Employers recently rated communication, motivation, and teamwork as the three mostvaluable qualities in people seeking a job. While employers included academic achievement,computer skills, and technical skills on their wish lists, they were rated as less importantthan “working together” skills. If a person is motivated and able to communicate and workwell with others, s/he should be sure to mention that in job interviews. Marilyn Mackes,Executive Director for the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) says,“It’snot enough for a candidate to have knowledge—the candidate has to be able to share thatknowledge effectively and tactfully in order for the company to succeed.” Below are theresults of the Job Outlook 2000 survey of 435 employers conducted by the NACE.

Top 10 Personal Qualities Employers Seek1. Communication skills2. Motivation/initiative3. Teamwork skills4. Leadership skills5. Academic achievement/GPA6. Interpersonal skills7. Flexibility/adaptability8. Technical skills9. Honesty/integrity

10. Work ethic and Analytical/problem-solving skills tied for 10th place

Source: http://www.naceweb. org. National Association of Colleges and Employers, 62 Highland Avenue,Bethlehem, PA 18017-9085.

Inside this Issue

� The Successful Interview PAGE 2

� What to Do Following theInterview PAGE 3

� Sample ‘Thank You’ Letter PAGE 3

� Money Management ResourcesPAGE 3

Interview Etiquette

In working with a prospective job appli-cant, it is important to teach protocol point-ers about getting ready for the interview.Here are some helpful hints to itemize:• A couple of days before an interview, call

and get directions to the location of theinterview.

• If the applicant will be going by car, it’sbest to drive by the address ahead oftime to see where the site is, how long itwill take to get there, and the nearestavailable parking.

• If using public transportation, a “scout-ing” trip will help locate the nearest stopand how long it will take to get to theinterview site.

• Arriving 10-15 minutes ahead of time isbetter than tardiness. Point out the dan-gers of being late. It says to the interview-ers that the interviewee didn’t think itwas important enough to show up ontime.

• Allow sufficient time to get there takinginto consideration possible traffic or

What Employers are Looking For

—continued on page 2 —continued on page 2

The University of California prohibits discrimination against or harassment of any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, physical or mental disability, medical condition (cancer-related or genetic characteristics), ancestry, marital status, age, sexual orientation, citizenship, or sta-tus as a covered veteran (special disabled veteran, Vietnam-era veteran or any other veteran who served on active duty during a war or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized).University Policy is intended to be consistent with the provisions of applicable State and Federal laws.Inquiries regarding the University's nondiscrimination policies may be directed to the Affirmative Action/Staff Personnel Services Director, University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources, 300 Lakeside Drive, Oakland, CA 94607-5200 (510) 987-0096.

University of California and U.S. Department of Agriculture Cooperating

For many people, interviewing for a job isa very stressful experience. Being well pre-pared for an interview can help the jobseekers feel more relaxed and confident.Careful preparation will allow them to pre-sent their qualifications and show thatthey are enthusiastic workers who woulddo a job well. Good preparation includesthe following:

• Submit a well-prepared application.� In most cases they will have to fill

out an application, which should be

neat and complete. Making a copyof the application form before fill-ing it out (or getting two copies ofthe form) provides a backup copyin case mistakes are made.

� If they have some work experience,encourage them to submit arésumé. This allows them todescribe past work experience inmore detail than on the applica-tion.

� A cover letter serves as an intro-

Preparing for an Interview

An interviewer is always mindful of theway an interviewee presents him or herself.Here are some pointers to use in advisinghopeful interviewees to make the bestimpression. A prepared interviewee shouldpractice some of these hints and have anawareness of the others:• Greeting the interviewer(s) with a firm

handshake.• Making eye contact and smiling.• Waiting for the interviewer to offer a chair.• Sitting straight and not slouching or rest-

ing an elbow on the interviewer’s desk.

• Being aware of annoying habits.• Using appropriate language and avoiding

swearing or using slang.• Looking directly at the interviewer and

keeping eye contact. This lets the inter-viewer know the prospective employee isconfident and ready.

• Answering questions directly and honest-ly. If a question is not understood, askingfor an explanation.

• Being confident, but not boasting.• Joking around and talking about irrele-

vant things often wastes time and is often

seen as subject avoidance.• Talking negatively about a former employ-

er will give the interviewer the wrong mes-sage about loyalty. It’s best to say nothing.

• Taking this opportunity to highlightstrengths and achievements. Showinghow experiences can benefit the companyor organization.

duction to an employer and pro-vides an opportunity to expresstheir interest in the job. There aremany resources to help them writea resume and cover letter. A web sitethat provides a fill-in-the-blanktemplate for creating a resume ishttp://www.10minuteresume.com.Another site that has excellentinformation, at an easy to readlevel, on résumé writing, cover let-ters and interviewing is:http://www.cyber-north.com/resume.

• Learn as much as possible about thecompany. Important information toacquire about the field, position, andemployer includes:� skills and personal qualities

required for the position,� size, locations(s), and structure of

the business or organization,� types of clients, products, or ser-

vices offered, and� the relationship of the organization

to its competitors.This information can be obtained from:web sites; company literature; publiclibraries; newsletters and magazines;people that work for the company; orpeople who are in that field of work.

• Prepare answers for questions that will

probably be asked. Doing the followingwill help the applicant prepare:� Make a list of strengths and weak-

ness, good qualities, work style, andskills.

� Think about how to answer difficultquestions. Interviewers will fre-quently ask,“What are your weak-nesses?” Try to think of weaknessesthat can turn into strengths. Forexample,“I hate being late, so I usu-ally arrive 15-20 minutes before I’msupposed to.”“I’m a perfectionist. Ifsomething isn’t done right, I redoit.”

� Review the job description and cre-ate a list of skills that are importantto the position.

� List examples of past work, extra-curricular activities that they mayhave done in school, and any volun-teer experiences that indicate trans-ferable skills.

� Practice with a friend! Use the listof most often asked questions.

• Pay close attention to personal cleanli-ness and neatness. Last minute frustra-tions can be minimized by planningwhat to wear and making sure that theitems are clean and pressed and shoespolished several days before the inter-view.

Preparing for an Interview (cont.)

parking problems. If unavoidablydelayed, call the interviewer and let themknow the situation, if possible.

• Go to the interview alone. Bringingfriends or family along, even if neededfor moral support, doesn’t look profes-sional. A friendly manner is a must.Respectfulness and courtesy toward allthose at the interview location, even thereceptionist and secretaries, sets the righttone.

• Interviewees should never smoke orchew gum.

• Personal mannerisms or habits such astapping a foot or finger, biting nails,twirling hair, biting the lip, sniffling orclearing the throat often, show nervous-ness and interviewees should be awarethat everyone is watching the littlethings.

• Dress appropriately. Clothes should beclean and pressed, shoes polished, hairand nails clean and neat. Intervieweesshould dress conservatively in business-like clothing if possible; women shouldavoid really bright colors, mini-skirts,and large pieces of jewelry or danglingearrings and men should wear slacksrather than jeans, a shirt that tucks in, ora dress shirt and tie if that is what mightbe worn on the job.

• Interviewees should look at the inter-viewer when s/he is talking and whenresponding to questions. Facing theinterviewer directly with hands placedquietly in the lap communicates thatattention and interest is directed towardsthe interviewer. Cross legs at the ankles,not at the knee.

Interview Etiquette (cont.)

LifeSkills Cooperative Extension, University of California

Division of Agriculture & Natural Resources

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The Successful Interview

LifeSkillsCooperative Extension, University of California

Division of Agriculture & Natural Resources

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A thank you letter should be sent to theinterviewer immediately following the inter-view. Not only is this a polite gesture, it willhelp remind the prospective employer thatthe applicant is really interested in the job.Astandard business format is appropriate. Theperson’s name, address and phone numbershould be at the top of the page, either cen-tered or on the right. Care should be taken tospell the interviewer’s name correctly in theinside address. The body of the letter should:

1) Thank the interviewer,2) Highlight the applicant’s qualifications

in just 2 or 3 sentences,3) Express interest in the job, and 4) Indicate that s/he looks forward to

hearing from them soon and offers toprovide any additional informationthey might need along with a phonenumber.

Applicants should sign their full name(If they have a middle name it may be omit-ted or an initial used). Last but not least, it iswise to ask someone to proofread the letterbefore sending it. The letter can be sent by e-mail or through the post office.

What to Do Following the Interview

Sample ‘Thank You’ Letter

Source: http://www.bls.gov/opub/ooq/ooqhome.htm. Occupational Outlook Quarterly, Summer 2000, Vol. 44,Number 2, p. 21.

LifeSkills Cooperative Extension, University of California

Division of Agriculture & Natural Resources

COOPERATIVE EXTENSIONU.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIAOAKLAND, CALIFORNIA 94612-3560

OFFICIAL BUSINESSPENALTY FOR PRIVATE USE $300

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USDAPermit No. G-00268

Volume 1 • Number 3, 2000

Editor Nancy Feldman Authors Ella Madsen and Michael MannReviewer Dave Campbell Designer Kerry Decker

Program Leader, Human Resources Karen Varcoe, Ph.D.

LifeSkills is published 4 times a year by Cooperative Extension, University ofCalifornia, 135 Highlander Hall, Building C, Riverside, CA 92541 (909)787-5241.Nutrition, Family and Consumer Science Advisor