Interview Tips

JOB SEARCH

Finding the right career takes a lot of hard work. Once you’ve found the career field that is compatible with your present educational background and your future educational plans, your prior work experience and your personality traits, then you’re ready to begin the job search and interview process.

Before you go knocking on doors or answering help wanted ads, make sure you have the following items available upon request:

Copies of your current Resume
List of References (excluding family members)
Letters of Recomendation
Copies of Certificates, Awards

DO’S IN JOB INTERVIEWING:

1. Gather background information on the company.
2. Be early, calm and organized.
3. Bring any items with you to the interview that further illustrate your
qualifications for the position.
4. Have several copies of your resume.
5. Dress professionally. A suit for women is also preferable.
6. Wear simple jewelry. Only clear nail polish for women.
7. Use a firm handshake. Maintain eye contact.
8. Smile. Exude enthusiasm.
9. Act confident and you will be confident.
10. Be alert and prepared for key questions.
11. Demonstrate genuine interest in both the people you meet and the position.
12. Speak clearly and explain clearly what you mean.
13. Use variety in the tone of your voice.
14. LISTEN! Never cut off the interviewer. Think before you answer.
15. Restate questions to make them clear.
16. Interject information you have about the company into your answers.
17. Be prepared with a list of questions to ask the interviewer.
18. Use nonverbal communication and good body posture to express yourself.
19. SELL YOURSELF! Let them know that you want the position. Ask them, “What is the next step?”
20. Send a follow-up letter (thank you) immediately after the interview, preferably hand written on good stationary.

DON’T EVER:

1. Discuss salary or benefits at a first interview.
2. Chew gum or smoke.

QUESTIONS TO ASK A PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYER

1. What do you consider to be your organization’s three most important assets?
2. How did you happen to join this organization?
3. Can you tell me a little about your own experience with the organization?
4. What do you foresee for your organization in the next year / five years / ten years?
5. Can you tell me about the organizational structure in this department?
6. What kind of people do you usually look for to fill key positions?
7. What have you done to find someone for this position?
8. What do you see in the future for this position and potention for advancement?
9. How soon do you plan to fill this position?
10. How do you feel your organization is serving the community?
11. Why is this position open, has there been much turnover?

SELL YOURSELF

No one knows you better than you. But rarely do you take the time to assess your strengths. When you are searching for a new job, it’s the ideal time to focus on what makes you the most qualified choice. An objective self-evaluation will enable you to prepare a distinctive presentation that will highlight your greatest assets.

Start by asking yourself:

Am I a self-starter?
Am I a team player?
Am I assertive?
Am I ambitious?
Do I take directions well, listen and communicate well?
Do I prefer others to take the lead?
Where do I fit in the scheme of things?

Next, make a list of:

Your strengths and skills
Strongest area of knowledge
Personality attributes
Your success stories

Study this list carefully. When you meet with the hiring official, you want to be able to effectively communicate these assets. It also will help you feel more at ease when describing the experience you bring and the contribution you can make to the organizations. This attribute list is the foundation that will help you build a powerful resume.

SEND A FOLLOW-UP LETTER IMMEDIATELY

After your interview, follow up immediately with a letter to the interviewer(s). Whether you’ve been offered the position or are still under consideration, this serves to strengthen your position in terms of professionalism.

The letter should convey thanks for the opportunity to interview, plus emphasize your enthusiasm for the position and the company. Include any thoughts about the position’s responsibilities and what contributions you can make that may or may not have been discussed during the interview.

JOB INTERVIEW REVIEW

You improve with practice
You have learned a lot of interview skills. Nobody remembers all the tips. You will get a chance to practice ... to help you remember more ... to feel confident!

Use your best posture
Sit up straight in the chair, lean slightly forward. Always look the person in the face when talking or listening!

Use your best speaking voice
Talk clearly and in a normal tone / voice
Don’t go too fast. Don’t interrupt.

Dress for success
Dress nicely for the interview. You will stand out this way. It is better to over- dress than under-dress. Organize your clothes at least a day before the interview.
Check for missing buttons, loose hems.

Relax and be friendly
Smile. This is not the end of your life! Relax, talk about things you might have in common. Like your travel, your hobbies, where you grew up. Look for go
Signs to help the employer relax. Be friendly to everyone you meet, including the
Secretary or receptionist.

Prepare yourself
Look over your answers to interview questions the night before. Get your resumes, letters of reference, and application information out.

Give detailed, positive answers...use examples...paint word pictures
Have you ever done this kind of work before?

End the interview like a pro
Shake hands and thank them by name
Say that you want the job
Repeat your interests and abilities
Set a date for a call back to find out

NOTE: If you don’t get the job, ask them for a lead...they might know someone else. Write thank-you letters after each interview

THE MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Companies are becoming lean, and the market place is more competitive. Due to those two facts, interviewers want results-oriented people. People who can make a difference and can impact their bottom line. The interviewer is now more apt to look into your background and ask detail questions about your previous experience. These in-depth questions are designed to help locate results-oriented people. Your goal is to answer these questions specifically and in detail, using examples. You must relate your accomplishments and show how they benefit and impact the company. The purpose of this newsletter is to give examples of questions you will be asked, and how to answer those questions.

Tell me about yourself?

Often you will encounter this question during the start of the interview. It is one of the few general questions you will be asked. Your goal in answering this question is to stay fairly general, concise, and chronological. Practice responding and limit it to 1 to 2 minutes. You do not want to describe yourself so narrowly you disqualify yourself from certain job opportunities. Make your answer a broad overview of your background, but do not ramble. Start with education; quickly discuss why you chose a specific college and degree. Next, describe the jobs and positions you held. Focus mostly on the last part. The average interview is between 30 to 45 minutes. You want to leave plenty of time to answering more important questions.

What are your faults? What is your weakness? What would your boss say is your weakness?

Some people feel they must be overly truthful in answering this question. We always encourage honesty, however have this question and response well thought out before an interview. The interviewer is looking for reasons to eliminate you with this question. Do not give the interviewer an excuse to reject you. Remember, part of the interviewer's job is to weed through people and discard those they decide are unacceptable. This is the only question that a canned answer is acceptable. Such as, "I am a perfectionist," "I volunteer for too many overtime hours," etc.

Remember, you are expected to have a fault. However, the fault must be one you can turn around into a positive attribute. Turn it around before you complete this response. You may not have the opportunity later and regret the negative impression.

Why are you leaving your current position?

You want to come across to the interviewer as a quality, competent individual that is looking to make a career change. You want to express that you benefited from your time with your former employer, but you are ready to look toward the challenges of a new corporate career. You do not want to turn this question into a negative bashing of your last job or boss. Both you and your former employer should look good. Remember in an interview not to make a negative comment about anything. If you find yourself slipping into negatives, turn the conversation to a positive note immediately. Many interviewers feel if you were unhappy at you last job, you will be unhappy again.

What did you gain in your last job?

This question, like the one above, must be a positive statement of your career experience. One reason the interviewer is talking to you is due to your background. It is your job to explain how the training and work experience you encountered will benefit the hiring company. Points to bring up should include: leadership training, motivation of staff, and a hard work ethic, to name a few.

How do you handle deadlines?

Your answer will show the degree to which your time management skills are developed, and your ability to accomplish tasks and get results. An appropriate answer would show how you ranked work according to importance. How you set up a plan to accomplish the project, and then show that you did meet the deadline. Bring up that the deadline would not have been met without your involvement. Also discuss how you brought the team together to get the job done.

What is your location preference?

Remain open on this question. Ask the interviewer, "Where would you like me to go?" If pushed to give a regional preference after you said you were open, remain flexible and enthusiastic. Do not balk if they throw a city at you that you are not interested in residing. This question is asked to test your flexibility in a brief period of time. Once you have received an offer you can properly weigh it against your preferences.

What are your salary requirements?

When answering this question you don't want to say something too high and get eliminated and you don't want to say something too low and get a substandard offer. Do your best to avoid a straightforward answer. Initially the interviewer is only testing your interviewing etiquette. If you are further pressured for a response, go on to say, "I am interested in coming to work for your company, and I will consider your best possible offer based upon my experience." Remember, until you win the interview, the issue of salary is a moot point. You may then be asked if you have a salary range you would consider accepting. Make sure you have determined an acceptable salary range before the interview, by doing your homework and knowing what this company is willing to pay for a person at this level. Salaries are a sensitive issue with companies due to the prevailing economy. It is unfortunate, but we have seen excellent candidates thrown out because they did not follow our instructions and quoted a figure out of the range. This is not a time for negotiating. Handle the money issue, and heavy negotiation after the offer.

Will you take a drug test?

The only answer to the question is yes, a very positive yes. Often the willingness to take a drug test will be proof alone that you are drug free and an actual test may or may not be given. Employers want people who are drug free and can work without the negative and harmful effects of drugs. Other tests that may be brought up are physicals and current events testing. Read daily the newspaper, business magazines, etc. to keep abreast of the latest events to be prepared for the current event tests.

Stress Questions

Most interviewers try to make the interview as comfortable as possible. However, sometimes the interviewer may use stress question tactics to see how determined, and capable you are when dealing with stressful situations. The first type of stress questions employ silence.

Silence can be used to see if there is more information to be found than what you are revealing. After you answer a question, the interviewer may sit in silence. The urge is for you to feel the need to elaborate more, as if you left out something. Do not assume you have made a mistake or said something the interviewer does not like. The interviewer probably wants to see how you handle the situation. Remember, the flow of the interview is the responsibility of the interviewer. You are there for answers. Perhaps you can turn silence into an insightful question on your part.

A drill of quick hard-hitting questions is another stress interview tactic. By pressuring you for answers, the interviewer is wanting to see how well you handle the situation and if you begin to give poor answers. If this happens to you, slow the interview down by carefully listening to the question, pausing, and then give a well-structured answer. Do not let pressure create mistakes.

The third type of stress question is where the interviewer tests your determination. An interviewer will tell you how well you would fit into another job the have available. This is a tactic that is used to show any flaw in your ability to focus on an objective and complete that objective. An interviewer feels if he can tempt you away from the job for which you are interviewing, you must lack determination in your personality. This is not a label you want pinned on your file. Be resolved and determined that the job you are interviewing for is the job you want. You may thank the interviewer for bringing up the opportunity, but express your determination to pursue this job opportunity.

Remember the interviewer is very talented with his tactics. You will be convinced that there is a legitimate opportunity he is offering. Do not waver or you will be eliminated.

Another tactic the interviewer will use is the brick wall approach. He will tell you something about the position that is negative. It may be high overtime, difficult job duties, extensive travel, or a long wait to be promoted with no guarantees. He asks you how you feel about this situation. Your response should be, "I have no problem with that, I will do whatever needs to be done (site an example from your past) and I remain 100% committed to your company. Do not fall into the trap and stop at the wall instead of walking around it. Show flexibility since this is why he is skiing this question. It is very difficult for a company to measure commitment in 30 minutes. This approach is used to measure those qualities in a short amount of time.

THE HUTTON GROUP

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