Instructions

1
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 for a position is a
  significant accomplishment. Now, however, the
  competition becomes even more fierce.
• Remember that it is not always the most
  qualified person who gets the job it is often
  the person who at least meets the minimum
  qualifications who also interviews the best --
  someone who appears to be the best fit with
  future co-workers, has a good personality, shows
  a sense of humor, etc.
• Try to incorporate the qualities/skills listed
  on the next slide into your interview answers
  and examples.

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• Top 10 Qualities/Skills Employers Seek
• Communication skills (verbal written)
• Honesty/Integrity
• Interpersonal skills (relates well to others)
• Strong work ethic
• Teamwork skills (works well with others)
• Analytical skills
• Motivation/initiative
• Flexibility/adaptability
• Computer skills
• Detail oriented

(Source Job Outlook 2005, National Association
of Colleges and Employers)
5

• Preparation
• Assess yourself
• Research the employer
• Know about the position
• Prepare appropriate dress
• Practice

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• Assessing Yourself
• Identify your skills, interests, and abilities.
• Be ready to give specific examples.
• Analyze your strengths and weaknesses. Be
  ready to share this information. Try to show
  how your weakness can also be a strength, or
  what you are doing to work on it.
• Know your goals, short- and long-term.

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• Researching the Employer
• Be aware of the employers mission and what the
  organization does products or services.
• What divisions do they have?
• Who are their competitors?
• What is their size in terms of sales and
  employees?
• Do they have locations other than your
  community?
• Be ready to articulate WHY you want to work for
  them based on your research.

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• Researching the Position
• What are the overall responsibilities of the
  job?
• Try to obtain a job description.
• Be prepared to match your qualifications to the
  job description.
• Know how the position fits with your career
  goals.

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• What to Wear/How to Dress
• Men Well fitting suit, preferably black or
  dark navy with fashionable tie polished shoes,
  appropriate socks.
• Women Tailored suit, preferably dark with
  coordinated blouse hosiery appropriate
  shoes. A skirt suit is the most conservative,
  and safest, dress. Pant suits are fine for some
  employers, but not all.
• Both No smoking or chewing gum, avoid
  fragrances limit jewelry to simple items
  avoid out- of-the-ordinary hairdos present a
  neat, well put-together appearance.

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• Practice, Practice, Practice
• Review possible questions and formulate
  answers. Have examples ready to back up your
  answers. Do not totally memorize answers.
• Develop a list of questions to ask your
  interviewer/s.
• Practice with a friend or do a mock interview
  with a career counselor.
• Remember that being prepared is the key to a
  successful interview.

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• Handling Salary Issues
• Avoid making salary the primary concern sell
  your skills, abilities, and experience first.
• In general, discuss salary only after an offer
  is made.
• Know beforehand the approximate amount an
  employer is likely to pay.
• When asked, give a range beginning with
  the employers probable salary and ending a bit
  above what you can settle for know your bottom
  line.

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• The Interview Process
• Introductions
• Questioning
• Selling
• Wrap-up

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• The Introduction Phase
• A smile and firm handshake are important. Make
  sure your right hand is ready for the handshake
  (i.e., be careful not to hold your coat or
  portfolio with that arm).
• Greet the interviewer/s by name.
• Exchange of small talk, such as the weather,
  is typical to help set the candidate at ease.
• A sizing-up process begins.
• The interviewer takes the lead.

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• The Questioning Phase
• The employer will maintain the lead.
• Questions asked are meant to evaluate your
  skills, abilities, qualifications, past
  experiences, etc.
• They are seeking your potential contribution,
  therefore, give complete, concise answers and
  keep to the point give examples to support
  your answers.
• Be positive and energetic.

15

• The Questioning Phase
• Sample Questions About Yourself
• Tell me about yourself.
  Your
  answer to this first, common question is
  critical. 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 inmy free time.
• What are your major strengths?
  Be honest in
  answering this, but also think about what they
  would like to hear 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 (Cont.)
  
  
• What is a weakness that you have?
  Again, be honest, yet show how it
  can flip to a strength, or how you are working to
  improve in this area. Everyone has weaknesses,
  so be ready to admit to one. 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? Some students like to
  share how they picked the University at Albany or
  their major. Depending on your personal
  experiences, you might want to share something
  else. Remember not to get TOO personal.
  Whatever you answer, you might want to add how
  the decision or event changed you, made you
  stronger, taught you an important life lesson,
  etc. Stay upbeat and positive.

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• Sample Questions About Career Goals or Plans
• Where do you hope to be in five (ten) years?
  They are hoping that
  you will dedicate several years to their employer
  to make it worth hiring you. I hope to be in a
  position where I can continue to learn and grow,
  develop new skills, take on new responsibilities,
  and move up the leadership ladder. If this
  organization were to afford me these
  opportunities, I would remain with employer
  name.
• What does success mean to you?
  Any answer that includes
  more than the word money is on the right track.
  I define success as personal career
  satisfaction and life balance. I need to enjoy
  my work environment and co-workers, as well as
  have a rewarding personal life.
• What are necessary characteristics for success?
  Again, answer truthfully, and also think
  about what they would like to hear. I believe
  integrity, teamwork, initiative, flexibility,
  being friendly and polite, and having a sense of
  humor are key for success.

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• Sample Questions About Education
• How does your education relate to our needs?
  Match your major/courses
  to specific job requirements. As a sociology
  major, I developed extensive internet research
  skills and the requisite Excel/Access skills this
  position requires through a computer class.
• What was your least favorite course in school?
  Why? Whatever you do, do not tell them you did
  not like a certain class because you, did not
  learn anything. Always put a positive slant on
  your answer in some way. I disliked my ___
  course since my learning style was different from
  the instructors teaching style. Im a person
  who rises to a challenge, so I did my best to do
  well in the course through creating a study team
  and.
• What is your G.P.A.?
  State your
  GPA and focus on the positive. My overall GPA
  is a 2.83. My GPA in my major is a 3.46. I
  brought a copy of my transcript with me. It
  shows that my grades steadily improved my
  sophomore to senior year.

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• Sample Questions About the Organization or Job
• 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?
• What are the disadvantages of this field?

Try to demonstrate that you have done your
research when you answer any of these questions.
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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• Sample Questions About Previous Experience
• What has annoyed you about people that you have
  worked with in the past?Again, think about
  what they might like to hear. No need to go into
  one specific incident. Try to keep it general.
  I dont like it when co-workers TOTALLY slack
  off when the boss is out for the day. I like
  co-workers who take initiative and act
  professional even when the boss is out.
• Do you work well under pressure? Give me
  examples. Try to give work examples. If you
  dont have any, give some related to school,
  preferably team projects.
• How do you handle criticism? I care a
  great deal about my work performance. I expect
  to receive constructive criticism so I may
  improve myself and advance in the organization.
• What kind of boss do you prefer? Include
  several characteristics in your answer.

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• The Selling Phase
• Candidate takes the lead - you have about one
  minute to capture interviewers/s attention.
• Relate past experiences and training.
• Express interest - why you would like the work
  this position entails.
• Say what you can offer the employer.
• Ask intelligent questions that show you have
  researched the employer, not ones that you
  could have easily found answers to on the
  organizations web site. Have at least eight
  questions ready.

22

• The Selling Phase
• Sample Questions To Ask An Employer
• 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 ___?
• How will I be trained/evaluated?
• What do you see ahead for this organization in
  the next ten years?

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• The Wrap-Up
• Ask for the job and seek a commitment.
• Determine when you should hear from the
  employer.
• End on a positive, friendly note.
• Avoid prolonging the interview. Obtain
  business cards from your interviewers, thank them
  for the information they shared and their time,
  and leave.

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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, it is ok
  to send one thank you to the Chair, and ask that
  he/she extend your thanks to the others.
• Accept an offer verbally and in writing.
• If rejected, ask for constructive feedback
  and work on weak areas.

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• Tips for Successful Interviews
• Be on time, even a little early.
• Be friendly and courteous. Attitude is key.
• Show enthusiasm and interest.
• Be positive throughout and never speak
  negatively about former employers.
• Maintain appropriate eye contact.
• Be aware of your body language (i.e., dont
  play with a pen or shake your foot through the
  interview).
• Listen carefully to the interviewer and answer
  accordingly.

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• Tips for Interviewing (Cont.)
• Emphasize your strengths.
• Discuss your weaknesses only when asked, and
  then do so in a positive light.
• Speak clearly and concisely.
• Think about your answers in advance and
  organize your thoughts.
• Be prepared to give specific examples.
• Show your sense of humor.
• Know pertinent facts about the employer.
• Avoid personal issues in your answers/examples.
• Show confidence in your abilities.

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• Tips for Interviewing (Cont.)
• Know, and be ready to share, what you can
  contribute to the position/employer.
• State how your training and work experiences
  relate to the job.
• State your long-term and short-term career
  goals in realistic terms.
• Avoid over-emphasizing money concerns.
• Never use slang or incorrect grammar.
• Dont present an aggressive, overbearing, or
  conceited attitude. Be willing to begin at
  entry level.
• Relax and be yourself.

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• Final Comments
• This slide show only touched on some basic
  aspects of interviewing. There is much more
  information available via the CDC web site
  on specifics such as
• Phone/screening interviews
• Second interviews
• Lunch/dinner interviews
• Behavioral interviews
• Informational interviews

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• Final Comments (cont.)
• Visit the CDC, ULB 69, during Drop In Hours
  for answers to quick questions
• MWF 10 a.m. - 12 noon
• TTh 1 - 3 p.m.
• More interviewing information/tips are
  available in the CDC resource library and on
  our website under Job Hunting Assistance
  www.albany.edu/cdc