Preparing for an Interview Understand the Purpose of the Interview Congratulations on obtaining an interview! The interview is the employer s chance to test three things in a face-to-face meeting: Enthusiasm Are you excited about the job and company? Testing your claims - Are you able to do what you stated in your resume and application "Fit" - Will you work well with current employees? Will you get along with supervisor and customers? Steps in Preparing Step 1 - Company/Industry Research Doing your homework ahead of time will give you confidence and help you look like you are really interested in the job. During the interview, it will help you predict questions. Show that you have done your research by the responses you give and the questions you ask. Read the job description, talk to people who work there, or refer to previous notes from networking contacts. Research the employer s website. Click on marketing materials or products. Notice their words and terminology and incorporate them into your responses. For a detailed description on how to do company research go to the Research Section in the Job Search Strategy handout. Don t forget to check in with your network. Who knows something about the company? Page 1
Step 2 Brainstorm Take time to think about what you want the employer to know about you, start this process by brainstorming. Write down your technical skills, computer skills, accomplishments, personal traits and values. If you struggle with this, look at old evaluations, customer comment cards -- what are the things you always get complimented on and what do you do really well. Step 3 Expand Take a look at these lists you have developed and begin to expand upon what you wrote. For example, if, under computer skills, you wrote Word, Excel, Access. GREAT! Now expand. How have you used these programs? e.g. In my previous position I used Microsoft Word to write business letters, create a newsletter and mail merges. Step 4 Anticipate without locking yourself into specific questions Anticipate commonly asked questions or the ones you don t want to be asked. Do use the Interview Preparation sheet at the end of this handout to help you organize your thoughts the night before the interview. Be careful of the trap of trying to predict what the interviewer(s) will ask and only having answers to those questions. If these questions aren t asked, the interview will be more stressful than necessary. Sometimes questions are asked differently yet are trying to obtain the same information. For example; Tell me about your weaknesses? or What would your last boss or coworker change about you? or What are your faults? (See next section on how to answer these questions.) Here are some questions that are common. The interviewer(s) may ask something about weaknesses, about how you handle conflict, your reason for leaving a job, just to name a few. People tend to dread these questions, mostly because they don t think ahead and plan how they will best answer these questions. The following section covers a great technique to follow when answering questions and gives some guidelines on answering those tough questions. Tough Interview Questions With all tough questions, you can apply this basic formula: First: Say something good Second: State the problem in one to two sentences Third: Solve the problem Fourth: Move on - end on a positive note. 1. Tell me about yourself. a. Your strengths & personality Page 2
b. Your interest and experience related to the job c. Your training or education d. Your skills 2. Have you ever done this kind of work before? a. Never answer NO no matter what b. The interviewer wants to know whether you can learn to do the job in a reasonable time c. Mention all of the experience and coursework you have that makes it likely that you can quickly learn to do the work d. Discuss your unpaid experience or class projects related to the job e. TELL ABOUT YOUR TRANSFERABLE SKILLS All skills are transferable. 1) There are tangible skills, which are things you can touch or count. If you type, how many words per minute. If you drive, can you drive an 18- wheeler. If you ve handled cash, how much? If you ve worked fast food, were you entrusted with a key? 2) Intangible skills are the things you can t touch such as problem solving. If you ve been employed in customer service, how did you handle a difficult customer? Example: If an interviewer asks if you have ever sold furniture before, and you haven t, you would describe your selling experience, your interest and knowledge of furniture, your ability as a salesperson, and assure the interviewer that you could learn the job very quickly. 3. Why do you want to work here? Identify what s important to you. Example: They pay well You: People say you treat your employees well. Or: You have a reputation for competitive wages Example: It s close to your house You: It s a job I would enjoy in a location that is very convenient Or: I have had good experiences here as a customer since I am in the neighborhood 4. Why did you leave your last job? a. Company is trying to determine if you have initiative and dependability. b. ALWAYS HANDLE YOUR REASON FOR LEAVING A JOB IN A POSITIVE MANNER Example: Company was having a reduction in its workforce, work slow down, seasonal work, a temporary job, career exploration, relocated, or family business. c. Use the formula: Say something good, state the problem, solve the problem, move on d. For interview practice, make an appointment by visiting the Career Center or calling 503.978.5600 Page 3
*NEVER SAY ANYTHING NEGATIVE ABOUT THE SUPERVISOR OR THE COMPANY You risk being regarded as unappreciative or unpleasant. 5. Illegal, uncomfortable or inappropriate questions. According to BOLI (Bureau of Labor and Industries) the only illegal question is regarding a persons disability, apart from that other personal questions are not illegal. However, it is illegal for an employer to let the answers from those questions affect their hiring decision. Therefore, to avoid potential problem, most employers don t ask them. If you are asked a question that gets into territory that is private or personal, in other words, none of their business, here are some examples for applying the formula: When your situation involves a none of their business topic such as a worker s compensation claim, or a dying relative you had to care for or a domestic violence situation you escaped from. First: Say something good You: I had a great relationship with my customers while I was in my last job. Second: State the problem You: Unfortunately something came up in my personal life that prevented me from continuing in the position Third: Solve the problem You: The issue has been resolved and I am now interested in returning to full time employment Fourth: Move on - end on a positive note. You: I m really interested in this position because 6. What are your greatest strengths? Mention all of your positive aspects: your skills, reliability, experience, enthusiasm, efficiency, pride in a job well done, ability to get along with others, etc. Prepare examples from work, school or volunteer jobs. Examples follow. Check all that apply: Natural number sense Able to handle more than one job at a time Good with people Able to handle difficult people effectively Able to teach others what I have just mastered Fast learner Have great patience with slow learners and children Able to work under stress Able to work in a chaotic atmosphere or Work well in a highly structured atmosphere Page 4
Able to work without any contact with others for extended periods of time Able to motivate people to improve their work performance Willingness to work until the job is done, even if I have to stay late Mastery of words and grammar Strong sense of commitment Back your strength up with A STORY. For example, on my last job this is what I did, this is how I did it, and these were the results. 7. What is your biggest weakness? Use this as an opportunity to show your problem solving skills. a. Say something nice about yourself b. State the problem c. Solve the problem d. Move on *Examples: I m a self-motivated person. Sometimes I prefer to work alone when teamwork is more appropriate. Since I m a very good worker, when there s work to be done I get it done. Sometimes other people don t work the same way I do or as fast as I do. So I make sure I get my work done and then, if I can help anyone else, I do. That way everybody wins. 8. Explaining gaps in employment. Employment is work that you do for a paycheck. Work is what you do every day. Volunteering also counts! a. Do you volunteer at your child s school? b. Do you volunteer at church? c. List community service as volunteer work. d. Do you mow the neighbor s lawn? e. Do you baby sit? f. List your education and think of all the other kinds of training you ve had *The key is to demonstrate initiative and dependability. 9. Give an example of a time when you had a conflict with a coworker or manager. This is a chance to demonstrate problem-solving. a. Say something positive b. State the problem c. Solve the problem or explain what you would do differently next time d. End on a positive note *Talk about what you learned, how you would do things differently or what worked 10. What are your salary requirements? a. Know what the job would pay at other companies before you interview. Two good resource for salary information are www.salary.com and www.olmis.org. b. You don t want to say anything too high or too low. Based on my skills and experience, I would expect your best offer. Page 5
c. You expect to have your salary increased because of good work, based on some sort of timetable. d. If pressed, give a range based on your research. 11. What are your long-range goals? a. You like the company, you like the work you ll be doing, you like the area, and you have no plans that would require you to leave the job b. You believe in continuing your education and would like to take advantage of night classes and/or training opportunities the company provides. 12. Have you ever been convicted of a crime? a. Know your record. Get a copy if you do not have one. One student who was having a difficult time finding employment found that his brother had used his ID after being arrested. b. What are you doing to better yourself? Be prepared to discuss school, community service and jobs you ve done since the conviction or incarceration. c. Are you in recovery? Examples: First: Second: Third: Fourth: Say something good You: I am proud of the fact that I have been clean and sober for 18 months. State the problem You: When I was using, I got into trouble associated with that lifestyle. Solve the problem You: I am happy to say that I feel very good about my recovery, I have been doing well in school and I am looking forward to moving on with my life. Move on - end on a positive note. You: I m really interested in this position because 13. Oddball Questions You may get a strange question designed to see how you think on your feet, see what you will say or merely to entertain the interview. Some examples of weird questions candidates have actually been asked include: If you could be any character in fiction, who would you be? If you were on the cover of a magazine, what magazine would it be and why? If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be? If you could have dinner with anyone from history, who would it be, and why? If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be and why? Take a deep breath, start with one of your strengths and give it your best shot. Try to tie it in to the skill set they need and/or their ideal candidate. These questions have no right answer so you can t get it wrong. Page 6
14. Do you have any questions? You want to have some questions ready to go. You can follow up on information they shared during the interview and/or try: a. What is the best part of the job? b. What s the toughest part of the job? c. What do you like best about working here? d. What s your ideal employee like? e. What are some of the objectives that you would like accomplished in this job? f. Ask a technical question about the company. g. When will you be making a decision? If I don t hear from you can I call? *You can learn a great deal by simply asking, What are the best parts of the job? and What are the most challenging parts of the job? Thank You! Don t forget to send a note to your interviewer(s) within 24 hours thanking them for taking their time to meet with you. A hand written note is nice and email is common, particularly in high tech. You are thanking them for their time, reminding them of an interview highlight; you now have a chance to tell them about something you forgot to mention in the interview. Page 7
Interview Preparation Sheet After reading the job description and doing company research, think about what it is you can offer them. Answer why you are the person for this job and why you want it. Make copies of this sheet and the evening before the interview, focus your answers for the job you are applying to. Date and time of Interview: Name of Interviewer: Company: Phone: Travel time to arrive 15 minutes before Copies of resume, references, letters Major Accomplishments: 1. Title: Address: Email: Directions on getting there Interview Outfit Ready 2. 3. Technical Skills for this job and company 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Describe your Management/Work Style (provide an example that supports how you describe yourself) Give examples of your Strengths 1. 2. 3. Answers to difficult questions: Weaknesses - Something good about yourself: State the weakness: Solution to the weakness: End on a positive note: Page 8