The Job Interview:
How to Make a GREAT
Impression
Prepared by:
Stewart E. Cohen, SPHR
November 2008
Get Ready
Research the Company and the Position
Who is the Company?
What do they do?
Why is the position open?
Know Yourself
What are your strengths? Your weaknesses?
Why do you want to work for the Company?
Why are you a good choice?
What have you learned from experience?
Practice for the Interview
What questions might be asked?
How will I answer them?
What do I sound/look like answering them?
Respond Effectively
Basic Rules:
Be concise
Be specific
Be conversational
Be in control
8
STAR
Situation or Task
Action you took
Results you achieved
Echo Your Strengths
What makes you different?
How would you benefit the Company?
Prepare Success (STAR) Stories
5 or more that illustrate your strengths
Describe specific examples
Be succinct, don’t ramble
For the interview…
Do…
· Arrive 15 minutes early. Being late is never acceptable.
· Bring extra copies of your resume. Company names and addresses and dates of employment in case you are asked to complete an application. Names, addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses of your references.
· Be sure you answer the questions the interviewer asks.
· Ask the interviewer to describe the position and specific responsibilities early in the conversation so you can relate your skills and background to the position throughout the course of the interview.
· Discuss your qualifications, and stress the accomplishments that are most pertinent to this position. (SAR Stories)
· Conduct yourself professionally. Be aware of what your body language is saying. Smile, make eye contact, don’t slouch, and maintain your composure.
· Be upbeat and make positive statements. Do not say negative things about past employers or bosses.
· Anticipate difficult questions about your chosen career path and prepare in advance so you can turn apparent weaknesses into strengths.
· Dress appropriately. Make your first impression on a prospective employer a professional one.
· Don’t bring anyone with you to the interview.
· Make frequent eye contact
· Ask questions throughout the interview. An interview should be a mutual exchange of information, not a one-sided conversation.
· Listen. By focusing not only on the interviewer’s words, but also on their tone and body language, you will be able to pick up on their style. Form your answers accordingly. This will also enable you to establish a personal rapport with the interviewer.
Don’t…
· Answer vague questions. Rather than trying to answer an unclear question, ask the interviewer to be more specific.
· Interrupt the interviewer. If you don’t have time to listen, then neither does the person conducting the interview.
· Smoke, chew gum, or place anything on the interviewer’s desk.
· Be overly familiar, even if the interviewer is.
· Wear heavy perfume or cologne.
· Ramble. Long answers can make you sound apologetic or indecisive. On the other hand, don’t answer questions with a simple “yes” or “no”. Explain yourself in detail when possible.
· Lie. Answer questions as truthfully as possible
· Make derogatory remarks about your present or former employers or companies. This could have a negative effect on the interviewer’s perception of you
Interview Questions
Being prepared for an interview is essential to put yourself above the competition. Knowing what the interviewer(s) will ask and how to answer the questions are what will help you get a second interview and possibly the position.
Tell me about yourself.
What the interviewer is looking for is a couple of minute’s dialogue of your work history. You should show how your career has taken a logical progression (noting how your education helped if relevant) to where you are now.
What are your greatest strengths?
How did you use your strengths in solving a problem?
Would you have done anything differently?
This set of questions should be the easiest, but people often are hesitant to ‘toot their own horn’ so to speak. Have a couple of examples ready to talk about.
What are your weaknesses?
How are you working to overcome them?
You should always have more strengths than weaknesses. Have one example to cite and how you work on turning it into a strength.
What were your major contributions to your last position?
How do you feel you can contribute to this company?
How quickly will you be able to contribute to this company?
Cite specific examples of how you positively affected your last company.
How did you help your department?
If you can show you were valuable in your previous positions, it’ll help the interviewer see that the company can expect the same kind of results from you. You’ll want to have a couple of examples, both quantifiable and qualifiable.
What are your career goals?
Short-Term
Long-Term
How does this position fit into your goals?
How does your current skill sets fit within these goals?
How have your career goals changed over the years?
The interviewer is looking to see how logical you are in your career goals and how you plan on attaining them.
What are some of your most significant accomplishments?
In your past job?
In your career?
Personally?
You should elaborate on some of your key accomplishments that are already on your resume.
How do you work under pressure?
How would you delegate work that needed to be handed out?
What would you consider your management style to be?
What difficulties do you have managing people?
How do you handle pressure?
How do you handle several projects at the same time with high deadlines?
The interviewer is trying to see how much work you can handle and how you deal with it. As with your ‘turning weaknesses into strengths’, you should put everything in as positive a light as possible. One example would run along these lines: I had a lot of work on my plate and was unclear on the priorities. I talked with my manager and he/she clarified my duties in order of importance. This shows you aren’t afraid to ask for help and when to ask for it.
How would others describe you?
Your colleagues?
Your boss?
Yourself?
Try to be as honest, yet positive, as you can.
Do you consider yourself to be a team player?
Do you work well with your colleagues or do you prefer working independently?
As always, being able to work with others is extremely important. Show how you worked within a team and contributed to it.
How do you feel about your current/last position?
What do you like about it?
What do you dislike about it?
Why are you leaving?
How did you feel about your boss?
The interviewer is looking for relevant experiences you have with your current position, including the management style, and how it relates to the position you’ve applied for. Talk about your experiences with your duties, how you worked with others, etc.
Why should we hire you for this position?
What skills will you bring to this company?
What are your analytical skills?
What are your problem solving skills?
Are you more intuitive or logical?
What computer/equipment skills do you have?
Employers are looking to hire the best candidate for any position. This person would need to work well within the framework that is already established with the company as well as show they will work the hardest for them. Let the interviewer know how you went above and beyond the call of duty in your career. Focus on your experience, your work ethic, and how you relate to your peers.
What attracted you to our company/the position?
What interests you the most?
What interests you the least?
How do you hope to benefit from this company/job?
What characteristics do you think is required for this job?
List the items that you found interesting in the position and the company you are applying to.
Why are you changing jobs/careers?
What do you look for in a job?
What other positions are you considering?
Potential employers like to know why you’re leaving your current position or changing careers. It helps them to determine any risk factors there may be in hiring you. It’s important to stay upbeat and positive.
What type of salary would you expect for this type of position?
The salary question is always the touchiest question. There are a couple of schools of thought regarding this. Some say that salary shouldn’t be discussed at the first interview and if it’s brought up, answer in such a way to express that you’re finding out about the job and what kind of a fit you would be. Others say you should know what the salary range is for similar positions within the industry, and if they still want to know what you expect, give them the industry standard range. You should deal with this question in a way that is comfortable for you.
Do you have any questions for me regarding the company and/or the position?
Handling suspect questions (citizenship, age, marital status, number of children, etc.)
Just answer the question
Refuse to answer the question – tell interviewer it is illegal or not relevant (may prevent you from being considered for the job).
Don’t answer the question but answer the intent – e.g. Are you a US citizen might be answered by “if you mean to ask if I am legally authorized to work for you, the answer is yes.
Ask Questions
You should always be prepared to ask questions about the company, the position, and/or the industry to show you’ve done your research.
Four Reasons
Your questions identify your needs;
Your questions help determine if there is a mutually rewarding fit;
Your questions provide a better understanding of the position so you can better position yourself;
and
A lack of questions from you could be mistakenly interpreted as a lack of interest in the position!
Below are some tips on questions to ask (and questions not to ask) when the time comes.
Questions to Ask
About the Position
Tell me about the organization structure that includes this position?
Why is the position open? Is it a newly created position? If not, why did the last person leave?
What is a typical workday like and what would I do? What are my primary challenges?
How are evaluations done? How often? How do I get feedback about my performance?
What are some short-term and long-term goals you'd like to see achieved within the position?
What would you like to have done in the first 90 days?
What are some of the more difficult problems one would have to face in this position?
What type of support does this position receive in terms of people, finances, etc?
What would you consider to be a successful employee within this position?
What freedom do I have in establishing my own goals and deadlines?
About the Company
How much employee turnover is there?
How does the company contribute to its employees' professional development? Education?
Are you financially stable?
What are the company's plans for future growth?
How has this company fared during the recent recession?
How do industry trends impact this company?
What makes your firm different from its competitors?
What are the company's strengths and weaknesses?
What is the corporate work culture?
About Management
How would you describe your management style?
Is there any micromanaging?
What are the goals of the department?
About Career Advancement
Does the company promote from within?
What is a typical career path for this position?
Wrap up questions
Are there any questions that I didn’t ask you about the position but should have?
Are there any questions about my background and experience that we may not have covered in this interview?
Are there any concerns about my qualifications for this position?
What are the next steps in the interview process?
When can I expect to hear from you regarding this position?
Questions NOT to Ask at the First Interview
Anything that is already answered in the company's literature
What is your training program like?
What will my salary be?
What are the company's benefits packages?
Thank the Interviewer
Be Appreciative
Briefly summarize your qualifications
Stress your interest
Ask for feedback
Example:
“After hearing more about (company) and the (position), I feel certain that I possess the qualities you are looking for. Are there any issues or concerns that would lead you to believe otherwise?”
Ask for the interviewers business card so you can write a thank you letter.
Following up after the interview
After leaving the interview, take a few minutes to write down key issues that were raised during the interview, such as specific qualifications for the position, your strengths in meeting these needs, areas of concern and how to address them, etc.
Finally, write a thank you letter no later than 24 hours after the interview.
Address issues and concerns mentioned
Restate your interest and qualifications
References
Be sure to verify current contact numbers with your references beforehand. It’s also good to let them know to expect a call and to provide them information concerning the position for which you are applying.
Interview Practice (Behavioral Questions)
Choose any two questions. One person is the interviewer, one person is the candidate and the third is an observer. Switch roles
1. Describe a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince someone to see things your way.
2. Describe a time when you were faced with a stressful situation and how you handle it.
3. Give me an example of a time when you used good judgment and logic in solving a problem.
4. Tell me about a time when you had to conform to a policy with which you did not agree.
5. Give me an example of a time when you set a goal and were unable to meet it.
6. Tell me about a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to get a job done.
7. Tell me about a time when you had too many things to do and how you handled it.
8. Tell me about a difficult decision you had to make in the past year.