What are the most important things to consider in a job interview?

Transcription

1 A Job Interview 1

2 When you go for a job interview, it is very important that you are prepared and confident for it. It is necessary to be confident in a job interview so that you can deliver your best. What are the most important things to consider in a job interview? Group activity 2

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4 How To Prepare for a Job Interview (tips for success in your job search) 03:34min In the days before your job interview, set aside time to do the following: research the company what to bring to the interview re-read the job description make a good impression prepare your answers dress appropriately prepare S.T.A.R.(R.) questions body language 4

5 1. Research the company so you can go into your interview with a solid understanding of the requirements of the job and how your background makes you a great fit. 2. Prepare your answer to the common question: Tell me about yourself, and why are you interested in this role with our company?. The idea is to quickly communicate who you are and what value you will bring to the company and the role it s your personal elevator pitch. 3. Re-read the job description. You may want to print it out and begin underlining specific skills the employer is looking for. Think about examples from your past and current work that align with these requirements. Prepare to be asked about times in the past when you used a specific skill and use *the STAR method to tell stories with a clear Situation, Task, Action and Result. 4. Practice! Actually practicing your answers out loud is an incredibly effective way to prepare. Say them to yourself or ask a friend to help run through questions and answers. You ll find you gain confidence as you get used to saying the words. 5. Prepare smart questions Interviews are a two-way street. Employers expect you to ask questions: they want to know that you re thinking seriously about what it would be like to work there. Here are some questions you may want to consider asking your interviewers: a) Can you explain some of the day-to-day responsibilities this job entails? b) How would you describe the characteristics of someone who would succeed in this role? c) If I were in this position, how would my performance be measured? How often? d) What departments does this team work with regularly? How do these departments typically collaborate? What does that process look like? e) What are the challenges you re currently facing in your role? 5

6 C 3 READING: Your Personal Elevator Pitch An elevator pitch, also known as a personal pitch, is a short but effective presentation about yourself, of about 1 minute duration. Composing your pitch requires preparation and practice. Your pitch 1. Provide answers to the following questions: o Who am I? o What can I do? o What benefits do I bring? o What am I looking for? 2. Turn this information into a coherent story. 3. Practice reading your story out loud. It ll take longer at first, but you ll soon speed up once you get comfortable with it. You ll quickly notice any parts that don t sound right (written language as opposed to spoken language). 4. If your pitch is still too long, scrap any unnecessary parts 5. Now it s just a question of practicing in front of family, friends and acquaintances. Ask them for tips on how to improve your pitch. Make sure your pitch isn't a monotonous one. Be enthusiastic and confident about your story. After all, you want to make a positive and lasting impression on network contacts and employers! Example 1. "I am Loes Koopmans, a student of Social and Organisational Psychology at Leiden University. After my Masters, I would like to continue developing myself in a job in which I can advise companies on the implementation of change processes for staff within the organisation. I gained experience in this field during my internship with the Hay Group, where I thoroughly enjoyed developing training programmes and doing theoretical research into group dynamics. My communication and organisational skills proved to be a great asset. Given my experience and passion, I am convinced that I would be the ideal candidate for the position of HR Development Consultant." 6

7 Example 2. "After completing my Business Development studies at the UvA, I started work in my current position. (who am I) Here I have gained five years experience in the field of market research, with a specific focus on research design, the development of various analytical models, and data analysis (what can I do). I have, for example, developed a new online research method, in which social media is used instead of more traditional data collection methods that require direct contact with people. Due to the resulting shorter time frames and reductions in personnel costs, the company now saves millions of euros each year (what benefits do I bring). I have now reached the ceiling in my current position and don t have further opportunities for development. (what am I looking for) What is your company s vision in terms of facilitating the growth of personnel within the organisation? "(question). Source: translated from: WRITING Write here your Personal Elevator Pitch:... and now practice your Personal Elevator Pitch out loud with a classmate. 7

8 Here are few more examples of behavioural interview questions: Give me an example of a difficult problem you solved. How did you solve this problem? Tell me about a mistake that you ve made. How did you handle it? Can you tell me about a challenging situation you overcame at work? Has there been a time when you had to pitch an idea to a manager or senior leader? What was the outcome? Tell me about a time you learned a new skill. How did you approach it and how did you apply your new learnings? Success in a behavioural interview is all about preparation. There aren t necessarily wrong answers. These questions are aimed at getting to know the real you. The important thing is to be honest and to practice structuring your responses in a way that communicates what you have to offer. With these kinds of questions, interviewers are usually trying to learn three things: First, they want to know how you behaved in a real-world situation. Second, they want to understand the measurable value you added to that situation. Finally, they are trying to learn how you define something like pressure at work a concept different people might interpret differently. 8

9 Use the S.T.A.R.(R.) method to structure answers to behavioural questions C 4 You can use the STAR method to prepare for behavioural interviews a technique that helps you structure your response to behavioural interview questions. Here s how it works: Situation: What is the context of your story? In setting the situation, you are telling your listener when or where this event took place. For example, We were working on a sixmonth contract for a high-value client, when our agency merged with another, larger firm Task: What was your role in this situation? For example, It was my role to lead the transition for my group while also communicating with our client to keep the project on track. Action: What did you do? For example, I set up weekly check-ins with the client to update them on the progress of the merger. This cemented an important level of trust between us. I also had regular one-on-ones with each person on the team, both to assess how they were handling the change and to make sure we would meet our deadlines. Result: What did your actions lead to? For example, We ended up completing the project on time, meeting all of their specifications. It was incredibly rewarding to navigate a lot of change and succeed under pressure. The second R is an addition. It stands for Reflection. What did I learn? 9

10 SPEAKING: Are you a S.T.A.R.R.? Answer to these S.T.A.R.(R.) questions: 1. Give us an example of a situation in which you were under a lot of pressure. 2. Have you ever had to deal with someone (a customer, a friend, a colleague, a Give an example of a situation in which it was very important that you made a decision. 3. Talk about a time when you had to work closely with someone whose personality was very different from yours. 4. Give us an example of a time you faced a conflict while working on a team. How did you handle that? 5. Describe a time when you struggled to build a relationship with someone important. How did you eventually overcome that? 6. Tell us about a time you needed to get information from someone who wasn t very responsive. What did you do? 7. Tell us about a time when you made sure a customer was pleased with your service. 8. Tell us about the first job you ve ever had. What did you do to learn the ropes? 9. Tell us about a time you set a goal for yourself. How did you go about ensuring that you would meet your objective? 10. Tell us about a successful presentation you gave and why you think it was a hit. 11. Tell us about a time you were dissatisfied in your work. What could have been done to make it better? 12. Tell us about your proudest professional accomplishment. 13. family member) who was very angry? How did you deal with this?

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12 C5 Read the following 4 pages and then prepare you speaking activity. 12

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16 SPEAKING: MY INTERVIEW PREPARATION PLAN After reading the previous 3 pages, answer the following question. How do you prepare for a job interview? Share your favourite approach with a classmate. Notes: 16

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18 Make a good first impression! What to wear on a job interview? Create a mood board for him and for her. Name every item on the mood board. An example: for him for her 18

19 LinkedIn profile LinkedIn can be seen and used as: An online social network focused on the labour market: where employers, employees and job seekers can come together. A networking channel: where you can easily make contact with others, via personal connections, groups and organisations. An online professional address book: where you can request background information and contact details from your connections and others. A job vacancy database: where vacancies, internships, projects and volunteer opportunities are shared by people and organisations, both within their personal networks and in groups. You can also sometimes apply for jobs via LinkedIn. News channel: where experts and organisations share updates, articles, news and research within their networks and in groups. Social business platform: where commercial goals are pursued via connections, groups and organisations LinkedIn profile Having a good LinkedIn profile is an important first step. Read more here about the requirements for a good profile. Useful links Guide and manual The ultimate guide to the perfect LinkedIn profile A website with useful tips for students. For more information go to: 1:35 19

20 Networking Professional networking is the process of purposefully making and maintaining contact with people or groups who are, or could be, of importance to you in achieving your goals. It s the best way of gaining information about interesting employers and job positions. How can I use my network to get a job? Tell the people around you what kind of job you re looking for. Make an inventory of where all your contacts work. Approach your relevant contacts: can they tell you anything about the corporate culture, job positions and availability of work in their field? Ask your contacts if they know anyone who might be of interest to you in your job search. Be aware that you may be able to help other people in just the same way. Maybe you did an internship or part-time job at an organisation where one of your contacts would like to work. By being a good network contact to others, you can also extend your own network. Networking online: tips! After making their acquaintance, add new contacts on LinkedIn (with a personal message). Follow interesting and relevant people on Twitter. Use social media to invite people who may be of interest to you, career-wise, to join you for a coffee. Networking interview The purpose of a networking interview is information gathering, orientation and advice. It isn t a job interview. Have a brief but clear personal introduction ready (who you are, what you want, what you can do). Research the company and position well in advance and think about the type of question you want to ask. Consider what information you don t yet have about the organisation. Draw up a few questions. These can serve as a guideline during the interview. After the interview, send a message of thanks and let the person know how much, and in what way, you benefited from the meeting. 20

21 Do's Make sure to network every day. Interesting people and information can be found in the most unexpected of places. Everyone is approachable. Make sure others can approach you too (be a good contact to others). Keep at it! Networking is a long-term strategy. Send a message of thanks to people who have assisted you. Keep an overview of who you spoke to about what and when; who they referred you to; and whether you sent a message of thanks. Maintain your network: make sure people hear from you now and then. Send a reminder to people who have indicated that they can do something to help you. Use or social media to do so. Don'ts Approach people in whom you have no personal interest for a job. If people feel you re only contacting them because you need something, they are less likely to help. Immediately ask your network contact for a job. Networking is about information gathering. Go ill-prepared to a networking meeting. You won t get the help and referrals you were hoping for and you ll make a poor impression. Fail to maintain your network, even if you don t have a job. 21

22 The most common interview questions are about: C 7 work alone and/or teamwork about yourself your education background future plans/dreams your work experience your skills your strengths work alone and/or teamwork your weaknesse s 22

23 Job Interview tips Imagine you have your job interview scheduled. Now it s time to prepare. In this article you ll learn how to prepare and practice your answers to interview questions. Tell Me About Yourself The Tell me about yourself interview question is about getting to know you, it s a good idea to share your personality with your interviewer but not personal details. You may want to briefly mention hobbies that demonstrate intellectual development and/or community engagement (e.g., reading, music, sports league, volunteering) or those that showcase personal discipline and achievement (e.g., learning a new skill, training for a half marathon). Discussing personal interests is a good way to wrap up your response while maintaining a professional tone. How to Answer: Tell Me About Yourself Question (Job Interview Questions Guide - Examples) 06:02 min. What qualities make you a great fit for this position? Think of what makes you stand out as a job applicant for this role. Perhaps it s your years of experience or some highly desired specialization, training or technical skills. Review the job description closely and note ways that you exceed the requirements. Why are you interested in the role? Brainstorm why this position excites you, how it fits into your larger career goals and why you feel it s the best next step. Why are you interested in the company or the industry? After you ve spent time researching the company and the industry, you should have a better sense of the mission, goals and trends impacting the industry. Do these align with the professional goals that you ve set for yourself? What do you like and respect about the company as a whole? What excites you about the future of the industry? As you start building your story, tie together similarities among your professional goals, the future vision of the company and industry trends you feel are especially important. 23

24 What are your strengths and weaknesses? It s smart to have a small collection of adjectives that describe you well and show you off in your best light! 24

25 My strengths and weaknesses Examples: Strength: I'm very responsible to the work which I have to complete. Also I'm very flexible to any situations or environmental conditions. Also, I'm a hard working person and ready to work hard to achieve my goals. Weakness: I can't say No directly if someone asks me for help. Also, I think I'm not at all a highly talkative person. Sometimes it is my strength too. My strengths are that I have good communication skills, I easily get along with everyone and I am a quick learner. My weakness is that sometimes, I get a bit lazy but I never ever leave a job incomplete. My strength is that I'm a responsible person. Whenever there is a marriage ceremony at my home I take responsibility for guests that is why I'm a responsible person. My weakness is that I'm laughing too much. Whenever my friends are joking I always laugh too much but I'm improving this thing. My strengths: I am honest, punctual I can be friendly with people. Having curiosity of learning new things. My weakness: I am little bit lazy of work which I have not interested. 1. My strength is my positive attitude, hard working with dedication & I learn from my mistakes and failures. 2. My weaknesses is I can't say no to anyone directly. Strengths: - Time management - Team work - Leadership skill - Decision making quality - Good communication - Helpfulness - easy learner - result oriented - socialising skills - team player - proactive - hard worker Weaknesses: - Sometimes I come late at work, but I am trying to overcome it. - I take time to complete any job but I do that with my best. - I laugh loudly when someone jokes. - When I face failure, I feel disappointed but immediately after some time I step forward to find its solution. - Sometimes I get bored at work so I listen to music in a break to fresh my mood. 25

26 Strength: I am a positive think and hard-working girl, and always do work with can-do spirit, I never give up my work until an accomplished it, Weakness: sometimes I'm little bit lazy, believing every one which is not true in all case. My strength. I'm very intelligent and persistent person with positive attitude. My weakness. I'm a little bit lazy which I'm not interested. I'm a very serious kind of person. Strengths: I take pride in my work, I am a diligent worker, I don't sit around wasting time, delegate work to others. Weaknesses: I expect my co-workers to have the same work ethic as myself, I speak the truth, I become easily frustrated with lazy co-workers (slackers). My strength is that i totally believe in planning and execution. For eg before exams i used to organize me whole week as a result i get good marks. My weaknes is that i want everything with perfection due to which it makes my projects and reports pretty late. Strength: I do whatever I do with heart and diligently. Weakness: I focus one thing at a time. My strength is I have the willingness to learn new things and do the work on time. My weakness is overthinking and being too serious at work. My Strengths are self-confidence and Positive attitude. I can work in pressure condition and deliver. Be friendly with all the people and eager to help. My weaknesses are, I am not satisfied until I finished my work/task on time. I never ashamed to ask a small question from others. My strength is a positive attitude and good team player and self-confident. My weakness is I'm not satisfied until the work/task on time. Anyone of the emotion. My strength, I'm always trying my best for every single opportunity, even I fail but never lost hope and I try again while I do not achieve it. And weakness, I easily believe in anyone, as we no it's not always right in every case. So I trying my best to improve it. 26

27 WRITING Write here your strengths and your weaknesses followed by concrete examples: Strengths Weaknesses... and now practice your Personal Elevator Pitch out loud with a classmate. 27

28 Useful 28

29 Other common interview questions 1. Are you the best person for this job? Why? 2. Describe a difficult experience at work and how you handled it. 3. Describe your career goals. 4. Describe your work style. 5. How would you describe yourself? 6. Do you prefer to work alone or on a team? 7. Give some examples of teamwork. 8. Have you ever had difficulty working with a manager? 9. How do you handle pressure? 10. Is there a type of work environment you prefer? 11. Tell me why you want to work here. 12. What are you passionate about? 13. What are your goals for the future? 14. Where do you see yourself in five years? 15. What can you contribute to this company? 16. What interests you about this job? 17. What problems have you encountered at work? 18. What was your biggest accomplishment (failure) in this position? 19. What was most (least) rewarding about your job? 20. What relevant experience do you have? 21. What do you know about this company? 22. Describe your dream job. 23. What kind of work environment do you like best? 24. Tell me how you think other people would describe you. 25. What can we expect from you in your first three months? 26. What do you like to do outside of work? 29

30 Your personal elevator pitch 30

31 Common interview questions Prepare the following questions: 1. Would you please tell me something about yourself? (see My Personal Elevator Pitch) 2. What interests you about this job? (a job role of your choice) _ 3. What are your strengths and weaknesses? (see page ) 4. What kind of work environment do you like best? 31

32 5. Give some examples of teamwork. 6. Tell us 4 of the most important skills of a Fashion Stylist/Designer. 7. How do you handle pressure? Give an example. 32

33 8. What do you like to do outside of work? 9. Tell us about a time you were dissatisfied in your work. What could have been done to make it better? (S.T.A.R.R.) (see page ) 10. What are your plans for the future? / Where do you see yourself in five years? 33

34 TASKS/ RESPONSIBILITIES/SKILLS OF A FASHION STYLIST The responsibilities of a designer vary depending on who they work for, but may include: passion for fashion and style a creative mind innovation and flair an eye for colour and a feel for fabrics, pattern and materials the ability to generate ideas and concepts enjoying following trends in fashion and clothing design and visualisation skills, either by hand or through computer-aided design (CAD) having an exceptional eye for detail technical skills in areas such as pattern cutting, grading and garment construction creating mood boards analysing trends in fabrics, colours and shapes. garment technology skills and knowledge having a good knowledge of designers, brands and trends researching fabrics, clothing construction and fashion accessories keeping up with different designer labels and fashion designers attending fashion shows predicting and spotting fashion trends producing patterns and technical specifications for designs developing a pattern that is cut and sewn into sample garments technical skills, including pattern cutting team working skills producers and creative directors develop strong, up-to-date knowledge of designers, brands and trends achieve daily and weekly targets and deadlines good organisation and time management the ability to multitask the ability to work both autonomously and collaboratively in a team 34

35 the ability to meet deadlines an excellent work ethic and can-do attitude a positive, proactive and assertive approach initiative, idea generation and problem-solving skills strong communication skills building professional networks a proactive approach assist on set during shoots including steaming, pinning and fitting clothes or products experience of using social media discuss any issues with the senior stylist source and obtain clothes, products and accessories for use in shoots fashion stylists are often part of a larger creative team assembled by the client, collaborating with the fashion designer, photographer/director, hair stylist and makeup artist to put together a particular look or theme for the specific project. selecting the clothing and accessories for published editorial features, print or television advertising campaigns, music videos, concert performances, and any public appearances made by celebrities, models or other public figures. work collaboratively with models, photographers, studio coordinators, content managers, picking clothing and accessories for editorial features and advertisements, concerts, music videos, films and tv shows working with designers, tailors, models, photographers, hair and makeup artists, retailers, members of the media, publicists, celebrities and public figures knowledge of different body types and how to dress them in the most flattering way 35