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The Art of Interviewing
Cara ValentineCareer Development Center
SUNY Buffalo State [email protected]
Getting to know you…Class Year?
Major?Career?
Interviewed before? How did it go?
What is an interview? Well-prepared formal meeting in which one or more hiring manager(s) question, consult or evaluate your knowledge, skills, experience, attitudes and abilities.
Mutual!!
Purpose of an Interview?
Move forward in the hiring process!
Get the JOB!!
Demonstrate your knowledge: Organization The job itself What you can offer them
Show your professionalism
Opportunity to make a POSITIVE PROFESSIONAL first impression with a potential employer!!!!
Preparing for Interview: Research, Research, RESEARCH!!!
Position Organization
• Position description, duties, salary range, minimum requirements/qualifications.
• Deadline for application and start date.
• Geographic location of the position.
• Who will be interviewing you.
Website, LinkedIn, Google!
Products or services of the organization.
Other employees employed.
Age of organization, history and its mission statement.
Current problems, competitors, trends and anything in the news.
Parent company and any other divisions.
Location(s) of the organization.
Preparing for Interview: What do I bring to the table…
Verifying Interview
• Strengths and weakness
• Personality characteristics
• Relevant skills you have
• Experience, training and previous activities
• Contacts!!
• Screen calls
• Exact interview date & time
• Location, parking, what entrance
• Names of interviewer(s)
• Map out time/consider traffic during that time of the day
Proper Interview AttireWear a suite to every interview!
Dress for the job you want, not for the one you have!
Men should wear: • Navy, gray or black suit • Solid white or blue button down shirt• Conservative tie• Shined dress shoes
Women should wear: • Navy, gray or black pant or skirt suit• Unpattern blouse with conservative neckline• Basic dark closed toe heels (no higher than 2”)• Neutral sheer hosiery• Minimal amount of make-up
What NOT to WearSemi- Formal
NO JEANS, NO SHORT SKIRTS, NO VESTS!!
What NOT to Wear continued…
Quick Tip: Always err on the conservative side with your clothing and accessories! Remember what your clothes say about you… now is not the time to
make a statement about your fashion preferences!
Types of InterviewsTelephone
What you need to know…• Typically, but not always, the first interview
(pre-screening candidates)
• Free of interruptions and distractions.• Eliminate background noises such as
children, dogs, cell phones, television, etc.
• Have a copy of the version of the resume sent to the interviewer.
• Have a note pad and pen.
• Have a minimum of 5 questions you’ll want to ask the interviewer.
• Treat the phone interview as seriously as a face-to-face interview!!
• Dress up- at least a little.
• Talk directly into the mouthpiece & sound upbeat!
Types of InterviewsFace-to-Face, One-on-One
What you need to know…Firm handshake and eye
contact
Bring at least two copies of your resume
Dress professionally
Bring note pad and pen
Have questions prepared
Types of InterviewsFace-to-Face, Group
What you need to know… Firm handshake and eye
contact with everyone
Bring multiple copies of your resume
Dress professionally
Bring note pad and pen Record the names and titles
of interviewers
Have questions prepared
Types of InterviewsSkype
What you need to know… Treat like a face-to-face
interview!
Dress as though you were in a face-to-face interview (even the bottom half).
Quiet space without distractions.
Test the equipment to avoid technical problems
During the Interview:What to expect
Introduction Small talk Create rapport Ease nerves Shake hiring manager(s) hand Settle into space (Pull out leather bound notebook, resume and any other additional
material needed)
Background analysis Often starts with the “Tell me about yourself” questions Assessing your attitude, self-confidence, ability to communicate How you handle yourself professionally
Matching candidate to position Hiring manager will match your background with their needs Move toward deciding whether or not you the type of candidate they are looking for
Closing Ask questions/clarifications
Top 5 Interview QuestionsTell me about yourself.
Where do you see your career in the future?
What do you consider to be your greatest strengths?
What do you consider to be your greatest weakness?
Why should I/we hire you?
Tell me about yourself2-3 minute response Overview of your education
and professional careerReflect on:
Where you came fromEducationHow you picked your fieldWhere you are nowCurrent employmentCurrent organizationWhere you strive to beWhat you want to do in 5-
10 years (Be careful here!!)
Well, to start off I was born and raised in Upstate New York about an hour North of Watertown. I graduated from a very small public High School and was one of twenty-two students in my graduating class. From there I completed my undergraduate work at St. Lawrence University where I obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics and Statistics. After graduating in 2010, I got accepted and had plans to attend American University to obtain my Master’s Degree in Statistics. However, I struggled with committing to that decision both intellectually and financially so I decided to step into the working world instead of continuing my education.
A few months later I landed a job at MRI Network in Ogdensburg, New York. I was hired as an Account Executive which meant I ran my own desk recruiting sales and marketing professionals nationally in the medical device and pharmaceutical industries. I learned a lot about managing my “own business” as well as interviewing, hiring and working with a variety of different people. I was employed there for roughly 18 months and ultimately decided to make a change because I did not enjoy sales and the culture of sales.
Through the positive experiences I had at St. Lawrence and as a recruiter, I decided to seek a profession that combined the two: Student Affairs. I began to research and apply to different Higher Ed MS programs in the greater Buffalo area. Ultimately, I decided on Buffalo State College due to the Graduate Assistance I was offered at the Career Development Center. I am currently employed there full-time while completing my graduate degree, also full time. I aspire to be a career counselor at a college or university.I also have an invested interest in developing relationships with employers and an open to the opportunity to gain further experience doing that in the Higher Education industry.
Where do you see your career in the future?
Deeper meaning: How ambitious and committed are you, can you plan ahead, is this career path a good fit for you, is this employer right for you?
How to answer:Don’t be presumptuous or over-confident: the future can change.Stay away from “I’m not really sure” or “I don’t know.”Avoid personal life, but talk about professional goals if they will impact your career (obtaining a Masters).Be realistic and practical; you don’t need to be too honest but be genuine.
Reflect on:what you imagine doing in this position and in this career.
Right now I’m focused on getting as much experience as I can in career services, networking with other professionals in the industry and helping the students I work with to the best of my ability. Once I’ve obtained my Master’s Degree my ultimate goal is to received a full-time professional position in Student Affairs at a college or university, preferably in career services with a focus on Employer Relations.
What do you consider to be your greatest strength(s)?
Deeper meaning: Are you honest, passionate, enthusiastic and able to prioritize? Are you confident?
Focus on:What sets you apart from othersWhat enabled you to succeed in the pastHow you will be an asset to the employer
I believe my greatest strength is my ability to build both strong and positive relationships with others. I pride myself on being reliable, honest and knowledgeable. By being that way, I’ve found that I can gain respect and trust fairly quickly from others which has allowed me to connect, build and keep relationships with students and employers.
What do you consider to be your greatest weaknesses?
Deeper Meaning: Everyone has something they are working on. If we hire you, what can we do to help you grow? Do you have a weakness that would flagrantly go against our mission?
Focus on: What you know about yourself that you are improving upon.Don’t try to evade the question; try to turn a negative into a positive.Avoid using generic responses like: “I’m a perfectionist” or “I’m a workaholic”.
My greatest weakness is that I tend to judge and form an opinion on a situation too quickly. Although often times my intuition can be useful when I’m initially working with students, co-workers, or other professionals, sometimes I have to force myself to let go of preconceived notions/opinions to fully have a positive relationship with said person.
Why should I/we hire you? Deeper meaning: We have over 40, 50, 100, 400 etc applicants for this position. What makes you the best fit for our needs here?
Focus on:Your opinion of why you’re the best fit.Matching the employer’s needs with concrete examples of your skills and accomplishments.Be positive and re-emphasis what you spoke about earlier.
I am confident that I would make a great fit for the career services internship at University at Buffalo. Given my experiences as a recruiter and a graduate counselor at Buffalo State’s career center, I offer both a unique and qualified background that would only aid in my success in this position. Most importantly, I am open to learning more about the services your office offers students and applying your practices to my future career.
See handout for more
questions!!
Behavior Based Interview Questions- STAR
The SituationChoose a specific situation, which YOU have directly
been involved with, not generalized examplesBad answers: Often times I…, A few times I did…,
The TaskExplain briefly the task(s) associated with the situation
The ActionDescribe the action you took to meet, overcome, resolve
or complete the task(s)The Results
Describe the result of your efforts, positive or negative
These question are designed to elicit patterns of accomplishments relevant to the hiring managers situation. They are based on the belief that past performance is a good predictor of how that person will behave in similar situations in the future.
Behavior Based Example Questions Give an example of when you were faced with a challenge and were able
to overcome it? Give an example of when you needed to improve a process, how did you
go about doing that? Give an example when you worked as part of a team, what role did you
take? Give an example when you had a conflict with a peer, co-worker or a
supervisor, how did you handle it? Tell me about a setting when you had to learn something new in a short
time. What do you like most/least about your current job? Explain a time where you you’ve had to deal with a disappointment? Give an example of a time you had to be flexible? Give an example when your persistence paid off? Have you ever had to make an unpopular decision/announcement?
Describe it and tell me how you handled it?
Keep it professional &Keep it positive!!
Behavior Based QuestionsEducation Majors
Describe your teaching style and beliefs and tell us how you have implemented this in the classroom?
What steps have you taken prior to parent-teacher conference to ensure its success?
What strategies do you use to improve skills of students who are far below grade level?
Describe the process you have used in dealing with a student who was disruptive?
Describe your experiences working with a diverse student body.
Tell me about a specific lesson plan or situation that did not go the way you anticipated?
Keep it professional &Keep it positive!!
Candidate QuestionsWhy is this position open?Do you have a history of promoting from within?What keeps you at “ABC Company”?What would my specific duties and responsibilities
be in this role? (Appropriate if company gives you vague JD)
Describe a typical day on the job. What is training and development like here? What are example of the best results produced by
people in this job? What is your management style?
CLOSING!!!1) Let them know you have interest in the position!!
2) Ask them if there is anything YOU should explain further!
3) Ask them for the next step Mr. Hiring Manger, I am very interest in moving forward in your interview process, is
there any additional information that I can provide to you to make you feel comfortable recommending me for the next step?
Ms. Hiring Manager, I am excited about your company and the opportunity we discussed today. Have I answered all of your questions clearly enough? How do you see someone like me fitting into your organization?
HR Manager, This opportunity sound like a great mutual fit and I would like to be considered as a candidate for the next step in the process. When should I expect to hear back from you?
Ask for
busines
s card!!!
Reasons for Rejection Following an Interview
Poor AttitudeAppearanceLack of researchNot having questions to ask Asking questions you could have easily researchedNot readily knowing the answers to interviewers’ questionsRelying solely on resume (Employers hire people- not paper!)Too much humility- Its okay to sell yourselfNot relating skills to employers’ needsHandling salary issues ineptlyLack of career direction- “Job Hunter”Not having a hard enough closeThere was a better candidate
During the Interview: DO NOT’sNo smoking prior
No chewing gum
No cell phones (turn off)
Talk negatively about organizations, managers, co-workers, etc.
Discuss salary unless brought up first
How to Handle Salary Salary discussion should be avoided, if possible.
Research the position to get an understanding of the salary range!! Occupational Handbook Simply Hired ORCA/Nacelink
DO NOT be the one to bring up salary, benefits or vacation time
What if they ask your current salary? Best advice: Answer truthfully!!!
What if they ask for your desired salary in the first interview? “I am looking for the right opportunity and I am confident that if you find that I am the best candidate for this
position, you will extend me your best and most fair offer.”
“ With respect Mr./Ms. Hiring Manager, it seems too early in the process for me to answer that question. If it is alright with you I’d like to get a better understanding of the position available, the culture of your organization and the type of candidate you are seeking. If at that point this is a mutual fit, I’d be more comfortable discussing salary and benefits with you.”
Salary negotiations are discussed often discussed in final interview or when offer is presented to candidate!!
That may mean walking away from a job offer!
Follow Up Thank You Letter
ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS send a thank you letter after every interview!
Sample Letter
QUESTIONS? Interviewing?Job Search?Follow Up?Resume/Cover Letter? Miscellaneous?
Cara [email protected]
