Successful Interviewing
Techniques
Keep in mind:
The resume gets you the
interview…
The interview gets you the
job!
So …
• You need to prepare.
– Know your skills, your abilities, your talents
– Know the company/org and the job
– Know how to answer behavioral based
interview questions
– Know the importance of follow-up
Always, know the basics
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Dress professionally
Practice talking about yourself
Be on time!
Take a portfolio containing: extra copies of
your resume, references, pen, paper
• Take money (including change)
Know yourself . . .
• Talents: natural abilities, born with these
and it sets you apart
• Skills: achieved abilities, you develop these
• Interests: what captures your imagination,
your passion, your time
• Values: what guides your actions and
decisions
Know the organization . . . .
• Do your research on the organization
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Who are they? Do they have a mission statement?
What service do they provide/what is their product?
Who owns them? Who do they own?
Where are they geographically located?
What are their different divisions?
Who are their key competitors?
• Most importantly, why are they the organization that
matches your interests and skills?
Now, know the job . . .
• Get a job description – are general career
descriptions on their web site?
• Look for the skills they ask for – how do your skills
set match up?
• Think about how you can demonstrate how you
can do each of the tasks listed on a job description
• If you are really interested, try to find out the type
of interviewing technique they use
Start thinking like an employer
• Look for clues so you understand “how does this
employer think”
• Go to the website and look for anything that talks
about qualities of their people – if they have a
career area, it will be there
• Print out web pages, begin to write down
attributes they state so you can think how you
match those
An example:
Valley Children’s Hospital
• www.childrenscentralcal.org – at the top,
click on “About Us & Info”
• They give you lots of information including
their mission, vision and values
• Think of examples of when you exemplified:
– Leadership
– Service to the Community
– Working with Diversity
Note where there is a match . . .
Valley Children’s
You
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Excellence
Compassionate Care
Integrity
Innovation
Collaboration
Stewardship
Studious and earn good grades
Volunteer experience
Ethical
Takes on challenges
Works well as a team member
Cares about saving resources
Common interview questions:
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Tell me something about yourself
Why do you want to work here?
Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years?
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Do you have any questions?
Tell me about yourself:
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This is your introduction so make it good!
Just a bit of history
Start establishing your “track record”
Introduce your skills
Give short examples to support statements
Come up to the present - how does it all lead to
this opportunity?
Tell me about yourself tips
Consider your response to this request as a commercial
that sells your autobiography. Always answer this
question with positive information. When describing
yourself, you should give specific examples of your
professional and personal qualities. Your response
should be focused on skills and experience relevant to
the position in question.
Tell me about yourself sample
"I've always been interested in helping others, and I spent my
last two years in school preparing myself to work in the field of
social work when I graduated. In addition to my required
fieldwork, I looked for other volunteer and extracurricular
opportunities that would allow me to gain additional skills, and
I'm excited to continue on that path. I've been told that I have
compassion, am a good listener and have great interpersonal
skills. So I'm particularly excited about this opportunity."
Why do you want to work here?
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What are your priorities?
What are your values?
How you navigate through decision-making?
Why and how did you decide on applying?
Be detailed - no vague answers
Why do you want to work here? tips
The employer wishes to observe if your answer
indicates that you have thought about what you want
and that you have researched the organization. A little
flattery will go a long way, so cite some good qualities
of the organization. Let the interviewer know you are
being selective about where you want to work and
that you're not just sending your resume for any job
opening.
Why do you want to work here? sample
"I'm connected on LinkedIn to several people
who work in your department. When I reviewed
their profiles, I saw that we all shared some
things in common. It struck me that this is the
kind of place where I can fit in and excel, so I
was thrilled to see you have this opening."
How to persuade an employer you can
add value to the organization
• Use the STAR approach to answering
questions and when giving examples:
S = Situation
T = Task
A = Action you took
R = Result
Using the STAR technique
• Be specific and use detail in each and every
answer
• “Paint” a picture with your descriptions – use
words that really describe the situation:
when it took place, where it took place, who
else was involved
• The employer should be able to visualize it.
Interview question:
Tell me about a time you worked with a
group on a project.
S = SITUATION
• Choose ONE specific example
• Describe the situation as completely as
possible – take your time
Last fall semester I was enrolled in a Public Relations
Writing class that all Public Relations majors are required
to take. It had an enrollment of over 35 students, but
within that large class are smaller groups of 5 - 6 students.
These small groups work closely together on one
important project. My group had five members . . . .
T = TASK
• The task – is the “task at hand” – what needs
to get done? what is the goal of the project?
what is the objective? the desired outcome?
In our group project, we were assigned to create messages
tailored to multiple groups via a range of media and
making a presentation to a target audience. We needed to
manage every aspect of the process from start to finish.
A = ACTION YOU TOOK
• These are the actions that you specifically
took in the group, or on the project
Each of us had to take a specific role. I volunteered to
serve as coordinator for the group. I wanted to make sure
that everyone had access to the progress as we went
along, so I created a Blackboard account where I could list
the most recent information. As I updated the account,
everyone had access to it in real time.
R = RESULT
• This is how the project turned out – the
impact that you made – “the end of the
story”
Because we all had access to the necessary information
when we met, we were all on the same page. We could
use our time to make important decisions and react
quickly if we needed to make adjustments. Therefore, our
project went very well and everyone in our group earned
an “A.”
STAR exercise – your turn
STAR Stories for Behavioral
Interview Questions (Handout)
Closing interview questions
• Why should I hire you?
• Do you have questions for me?
• Is there anything else you would
like to say?
Why should I hire you?
This is your opportunity to:
• Summarize your key characteristics
• Let them know which skills you have that relate
directly to the job “You are seeking someone to
join your organization and I have done very well
in my major classes and have the practical
experience you are seeking.”
• That you are excited about the opportunity
Do you have questions for me?
Have 3-5 good solid questions that came up
as you were doing your research:
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Training programs
Timeline for the hiring process, next steps
Company culture
Something you read
Before we conclude . . . .
Make sure you end the interview on an
upbeat note –
• Thank the interviewer
• Let him/her know how much you want the job
• Ask for a business card so you can follow up by
sending a thank you email and/or thank you
letter
Last tips
• Practice makes perfect!
• Do a mock interview
OPTIMALRESUME™
• https://csufresno.optimalresume.com
• Select the Interview Prep module for a
practice Interview; available 24/7
Questions?
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