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5

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What are some of the goals ofa job interview?

to get a job

to figure out if a position is right for you

to provide potential employers with a stronger

sense of why they should hire you, your skills,how you stand out

to provide further articulation and illustration of

the skills listed and experiences provided in

your resume

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Some Goals of a Job Interview

Employer evaluates candidate skills applicable to the job

competence to do the job

potential to contribute to the team/organization

ability to mesh with teams/organizations mission,philosophy, and environment

Candidate evaluates employer match between interests and job tasks/work

degree of responsibility and challenge

potential for growth and further education

ability to mesh with teams/organizations mission,

philosophy, and environment

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How can you best prepare fora job interview?

dress appropriately depends upon

business; dress for the job you want; better

to overdress

back up documents; e.g., writing samples,copy of resume, transcripts, other docs,

references; letters of recommendation (dossier

or portfolio)

research the company google the company,talk to people about what they know, BBB,

Chamber of Commerce

make sure you know how to get there

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Four Keys to Success

understanding what to expect

preparing and researching

anticipating questions

following up

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Understanding What to Expect

conversational

behavioral

case or situational

stress situation

Types of Interviews

all four of these interview types can beone-on-one or might be a panelconversation

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typically a question-and-answer discussion

usually a relatively short interview (e.g., 1 hour)

interviewers main goals are to:

assess whether or not the job-seeker has the skills

and abilities to perform the job

evaluate whether or not the job-seeker possessesthe enthusiasm and work ethic that the employer

expects

analyze whether or not the job-seeker is a team

player and will fit into the organization

Types of Interviews: Conversational (Traditional)

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primarily used by management and consulting firms todetermine how well a candidate fits in a field or job

typically interviewee is provided a problem or a scenario

and asked to work through it

interviewers main goals are to:

analyze how well interviewee can identify and work

through a problem

assess problem-solving skills

evaluate tolerance for ambiguity and ability to starton tasks

analyze communication skills

Types of Interviews: Case or Situational

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Preparing and Researching

research the field

research the employer

research the job, team, and context

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explore different branches

review trade journals/magazines

assess various career paths

know the major players be familiar with current trends

goals are to:

be informed about who you are professionally (and

what professional community you are entering)

be able to talk widely and wisely about trends,

techniques, and tasks performed by professionals

within different facets of your field

Preparing and ResearchingResearch the Field

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review annual reports

read the organizations mission statement and philosophydocuments

research the organization history

familiarize yourself with the organizational scheme

look for recent performance markers or success indicators

goals are to:

familiarize yourself with what the organization does

familiarize yourself with what workers in the organization do,

write, produce, create, etc. assess how the particular job for which youre interviewing fits

into the bigger organizational picture

get a sense of the key players in and key outcomes of theorganization

develop a strong sense of what they might seek in anemployee

Preparing and ResearchingResearch the Employer

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Before the Interview

sleep

eat

choose your clothes the night before

prepare the materials you want to bring withyouideally, this is done long before theinterview

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What types of materials would youwant to bring to a job interview?

Letter of Introduction

Resume

Work Samples

References

Letter of Recommendations

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Getting Introduced

prepare and practice a two-minute

introduction: I am I am interested in

prepare to

demonstrate knowledge about the

employer

express enthusiasm and interest

relate your background to the companys

needs

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Anticipating Questions

Tell me about yourself.

Hint: Theyre not asking for your life

story, and its not a trick question

interviewer is looking for:

a brief statement of your professional status

and career objective

some detail about your progression to this

point

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A Heuristic for Answering Questions

identify the skill sought by the question so thatyou can best focus your answer

give a STAR answer: Situationwhat was the context?

Taskwhat was the specific problem orneed?

Actionwhat did you do? (produce, write,create, etc.)

Results/resolutionwhat did you learn?what skills did you develop?

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At the End of the Interview

review what youve heard and state why youre

interested in the position

consider asking:

is there anything else I can providespecific

references or example materials?

whats the next step in the process? when is

your decision date?

how can I contact you to check my status?

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send a thank you email or letter after being interviewed

tailor the letter to the organization and to the interview

itself

individualize a letter slightly if youre sending it to more

than one person in the organization

send it within 2448 hours of the interview

goals:

shows youre courteous differentiates you from other candidates and keeps

your name in front of the potential employer

proves that youre interested in the job

After the Interview

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10 Interview Bloopers

1. poor handshake (limp hand, tips of fingers,arm pump)

2. talking too much (talking too long, but notanswering direct questions; nervous talking)

3. talking negatively about current or pastteams, coworkers, employers/managers

4. showing up late or way too early

5. treating the receptionist rudely

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6. asking about benefits, vacation time, or salaryin an initial interview

7. not preparing for the interview

8. verbal ticks (uhmmmm, like, you know)

9. not enough/too much eye contact

10.failure to match communication styles (e.g.,too informal, too businesslike)

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be yourself (not who you think they want you to be)

be ready to talk about why you want the job (and think

about how they might respond to your answer) ask ahead of time the format of the interview (e.g.,

panel/one-on one? expected to perform a task?)

ask about the function of your job in the largerorganization

ask about how the specific position you are interviewingfor fits in the larger unit/team/department andwithin thelarger organization.company

be prepared to actually do/perform/write a task during theinterview process (e.g., writing documentation, marking

up a document for editing) ask the interview what their favorite aspect of the job is

(and, perhaps, what their least favorite is)

find out how writing is perceived and how peoplenegotiate textual ownership issues

HINTS:

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carefully consider who you ask which questions

take notes with you (with your ideas, goals, questions); takenotes during the interview

learning opportunities and experiences not, neverproblems

ask if the organization has a policy toward funding/supportingemployee professional development opportunities (e.g., STCmembership and conferences, further education)

stay focused (even if its a long interview); take notes to help stayfocused

get comfortable with pauses and strategies for giving yourself abit of time to prepare an answer

stay upbeat! (there will be painful momentslearn from them andmove on)

dont get flustered (if you can at all avoid itand practicing really,really helps)

recognize the gatekeepers! (e.g., initial phone interview withseemingly unrelated person)

draw upon good sources of info: Business Library resources(e.g., looking up companies, looking up company news,requesting annual reports); www.net-temps.com (info section onlatest resume advice/ideas/formats, info on job positions and

requirements)

http://www.net-temps.com/http://www.net-temps.com/http://www.net-temps.com/http://www.net-temps.com/

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THE COVER LETTER(contd) REMEMBER:

A proactive cover letter requesting an interview will bemore effective if you promise to follow-up the letter with aphone call, and do.

Be natural and conversational. Dont make the cover

letter sound like its been copied from a book. Let it show

knowledge, enthusiasm, and focus.