Getting the job you want

1
The Interview

• Getting the job you want

2
These things actually happened

• A woman brought her large dog to the interview
• A man interrupted the interview to phone his
  therapist for advice on how to answer one of the
  questions
• A man pulled out a camera and took a picture of
  the interviewer. Said he collected photos of
  everyone who interviewed him

3
Objectives

• Impress upon you the importance of preparation
  and practice
• Give you some important information and suggest
  some strategies to give you an edge
• Identify resources for you to use

4
Resume
100 Resumes
Resume
When you reach the interview stage of your job
search, you are one step away from a job offer.
Resume
sume
Resum
Resume

Maybe 5 people interviewed
People usually underestimate how much preparation
and practice it takes to have a really great
interview.
The Job Offer
5
They are interested in 2 things

• v Can and will you do the job (do you have the
  required experience and competencies)
• v Will you fit in

6
The key principle

• As soon as they are convinced that you can do the
  job, the degree to which the interviewer feels
  comfortable with you is probably the single most
  important determinant of your acceptability as a
  candidate.

7
Six ways to make people like you

• Become genuinely interested
• Smile
• Remember that a persons name is to that person
  the sweetest and most important sound in any
  language
• Be a good listener encourage others to talk
  about themselves
• Talk in terms of the other persons interests
• Make the other person feel importantdo it
  sincerely

8
There may be more than one round of interviews.
The first interview could be a phone interview
intended to narrow the field of candidates.
9
Research

• The industry
• The company
• The job
• Inventory your own talents, skills, and
  accomplishments

10
Sources of information for the industry and
company

• On-line data bases through our library website
• The organizations own literature and website

11
Know the job

• a specific skill necessary to do a job

Whats a competency?
12
Examples of competencies

• Initiative
• Customer Service
• Impact and Influence
• Integrity
• Communication
• Analytical Thinking

13
The ten most standard competencies (macro
skills) used by organizations

1. Achievement/Results Orientation
2. Initiative
3. Impact and Influence
4. Customer Service Orientation
5. Interpersonal Understanding
6. Organizational Awareness
7. Analytical Thinking
8. Conceptual Thinking
9. Information Seeking
10. Integrity

14
Determine the competencies

• Carefully review the job description
• Read other companies job descriptions for the
  same position
• Google position name competencies
• (project manager competencies)
• www.google.com

15
Interview people who are already doing this job

• How did they get into this work?
• What do they like best?
• What do they like least?
• What are the key tasks/responsibilities?
• What are the key skills (competencies) needed to
  be successful?
• What were their interviews like?
• Can they recommend someone else with whom you
  could speak?

16
Think out of the box

• Not just jobs
• Class projects
• Co-curricular leadership roles
• Volunteer experiences
• Personal life experiences

17
Competency Worksheet

• Competency
• Customer Service
• Initiative
• Communication
• Problem Solving

• Proof
• On this side, you should come up with as many
  examples and situations where you demonstrated
  each of the competencies you have determined are
  essential to doing the job well

18
Develop your talking points

• What theyre looking for
• ? 3 years management/supervisory
• experience
• ? Experience working in non-profit organizations
• ? Proven ability to fund raise
• ? Involvement with the Austin community

• What you bring
• ?
• ?
• ?
• ?
• ?
• ?

19
Questions ???

• The most important ones are
• the ones you ask them.

www.glassdoor.com www.youtube.com ltcareer change
job interview questionsgt
20
Why is a manhole cover round?
21
Behavioral questions the cornerstone of
competency based interviewing

• These are questions designed to draw out how you
  are likely to respond to situations once you are
  on the job, i.e. do you have the requisite
  competency
• Tell me about a time when What would you
  do if

22
Successful Behavioral Answer STAR

• S/T- Situation and/or Task (paint a
  picture for the interviewer)
• A- Action (what did you actually do)
• R- Result (what was the outcome
• of your actions)
• ? Tell me about a time when you demonstrated
  superior customer service skills?
• ? Can you give me an example of your problem
  solving skills?

23
Heres an example

• Interviewer Can you tell me about a time when
  you exhibited superior customer service skills?
• You I can remember a time when I was working in
  a restaurant and when I came to work, I realized
  that our heater had gone out during the night. I
  called the repair people and provided all of the
  customers free hot drinks until we had the
  repairs made. I received a letter of
  commendation from the owner of the restaurant.
  He mentioned that some of the customers had told
  him what action I had taken.

24
Possible topics

• Teamwork
• Strengths
• Weaknesses
• Career Goals
• Salary
• Stress
• Anger
• Leadership
• Ethics
• Project Management
• Creativity
• Specific skills

25

• Develop your success stories focusing on what
  theyre looking for

26
Your goal
to try to take charge of the
interview If you are being interviewed by an
individual who is well trained in competency
based interviewing, you may not be able to do
this. In that event, just focus on answering
the questions
27
Ask open ended questions

• On what basis will you be making your decision?
• Could you talk a little bit about what it will
  take to be successful in this position?
• What are the key responsibilities of this
  position?
• Whats the most important things I can do in the
  first 90 days?
• What do you enjoy most about working here?

28
Asking questions does 3 things

• Demonstrates your interest
• Helps create a bond with the interviewer
• Dissipates your anxiety you feel more in
  control

29
A suggestion

• Tack your first question on to the end of your
  first answer.

30
The first question

• Tell me about yourself?
• Remember
• They dont want your life story.
• Prepare a tight, well-rehearsed two minute
  commercial about why you are the right person for
  the job.
• Your response to this first question will set the
  tone for the entire interview.
• Finish your response with a question for them

http//www.youtube.com/watch?v2318JxxN-tIfeature
related
http//www.youtube.com/watch?v-ezFNrWMTlcfeatu
rerelated


31
Developing your 90 second-two minute pitch

• What is the most important thing you want them to
  know about you?
• What is the second most important thing I want
  them to know about me?
• What are the key selling points/accomplishments
  that prove the first two statements?
• What separates you from the competition?
• What are some other selling points?
• What objections might they have and how are you
  going to overcome them?

32
Try this

• Them Tell me about yourself
• You Answer and pause at the end and ask, From
  your experience, what are the two or three most
  important things youre looking for in the ideal
  candidate
• Them Someone with A, B, and C
• You Interesting. Those are all areas I regard
  as strengths. Could I take a minute or two and
  tell you about myself in regard to those things?

33
A Portfolio ?

• A kind of show and tell about the things youve
  done relevant to the position certificates,
  samples of your writing, brochures you developed,
  formal letters of commendation, notes thanking
  you for something you did, etc
• Done in a quality manner
• Use it during the interview and/or leave it
  behind when you leave
• Reduces your nervousness

34
Possible portfolio items

• List of patents
• Writing samples
• List of publications
• Hierarchical charts
• Training certificates
• MS Project spreadsheets
• Letters of recommendation
• Detailed project descriptions
• Performance appraisal excerpts
• Examples of best work performed
• Graphs or charts documenting success
• Awards and certificates of achievement
• Commendations by customers or direct reports

35
Some questions NOT to ask

• Now what is it that your company does?
• What are your psychiatric benefits?
• What do you consider as excessive absences?

36
The salary question
37
Not good negotiating ploys (actually used)

• Ive been trying to earn six figures all my
  life.
• I need to pay for my childs private schooling.
• My wife is now earning more than me.

38
Do your homework (Rule 1)

• Know what is fair and reasonable for someone with
  your background, experience, and education.
• Know what your minimum is, i.e. whats the least
• youll accept.
• www.salary.com
• www.payscale.com

39
Know your own value (Rule 2)

• Be sure you can articulate why they should pay
  you more
• Can you provide quantified reasons why youre
  worth more than they are offering?

40
Postpone the discussion (Rule 3)

• Postpone any discussion of salary until you
  have an offer. If they ask you What kind of
  salary are you looking for?, stall them
• Salary is important to me, but not the most
  important thing. If we both think that this job
  is a good fit , Im sure salary wont be an
  issue. Could we talk a little more about my
  qualifications and then come back to the salary
  question?

41
If they press you

• Smile, and say something like
• I would like to know a little bit more about
  the position and the responsibilities in order to
  give you an honest answer. May I ask you how you
  would define success for this position?

42
If they still insist

• Simply say,
• Im only looking for something that is
  competitive for someone with my background and
  experience. Have you established a range for
  this position?
• Of course they have, and they will probably
  tell you what it is

43
And then

• If the amount is in your range, take the top of
  their range and make it the bottom of your range
  and say, Thats very close to what I was looking
  for. I was looking for something in the
  40-45,000 dollar range. OR
• If the amount is in your range, look them in the
  eye and repeat the top of the range and then shut
  up. Dont say a word. Silence is one of the
  most powerful negotiating tactics.

44
Another one of their tricks

• Sometimes the interviewer will ask you what
  your current salary is. Say something like
• Im currently making in the mid thirties, but
  Im really looking for something that is more
  challenging with more responsibilities. Thats
  what attracted me to this position. I feel that
  Im more than ready for a job like this and know
  I can make a difference. Have you established a
  range for this position?

45
Or

• My past position is very different from this
  one in so many ways. It would be like apples to
  oranges. Im attracted to this position because
  it has so many more challenges and
  responsibilities. Have you established a range
  for this position?

46
If you are still far apart, try to change the job
description and identify new responsibilities
that would justify a higher salary.
47
Other possible compensation

• Relocation expenses
• Tuition reimbursement
• Additional vacation or personal time
• Bonuses
• Memberships
• Severance package
• Insurance

48
Remember

• Keep all of these discussions cordial-- not
  adversarial
• They want you at this stage, they dont want
  their second choice or have to re-open the search
• Bulls win
• Bears win
• Pigs lose

49
Heres something to try

• If you are convinced that they really cant
  go any higher on the starting salary and you
  really want the job, say something like
• I really want this position and I know that
  you will be more than satisfied with my
  performance. The only thing that causes me any
  hesitation in accepting is that I was looking for
  slightly more in a starting salary. Could we
  agree on a set of goals to be accomplished in the
  first six months, and if they are reached, my
  salary would be raised to XXXXX?

50
Tips

• In the end,
• What you want should be reasonable and based on
  your research
• Try to fill the gap between their offer and the
  number you want
• Talk about differences in terms of monthly salary
• Think about compensation in broader terms than
  just starting salary

51
Resources

• www.quintcareers.com/salary_negotiation_tutorial.h
  tml
• www.careergames.com
• Interviewing and Salary Negotiation by Kate
  Wendleton
• How To Make a 1000 a Minute by Jack Chapman
• http//www.youtube.com/results?search_querysalary
  
• negotiationssearch_type

52
The most important question to ask

• Do I have the job?

53
Not quite that bluntly, though

• Say something like
• Ill be looking forward to your decision, and,
  hopefully seeing you again OR
• I would love to be part of your team. When
  should I hear from you? OR
• Im excited about the possibility of working for
  you, and I know I can make a difference. Are you
  at a point yet where you could offer me the job?

54
The Assessment Center Interview

• The Center is a process, not a place
• Its a type of interview that really tries to see
  how you would actually perform in typical
  situations that would come up in the role for
  which you are applying
• Much more stressful hard to prepare for
• Panel of experts evaluating your performance
• Increasingly being used for positions such as
  Department Head, Manager, or Director rarely, if
  ever, used for entry level positions
• Youll know in advance that this is the type of
  interview that will be used

55
Heres what a day might look like

• 900am-915am Orientation
• 915am-1015am In-box exercise
• 1015am-1115am Presentation questions and
  answer
• 1115am-1130am Break
• 1130am-1215pm Psychological testing
• 1215pm-130pm Lunch with group
• 130pm-145pm Given scenario description
• 145pm-230pm Role playing situation
  other participants know their
  role
• 230PM-330PM Questions and answers with
  panel
• 330pm Wrap-up
• 400pm THE END

56
So what do you do?

• First, dont be applying for jobs that you have
  no business applying for
• Be sure youve done your research on the
  organization and the position
• Apply some of the principles we covered today,
  especially during the question and answer portion
  of your interview
• Always be asking yourself what are they looking
  for?
• Do a google search using ltassessment center
  interviewsgt
• The Perfect Interview by John Drake, pp154-156

57
Three things that will kill you

• A limp handshake
• No eye contact
• Arriving late

58
Check this fact out
The last person interviewed gets the job 58 of
the time The first person,
14 of the time
59
Other important things to know

• The more you get the interviewer talking, the
  greater your chances of getting the job
• Non-smokers get the offer 94 of the time
• First impressions are critical. The first 20
  seconds cant get you the job, but it can get you
  eliminated from further consideration

60
More tips

• You need a confident walk, a firm handshake, eye
  contact, and a smile
• Be personable, enthusiastic, and friendly
• Try to mirror the interviewer
• Speed read the individual www.personalitytype.c
  om
• Be nice to the secretary and all other staff you
  meet
• Dress neatly and in conservative business attire
  arrive 5-10 minutes ahead of time
• Be sure you know how to get there, parking
  conditions, location of the office, etc

61
Other tips

• Avoid one word answers.
• Anticipate reasons why they might feel that
  youre not the exact person they want be
  prepared to tell them something that overcomes
  their reservations.
• What about illegal questions?
• Have questions to ask them-go to google.com and
  use ltinterviewee questionsgt as the keyword.

62
One more tip

• Be sure to write a thank you note. You not only
  want to thank them for the interview, but also
  want to restate the case for why youre the right
  person. You have the additional knowledge you
  gained through the interview. Put it to work.

63
Last tip

• Practice
• Practice
• Practice
• Practice
• Practice
• Practice
• Practice

64
Resources

• Competency Based Interviews by Robin Kessler
• Interviewing and Salary Negotiations by Kate
  Wendleton
• Knock Em Dead by Martin Yate
• 101 Dynamite Questions to Ask at Your Job
  Interview by Richard Fein
• Hiring The Best by Martin Yate
• The Perfect Interview by John Drake
• www.job-interview.net/
• www.careergames.com
• www.vault.com
• http//ahrma.jobing.com/

65

So, why is a manhole cover round?

• So it wont fall in.