Interviewing Skills

Keys to a Successful Interview

An interview is an opportunity for an employer and the candidate to get to know one another and assess each other. As the candidate, your goal is to elaborate on your resume and to obtain firsthand information about the organization and the job. The employer will evaluate your personality, attitudes and aptitudes in relation to the job and the culture of the organization. The interview is your opportunity to evaluate a prospective employer as well as the prospective employer's opportunity to evaluate you.

Research

The first step in preparing for an interview is to learn as much as you can about the company- read the employer's literature, annual report, news releases and check out their web site Knowledge of the organization's "culture" will allow you to address the qualities you have that are a good match with the company's style. Answers that demonstrate you know something about the organization will convince an employer that you're taking them seriously. Your research will also help you decide how seriously you want to work for them!

Know your resume well! If asked a question about a specific responsibility, be ready to elaborate on it and give examples. Determine why you are uniquely qualified to work for this organization and why this organization is right for you. You might ask yourself these two questions: 1) Why should this employer hire me? 2) Why do I want to work for this employer?

Practice Interviewing

This is the most important activity to help ensure your success. Preparing ahead of time for the interview will help you to be poised, focused and confident. Interviewing is a skill that you can learn and practice. You can practice in front of the mirror or with someone who knows you well. Below are some steps that will assist in preparing for your interview.

• Obtain a complete job description.
• Find out where the interview will be, obtain good directions and confirm the time.
• Call each of your references and let them know which company and position you are interviewing for.
• Pay attention to your language, grammar, diction, tone of voice and eye contact.
• Be aware of nervous habits such as fiddling with a pen or paper clip.
• Maintain good posture.
• Be aware of your gestures and your facial expressions.
• Dress appropriately.
• Anticipate Questions and formulate responses.
• Remember to think, to gather your thoughts before you answer a question.

Interviewing Tips

• Assess yourself- know what your strengths and weaknesses are, accomplishments and achievements in previous positions, academic preparation, key decisions you have made, what are your values, short and long term goals, likes/dislikes, interests.
• Be yourself and learn to relax. If you are too nervous you will not be able to concentrate and answer the questions correctly.
• Request a business card from each interviewer.
• Take extra copies of your resume to the interview.
• Dress conservatively. A business suit is always appropriate. Make sure your shoes are shined and don't wear too much make-up. Your personal hygiene should be impeccable.
• Answer questions thoughtfully. Give examples of what you are trying to convey, don't just make empty claims.
• Show up at least 15 minutes early for the interview.
• Turn off your cell phone before you meet the interviewer.
• Use the S.T.A.R method: Briefly describe the Situation, state the Task, explain the Action you took and tell them the Result.
• Prepare your 30 second "elevator speech" to answer "Tell me about yourself"
• Take notes after your interview.
• Do a mock interview- or practice interviewing by videotaping yourself as the interviewee and someone else as the interviewer. (You will learn a lot from this experience.)

Sample Interview Questions

• Tell me about yourself?
• What are your strengths and weaknesses?
• What did you like to do best at your last job and what did you like to do least?
• Why should I hire you?
• Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
• How do you spend your spare time?
• What qualities do you seek in a manager?
• Why do you want this position?
• Why do you want to work for this organization?
• What accomplishment are you most proud of?
• Why did you leave your last job?
• Describe your most rewarding experience?
• What unique contribution can you make to our organization?
• Describe your ideal job?
• Are you willing to travel?
• How do you determine or evaluate success?

Illegal Questions

Several federal laws protect job applicants from having to answer questions that may be used to discriminate against them. You should not answer any of these following questions:

• Are you married?
• With whom do you live with?
• If married, are you expecting to have children now?
• What does your spouse do?
• How old are you?
• How tall are you?
• How much do you weigh?
• If you have children, what kind of day care arrangements have you made?
• Are you physically handicapped?

Questions you might ask

• What are the principal responsibilities for this position?
• Are there opportunities for me to grow in this job?
• What is the hierarchy to this organization?
• Describe what my duties might be?
• Why is this position open?
• What kind of resources will I have?
• What is the work schedule?
• Who are the other people I would be working with?

Interview Follow-up

• Follow-up each interview with a thank you note.
• The letter should be brief: no more than 3 paragraphs on one page. The thank you letter should be in business format.
• The first paragraph should have the title of the position for which you interviewed, the name of the organization and the date of the interview. Thank the employer for the opportunity to interview and indicate that you remain interested in the position.
• You should tell the employer what you discovered about the organization and/or make an important point about your background and /or skills that was not mentioned during the interviews. Reiterate the highlights of your interview that appear to be directly related to the employers needs.
• In the third and final paragraph, thank the employer again for interviewing you and express interest in the position and enthusiasm for the potential opportunity to work with this employer. Mention that you are interested in meeting again and/or hearing from the employer soon.

Resources

Web Sites

• The CareerJournal - Articles about interviewing and answers to your questions.
• True Career- Interviewing - a great resource for preparing for your interview
• Successful Interviewing - An outline of the interviewing process highlighting the goals, preparation and stages of the interview.
• Informational Interviews - Florida State University provides a detailed outline on how to prepare and conduct an informational interview.
• Quintessential Careers - This tutorial will assist you with the informational interviewing process. It has sample questions about what to ask, and helps you to identify people to interview.

Books

• 60 Seconds & You're Hired, by Robin Ryan
• 101 Great Answers To The Toughest Interview Questions, by Ron Fry, Ronald W. Fry
• Knock 'Em Dead 2002, by Martin Yate
• The Complete Job Interview Handbook, by John J. Marcus