Interviewing Strategies
Career Counseling and Support Services
1640 Neil Avenue, 2nd Floor
Younkin Success Center
(614) 688-3898
ccss.osu.edu
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Objectives
To learn proven strategies for the different types of
interviews.
To have an understanding of what skills and
experiences employers are looking for in
candidates.
To learn how to formulate answers to frequently
asked questions.
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Step 1: Before the Interview
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The importance of research!
Find out who will be interviewing
Review common interview questions
Generate and rehearse stories
Develop questions for them
Remember your references
Know where you are going
Dress professionally
Know your interviewers names
Plan ahead for contingencies!
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Step 2: Positive First Impression
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Show up on time and prepared
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EVERYONE is interviewing you
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Direct eye contact, warm smile, firm handshake
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Mental connections lead to physical connections, you
will radiate a positive attitude if you believe so
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Remember, small talk is big talk: avoid potentially
divisive topics
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Step 2: What Employers are Looking For
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Credentials (Skills and Accomplishments)
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Motivation (Why them and clear career goals)
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Fit (Potential for work environment and collegiality)
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Salary and Benefits
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What SKILLS do You Have?
Can You do the Job?
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Tell me, how does your past experience relate to the
present job?
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What are your major strengths?
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What are your areas of professional growth?
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Tell me a situation when you demonstrated ____ skills?
*Check handouts for sample questions
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Demonstrating your Skills =
Answer Question + Back it up with story
+ Connect to employer/program needs
Back up skill with experience (story telling) + portfolio
How do you tell your story? SAR technique (Scenario + action + result)
You can expect to demonstrate the skill by performing (i.e. teaching a
class)
Weakness question:
Answer with a similar skill and back it up with a story
Answer with SAR technique and go to the future
Clueless? Tell story when you learn something new in a job
Tone of the interview: What can you do for the employer?
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Employers’ Expectations: Motivation
Would you do this Job?
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What makes you think you would like to work in this
company?
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You’ve seen our mission statement. How would you see
yourself contributing to our mission?
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What makes you think that you would be able to grow with
us?
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What do you know about our program?
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What attracted you to this company?
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Describe your goals and plans for professional development
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Demonstrating Motivation
• Do your homework: research the company (mission,
products, services, annual reports)
• Have clear career goals, both short and long term
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Employer’s Expectations: Personality
Would You Fit in with this Organization
• What’s your ideal work environment?
• What would frustrate me the most of working with
you in a team?
• What will be the positives of having you as a
colleague
• What will you do if you encounter a challenging
situation at work?
• How would your previous supervisor describe you?
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Demonstrating Personality
• Ideal work environment
• Personal strengths and weaknesses (take your
strengths to the extreme)
• Ideal Colleagues
• Ideal Supervisors
• Conflict question
• Off the wall questions
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Motivation
Skills
Skills ~ Key words
Answer + Story + Connect with
Company’s needs
Learning story = weakness
To tell story use SAR technique
(Scenario + Action + Results)
(JFK ) = What you can offer
Research the company
Do your homework ~ Key words
Goals ~ Short and Long Term
Fit
5+
Ideal Work Environment
Colleagues
Administrators
Conflict
Off the wall
5-
$
Salary Negotiation
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Interviewing Tips: Handling Illegal Questions
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You can answer the questions; however, you are giving
information that is not related to the job.
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You can refuse to answer the question; but you run the risk of
coming off as confrontational
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May re-phrase, “What’s the relationship between by ___ and
the job requirements?
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You can examine the question for its real intent and respond
with an answer as it might apply to the job
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Interviewing Tips: Handling Illegal Questions
Inquiry Area: National Origin
- Illegal Question: Are you a U.S. Citizen?
- Legal Question: Are you authorized to work in the U.S.?
Inquiry Area: Marital/Partner/Family Status
- Illegal Question: Whom do you live with? How many kids do you have?
- Legal Question: Would you be willing to relocate if necessary?
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Building Confident Interviewing
Preparation by researching
the organization and it’s
needs
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Formulation and practice of
your answers
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Consider using these
techniques
The Parrot Technique
Repeat back the question
using your own words
Know Yourself and know
what you want
The Delay Technique
Reflect the question back
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Educating the Employer
Cannot have lunch because
you are fasting, offer
alternatives!
CONFIDENT
INTERVIEWING
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Step 4: Closing with Finesse
• Briefly reiterate your interest and
qualifications
• Ask about next steps (who, when, and how
are they going to follow up)
• Ask for a business card from all interviewers
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Step 4: Interview Follow-Up
• Take notes immediately after
• ALWAYS send a thank you letter
• Anticipate a second interview
• Review the job carefully and prepare to
respond to an offer
• Call if you have not heard anything and the
deadline has passed
• Don’t burn bridges… EVER!
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Questions?