Interview: Preparing for the Interview

SUMMARY:

The job interview can actually be the most intimidating part of the job search process. To overcome this intimidation the best thing you can do is practice. Below is a video that breaks down some top interview questions, how to answer them, and what employers are actually looking for in your response.

VIDEOS:

MOCK INTERVIEW [8:33]

Mock Job Interview Questions and Tips for a Successful Interview Links to an external site.

PRACTICE:

Role Play- The best way to practice for a job interview is to role play with a friend, career counselor, etc. Have someone ask you the hard interview questions and take time to formulate your answers. While you never want to sound too rehearsed it is important to have answers prepared so you can avoid a lot of "I don't knows", "umms" or awkward silences during an interview.

Use the File: Interview Grading Template.docx Download Interview Grading Template.docx to Practice your Interview skills.

Interview: Questions

INSTRUCTIONS:

Research HOW to answer the following interview questions and/or use the file Interview Question QA Tips.docx Download Interview Question QA Tips.docx. Write your answers to the following questions in complete sentences as if you were being given the interview for a potential job. Use academically appropriate language. You SHOULD Incorporate the tips and researched information you obtained.

1. Which position are you applying for?
2. Tell me about yourself?
3. What is one of your strengths?
4. What is one of your weaknesses?
5. How will your specific experience and qualifications help you do this job?
6. Why did you leave your last job?
7. What is the most important thing you learned from your last job?
8. What did you like the most about your last job?
9. What did you like the least about your last job?
10. What have you done that show initiative?
11. What can you tell me about our company?
12. Why do you want to work for this company?
13. Why should we hire you for this position?
14. Do you have any questions for me? You SHOULD ask 2 questions.

All Answers should address the question AND contain the following
- How or why it is pertinent to the specific position being applied for
- What specifically is being done to fix the problem or deficiency
- Specific example(s) of past experience/skills/knowledge/tasks

Interview: Professional Dress/Etiquette

SUMMARY:

DRESSING FOR THE INTERVIEW:

What you wear to your next job interview might be more important than you think. Why? "Whether you like it or not, your appearance is the first thing people notice about you–and first impressions are usually formed within the first 30 seconds," says Brenda Ferguson Hodges, a California-based image consultant and career coach. “Appearance affects hiring decisions and plays a major role. Hiring managers need to be able to visualize you in that position they are trying to fill.”

Check our this slideshow for tips on what and what not to wear on an interview.

Interview Professional Dress DOs and DONTs.pdf Download Interview Professional Dress DOs and DONTs.pdf

ETIQUETTE:

Author Angela Rose, provides her top five tips for job interview etiquette.
Interview Etiquette - The Little Things that Mean A Lot (Hcareers.com)

Many of the components of proper interview etiquette seem like mere “little things” on the surface. However, they are little things that add up to a favorable impression with the human resource professional or hiring manager conducting the interview. A lack of attention to etiquette can have an equally detrimental effect on your employment chances.

- Be punctual. Even better, arrive early.
  - This doesn’t mean arrive an hour early, unless you want to be viewed as creepy. It means planning ahead, anticipating traffic and road construction delays. It may even mean making a trial run of your route a few days before the interview to scope out the parking situation. Your interviewer’s time is valuable. Arrive late and you’re literally costing the company money – not a great incentive to hiring you.
- Turn your cell phone off. That’s ALL the way off.
  - A cell phone ringing, beeping or even vibrating away during your interview does not make you appear important or “in demand.” It just makes you appear self-important and rude. Turn your cell phone off as you enter the building to ensure you don’t forget.
- In all seriousness, don’t be too serious.
  - While you should not treat the interviewer like your BFF (that’s “Best Friend Forever” for those of you who are not a teenage girl), or crack inappropriate jokes, do not hesitate to crack a smile. In fact, crack several. Be happy and you’ll immediately increase your employment chances. Happy people are productive people, and productive people are the people companies want to hire.
- Be prepared. It’s not just the Boy Scout motto.
  - Yes, you already sent in your resume. That’s why they called you for an interview. Regardless, it’s a good idea to come prepared with a printed copy or two in hand. You can refer to one if the interviewer has specific questions. You’ll have a spare in case the interviewer has misplaced the one you sent (or perhaps did not even receive it from Human Resources).
- Say “Thank you” - at least twice.
  - At the conclusion of the interview, deliver a firm handshake and a hearty “thank you.” Then, send a handwritten thank you note as soon as possible. Many candidates will send theirs by email. Send yours by good old-fashioned snail mail instead and you’ll stand out. You can even keep a few thank you notes in your briefcase, pre-written and addressed to the people with whom you are scheduled to interview. Just pop it in the mail when the interview is over.

Pay attention to the little things and interviewers will notice, and appreciate, the respect you are showing for their time and the potential job. This alone may move you up to the top of the candidate list. You’ll also make your mother proud.

Etiquette is not just for the job interview but also starts the moment you begin your job search. Reviewing the content posted on your social media profiles, deleting your ring back tone and adding a professional answering message, and listing a professional email address on your resume (no more sexykitten@gmail or zombie567@hotmail) will also go a long way to aiding your job search.