Transcript The Interview - St. Edward's University Business LLC

The Interview
Getting the job you want
These things actually happened
 A woman brought her large dog to the interview
 A man interrupted the interview to phone his
therapist for advice on how to answer one of the
questions
 A man pulled out a camera and took a picture of
the interviewer. Said he collected photos of
everyone who interviewed him
Objectives
 Impress upon you the importance of preparation and
practice
 Give you some important information and suggest
some strategies to give you an edge
 Identify resources for you to use
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When you reach the
interview stage of your job
search, you are one step
away from a job offer.
Maybe 5 people interviewed
People usually underestimate
how much preparation and
practice it takes to have a
really great interview.
The Job Offer
They are interested in 2 things
√ Can and will you do the job
(do you have the required
experience and
competencies)
√ Will you fit in
The key principle
 As soon as they are convinced that you can do the job,
the degree to which the interviewer feels comfortable
with you is probably the single most important
determinant of your acceptability as a candidate.
Six ways to make people like you
 Become genuinely interested
 Smile
 Remember that a person’s name is to that person
the sweetest and most important sound in any
language
 Be a good listener; encourage others to talk about
themselves
 Talk in terms of the other person’s interests
 Make the other person feel important—do it sincerely
There may be more than one
round of interviews. The first
interview could be a phone
interview intended to narrow the
field of candidates.
Research
 The industry
 The company
 The job
 Inventory your own
talents, skills, and
accomplishments
Sources of information for the industry
and company
 On-line data bases through our
library website
 The organization’s own literature
and website
Know the job
What’s a competency?
…a specific skill necessary to do a job
Examples of competencies
 Initiative
 Customer Service
 Impact and Influence
 Integrity
 Communication
 Analytical Thinking
The ten most standard competencies
(macro skills) used by organizations
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Achievement/Results Orientation
Initiative
Impact and Influence
Customer Service Orientation
Interpersonal Understanding
Organizational Awareness
Analytical Thinking
Conceptual Thinking
Information Seeking
Integrity
Determine the competencies
 Carefully review the job description
 Read other companies job descriptions for the same
position
 Google: position name competencies
(project manager competencies)
www.google.com
Interview people who are already
doing this job
 How did they get into this work?
 What do they like best?
 What do they like least?
 What are the key tasks/responsibilities?
 What are the key skills (competencies)
needed to be successful?
 What were their interviews like?
 Can they recommend someone else with
whom you could speak?
Think out of the box
 Not just jobs
 Class projects
 Co-curricular leadership roles
 Volunteer experiences
 Personal life experiences
Competency Worksheet
Competency
1.
Customer Service
2.
Initiative
3.
Communication
4.
Problem Solving
Proof
On this side, you should
come up with as many
examples and situations
where you demonstrated
each of the competencies
you have determined are
essential to doing the job well
Develop your talking points
What they’re looking for:
What you bring:
● 3 years
management/supervisory
experience
●
●
● Experience working in nonprofit organizations
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● Proven ability to fund raise
●
● Involvement with the Austin
community
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●
Questions ???
 The most important ones are
the ones you ask them.
www.glassdoor.com
www.youtube.com
<career change job
interview questions>
Behavioral questions: the cornerstone of competency
based interviewing
 These are questions designed to draw out how
you are likely to respond to situations once you
are on the job, i.e. do you have the requisite
competency
“Tell me about a time when…”; “What would
you do if…”
Successful Behavioral Answer= STAR
 S/T- Situation and/or Task (paint a
picture for the interviewer)
 A- Action (what did you actually do)
 R- Result (what was the outcome
of your actions)
► Tell me about a time when you demonstrated superior
customer service skills?
► Can you give me an example of your problem solving
skills?
Here’s an example…
Interviewer: Can you tell me about a time when you
exhibited superior customer service skills?
You: I can remember a time when I was working in a
restaurant and when I came to work, I realized that
our heater had gone out during the night. I called
the repair people and provided all of the customers
free hot drinks until we had the repairs made. I
received a letter of commendation from the owner
of the restaurant. He mentioned that some of the
customers had told him what action I had taken.
Possible topics
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Teamwork
Strengths
Weaknesses
Career Goals
Salary
Stress
Anger
Leadership
Ethics
Project Management
Creativity
Specific skills
Develop your success stories
focusing on what they’re looking for
Your goal:
to try to take charge of the interview
**If you are being interviewed by an individual who is well trained
in competency based interviewing, you may not be able to do this.
In that event, just focus on answering the questions
Ask open ended questions
 On what basis will you be making your decision?
 Could you talk a little bit about what it will take to
be successful in this position?
 What are the key responsibilities of this position?
 What’s the most important things I can do in the
first 90 days?
 What do you enjoy most about working here?
Asking questions does 3 things:
 Demonstrates your interest
 Helps create a bond with the interviewer
 Dissipates your anxiety; you feel more “in control”
A suggestion
Tack your first question on to the end of
your first answer.
The first question
 Tell me about yourself?
Remember:
 They don’t want your life story.
 Prepare a tight, well-rehearsed two minute commercial
about why you are the right person for the job.
 Your response to this first question will set the tone for the
entire interview.
 Finish your response with a question for them
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2318JxxN-tI&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ezFNrWMTlc&feature=related
Developing your
90 second-two minute pitch
 What is the most important thing you want them to know
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about you?
What is the second most important thing I want them to know
about me?
What are the key selling points/accomplishments that prove
the first two statements?
What separates you from the competition?
What are some other selling points?
What objections might they have and how are you going to
overcome them?
Try this
 Them: Tell me about yourself
 You: Answer and pause at the end and ask, “From your
experience, what are the two or three most important things
you’re looking for in the ideal candidate”
 Them: Someone with A, B, and C
 You: “Interesting. Those are all areas I regard as strengths.
Could I take a minute or two and tell you about myself in
regard to those things?”
A Portfolio ?
 A kind of show and tell about the things you’ve
done relevant to the position: certificates,
samples of your writing, brochures you
developed, formal letters of commendation,
notes thanking you for something you did, etc…
 Done in a quality manner
 Use it during the interview and/or leave it
behind when you leave
 Reduces your nervousness
Possible portfolio items
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List of patents
Writing samples
List of publications
Hierarchical charts
Training certificates
MS Project spreadsheets
Letters of recommendation
Detailed project descriptions
Performance appraisal excerpts
Examples of best work performed
Graphs or charts documenting success
Awards and certificates of achievement
Commendations by customers or direct reports
Some questions NOT to ask
 Now what is it that your company does?
 What are your psychiatric benefits?
 What do you consider as excessive absences?
The salary question
Not good negotiating ploys (actually used)
 “I’ve been trying to earn six figures all my life.”
 “I need to pay for my child’s private schooling.”
 “My wife is now earning more than me.”
Do your homework (Rule #1)
 Know what is fair and reasonable for someone with
your background, experience, and education.
 Know what your minimum is, i.e. what’s the least
you’ll accept.
 www.salary.com
 www.payscale.com
Know your own value (Rule #2)
 Be sure you can articulate why they should pay you more
 Can you provide quantified reasons why you’re worth
more than they are offering?
Postpone the discussion (Rule #3)
Postpone any discussion of salary until you have an
offer. If they ask you “What kind of salary are you
looking for?”, stall them:
“Salary is important to me, but not the most important
thing. If we both think that this job is a good fit , I’m
sure salary won’t be an issue. Could we talk a little
more about my qualifications and then come back to
the salary question?”
If they press you
Smile, and say something like:
“I would like to know a little bit more about the
position and the responsibilities in order to give you
an honest answer. May I ask you how you would
define ‘success’ for this position?”
If they still insist
Simply say,
“ I’m only looking for something that is
‘competitive’ for someone with my background
and experience. Have you established a range
for this position?”
Of course they have, and they will probably tell you what it is
And then…
 If the amount is in your range, take the top of their
range and make it the bottom of your range and
say, “That’s very close to what I was looking for. I
was looking for something in the $40-45,000 dollar
range.” OR
 If the amount is in your range, look them in the eye
and repeat the top of the range and then shut up.
Don’t say a word. Silence is one of the most
powerful negotiating tactics.
Another one of their tricks
Sometimes the interviewer will ask you what your
current salary is. Say something like:
“I’m currently making in the mid thirties, but I’m really
looking for something that is more challenging with
more responsibilities. That’s what attracted me to this
position. I feel that I’m more than ready for a job like
this and know I can make a difference. Have you
established a range for this position?”
Or
“My past position is very different from this one in so
many ways. It would be like apples to oranges. I’m
attracted to this position because it has so many more
challenges and responsibilities. Have you established
a range for this position?”
If you are still far apart, try to change the job
description and identify new responsibilities
that would justify a higher salary.
Other possible compensation
 Relocation expenses
 Tuition reimbursement
 Additional vacation or personal time
 Bonuses
 Memberships
 Severance package
 Insurance
Remember
 Keep all of these discussions cordial-- not
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adversarial
They want you; at this stage, they don’t want their
second choice or have to re-open the search
Bulls win
Bears win
Pigs lose
Here’s something to try
If you are convinced that they really can’t go
any higher on the starting salary and you really
want the job, say something like:
“I really want this position and I know that you
will be more than satisfied with my
performance. The only thing that causes me
any hesitation in accepting is that I was looking
for slightly more in a starting salary. Could we
agree on a set of goals to be accomplished in
the first six months, and if they are reached, my
salary would be raised to $XXXXX?”
Tips
In the end,
 What you want should be reasonable and based on
your research
 Try to fill the gap between their offer and the number
you want
 Talk about differences in terms of monthly salary
 Think about compensation in broader terms than just
starting salary
Resources
 www.quintcareers.com/salary_negotiation_tutorial.html
 www.careergames.com
 Interviewing and Salary Negotiation by Kate Wendleton
 How To Make a $1000 a Minute by Jack Chapman
 http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=salary+
negotiations&search_type
The most important
question to ask…
 Do I have the job?
Not quite that bluntly, though
 Say something like:
 “I’ll be looking forward to your decision, and,
hopefully seeing you again” OR
 “I would love to be part of your team. When
should I hear from you?” OR
 “I’m excited about the possibility of working for
you, and I know I can make a difference. Are you
at a point yet where you could offer me the job?
The Assessment Center Interview
 The Center is a process, not a place
 It’s a type of interview that really tries to see how you
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would actually perform in typical situations that would
come up in the role for which you are applying
Much more stressful; hard to prepare for
Panel of experts evaluating your performance
Increasingly being used for positions such as Department
Head, Manager, or Director; rarely, if ever, used for entry
level positions
You’ll know in advance that this is the type of interview
that will be used
Here’s what a day might look like:
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9:00am-9:15am
9:15am-10:15am
10:15am-11:15am
11:15am-11:30am
11:30am-12:15pm
12:15pm-1:30pm
1:30pm-1:45pm
1:45pm-2:30pm
 2:30PM-3:30PM
 3:30pm
 4:00pm
Orientation
In-box exercise
Presentation; questions and answer
Break
Psychological testing
Lunch with group
Given scenario description
Role playing situation; other
participants know their role
Questions and answers with panel
Wrap-up
THE END
So what do you do?
 First, don’t be applying for jobs that you have no business
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applying for
Be sure you’ve done your research on the organization and
the position
Apply some of the principles we covered today, especially
during the question and answer portion of your interview
Always be asking yourself “what are they looking for?”
Do a google search using <assessment center interviews>
The Perfect Interview by John Drake, pp154-156
Three things that will kill you
 A limp handshake
 No eye contact
 Arriving late
Check this fact out
The last person interviewed gets the job 58% of the time
The first person, 14% of the time
Other important things to know
 The more you get the interviewer talking, the greater
your chances of getting the job
 Non-smokers get the offer 94% of the time
 First impressions are critical. The first 20 seconds
can’t get you the job, but it can get you eliminated
from further consideration
More tips
 You need a confident walk, a firm handshake, eye contact,
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and a smile
Be personable, enthusiastic, and friendly
Try to “mirror” the interviewer
“Speed read” the individual: www.personalitytype.com
Be nice to the secretary and all other staff you meet
Dress neatly and in conservative business attire; arrive 5-10
minutes ahead of time
Be sure you know how to get there, parking conditions,
location of the office, etc…
Other tips
 Avoid one word answers.
 Anticipate reasons why they might feel that
you’re not the exact person they want ; be
prepared to tell them something that
overcomes their reservations.
 What about illegal questions?
 Have questions to ask them-go to google.com
and use <interviewee questions> as the
keyword.
One more tip
 Be sure to write a thank you note. You not only want to
thank them for the interview, but also want to restate
the case for why you’re the right person. You have the
additional knowledge you gained through the interview.
Put it to work.
Last tip
Practice
Practice
Practice
Practice
Practice
Practice
Practice
Resources
 Competency Based Interviews by Robin Kessler
 Interviewing and Salary Negotiations
by Kate Wendleton
 Knock ‘Em Dead by Martin Yate
 101 Dynamite Questions to Ask at Your Job Interview by
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Richard Fein
Hiring The Best by Martin Yate
The Perfect Interview by John Drake
www.job-interview.net/
www.careergames.com
www.vault.com
http://ahrma.jobing.com/
So, why is a manhole cover round?
So it won’t fall
in.