Interviewing for Success

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Interviewing for Success

• Instructions
• The following is a Microsoft PowerPoint
  presentation. It is not required that you have
  this program installed on your computer.
• To navigate from screen to screen, click your
  mouse OR use the scroll bar of your browser. If
  you need to reverse, right-click your mouse and
  select the Reverse option OR use the scroll bar
  of your browser.

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Workshop Outline

• A Few Words About Interviewing
• What Employers Are Seeking
• Preparation
• The Interview Process
• After the Interview
• Tips for Successful Interviewing
• Final Comments

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A Few Words About Interviewing

• Being invited to interview is a significant
  accomplishment.
• And.. the competition becomes more fierce.
• It is not always the most qualified person who
  gets the job. It is often someone who
• meets the minimum qualifications
• interviews the best
• appears to be the best fit with future
  co-workers

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Key Skills and Qualities
Top Qualities/Skills Employers Seek

• Communication skills (verbal written)
• Honesty/Integrity
• Interpersonal skills
• Strong work ethic
• Teamwork skills
• Organizational skills

• Analytical Skills
• Motivation/Initiative
• Flexibility/Adaptability
• Computer skills
• Detail oriented
• Leadership skills
• Self-confidence

Highlight these qualities/skills in answers and
examples
(Source Job Outlook 2007, National Association
of Colleges and Employers)
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Preparation

• Research
• Assess yourself
• Research the employer and the position
• Planning
• Take care of logistics
• Prepare your professional attire
• Practice

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Assessing Yourself

• Identify your skills and abilities
• Analyze your strengths and weaknesses.
• When discussing weaknesses say what you are doing
  to work on it
• Stick to work relevant weaknesses rather than
  personal
• Be ready to give specific examples

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Research employer and position

• Company
• Mission/Values
• Products and services
• Organizational structure including locations and
  size
• Major competitors
• Financials revenue profit etc.

• Position
• Overall responsibilities
• Specific tasks
• Required skills and experience

Be prepared to say why you want to work there and
why you are the best candidate for the job.
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Logistics

• Do you know where you are going?
• Where is the building and the office?
• Where should you park. Is parking free?
• Do you know how long it will take?
• Assume the worst case scenario and plan to be
  early
• In the vicinity 45 minutes in advance
• In the office 10 minutes in advance
• Do a dry run of the trip.

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What to Wear

• Men
• Dark suit
• Appropriate sock (e.g. not white athletic socks
• Polished dress shoes

• Women
• Conservative loose fitting suit
• No low cut blouses or tops
• Pantyhose
• Closed toe dress shoes

• Both
• No gum chewing
• Minimal jewelry
• Minimal cologne/perfume
• Cover tattoos and remove any piercing other than
  earlobes

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Practice Practice Practice

• Review possible questions and formulate answers.
  
• Have examples ready
• Do not totally memorize answers
• Develop a list of questions to ask your
  interviewer/s
• Practice with a friend or set up a Mock Interview
  with Career Services
• Check out the Career Services website for sample
  question to practice and to ask employers
• http//www.albany.edu/cdc/jobsearch/interviewing/i
  nterviewing.htm

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The Interview Process

• Introductions
• A smile and firm handshake are important.
• Greet the interviewer/s by name.
• Exchange of small talk, such as the weather
• Questioning
• Wrap-up

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The Interview Process

• Introductions
• Questioning
• Interviewer lead
• The main part of the interview
• Questions about your skills, experience and
  personality
• You take the lead
• You are interviewing the company as well
• Be prepared with questions
• Wrap-up

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The Interview Process

• Introductions
• Questioning
• Wrap-up
• Ask about the next step and when you will hear
  from them
• Ask for the job or the next round of interviews
• Let them know you are interested and look forward
  to whatever the next step is.

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Sample questions About yourself

• Tell me about yourself.
• Tell them more than what is on your resume
• I consider myself a hard worker who takes my job
  seriously, however I realize its not always
  necessary to be serious. When working with
  others in team situations, I am able to infuse
  humor while keeping others motivated and on task.
  Im a creative problem-solver with excellent
  technical, organizational, and interpersonal
  skills. On a personal note, I coach little league
  baseball in my free time.
• What are your major strengths?
• Based on the employer and position
• I feel I have many strengths that could benefit
  this organization, primarily my analytical,
  leadership, interpersonal, and technical skills.

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Sample questions About yourself

• What is a weakness that you have?
• Be ready to admit to one
• Show how you are working to improve in this area.
• I have been told that I am too much of a
  perfectionist. I can keep going over and over
  something since I want it to be perfect. Because
  of this, I always set deadlines for myself, and I
  adhere to them. Im the type of person who will
  work through lunch or stay late to give a project
  the extra time my perfectionism demands.
• What was an important decision or event in your
  life?
• Dont get TOO personal.
• Add how the decision or event changed you, made
  you stronger, taught you an important life
  lesson, etc.
• Some students like to share how they picked the
  University at Albany or their major.

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Behavioral questions

• Require that you answer with specific examples
  from the past
• Prepare examples in advance
• Prepare examples that show you in a good light
• If the example is negative state what you
  learned or changed due to the experience
• Examples Tell me about a time when.
• you had to work with a difficult employee
• you were not as effective as you would have
  liked
• where you showed leadership

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Organizational Questions

• Shows that you did your research
• Examples
• Why do you want to work for us?
• Why are you interested in this field?
• What would be your greatest contribution to our
  operation?
• What qualifications do you have that would make
  you successful with us?
• Mention you would like to work for a medium-sized
  firm, that you enjoy travel, that the skills you
  learned in college and through previous work
  experiences match with what this
  position/employer requires. Remain honest and
  positive-focused in your answers.

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Questions you can ask employers

• Focus on job responsibilities and organizational
  culture and structure
• Avoid discussing benefits and salary unless the
  employer mentions them first
• Examples
• What kinds of people do you usually look for?
• Can you tell me about your own experience with
  the company/organization?
• What have you liked most/least about working for
  this company?
• How will I be trained/evaluated?
• What do you see ahead for this organization in
  the next ten years?

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Handling Salary issues

• If they ask for your salary requirements
• Research the position so you know a reasonable
  salary range
• State a salary range rather than a number
• What if they dont mention it
• It is best to wait for an offer before you
  discuss salary
• It is OK to ask for more
• Make sure your request is reasonable
• Be prepared to discuss why you should be offered
  more
• They may say no - you can then accept the job at
  the lower salary.

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Handling illegal questions

• What are illegal questions?
• Age
• Marital status
• Citizenship
• Answer the intent or the question not the actual
  question.
• Ask what their concern is.

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After the Interview

• Evaluate the interview what do you want to
  improve?
• Write a thank-you letter or e-mail within two
  days.
• If interviewed by a committee, send one thank you
  to the Chair, and ask that he/she extend your
  thanks to the others.
• Follow up if you do not hear
• Ask where they are in their selection process and
  if they need any more information
• Accept an offer verbally and in writing.
• If rejected, ask for constructive feedback and
  work on weak areas.

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Interviewing tips

• Attitude and appearance
• Be early
• Be friendly and courteous
• Show enthusiasm and interest
• Maintain appropriate eye contact
• Be aware of your body language
• Show your sense of humor
• Show confidence in your abilities
• Dont present an aggressive, overbearing, or
  conceited attitude. Be willing to begin at
  entry level.

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Interviewing tips

• Answering questions
• Never speak negatively about former employers
• Listen carefully and take your time to answer
• Speak clearly and concisely
• Emphasize your strengths
• Discuss your weaknesses only when asked, and
  then do so in a positive light
• Avoid personal issues in your answers/examples
• Never use slang or incorrect grammar

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More Resources for Interviewing

• Schedule a Mock Interview with Career Services
• Schedule an appointment to discuss interview
  skills
• Stop by for Drop-Ins to get your resume critiques
  before an interview or to ask a quick question.
• Mon, Wed, Fri 1000 am 1200 noon
• Tues, Thurs 100 pm 300 pm
• There is more information and resources at the
  Career Services website

www.albany.edu/cdc/jobsearch/interviewing/intervie
wing.htm