INTERVIEWING
Be Employer Centered
What skills are the employers looking for?:
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Genuine enthusiasm
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Drive and motivation
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Teamwork and cooperation
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Verbal and written communication
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Technical and quantitative
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Analytical and problem solving
Prepare
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Know your resume inside and out:
 Reflect on
your past jobs and achievements so you can talk
about them comfortably
 Think of your background as a story for a stranger to follow
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Know the company, industry and position:
 Read
the company’s website and know about their recent
news
 Research the people who are conducting the interview
 Understand what is going on in the industry
 Make sure you have read the job description and
understand what your job responsibilities would be
Practice
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Practice out loud
Tone
What is the narrative you are trying to tell
Have answers to common questions prepared
ahead of time
Mock interview with counselor
Before the Interview
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Have an appropriate outfit picked out:
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Better to be too formal than too informal
Keep accessories and colors simple
Make sure clothes are ironed and neat looking
Make sure pants are not too tight or low rise or skirts are too short
Don’t wear excessive cologne/perfume
Make sure what you wear is not distracting
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Print out many copies of your resume
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Bring paper and pen
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Make sure you know the directions to the interview location
(perhaps make a practice run, check MTA site for delays, and bring employers
contact information with you)
General Interview Guidelines
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Highlight the positive
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Take initiative and make sure you get to say what you
want to
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Be sure to answer the question
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If question isn’t clear, ask for clarification
Take time to think of your answer
Elaborate and give examples
Types of Interview Questions
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Traditional: Require you to relay factual
information about yourself
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Behavioral: Require you to offer concrete
examples to reveal key and transferable skills
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Case/Technical: Require you to focus on the
requirements of specific industries
Common Interview Questions
Be ready to answer the following questions:
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Tell me about yourself.
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Why are you interested in this field?
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What are your strengths and weaknesses?
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Why do you want to work here?
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Why should we hire you?
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Do you have any questions for us?
Attribute Questions
“What is your biggest strength?”
 Know what your main selling points are
 Back each one up with an example
“What is your biggest weakness?”
 Make sure Avoid clichés
 You pick something that wouldn’t be a huge part of the
new job
 Show how you are working on this challenge
Behavioral Questions
Questions about past behavior used to
predict future behavior
Common questions:
 Tell me about a time you faced a deadline.
 Tell me about a time you had to work on a team project.
 Tell me about a time you showed leadership.
 Tell me about a time you worked with a challenging client.
 Tell me about a time something did not go according to plan.
How to Answer Behavioral Questions
Use the SOAR framework.:
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Situation: What was the Situation?
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Obstacle: What Obstacle did you overcome?
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Action: What Action did you take?
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Result: What was the Result and what did you
learn?
Behavioral Questions
“Give me an example of a time that you had to work with a
difficult person”
Situation: “I had a teammate who had a different working style than me.”
Obstacle: “She did things at the last minute, where I liked to complete
things early. We turned in an assignment late because she had not
finished her part in time for me to finish mine.”
Action: “I scheduled a meeting with this teammate, and we decided we
would make timelines together and follow them.”
Results: “With this new timeline, we were able to compromise. I realized I
did not have to do things so early, and my teammate adhered to earlier
deadline. Our next project was turned in on time.”
Other Challenging Questions
Avoid being thrown for a loop by thinking about the
following questions ahead of time:
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What types of tasks do you dislike?
What salary are you looking for?
Can you explain this gap in your employment
history?
Examples of Illegal Questions: Are you married?
Do you have children? How old are you?
Your Turn
Do you have any questions for us?
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Don’t ask something you should already know the answer to
Ask questions based on research
Ask questions based on what comes up in the interview
Sample questions:
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“How would you describe a typical week in this job?”
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“Could you explain your organizational structure?”
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“Can you describe an ideal employee?”
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“What upcoming projects would I be working on?”
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“How did you get into this type of work?”
Wrapping Up
Inquire about the next steps
Get cards so you can follow up and
write thank you letter
Thank the person for their time
After Interview
Write professional thank you notes
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Send within 24 hours of interview (via email is
standard)
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Highlight and elaborate interview topics
Sample Thank You Email
Dear Ms. Williams,
It was wonderful to speak with you this morning regarding the Education Assistant
position at Museum of the Moving Image. The job seems to be an excellent match for my
skills and interest.
The hands-on approach to education that you described confirmed my desire to work
with you. In addition to my energy and enthusiasm for education, I will bring to the
position strong writing skills and curriculum development experience.
I appreciate the time you took to interview me and I am very interested in the position.
Please do not hesitate the contact me with any additional questions. I look forward to
hearing from you regarding this opportunity.
Sincerely,
Amy Smith
amysmith@gmail.com
(555) 555-5555
LinkeIn: linkedin.com/in/amysmith
After Interview
References
 Reach out to your references if appropriate
Questions?