Interview Techniques, questions and preparations for it.

Interview Techniques, questions and preparations for it.

1. Interview Techniques

2. Interviewing - What is it?
•An interview is a structured
conversation where one
participant asks questions, and
the other provides answers. In
common parlance, the word
"interview" refers to a one-on-one
conversation between an
interviewer and an interviewee.

•Interviewing is a skill- like riding
your bike, PRACTICE makes
PERFECT

3. Interviewing is a two-way street
•Employers are
attempting to
determine if you are an
appropriate fit for the
job and their culture
•You decide if the
environment is right for
you.

4. Types of Interviews
●Phone: used as an initial screen of candidates or to narrow the
pool of applicants.
●One-on-One: most common interview style and incorporates you
with the potential employer.
●Panel or Group: allows many individuals to interview you at
once.
●Meal: used to see how you interact or function in a social setting.
●Second or On-site Interview: this allows one to get a tour of the
facility, meet the staff, and additional questioning from different
employees and/or administration.

5. Pre-Interview Preparation
●Always research position, company, & industry.
●Know yourself and be able to articulate skills,
strengths, accomplishments, and career goals.
●Prepare necessary materials (Copies of resume,
references, portfolio/pen, notepad or organizer,
breath mints).
●Ask for directions and where to park.

6. Arriving
●Be sure to allow yourself plenty of time to
arrive at your destination (you may want to
conduct a dry run prior to your interview
day).

●Try to arrive 10-15 minutes early at the site to
allow you to park, walk to the interview, use
the restroom, or just gather yourself.

7. Greeting & Introduction
●Only 1 chance to make a
good 1
st
impression:
●Dress appropriately
●Smile
●Maintain eye contact
●Firm handshake
●Remain poised and
confident

8. Body Language:
What signals are you sending?
Positive Signals
●Leaning forward = interest
●Smiling = friendly
●Nodding = attentive and
alert
●Eye contact = curious and
focused
Negative Signals
●Crossed arms = defensive
●Fidgeting hands or tapping
feet = nervous or bored
●Lack of eye contact =
untrustworthy
●Leaning back= discomfort

9. Types of Interview Questions
Standard /
Traditional
targeting your education,
work experiences, and
career goals
Sample Questions

●Tell me about yourself?
●What is your greatest
strength? Weakness?
●Why did you choose to
interview with us?
●What did you like most
about your last job? Least?
●What are your short and
long term career goals?

10. Types of Interview Questions
Behavioral Questions

•These focus on your actions
and/or behaviors in a previous
setting.
•Past behavior provides clues to
future behavior
Sample Questions
●Describe a time you had to
make a difficult decision?
●Tell me about a time you
worked under a deadline?
●What do you do when a team
member is not pulling his/her
weight?
●Think about a time you made a
mistake. What did you learn
from it?

11. Types of Interview Questions
Inappropriate or unethical
questions
•Questions which probe into
your private life or personal
background
•Questions about your
ethnicity, religion, sexual
orientation, disabilities,
marital status
Sample Questions
●How old are you?
●Do you have children?
●Do you have a disability?
●What religion do you
practice?

12. Types of Interview Questions
Questions asked by you, the
Interviewee

To determine if you are an
appropriate fit for the
company and position,
prepare a list of questions for
the interviewer

Sample Questions
●What type of assignments can I
expect within the first year?
●What do you like most about
this company?
●What is the biggest challenge
facing this department right
now?
●What skills are you looking for
in this position?
●What is the next course of
action?

13. General Interview Strategies
●Be prepared to talk about yourself and your
experiences.
●Master the art of storytelling.
●Provide specific and concrete examples of your
results/accomplishments.
●Remain positive, enthusiastic, poised, and confident
throughout the interview process.

14. General Interview Strategies
●Remember an interview is a formal
conversation--avoid filler words like “Um”, “Ah”, &
“You know”.
●Avoid indecisive phrases like: “I think,” “I guess,”
“probably,” or “pretty good”.
●Think before speaking.
●Avoid long verbose answers--limit your response to
1-2 minutes.
●If you do not hear or understand a question, ask
them to repeat or clarify it for you.

15. General Interview Strategies
●Remain calm, relaxed,
and be yourself.
●Try to focus on the
message you are trying
to convey--NOT how
well you are doing!

16. Dressing for Success-Men

●Polished shoes
●Solid white shirt
●Conservative tie
●Neatly groomed hair, beard,
and mustache
●Avoid strong colognes,
earrings, and body piercing

17. Dressing for Success-Women

18. FOLLOW-UP
●Ask good questions.

●Thank the interviewer.

●Request a business card.

●Inquire about next steps in the process.

19. FOLLOW-UP CONT
●Send a thank you note
within 24 hours.
●Letter may be handwritten
or typed; e-mail is also
acceptable.
●Tailor each one to the
individual.

21. Final Thoughts
●Remember that only 15% of the success of an
interview is out of your control.

●Take some time to reflect…
●Overall, how well did I do?
●What went well?
●What steps can I take next time to improve?

22. Suggestions
●Conduct a test run the day before the interview.
●Practice! Practice! Practice!
●Refer to the list of practice interview questions provided in
the packet and jot down short answers.
●Stand in front of a mirror and rehearse your answers.
●Schedule an appointment for a mock interview with Career
Services.
●Get a good night’s sleep and be well rested and alert for the
interview.
●Remain relaxed and be yourself!

23. Thank You!