Transcript Interviewing Skills - University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Interviewing Skills
UNLV Career Services
301 Student Services Complex
895-3495
http://hire.unlv.edu
Purpose of an Interview

The mutual exchange of information
relevant to the employment
opportunity and the candidate’s
qualifications – a two-way
conversation
Your Role in the Interview
Highlight experience, skills,
personality traits, and potential
contributions
 Evaluate the position and organization
 Get a glimpse of your possible
supervisor and co-workers

Employer’s Role
Assess your qualifications
 Evaluate your communication skills
(both verbal and non-verbal),
appearance, and how well you fit with
the position and organization

Before the Interview –
Be Prepared!
Know yourself – review your skills,
experiences, and personality traits in
relation to the position and
organization
 Know the organization – research
products, services, new projects,
competitors, fiscal health, etc.

Before the Interview –
Be Prepared!
Logistics – confirm interview time and
length, place, and personnel
 Logistics – map out and run through
route to the location of interview
(should arrive 10 – 15 minutes early)
 Have extra copies of your resume and
references (and any other requested
material)

The Interview - Opening
Arrival – prepare yourself mentally
and physically
 Greetings/Introductions - first
impressions are both verbal and nonverbal (handshake, smile, eye
contact, general body language)
 Small Talk – weather, parking, etc.

The Interview - Body
Candidate’s background and
qualifications for position
 Overview of position and organization
 Questions from candidate

Sample Interview Questions
Tell me about yourself
 What attracts you to this
field/position?
 What are your
strengths?/weaknesses?
 Tell me about an accomplishment that
you are proud of

Sample Interview Questions
What motivates you?
 What are your tactics for working
under pressure?
 Talk about a mistake you made, and
what you learned from it
 Why should I hire you over the other
candidates I will be interviewing?

Behavior-based Questions
The best predictor of future behavior
is past behavior
 “Tell me about a time when you had
to…”

Work as part of a team
 Meet a deadline
 Deal with a difficult customer

Answering Behavior-based
Questions

“Tell a story” that:
Explains the situation/sets the scene
 Illustrates your approach to the
situation
 Highlights results/outcomes

Answering Questions in
General
Develop and rehearse your responses
 Know yourself well, and how you fit
with the position and organization
 Support your answers with solid
examples
 Incorporate skills and personal
qualities/attributes into your answers

Answering Questions in
General
Be confident and enthusiastic
 Relax and smile – an interview is a
conversation
 Actively listen – follow the lead of the
interviewer

Personal Questions
Questions should focus on functions
of the position
 Do not volunteer personal information
such as age, medical background,
marital status, religion, etc.


Focus on your qualifications for the
position
Responding to Personal
Questions

You can answer the question


You are giving information that isn’t
related to the job
You can refuse to answer the question

You may risk appearing uncooperative
or confrontational
Responding to Personal
Questions

You can analyze the question for its
intent and respond with an answer as
it may apply to the job
Personal Question - “How old are
your children?”
 Intent of Question – “Would you be
able to travel as needed for the job?”
 Answer – “I can meet the travel
schedule that this job requires”

Source: Rochelle Kaplan, NACE
Questions From the
Candidate
You are interviewing the company just
as much as they are interviewing you
 Be prepared with a list of questions

Questions From the
Candidate

Questions to ask may include:
How is the orientation and training
structured/How much training?
 How will I receive feedback about my
performance, and how often?
 How did this position become
available?

Questions From the
Candidate

Questions to ask may include:
What are some of the challenges the
organization faces?
 What are you looking for in the ideal
candidate?
 What do you like about working here?

The Interview - Close

Clarify follow-up procedures
Timeline for hiring
 Additional materials needed
 Get a business card from
interviewer(s)

The Interview - Close

Leave with a positive impression
Reiterate your qualifications and fit for
the position
 Reiterate your enthusiasm for the
position

After the Interview

Send a thank-you note (within 24-48
hours is best)
Personalize it (specific topic
discussed, etc.)
 Reiterate interest and qualifications for
the position
 Determine format (e-mail, typed on
paper, hand-written on stationery)

After the Interview

Keep records
Evaluate yourself
 Follow-up timeline

Phone Interviews
Organizations conduct phone
interviews as a cost-savings
technique
 Phone interviews can be one-on-one
or with a panel
 Phone interviews can last anywhere
from 10 minutes to one hour
 Phone interviews do not provide the
opportunity for non-verbal feedback

Phone Interview Tips

Be prepared for the call
Fifteen minutes before actual time
(account for time zone differences)
 Create a quiet zone
 Have documents and notes in front of
you – resume, cover letter, job
description, paper for note taking, etc.

Phone Interview Tips

Be prepared for the call
If using a cordless or a cell phone,
make sure it is charged
 Have water handy to wet your mouth

Phone Interview Tips

During the call
Greet everyone by name when
introduced
 Smile when you talk – your
enthusiasm will be heard by the
interviewer
 Speak loud enough and at an
understandable pace
 Don’t eat, chew gum, or smoke

Phone Interview Tips

During the call
Don’t walk around the room – it may
affect your signal
 Don’t get distracted by using a
computer, having other people in the
room, etc.
 Thank everybody at the conclusion of
the interview – first impressions are
conveyed over the phone as well

Interview Apparel

Women
Dark coordinated suits (skirt or pants)
with matching dress blouse
 Skirt length no more than one inch
above the knee
 Dress shoes with moderate heel (no
open toe)
 Neutral colored hose

Interview Apparel

Women
Dress watch
 Minimal, conservative jewelry
 Hair past shoulder length pulled away
from face
 Natural looking make-up
 Clear or conservatively colored nail
polish

Interview Apparel

Men
Dark suits
 Dark dress shoes (no loafers)
 Dark dress socks
 Conservative neck tie
 Dress watch

Interview Apparel

Men
Well-groomed facial hair
 Nails – trimmed and clean

Both Men and Women
No visible tattoos
 No visible body piercing
 No purple, green, etc. colored hair
 No heavy cologne/perfume
 Fresh breath
 Freshly showered (use deodorant)
 Freshly pressed clothing

UNLV Career Services
Mock Interview
 Individual Counseling Appointment
 SSC 301
 895-3495
 http://hire.unlv.edu
