organization or position may
not provide all of the information that you will need before you
take a job. Listed below are sample questions that may be asked
during the interview to supplement your research. Avoid asking
questions that begin with "is", "are", and
"do". These questions lead to yes/no answers. Instead,
begin your questions with who, what, when, where, why, how, etc.
| • |
How would your describe the duties of the position? |
| • |
How would you describe a typical day in this
position? |
| • |
How much travel is normally expected? |
| • |
How frequently do you relocate professional
employees? |
| • |
Why are you looking to fill this position?
(Is it a newly created job? Did the previous employee leave?
Why?) |
| • |
How many people have had this position and
where have they gone? |
| |
|
| • |
What is the average stay in this position? |
| • |
Outside my department, who else will I work
with? |
| • |
How much evening or weekend work is expected? |
| • |
How high a priority is this department within
the organization? |
| |
|
| • |
What are the prospects for advancement beyond
this level? |
| • |
How does one advance in the organization? |
| • |
How often are performance reviews given? |
| • |
How often do the training programs begin? |
| • |
About how many individuals go through your
training program each year? |
| |
|
| • |
How does your company's tuition reimbursement
program work? |
| • |
What new product lines/services have been announced
recently? |
| • |
What is the average age of top management? |
| • |
Will you describe ______________ to me? (The
personality of a ranking officer often reveals a lot about
the company philosophy). |
| • |
Could you tell me about public transportation
to your company? |
| |
|
| • |
How many people are you interviewing for this
position? |
| • |
What are the things you like least/most about
working here? |
| • |
If I am extended an offer of employment, how
soon after this would you like me to start? |
| • |
What can I tell you about my qualifications? |
| • |
When can I expect to hear from you? |
QUESTIONS YOU MAY BE ASKED IN THE INTERVIEW
The best questions to ask are those which begin
with who, what, when, where, why, or how. Please attend to those
"lead" words as you ask and answer questions in the
interview.
QUESTIONS
ABOUT YOURSELF
| 1 |
Tell me about yourself. |
| 2 |
What do you consider to be one
of your weaknesses (strengths)? |
| 3 |
What can you do that someone
else can't do? |
| 4 |
What qualifications do you have
that indicate you will be successful in your field? How would
they relate to our position? What do you have to offer? |
| 5 |
What are your own special abilities?
|
| 6 |
What new skills or capabilities
have you developed over the past year? |
| 7 |
What have you done which shows
initiative and willingness to work? |
| 8 |
What are your greatest work and
non-work accomplishments during the past two years? |
| 9 |
Describe three things that are
most important to you in a job. |
| 10 |
What motivates you? |
| 11 |
What have you been doing since
your graduation from college Since you left your last job?
|
| 12 |
How would a co-worker, or friend,
or boss describe you? |
| 13 |
What are your interests outside
of work, school? |
| 14 |
What qualities do you admire
most in others? |
| 15 |
How would
you describe your own work style? |
QUESTIONS
ABOUT YOUR CAREER GOALS OR PLANS
| 1 |
What would you like to being doing
five (ten) years from now? |
| 2 |
What type of position are you
interested in? |
| 3 |
What are your salary requirements--short
term/long term? |
| 4 |
What is success? What personal
characteristics will contribute to your success? |
| 5 |
How will employment with us contribute
to your career plans? |
| 6 |
What do you expect from a job?
|
| 7 |
What are your career objectives
- short and long range? |
| 8 |
This job is a total change from
previous employment. How does it fit your career goals? |
| 9 |
What are your location preferences?
|
QUESTIONS ABOUT
SCHOOL EDUCATION
| 1 |
How does your education relate
to this position (or how does your education prepare you for
this position)? |
| 2 |
What activities did you engage
in at school? |
| 3 |
What classes did you like most
in school? Least? Why? |
| 4 |
Why did you decide to go to _______________
school? |
| 5 |
Why did you choose your major?
|
| 6 |
Describe your academic strengths
and weaknesses. |
| 7 |
What are your plans for continuing
your education? |
| 8 |
What career related skills do
you possess as a result of your academic preparation? |
| 9 |
What have you read recently in
your field? |
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE
QUESTIONS
| 1 |
What have you learned from your
past jobs? |
| 2 |
How often, and in what way, did
you communicate with your subordinates and superiors? |
| 3 |
What were the biggest pressures
on your last job? |
| 4 |
How did your job description
for your last job change while you held it? |
| 5 |
What specific skills acquired
or used in previous jobs relate to this position? |
| 6 |
How does your previous experience
relate to this position? |
| 7 |
Why did you leave your last job?
|
| 8 |
What did you like most/least
about your last job? |
| 9 |
Whom may we contact for references?
|
QUESTIONS SPECIFIC
TO THE COMPANY/JOB
| 1 |
Why should we hire you? |
| 2 |
Why do you want to work here?
|
| 3 |
What do you know about this organization?
|
| 4 |
What salary do you expect? |
| 5 |
Why do you think you would like
this type of position? Company? |
| 6 |
What kind of boss do you like
to work for? |
| 7 |
How long do you intend to stay
here? |
| 8 |
What do you think determines
a person's progress in an organization? |
| 9 |
What interests you about our
product or service? How would you improve it? |
| 10 |
What do you think would be your
greatest contribution to our operation? |
| 11 |
How do you solve problems? |
| 12 |
When can you start to work? |
| 13 |
Can you travel overnight? |
PROBLEM QUESTIONS
| 1 |
"Tell
me about yourself." This question is asked to
find out about your job skills. Answer it by describing your
best qualifications for the job. Be specific and use examples
to support your claim. |
| 2 |
"What
is your major weakness?" Never
be negative. Rather, turn any negative issue or weakness into
a positive statement or strength. Examples: |
| |
| • |
"I'm often too
careful about my work. Sometimes I work late to get
my job done right." |
| • |
"I tend to ask
questions about what I am told to do so I can be sure
I will do it right." |
|
| 3 |
"How
much do you expect to be paid?"
Never state a flat dollar amount unless you know what the
job pays. Try a neutral statement: "I would expect to
be paid what other persons in this job are paid" or state
a range that you know would encompass any offer, but which
goes a bit higher than you would find acceptable. Or answer
with a question: "How much does the job pay?" "How
much is a new employee usually paid?" If you have experience:
"How much do you usually pay someone with my experience?"
Emphasize your skills, and ask the employer what he or she
feels your skills are worth. |
| 4 |
"Why
do you want to work for this company?"
The employer expects you to show knowledge of and interest
in the company. You can do this with an answer that indicates
that you have researched the company before the interview.
Example: "I've talked with some of your employees and
they feel that this is a good company to work for because..."
"I have been reading that your company is really growing
fast. I want to work for your company because the future looks
promising." |
| 5 |
"Why
did you leave your last job?"
The employer is trying to find out if you had any problems
on your last job. |
| |
| • |
Never say anything negative about yourself
or your previous employer. If you did have problems
think of a way to explain without being negative. |
| • |
Don't use the word fired. Use words
such as "laid off" or "position was cut".
|
| • |
If you were fired and are not on good
terms with your previous employer, maybe you should
explain. Try to show that you learned something from
the situation. |
| • |
Tell the employer that the former problem
(if it is personal) will not affect your work. |
| • |
Common reasons for leaving: general
layoff, job was temporary, moved to a new area, company
went out of business, no room for advancement, wanted
a job that would better use your skills. |
|
| 6 |
"What
are your future plans?" Interviewer
may want to know if you are ambitious, plan ahead, or set
goals for yourself. The interviewer may also want to know
what kind of expectations you have of the company. Examples:
"I hope to become very good at my job and perhaps take
some schooling to become better. I understand the company
will pay the cost of schooling if it is relevant."
|
RESOURCES AT OCPP
The interview is often a tense situation. The better
prepared you are the better you will perform. In addition to this
handout we provide:
| 1 |
Mock interview, in which you
can be interviewed and videotaped by an OCPP counselor, then
critiqued. (Make appointments with the receptionist). |
| 2 |
On-Grounds Interview Demonstration
videotapes. |
| 3 |
Face to Face videotape series
featuring live interviews for the following career fields:
consumer marketing, retailing, computer science, commercial
banking, and teaching. |
| 4 |
Books on interviewing/job search
skills. The best books on the interview are Sweaty Palms by
H. Anthony Medley and Hot Tips, Sneaky Tricks, and Last Ditch
Tactics by Jeff Speck. |
