A Brief Guide to Interviewing

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A Brief Guide to Interviewing

• Myrna Rudder
• Allen Rioux

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No matter how qualified you are on paper, you
still need to sell yourself to the people who
have the authority to hire you.
Selling Yourself
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Preparation
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Why Prepare?

• preparation builds confidence
• improves the likelihood of success
• reduces the possibility of surprises
• enables you to handle curveballs
• gives you the competitive edge

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An Interviewing Fact

• Approximately 75 of the interview is based upon
• your appearance
• how well you present yourself
• Appearance also involves
• Attitude
• Image
• Verbal and non-verbal communication

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Dress Conservatively

• Neat and Conservative is best
• Do not wear heavy perfume or aftershave lotion
• For women, do not wear too much jewelry, limit
  yourself to
• a single necklace or chain
• a ring
• small button type earrings
• For both, no piercings

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Dress Conservatively

• You should wear something that avoids directing
  the focus away from you and onto your clothes.
• You should wear something that makes the
  interviewer think professional and competent.

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Different Clothing Types/Styles

• Professional Dress
• Interview outfit
• Daily clothing for professional office setting
• Business Casual Dress
• Dress down Fridays or casual office environment
• Career Fair
• Casual Dress
• Company picnic
• Traveling for work

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Womens Professional
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Womens Business Casual
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Mens Professional
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Mens Business Casual
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Grooming Counts

• An expensive suit will not compensate for dirty
  fingernails, messy hair, and wrinkled clothes
• Good grooming indicates attention to detail and
  respect for others

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Double Check!

• Be certain of the date, time, place, name of the
  organization and the interviewers name.
• Never be late!
• Be a few minutes early
• Remember to make time for unforeseen
  circumstances such as traffic jams, difficulty
  with finding a parking place
• Turn off your cell phone!

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Research the Company

• Know at least the following
• How old the company is
• What its products or services are
• Where its plants, offices or stores are located
• What its growth has been
• How its prospects look for the future

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Review Your Resume - Again

• Be prepared to answer questions about your
• Education
• Work Experience
• Activities/Interests
• Major
• Grades
• Goals
• Be sure that what is on your resume is current
  and accurate and always be prepared to fill out
  an application upon arrival.
• Know your references! Have them ready.

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Preparation Tips

• Prepare your answers for typical questions
• Write down your success stories
• Select your references
• Learn about the organization and its people
• Prepare the questions you will ask the
  interviewer about the job and the company
• Select your clothing and have them dry-cleaned or
  laundered if necessary

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How to Craft a Success Story

• Think of a situation (work or school).
• Explain when or where this situation took place.
• Explain the situation? What obstacles, challenges
  or problems called for your action?
• State the action you took?
• Share the results or outcomes? Quantify those
  results how many, how large, what percent?
• Convey the transferable skills you used or
  learned that you can bring to the job.

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Practice Makes Perfect

• Practice interviewing with a friend
• Schedule a Mock Interview with the Career
  Management Center, if this service is available
• Practice in front of a mirror or a video camera

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The Interview
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The Greeting

• Greet the interviewer by name as you enter the
  office.
• if you are unsure of the pronunciation, ask!
• ask for a business card
• Take your cues from the interviewer.
• Be sure to shake the interviewers hand firmly.

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During the Interview

• Be frank and truthful in your answers avoid
  being negative
• Be enthusiastic about what you have done and what
  you can do
• THINK POSITIVE!
• Project attentiveness
• LISTEN, MAINTAIN EYE CONTACT
• Ask for clarification if you do not understand
  any question
• Be careful not to criticize former employers,
  professors, or anyone/anything for that matter!

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During the Interview

• Relate past experiences to the skills you will
  need for the job
• Give specific examples
• If asked about salary requirements avoid
  mentioning one specific amount
• For co-op positions, refer the interviewer to
  Susan
• When pressed for an answer
• The fair market value would be a good answer
• You can refer the recruiter to the co-op office

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Recruiters Are Looking For

• Ability to communicate can you organize your
  thoughts and ideas effectively when writing or
  speaking? Can you present your ideas in a
  positive way.
• Self-confidence Can you demonstrate a sense of
  maturity and direction that enables you to deal
  positively and effectively with situations and
  people?
• Willingness to accept responsibility are you
  someone who recognizes what needs to be done? Are
  you willing to get it done? Are you willing to do
  more than what is required of you?
• Flexibility Are you capable of change and
  receptive to new ideas and situations?

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Recruiters Are Looking For

• Ability to handle conflict Can you successfully
  contend with stress situations and antagonisms?
• Competitiveness Do you have the capacity to
  compete with others and a willingness to be
  measured by your performance in relation to that
  competition?
• Goal achievement Can you identify, work toward
  and obtain specific goals? Can you look ahead,
  anticipate the future and make long-range plans?
• Level of Initiative Can you identify purposeful
  work and take action? Do you always wait to be
  told what to do?

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Recruiters Are Looking For

• Possession of technical skills or ability to
  achieve them Do you possess the skills
  necessary for the particular job or do you have
  the ability to learn them
• Direction Do you know where you want to be in
  two or three years? Do you know enough about your
  field to know the different opportunities
  available and what type of position will satisfy
  your knowledge and goals?
• Level of energy Are you ambitious? Do you
  possess drive? Can you take charge of a
  situation? Would you be willing to put in extra
  time and time to accomplish a specific task

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Recruiters Are Looking For

• Interpersonal skills Can you get along with
  people who are different from you in any respect?
  Can you work with them toward a common goal in a
  professional manner?
• Leadership Do you have the ability to gain
  peoples respect and confidence? Can you organize
  and direct a group of people? Can you delegate
  responsibilities?
• Knowledge of the company Are you familiar with
  the companys products and services potential
  growth areas?

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Recruiters May Ask

• What are your future career plans?
• What do you see yourself doing 5 or 10 years from
  now?
• In what school activities have you participated?
  Which did you enjoy most?
• In what type of position are you most interested?
• What are the reasons for which you might like to
  work for our company?
• What courses did you like best? Least?
• What kind of boss do you prefer?

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Recruiters May Ask

• What were the reasons for your choice in college
  major?
• What interests you about our product or service?
• Do you feel you have done the best scholastic
  work of which you are capable?
• What are your major strengths? Weaknesses?
• How would a professor, colleague or previous
  supervisor describe you?
• What would be the benefit to us of your joining
  our organization?

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Ten Rules for Interviewing

• Keep your answers brief and concise
• 2. Include concrete, quantifiable data
• 3. Repeat your key strengths three times
• 4. Prepare five or more success stories
• 5. Put yourself on their team
• 6. Image is often as important as content
• 7. Ask questions
• 8. Maintain a conversational flow
• 9. Research the company, product lines and
  competitors
• 10. Keep an interview journal

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Questions You May Ask

• What would be a typical assignment/day?
• What type of training/orientation would I have?
• What might I expect in terms of job progression?
• How does this particular department fit into the
  entire structure of the organization?
• Do you have any recent graduates (or co-op
  students) from UT or Engineering working at your
  company?
• How long have you been with the company? What are
  the positive factors? Negative?

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Closing

• Be alert to signs from the interviewer that the
  session is closing.
• Thank the interviewer at the close of the
  interview.
• Ask what the next step will be.

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Follow-up

• Send a well-written thank-you letter within 24
  hours.
• An emailed thank-you is okay but also send a
  formal one.
• Include a reiteration of the job as you
  understand it, points you may have forgotten to
  mention, and a response to any concerns
  expressed.
• Restate that you want the job and describe how
  you will follow up.
• Keep in contact with the interviewer.
• Remember to be courteous, respectful and
  professional.
• The recruiter may recommend you for something
  else if you do not land the current position.
• Keep in contact with the co-op office

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In Summary

• Prepare
• Practice
• Project
• professionalism
• maturity
• confidence
• Any Questions?