We talked about the different stages of the interview and what to expect, how to prepare, and what to do/what not to do…
Here are my notes:
THE PAST
- SCHOOLS AND COLLEGE
- QUALIFICATIONS ATTAINED
- EMPLOYERS AND JOB TITLES
- STUDENT/ VOLUNTEER WORK
- WHAT HAVE YOU ACHIEVED
- STUDENT CLUBS
- PRIZES/ AWARDS
- LEADERSHIP ROLES
THE PRESENT
Subject or industry specific skills
Generic or transferrable skills
Can you write well?
Can you communicate effectively?
Can you fit in to their team?
Are you reliable?
Do you have leadership ability?
THE FUTURE
- Career goal– indicates you are ambitious and taking you career seriously
- Your goal should be ambitious but achievable
- You should be knowledgeable about what your goal entails, and be prepared to discuss it in an interview
- The job for which you are applying should be part of that plan
MOCK INTERVIEWS–7065423375
Suzanne Voigt: svoigt@uga.edu
WHAT TO EXPECT
- 30 minute time slot
- 20 minute interview
- 10 minute feedback
WHAT TO BRING
- Student ID
- Tailored resume
- Cover letter
- Job/ company/ position interviewing for
- Printed copy of real position posting description
- Does not have to be something you plan to apply for
HOW TO DRESS
- Dress like going to real interview
- Review notes from text
QUESTIONS
- “Tell me about yourself”–Expected to do well with question
PREPARE
- Check out career center videos
- http://career.uga.edu/resources/library/video_library
- Acing the interview part I and part II
Conducting the Search– Preparation of the interview
- Networking
- Looking for a job
- Knocking on doors
- Online connections
- Email connections
- Newspapers/ newsletters
- The placement agency or service
- The internet
- Career fairs
Creating a favorable first impression
- Relationship of the two interviewing parties
- Know how and when to share control on the interview
- Adapt to recruiter
- Dress and appearance
- Dress for a formal business occasion
- Neatness costs nothing and pays dividends
- Appearance should not call attention to itself
- Nonverbal communication
- Nonverbal communication is critical to first impressions
- Follow the lead of who is conducting the interview
- Nodding, nudging probes
- Be alive and dynamic
- Be responsive
- Take a question and run with it
- Continue with the topics that are addressed
- Be vocal and keep eye contact
- Good communication skills are important in all positions
ARRIVAL AND OPENING
- Be on time and ready to interact
- Don’t be in a rush
- Be prepared
- Think through all questions and background information
- How you handle yourself during the first minutes with a stranger tells them a great deal about your interpersonal communication and people skills
- Rapport
- Connections addressed and considered
- Remember your relationships as an interviewee
ANSWERING QUESTIONS
STAR– Situation, Task, Action, Results
- Prepare to respond
- Be ready to handle tradition questions
- Tell me about yourself
- Major strengths/ weaknesses
- What sort of pay do you expect
- Previous experience
- Former employer say about you
- Personal situation
- What about previous experience leads you to your role here
- Welcome on-the-job questions to show what you can do
- Overcoming challenges
- Achieving goals
- Responding: successful applicants
- Listen, think, then answer
- Hear question– think a second– then answer with insightful answers that show who you are as a professional
- Effective answers are long on substance and short of puffery
- Tell specific stories that explain
- Have concise beginning, middle, and end
- What did you learn from this?
- Do not play act; act yourself
- Don’t be over animated
- Don’t overdo it
- BE YOURSELF
- Focus on the skills you have and how you are right for the company
- Walk in prepared!
- God recruiters detect phoniness
- Be informed before replying
- I actually don’t know, but let me get back to you on that.
- You don’t have to know the answers to all the questions
- Informed answers always
- Listen, think, then answer
- Responding: unsuccessful applicants
- Unsuccessful applicant are passive and cautious
- Shows shyness and not being prepared
- Know what not to do during interviews and then DO NOT DO IT
- Unsuccessful applicant are passive and cautious
- Unlawful interviews
- Do not be surprised by unlawful questions
- Identifying unlawful questions
- The pressure is on the applicant
- Review EEO laws and your rights
- Be aware of recruiter tricks to get unlawful information
- Be ready to handle tradition questions
- Asking questions
- Guidelines for asking questions
- Question pitfalls
- Sample applicant questions
- Informations interview questions
- The Closing
- Be aware of everything you say or do
- Script out every opening and closing
- What is the contract?
- How will you propose following up?
- Its not over ‘til its over.
- Mock interview should be with job that almost match qualifications
- The employer is likely to note everything you do and say
- Note follow-up
- Note how you say goodbye and how your body language should proceed
- Evaluation and follow-up
- The interview is more art than science
- Be thorough in your debriefing
- Is there a better way I could have stated that?
- How did you relate to each other?
- Think through entire interview and how it went
- Helps remember things you missed or should have said
- Can use in follow-up email
- Quality applicants write thank you notes
- Maintaing connection is key
- Handling rejection
- Don’t be a victim
- Use each interview as a learning process
- Ask what you might do differently in the next interview
- How did you handle behavioral-based and critical incident questions?
- Strengths/weaknesses
- Challenges you overcome
- Did they feel the questions you asked were appropriate?
- How might you have prepared more thoroughly?
- What did you do that might have turned off the recruiter?
- Was this a position for which you were highly qualified, or was it a stretch?
