Tips for a positive interviewing experience!

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Tips for a positive interviewing experience!
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In the beginning. . . The Job Search

• Read the duties, skills, and abilities required
  for the job.
• Assess what you have to offer to each
  position/organization
• Become familiar with the organization so you can
  demonstrate how and why you will be an effective
  employee.
• Ask the agency or company to send you material
  (brochure, job description, newsletter, etc.)
• INTERNET
• Be realistic! Know your qualifications and
  limitations. Wanting a job does not necessarily
  mean youre qualified for it.

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The Purpose of a job interview

• Meet the employer
• See the organization
• Sell yourself
• Learn about position

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At the start

• Enter the room
• Shake hands
• Dont sit until told to do so
• Give copies of your resume
• General opening question
• Tell me a little about yourself

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Interview Dos

• Dress appropriately for the industry. When in
  doubt ASK
• Personal grooming and cleanliness should be
  impeccable.
• Keep cologne or perfume to a minimum.
• Pay particular attention to hands and
  fingernails.
• Do they interfere with job tasks
• Arrive 10-15 minutes early.
• Know the exact time and location of your
  interview
• know how long it takes to get there, park, and
  find a restroom to freshen up.

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Interview Dos Cont.

• Treat other people you encounter with courtesy
  and respect.
• Their opinions of you might be solicited during
  the hiring process.
• Secretaries are VERY important
• Offer a firm handshake, make eye contact, and
  have a friendly expression when you are greeted
  by the interviewer.
• Listen to be sure you understand your
  interviewers name and the correct pronunciation.
  
• Even when your interviewer gives you a first and
  last name, address your interviewer by Mr. Or Ms.
  and the last name
• Unless they insist otherwise

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Interview Dos Cont.

• Maintain good eye contact throughout the
  interview.
• Sit still in your seat avoid fidgeting and
  slouching.
• Respond to questions and back up your statements
  about yourself with specific examples whenever
  possible.
• Ask for clarification if you dont understand a
  question and be thorough in your responses while
  being concise in your wording.
• Use good grammar and good diction. Say yes,
  not yeah. Dont fill pauses with um, uh or
  ah. Dont punctuate sentences with you know,
  like, see or okay.

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Interview Dos Cont.

• Treat the interview seriously and show interest
  in the employer and the opportunity presented
• Watch the tone of your voice.
• Answer the question and use professional
  experiences or descriptive information to
  demonstrate how you would react or respond to a
  situation.
• Make sure answers have a definite flow.
• Evaluate the interviewer and the organization.
• ASK questions about the job/organization
• Make sure you understand the employers next step
  in the hiring process know when and from whom
  you should expect to hear next.

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Dress

• Women
• Suit (skirt or pants) dark colors
• Makeup minimum look like you usually do
• Jewelry Nothing too large or noisy
• Shoes no sneakers or sandals
• Men
• Suit (jacket, tie, slacks) - dark colors
• Jewelry nothing large or noisy
• Shoes dress

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Softly Toot Your Own Horn!

• Exhibit quiet confidence.
• Organize your thoughts and apply your knowledge,
  skills and abilities.
• Think globally! Relate outside experiences to
  demonstrate your qualifications.

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Interview Donts

• Dont give the impression you are only interested
  in salary.
• Dont act as though you would take any job or are
  desperate for employment.
• Dont chew gum or smell like smoke.
• Dont take cell phone calls during an interview.
  If you carry a cell phone, turn it off during the
  interview.

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Interview Donts

• Dont give the impression you are only interested
  in money.
• Dont act as though you would take any job or are
  desperate for employment.
• Dont chew gum or smell like smoke.
• Dont take cell phone calls during an interview.
  If you carry a cell phone, turn it off during the
  interview.

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Answering Questions?

• Your points must be CLEAR, RELEVANT AND ADEQUATE
• to enable the interviewer to understand what you
  are trying to say
• to determine your strengths for that particular
  job
• to have sufficient information to make a good
  decision.
• The interviewer needs to determine
• if you can do the job,
• if you will do the job,
• if you fit in.

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Be Prepared for Behavior-based Questions!

• Describe a time when you were faced with problems
  or stresses at work that tested your coping
  skills. (What did you do?)
• Give an example of a time when you had to be
  relatively quick in coming to a decision.
• Give me an example of an important goal you had
  to set and tell me about your progress in
  reaching that goal.

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Be Prepared for Behavior-based Questions!

• Give me an example of a problem you faced on the
  job, and tell me how you solved it.
• Tell me about a situation in the past year in
  which you had to deal with a very upset customer
  or co-worker.
• What are some of your strengths weaknesses

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Other possible questions

• Tell me a little about yourself? (opening)
• In what way do you believe you can attribute to
  the organization?
• How would your teachers describe you? (definitely
  at your current age)
• How do you feel you respond to authority?
• Why should I hire you? (ending)

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Your keys to RESPONDING well to questions are

• Be specific, not general or vague!
• Dont describe how you would behave. Describe
  how you DID behave. (if possible)
• If you later decided you should have behaved
  differently, explain this.
• The interviewer will see that you learned
  something from experience.

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Your Rights

• Accommodations - Time to request - Interpreter,
  large print, accessible location for interview
• Illegal Interview Questions
• What is your race?
• Are you married?
• How old are you (underage exception)
• What is your religion?
• Financial questions (other than desired pay)
• Questions about disability
• How to answer I dont feel comfortable
  answering that

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What to do after the interview?

• Courteously thank the interviewer(s) for the
  opportunity.
• Extend a handshake and exhibit enthusiasm about
  the career opportunity.
• Consider following up with a thank you note or
  e-mail of appreciation