Transcript Interview Techniques

Interview Techniques
The Basics
 Know where you are going
 Get directions
 Allow time for traffic
 Arrive at least 10-15 minutes early
 Know the name of the person you are scheduled to meet
with.
 Say their name correctly
10 ways to win the interview
 1. Be prepared
 Bring an extra copy of your resume
 Arrive early
 2. Dress appropriately
 3. Be confident
 don't mistake confidence for conceit/arrogance
 NO droopy pants
 Take earring off
 No t-shirts
 No “tennies”, flip flops
 Slacks, khakis,
shoes/loafers
 SHAVE
 Polo shirt, or shirt
10 ways to win the interview
 4. Make eye contact
 Look the interviewer in the eye- but don’t stare
 If more than one person, you must meet all eyes,
and shift gaze
 5. Show your enthusiasm
 Seem excited and energetic but not phony
10 ways to win an interview
 6. Know the position
 Know something about the industry you’re
applying for
 Find out as much as you can about the position
 Find out what your duties will be
10 ways to win an interview
 7. Know the industry/school
 8. Know the company
 Add in a fact that you find on their website
 9. Practice
 Practice answering questions they might ask. More
on this later
10 ways to win an interview
 10. Follow up
 After interview be sure to follow up with a short
and friendly note thanking them for the interview
 The note will help keep you name at the forefront
of the interviewers mind.
 Within 24 hours
Mrs. Flores’ tips
 Have minty breath
 Do a nose check
10 ways NOT to win the interview
 1. Arrive late
2. Appear bored :
slouching, looking
around the room rather
than the interviewer,
yawning, checking your
phone
 3. Forget to do your
research about the
position, company,
industry, school
10 ways to NOT win the interview
 4. Talk in a long winded manner
 The interviewer does NOT want a 30 minute
account of your life.
 Be sure to answer with a bit of detail & explanation,
but limit your speech to no more than a minute of
two
10 ways to NOT win an interview
 5. Speak too briefly.
 Answers should be brief, but a simple yes or not is
never enough
 6. Speak in a negative manner
 Don’t bad mouth your current employer. This shows
a negative attitude.
 Always make a negative experience a positive
learning experience.
10 ways NOT to win an interview
 7. Talk about money
 Wait until the job is
offered
 8. Appear conceited.
 The one thing that
really annoys &
irritates an interviewer
is a candidate who has
done it all, seen it all,
and knows everything.
10 ways NOT to win an interview
 9. Share unrealistic goals.
 Like saying you want to be the vice president of the
company in five years- this shows the interviewer
that you know nothing about the company or your
job.
 10. Appear unkempt.
 Don’t have dirty, wrinkled, torn clothes
 Keep facial hair neat, brush hair, clean fingernails (
short for men)
17 things that turn them off
immediately
 Scratching your head
 Keeping hands in pockets
 Biting your lips
 Not using any hand
 Raising your eyebrows
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incredulously
Shifting in your seat
Crossing arms or displaying
superior or conceited or
overbearing body signals
Looking down/avoiding
eye contact
Standing rigidly in place
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gestures
Rocking
Slouching
Self-touching
Jiggling your leg
Twisting your hair
Clicking your pen
Biting your nails
Waiting for the interview.
 Go up to the front desk etc, and politely say “Hi, my name is
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______. I have an interview for a job with ___________.
Sit patiently with a book, no slouching.
Sit straight up. No slouching.
Smile at everyone. Be polite to everyone.You never know
who you will be dealing or working with, or who has input.
When interviewer comes, get up, introduce yourself, shake
hands, make eye contact. Thank them for opportunity to
interview with them.
Walking demonstration. It matters!!!
Interview Don’ts
 Don’t look at your watch, clock, or cell phone
 Don’t mimic the body language or mannerisms of the
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interviewer ( people do this when they get nervous)
Don’t be negative
Don’t talk too much
Don’t ask about money, perks or things that are unrelated to
the job or company
Don't interrogate the interviewer
The 1st defining moments:
100 milliseconds or 10th of a second
 Wait patiently for the interview. Don’t fidget. Bring a book.
 Introduce yourself. Shake their hand while looking them in
the eye
 Engage in small talk
 Be prepared with something to say if you have to “walk down
the hall” ( usually weather related)
 Don’t sit down until asked or it is indicated
 If the interviewer asks “Did you have any problems finding
us” or “how was your drive” they are NOT really interested in
the traffic or if you got lost. The interviewer does NOT want
to hear how your had trouble finding the place, your car has
no air-conditioning, and parking is horrible
 Respond
 “Fine” or “no problem”
Qualities the interviewer is looking for
Adaptability
Competence
Confidence
Creativity
Dedication
dependability
 Easygoingness
 Enthusiasm
 leadership ability
 Motivation
 Problem solving ability
 resourcefulness
After the interview
 Ask what the next step in the hiring process is?
 Will they call you?
 How long until they make a decision?
 Get a card from the interviewer.
 Send a short Thank you for the interview note.
 This is done so rarely that it makes a big impression.
 When is the interview over?
 Interviewer will shuffle paperwork, gather things,
and/or stand up.
 That’s your cue. Stand up . Shake hands, thank them, and
leave.
Mrs. Flores’ tips
 Read their body language.
 If an interview doesn’t think you have the social or
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perceiving skills to “read” and understand normal body
language, they will also assume ( rightly) that you cannot use
it effectively on the job.
Don’t
scratch
Pick lint off your clothes
Look at your nails
play with your hair
Self touching
Questions they may ask
 What are your key skills?
 Discuss specific key skills and how you will use
them in the workplace.
 Avoid clichés or generalities
 What sets you apart from other applicants?
 Your answer should show confidence in your
abilities without sounding conceited.
 A good way to illustrate your worth is to talk about
what other past & present employers say about you.
Questions they may ask
 What are your strengths?
 Describe 2 or 3 skills you have that are most relevant to
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the position. Don’t say “ I’m a people person.”
For each strength you give be prepared to back it up
with an example
What are your weaknesses?
This is a trick!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This question is really one that can make or break you.
Be honest BUT don’t shoot yourself in the foot. Try to
think of a weakness that is not too big of a deal, and
discuss how you are overcoming it.
Or make your weakness a strength.
Questions they might ask
 Tell me about yourself.
 This is the perfect opportunity to sell yourself to an
employer in just a few seconds.
 You need to “package” yourself into one small
paragraph in which you mention your experience,
skills, accomplishments, goals, and personal
qualities
Questions they might ask
 Tell me about a situation that frustrated you at
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work.
This is a trick!!!!!
This is another question designed to probe the
candidate’s professional personality.
The interviewer will want reassurance that you are
able to withstand pressure on the job.
Describe how you remained diplomatic, objective
,or professional in a difficult situation
Questions they might ask
 Have you ever had to work with a manager who you
thought was unfair to you, or who was just plain
difficult to get along with?
 Don’t fall for this either!!!
 No matter how many times an interviewer gives you
the opportunity to do so- NEVER criticize a current
or past employer.
 The employer is trying to discover how easily you
are willing to badmouth people.
Questions they might ask
 What are some of the things your supervisor has
done that you dislike?
 Another trick
 Discuss a relatively minor example in which the
interviewer is likely to empathize.
 Put a positive spin on your answer by describing
what you learned from this difficult situation
Questions they might ask
 Describe a leader you admire.
 Caution
 Feel free to give personal or popular examples of
leaders you believe to be effective.
 Do not offend the interviewer & refrain from
talking about your admiration for controversial
leaders.
 Talk about why you admire the person, what lessons
you have learned for them, and how you will be able
to incorporate those tactics into your own
professional life
Most common interview complaints
 The candidate :
 Lacked enthusiasm
 Did not ask the questions or did not ask the right
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questions
Too fidgety
Did not make enough eye contact
attire was too casual, inappropriate,
Talked too much or not enough
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