Fred Burke, Executive Director The Career Center Hofstra University

Fred Burke, Executive Director The Career Center Hofstra University

Purpose of today’s workshop Objectives of the interview Types of interviews Preparation for the interview Role of the interviewer and applicant Second Interviews

Objectives of the first interview Allows you to convey important information about your qualifications for the position Enables you to gain additional information about the employer Helps the employer know if you have the skills, personality, and interest to do the job Determines if you are seriously interested in the position being discussed

Breakdown of a first interview 25% To learn more about the company 25% 75% To sell yourself to the employer 75%

What is an interviewer looking for? Ability/Skills Does the applicant have the ability to do the job? Will Does the applicant have the will to do the job? Personality Will the applicant get along with others in the company? Fit Will the applicant fit into the environment?

Types of interviews Screening interviews (First Interviews) The initial interview May be conducted by HR professionals and may be on the phone Purpose: To weed out unacceptable candidates Selection interviews (Second Interviews) Conducted after you have passed the screening interview Generally conducted in the employer’s office (aka “site interviews”) May be conducted by future supervisor Purpose: To make hiring decisions

Typical screening interview structure Introduction- 5 minutes Make 1st impression, establish rapport Background-10 minutes Gather information, skill evaluation Discussion-10 minutes Sell yourself and ask questions Close Discuss next steps

Preparing for an interview Know thyself, including: Skills and interests that qualify you Your values Your short and long range goals Know thy organization, including: Information about the position for which you are interviewing (specific and general) General understanding of the industry Key details about the specific organization

Ways to obtain organization/ industry information Internet Organization website Hoover’s, Vault.com, Google, Lexis Nexus, Plunkett, Occupational Outlook Handbook Other print resources, newspapers, corporate literature LinkedIn, Twitter, Blogs, Google Alerts Informational interviews with people working at the organization or in the industry

Ways to prepare information about yourself Review your resume/history of accomplishments and achievements – prepare stories to tell Prepare a “30 second commercial” Review sample interview questions Schedule a “mock interview”

So, tell me about yourself The most common interview opener Interviewer is looking for a brief introduction to who you are: what makes you interesting? What are your unique activities or involvements? Why are you interested in the position? (p. 15 in the Blue Book for more details.) Remember to keep your response natural and conversational!

Types of interview questions Credentials: What is your greatest strength? Experience: Tell me about your internship at {organization name}. Behavior: Tell me about a time when you worked with a team to solve a problem. Opinion: What do you think about our recent acquisition of {organization name}? Case/Brainteaser: Why are manhole covers round?

Answering Questions Consider why the interviewer is asking this question Expand answers, avoid yes and no give details, examples, tangible results! Tie in strengths to jobs and activities Weaknesses - go full circle If stumped, buy a minute or say, “ I am uncertain, but this is what I might do.”

Answering behaviorbased questions Use the STAR technique! S-Situation T-Task A-Action R-Result

Tell me about a time when you worked with a team to solve a problem. Interviewee #1: “I did a lot of group work in my ‘Contemporary Issues in Education’ class” Interviewee #2 uses the STAR technique

Using the STAR technique S-Situation You were asked to collaborate with other teachers to develop a interdisciplinary unit T-Task The unit had to be on China A-Action I helped lead the group with a plan to meet once a week to meet to develop our unit. In the weekly meetings I took on a leadership role the role to organize the meetings. I asked each person in our group to take a on a part of the project where they could use their expertise. Each week everyone in the group contributed. R-Result We developed an extensive Unit that was approved by the school leadership and then was integrated into the overall curriculum. The students enjoyed the unit and China night was organized which was well received by parents.

Questions for the interviewer DO prepare questions to ask the interviewer! (page 74) Demonstrates your level of interest Avoid asking questions that are answered in recruiting literature Sample questions: Tell me about a typical day for a {job title} What are you looking for in the ideal candidate for this position? What is your favorite thing about working for this organization? Least favorite?

The Selection (Second) Interview Congratulations—you made it through your first-round interview! Build on your previous performance Demonstrate why you are the best candidate for the job The second interview is crucial in expressing your “fit” with the organization, as well as your particular skills and knowledge Employers are looking to see which candidate has the best ability to get the job done and to work effectively on a team Employers will evaluate your interaction with others, your job-related abilities, your company and industry knowledge, and your enthusiasm

What to Expect You will usually meet with a number of individuals during a second interview Typically, you meet one-on-one with employers in back-toback appointments; however, you may meet with several employers (all at once) in a group interview setting Expect to meet with a full range of your potential co-workers, peers, superiors, and junior employees They will evaluate not only your own performance, but also what impression your potential co-workers make on you. For example, would you like to work in this type of environment, with these supervisors and colleagues? If not, why?

How to Prepare Research - even more than the first interview! Clearly articulate even further your knowledge of the organization and how you would be a good fit Network with current and former employees People within the Industry Faculty and Alumni Use LinkedIn, Twitter, etc Follow Blogs Read industry literature from relevant publications and websites

Second Interview Questions Questions posed during the second round interview are often more specific and focus more on the particulars of the job and your understanding of the company Company culture and significant plans and objectives and its industry Research the technical aspects of the job and anticipate specific questions posed in the language of the industry Behavioral questions are common so be prepared Employers may ask about the way you handled past situations in order to assess what your future performance may be like

Questions you should ask? Much further detailed. For example I am very interested seeking out a mentor. How does XXX train their new employees. I noticed from your website that X is happening. How does that impact the organizations five year plan? This is an excellent training program over the next 12 months. Can you discuss the career path for employees after the training program? How are employees evaluated and what constitutes a good job?

Beyond the questions Communication style Tone Speed of speaking/Clarity Body language Eye contact Fidgeting Hand gestures Posture

Beyond the questions Appearance Interview dress Grooming Accessories Overall presentation Motivation Confidence Interest Preparedness

Final suggestions Be on time Be positive and enthusiastic Maintain eye contact and a good posture (be aware of body language!) Do not take notes SMILE! Make sure the cell phone/blackberry is OFF

More final suggestions Have an appropriate e-mail address on your resume/cover letter – and voicemail message on your home, cell, room, etc. During the job search only pick up your cell phone in an area when you can speak with the employer Professional on-line presence: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter? Make sure your Facebook profile picture is appropriate, untag yourself in photos, and check your profile settings

More final suggestions Make sure your clothes are ready before the interview Ask for the interviewer’s business card Bring extra copies of your resume, portfolio and references Send a thank you letter within 24 hours (via e-mail is acceptable) to everyone you met (first and second interviews)

Handling illegal/inappropriate interview questions Know what questions are inappropriate (see page 75) Tactics to use if you are posed with an inappropriate question: Ask the interviewer how it would be relevant to the job you are applying for Skip around the question Politely decline to answer the question

Questions