Interviewing

• Behavioral Interview Questions
• Interview Questions
• Dress to Impress - A Guide for Women and Men
• Telephone Interviews

Interviews are a significant part of a hiring decision. While good letters and resumes may help obtain interviews, good interviewing skills are absolutely essential if you wish to turn interviews into job offers. The purpose of an employment interview is to determine whether or not your skills, abilities and interests match those that the employer seeks. The specific objectives of an interview can vary, but basically they fall into the following areas:

Employer Objectives

• To ask questions about information presented in your resume (i.e., to get further details about activities mentioned in your resume, to assess the accuracy of what you have written, and to find out more about any gaps which may exist on your resume).
• To gain additional information about you which is not in your resume such as your communication skills, poise and confidence, and interpersonal skills.
• To determine whether or not you have the knowledge, skills, interests and personal qualities to perform the job in question.
• To decide if you are someone they want to hire, and to determine how much you would "cost" if the employer would choose to hire you.

Your Objectives

• Articulate your skills, interests and abilities in an effort to get a job offer.
• Elaborate on information contained in your resume.
• Assess how knowledgeable you are of the organization and the profession.
• Gain additional information about the organization.
• Gain a sense of the physical environment and the organization’s culture.

What to Expect From the Interview

Interviews are designed to get you, the applicant, to talk. Trained interviewers will make sure that you talk 80 percent of the time while they talk the other 20 percent. Not all interviewers have the same level of training, however, and some may expect more than others. One thing is for sure, the questions are open-ended and should not be answered with a simple "yes" or "no." Because the interviewers want you to talk, they will generally be warm and open with you. This should not be misinterpreted as a symbol of their interest in you as an applicant. They will let you know if they are interested in you, but not immediately after the interview is over. The notification of a job offer or second interview can be a slow process. It is important to keep in touch with the employer on a regular basis, but expect to wait as much as several weeks.

Your Role and Employer Expectations

You have a significant role to play during the interview. You must convey your past achievements, strengths, capabilities and other personal attributes to show that you are the right person for this position. You need to be able to give examples of your skills and strengths using information from your summer and part-time jobs, classes, internships, extra-curricular activities and volunteer experiences. You must also ask questions to determine if the position is right for you. Interviewers will expect that you know yourself and that you are able to talk about yourself during the interview. Know exactly what your strengths and weaknesses are so you can talk easily about them. Interviewers will be evaluating not only the quality of your answers, but also whether or not you think and speak clearly, in an organized fashion, and with some degree of enthusiasm.

Be prepared for the interview. Research the organization so that you are knowledgeable about such things as size, location and their product(s) or service(s). Gather information on recent developments within the firm or industry to show them you are serious about the position. Know the starting salary of the position. Check to see if the organization has a home page; do a Lexis/Nexis search through the library. A lack of research on your part may indicate to them that you are not really interested in the company. Dress appropriately for the interview. Arrive 10-15 minutes prior to the time of your interview! In an emergency, call to inform them of any delay. At the end of the interview reiterate your interest and "fit" for the position.

Types of Interviews

Screening Interview
Preliminary interview for the purpose of determining if a possible match exits. It is usually conducted by a member of the organization’s human resources staff. On-campus interviews are often screening interviews.

Selection Interview
A more in-depth/probing interview (or set of interviews) as the employer starts to get to know you and your skills, abilities, and interests. It is generally conducted at the organization’s location by those you would work with or for. It may involve testing (i.e. skills, personality, drugs) and can last from a half hour to a full day.

Communication During the Interview

Non-verbal Communication

•  Direct eye contact.
•  Keep focused on the interviewer.
•  Don’t fidget.
•  Be yourself.
•  During the interview, maintain good posture.
•  Smile and a firm confident handshake are critical non-verbal signs to the interviewer.

Verbal Communication

• Respond to questions directly and honestly. If you are unsure about the question, ask for clarification.
• Try to avoid expressions like, "you know" and "for sure." Also avoid saying, "I only have a few related experiences."
• Be sure to ask questions that you have prepared prior to the interview.
• You are not required to answer questions of a highly personal nature. If an interviewer asks about race, religion, nationality, sexual orientation or marital status, stay calm and ask why it is relevant to the position. After the interview, inform a CSB or SJU career counselor of your experience.
• Be aware of your weaknesses and be prepared to discuss the measures you have taken or are taking to address your weaknesses. Make the most of the opportunity.
• Express your interest in the position.
• Always leave the interview knowing the next step in the process (i.e., more interviews, timeline for filling the position).
• Following the interview (24-48 hours), a thank you note should be sent. If you do not hear from the employer for a few days, it is appropriate to call and ask for an update on the process.

Questions to Ask an Employer

At the end of most interviews, the tables will turn and you will be able to ask questions of the employer. Come prepared with 5-7 intelligent questions that demonstrate that you have a substantial knowledge of the position at hand, the company/organization, and its products and/or services. Here are some examples of questions to ask:

• What might a typical workday in this job/internship be like?
• What type of career paths do people typically follow within this organization?
• What kind of supervision will I receive?
• How will my performance be evaluated?
• As an employee of this organization, what do you see as some of its outstanding attributes?
• How would you describe the work environment in your organization?
• What makes your organization different from your competitors?
• I was reading about _______ in your organization’s literature, and am interested in learning more about it. Can you tell me more?
• When the interview is over and you are asked "Is there anything else that you would like to say at this time?" — how do you respond?
• Reiterate your skills/abilities.
• Reiterate your interest in the position.
• Ask for the job!

Potential Interview Questions

The types of questions you will encounter in an employment interview will vary depending on the industry, the position opening, and the employer. When anticipating interview questions, it is best to consider what type of information the employer will want to know about the candidate for the specified position. What skills, experiences, and personal attributes do they seek? What type of knowledge is required for the position? By answering these questions you can start to predict some of the questions you will hear in an interview.

Interviews may contain a combination of general questions, technical questions that assess your knowledge of subject matter and technical skills, and behavioral interview questions that inquire about your past performance in a given situation. This handout provides samples of some general questions (below) and some behavioral questions (other side) that are commonly asked of college students and recent graduates. You will want to supplement these questions with technical questions and industry specific questions you may encounter.

• Tell me about yourself.
• What are your long- and short-term professional goals?
• How do you expect to accomplish them?
• Where do you see yourself in five years?
• What do you consider to be your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
• How would a friend or a professor who knows you well describe you?
• What motivates you?
• Why should I hire you?
• How do you define success?
• How can you contribute to our organization?
• Competition is tough for these positions. What separates you from the rest of the pool of candidates?
• What two or three accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction? Why?
• Why did you choose your field or major?
• What courses did you like the best? The least? Why?
• What have you learned from participation in co-curricular activities?
• How would you describe the ideal job?
• Why are you interested in this position?
• What do you know about our organization?
• What criteria are you using to evaluate the organization for which you hope to work?
• Do you have a geographical preference? Why?
• Will you relocate?
• Are you willing to travel?
• How have you handled adversity in your life?
• What have you learned from your mistakes?
• What are your career goals?
• In what areas do you need to grow as a person?
• Describe your interest in the work of our organization.
• How does our organization fit your career goals?
• What is your GPA? (Do not make excuses if it is low. Have a statement prepared in advance if you feel it does not represent your overall ability to learn/perform in this position.

Behavioral Interview Questions

In a behavioral interview, the employer attempts to gain specific information about your past performance as it relates to the skills and qualifications needed for the job. The employer will ask you to describe situations in your past in which you used certain skills. You want to answer the questions by describing a specific situation. Explain the situation, how you handled it, and the overall outcome. To anticipate behavioral interview questions, consider the skills and qualifications needed for the position. The employer’s questions will be aimed at revealing these job-related skills.

Come up with several key examples/experiences that you would like to highlight before interviewing. Utilize the "STAR" technique when answering behavioral questions. STAR stands for:

S = Situation:  Find and describe a situation that ties into the interview question at hand.

T = Task:  Further delineate a specific task you had to complete in this situation.

A = Action(s):  Discuss the approach you took to deal with the task, breaking down your actions one by one.

R = Results:   Conclude by describing specific, concrete outcomes of your actions. Make mention of accomplishments, awards, or improvements made as a result of your actions.

• Describe a situation where you demonstrated initiative. What was the outcome?
• Tell me about a time where you were especially creative in solving a problem.
• Tell me about a time when you were disappointed in your performance.
• How do you schedule your time and set priorities? Give me a specific example.
• Tell me about a time when you were unable to sell your idea to a key person.
• Tell me about a time when you were frustrated with the performance of a group that you were involved in. What did you do? What was the outcome?
• What accomplishment has given you the most satisfaction? Why?
• Tell me about a time when you utilized your leadership ability to gain support for an idea that initially had strong opposition.
• What kind of information have you been required to analyze? Tell me about the most difficult analysis you’ve ever engaged in.
• Tell me about a time when you had to present complex information to a customer or peer. How did you ensure that the other person understood?
• What motivates you? Provide an example of a time where motivation was an issue for you.
• Tell me about a time when you had to make an important decision quickly even though you did not have all the information you wanted.

Telephone Interviews

The telephone interview is another tool that many employers may utilize in their candidate selection process.  In most cases a telephone interview will be part of the screening process that will occur early in the employers search.   Telephone interviews may be used if an employer has a large pool of applicants and needs to narrow down the field or used to screen applicants that may be out of the employers’ geographic area. If the position requires a significant amount of telephone work, the employer may use this opportunity to analyze your professionalism over the phone.

You as an applicant may see advantages to the telephone interview; convenience, you don’t have to get into your interview attire, no travel, and the interview is probably going to be conducted in an environment in which you are comfortable.  The disadvantage is that you will not have the personal face to face contact with the interviewer, which puts more responsibility on you to communicate verbally in a positive and strong tone.  Your voice inflections will be what the employer will be using to judge your interest and motivation for the position.  Keeping these things in mind, here are a few suggestions to assist you in preparing for a telephone interview:

• Have items such as your resume, job description, and company literature within easy reach.  Review all of them prior to the call. Have a set of prepared questions you want to have answered about the position.
• Know the details of the call: do you initiate or will the employer? What time will the call take place,? Are you dealing with different time zones? If there are any questions about the timing of the call make sure you get clarification ahead of time.
• Provide a telephone number that will afford you a degree of privacy for the conversation.  If available use a land line phone rather than a cell or cordless phone to eliminate any potential low or dead battery problems.  If you have call waiting, disable it.
• Write down the name(s) of the individuals you will be speaking with and address your questions to them by name.  You will also want this information to send follow-up thank you notes. Be sure to get correct spelling of names and titles.
• Speak in a confident, positive, and clear tone.  If you feel yourself starting to talk too fast, take a breath and slow down.
• Your interview will start the second you answer the phone so do so in a professional manner.
• Determine what the next step in the search process will be, if this is not provided by the employer ask before you terminate the call.  Have your calendar handy in the event the employer wants you to come in personally for a second interview.

Remember, you will probably not get a job offer as a result of a telephone interview but you may be eliminated as a candidate.  Treat the phone interview as seriously as you would if you were sitting directly across from the employer in their office.  Follow up with a thank you note to the interviewer(s).