Interviewing Skills

1
Interviewing Skills

• Source monster.com

2
Interview Strategies

• Sell me, dont Tell me
• Your job in the interview is to sell the
  interviewer, not just tell what youve done.
• Example How many people did you manage in your
  last job?
• Answer A 35
• Answer B I had a team of 35 professionals and
  support staff. Not only did I manage these
  individuals, I was responsible for recruitment
  and hiring, performance reviews

3
Interview Strategies (cont.)

• Turn Every Negative into a Positive
• Example What is your experience with Lotus?
• Answer A I only know Excel.
• Answer B I have a lot of experience with Excel,
  so making the transition to Lotus wont be a
  problem.

4
Interview Strategies (cont.)

• Big to Little
• Example What is your experience with
• Answer
• Start big. Give a short overview of your
  experience.
• Then go small. Give 2 to 4 specific achievements
  or details that are directly related to your
  experience.
• In short This is what I know and this is how
  well Ive done it.

5
Interview Strategies (cont.)

• Be Confident.
• Remember, you have past the first test.
• You wouldnt be interviewed if you werent
  qualified.
• You have their attention, which is why they want
  to meet you.

6
Interview Strategies (cont.)

• Take the Initiative
• You are nearing the end of the interview and you
  want to share some relevant experience, but the
  topic was never brought up.
• It is your responsibility to work it into the
  conversation.
• For example, Before we end, Id like to share
  one more thing with you that is important to the
  position and my fit within your organization.

7
Visualize Interview Success

• Many athletes and coaches incorporate
  visualization into their pre-game preparation.
• Study reported in the Journal of Consulting
  Psychology
• One group received traditional career counseling
  and interview training.
• A second group received the same plus
  visualization techniques.
• Two months after training
• 21 in first group found new jobs.
• 66 in second group found new jobs.

8
Visualize Interview Success

• Train Your Mind
• Program your mind to visualize only the positive
  things you want to happen.
• Lie down or sit in a comfortable position. Close
  your eyes and breath in through your nose and out
  through your mouth, relaxing your body with each
  breath.
• Imagine yourself preparing for the interview on
  the morning it will take place. Notice how calm
  and confident you feel.
• Imagine smiling as you meet the interviewer and
  s/he is smiling back. As the interviewer asks
  questions, you answer spontaneously and
  confidently.
• At the end of the interview, image the
  interviewing saying something like Youre hired.

9
What Your Words Say About You

• Vocabulary Matters
• Vocabulary is an informal barometer of a persons
  intelligence.
• Do not use words with which you are not
  comfortable. You dont want to get called on a
  word choice you cant back up.
• Do not use vocabulary beneath the level of the
  position for which you are applying. For
  example, do not use slang when applying for a
  professional or customer service position.
• Avoid saying umm and like to many times.

10
What Your Words Say About You

• Improve your vocabulary
• People have a much larger bank of words in their
  vocabularies than they actually use.
• Using these words will have a conscious and
  unconscious impact on the interviewer.
• Expand your vocabulary to include power words
  commonly used in the job for which you are
  applying.

11
Dont Talk Too Much

• An interviewers attention span is actually
  rather short.
• Be succinct.
• For example, when asked Tell us about yourself,
  dont tell your whole life story.
• You have about 90 seconds of the interviewers
  attention. For more than half of that time their
  mind is wandering.

12
Dont Talk Too Much

• Ask Good Questions
• It is okay to ask clarifying questions as you
  answer a question. It will help you give a
  better answer and will keep the interviewers
  attention longer.
• For example
• Is this the level of detail you are looking for?
• Is this the kind of example you are interested
  in?
• You will be asked, Do you have any questions for
  us?
• Be prepared. Do some research about the company.
  Make a list of questions. It tells the
  interviewer you thought about the interview
  before you walked in the door.
• Engaging the interviewer in a dialogue will keep
  their attention.

13
Follow Up Letter

• Follow-up could make the difference.
• Highlight your successes.
• Overcome objections.
• Snail mail or email.
• Snail mail is more personal.
• Email is quicker.
• You want to be personal, but you need your letter
  to get there before a decision is made.

14
Why Am I Not Getting Interviews

• Resume and Cover Letter.
• Errors in grammar and spelling can cost you an
  interview
• Jobs you are applying for.
• Are you aiming too high?
• The ways you are applying.
• Are you only looking online or the newspaper?
  Expand your methods. Try networking,

15
Get Over the Jitters

• Perspective An interview is just a
  conversation, not a root canal.
• Breathing Breathe in through your nose and
  gently out through your mouth.
• Prepare
• Learn about the company.
• Learn about the process.
• Anticipate standard questions.
• Practice with a friend or in the mirror.

16
The Working Interview

• The working interview is an on-the-job
  opportunity for you to demonstrate your skills.
• Becoming more common
• Frequent in the foodservice industry.
• Customer service might be asked to answer phones.
• Admin. Assistants might be asked to answer
  phones, compose memos, create spreadsheets, etc.
• Practice like you would for any interview.
• Dont let your guard down.
• Working interviews can be tiring, stay focused.
• Be professional the whole time, these people are
  not your friends.

17
Dress for Success

• Dress conservatively
• Exceptions
• Certain industries.
• Regional variation NYC, California.
• Tips
• Nails should be trimmed and neat. No wild nail
  polish.
• No jewelry that jangles. No more than 2 rings
  per hand. Limit your piercings.
• No open-toed or backless shoes.
• No out-of-date suits.
• Men-wear a collared shirt with a tie, at least
  for the first interview.
• Women-Hemline no more than 3 inches above the
  knee. Wear appropriate stockings.
• No leather jackets or blazers for men or women.
• Briefcases and handbags should be conservative
  and inconspicuous.