Job Interviewing 101
I.
Why Most People Remain Unemployed—And Why It’s Better To
Be Employed!
II.
Employer Expectations
A. Appearance
B. Dependability
C. Skills
III.
Finding Job Leads
IV.
Resumes
V.
The Application Form
VI.
The Interview
A. Body Language
B. The Initial Approach
C. Questions—Yours and Theirs
D. Close
VII. After the Interview…What else??
Appearance…
Professional Dress and Appearance
The moment we set eyes on someone, our minds make evaluations and
judgement with lightning speed.
Nine out of ten of today’s employers will reject an unsuitable dressed applicant
without a second thought.
Like it or not, your outward image, your attitude, your confidence level, and your
overall delivery are all affected by the clothes you wear.
Key: Dress for the position you want. In other words, dress as though you
already work for the company, just a little better.
General rules for men
Do’s
Navy blue, gray or conservative suit
White, cotton-blend, well-tailored,
ironed shirt (long-sleeve—always).
Fashionable, but not bold, tie—should
just touch the top of the belt
Dark color, over-the-calf-socks
Dark-color shoes to match belt (shoes
& belt should be leather).
Avoid trendy haircuts & styles
Facial hair should be properly groomed
(or better yet, shave it)
Nails should be clean and trimmed
If entry-level job, pressed slacks, belt
and tucked-in, button-down shirt is
appropriate.
CLEAN AND NEAT!
Don’ts
No sports coat
No silk shirts or shirts that are frayed
or dirty.
No bow ties
No white or athletic cut socks
No athletic shoes, hiking boots, or
rubber-soled shoes
Conservative but stylish hair style. Try
one that emphasises your good
features.
No earrings or heavy jewelry. A watch
and simple ring is best,
No polish, long fingernails or make-up
No items identifying persons beliefs.
Dependability & Skills
Employers hire people who show the most promise of being at work on time
every day.
Dependability includes attendance, punctuality, and reliability—that the
employer can count on you to do your job.
Attendance
 Number of days missed from school or work—As a general rule, six missed
days A year, without serious illness, are considered acceptable to most
employers.
 Also, attendance records to team practices, club meetings, political activities
or
volunteer activities.
Punctuality
 Getting to work on time when there are difficult circumstances, such as bad
weather
or car problems.
 Coming back from breaks and lunches on time
 Not leaving work or school early (checking-out)
 Meeting school or work deadlines
 Regularly arriving at meetings and appointments on time
 SHOW UP EARLY FOR THE INTERVIEW—the time of your arrival is indicative
of your general approach to punctuality
Skills
Job Related: Basic work skills needed to do a good job. These skills are
discussed using the vocabulary of the particular field of work (e.g. a secretary
will word process, schedule appointments; a carpenter will set rafters, do trim
work, etc).
Categories: Data—the facts, numbers and other pieces of information you will
be working with (customer files, expense reports, etc).
People: The type of involvement you have with other people in doing your job
(e.g.
Handling complaints, meeting customers, supervising others, etc.)
Things: The things you work with such as tools, machines, or equipment.
Ideas: Examples include promotional ideas, solutions to problems, etc.
Transferable: Universal skills that can transfer from one type of work to
another.
See the attached list for examples of these.
Self-Management Skills: These skills tell an employer if you will get along
well with
Workers and managers already on the job (*over ½ of all employees who are
unsuccessful on the job have trouble with their co-workers or bosses). See the
attached list of self-management skills.
Finding Job Leads
Job leads can either be visible or hidden. Visible leads are openings advertised
in such places as newspaper want ads and employment agencies. Such leads
are easy to find. They are also the leads that most job seekers limit themselves
to in a job search.
Hidden job leads are those openings that are never advertised; it takes some
work to uncover them.
Hidden Job Leads
1. Direct contact with employers—make a list of prospects. Research to find
company name, address, phone number and the names of people to whom
you should speak-- Check Yellow Pages, Association & Local Organization,
The Chamber of Commerce, the Public Library, The Internet
2. Friends, relatives, and acquaintances—often the best source for hidden job
leads.
Visible Job Leads
1.
2.
3.
4.
Want ads—But remember, only 25% of all job openings are made public.
Professional and Trade Journals
Personal Ads—Less than 1% of all jobs are obtained through these ads
Private Employment Agencies—these agencies are in business to make a
profit. They charge either the job seeker or the employer, or both, for their
services. They generally charge 7-15 percent of the job seeker’s first-year
pay.
5. State Employment Service. There are no fees for using these services.
6. School Placement Centers
7. Government Agencies—Check the blue pages of the telephone book. Most
government jobs require that you take a civil service test or follow complex
application procedures.
Resumes
Your resume lays the foundation for your job interview. Your resume provides
the interviewers with their impression of you.
Perhaps you think you do not need a resume. Depending on the job you want,
this may be true. However, today many employers expect you to have a resume.
The resume will satisfy the three key employer expectations:
1) Appearance—the effort and care that went into your resume will demonstrate
how you will perform on the job.
2) Dependability—this will not only show dependability when you are able to
show a resume when the employer asks for one, you also imply
dependability. The resume will present a totally positive view of who you are
and what you have to offer.
3) Skills-At a minimum, the resume will describe your skills and abilities as well
as your work experience, education, and training.
Tips
 Hold the resume to 1-2 pages in length. You and your mother are the only
two people in North America who will read every word of your resume if it is
longer than two pages.
 Remember that the goal of the resume isn’t to hit the employer over the
head with everything you have ever done. The goal is getting a job
interview.
 Avoid sins of commission…
Typos in your resume can short-circuit your entire job search, because many
readers have zero tolerance for them. One misspelled word or grammatical
error can land your resume in the trash.
 “Invest” in some paper that will help your resume stand out (we are not
talking florescent here!!!). Check in the paper section of any Office Depot,
Office Max, etc. for the package marked “Resume or Business Paper”. It will
be white, light gray, or cream in color. Also, buy matching envelopes.
 Avoid disorder
Your resume should follow a logical sequence, from most important and
relevant, to least. Learn and remember “reverse chronological order”.
You get to choose what the employer sees on the resume, so don’t worry
about following one particular style.
 Use numbers to give your accomplishment the attention they deserve.
Compare:
“Wrote news releases”
“Wrote 25 news releases in a three-week period under
daily deadlines”.
Think money—How you’ve saved, earned or managed money.
Think time—How you’ve saved times and did things more efficiently
Think amounts—Don’t just pluralize, tell how much or how many.
Examples:
 Trained five new employees on restaurant operation procedures.
 Managed a student organization budget of more than $5000.
 Recruited 25 new members for a new student environmental organization
Resume Don’ts
 Do not use personal pronouns—you are listing bullets of information.
 Do not list personal irrelevant information (height, weight, gender, race, age,
social security number, etc.)
 Do not leave out a summary or profile section that makes an initial “hard
sell”.
 Do not type “References Available Upon Request” unless you need it to round
out the page. References are listed on a separate sheet and carried with you
to the interview.
 Once again, no typos!
Resume Components
I. Job Objective: Compose a clearly stated job objective and name the
primary skills areas that related to it. Answer what you want to do, where you
want to do it, with whom you want to do it, at what level or responsibility and
under what special conditions, if any. Examples:
A management trainee position in retail sales, using my skills in design, research,
administration, and public contact.
A public-relations position which will maximize opportunities to develop and
implement programs, to organize people and events, and to communicate
positive ideas and images.
Department manager trainee for direct sales and customer service in a quality
women’s department store.
Got it?
II. Highlights of Qualifications or Summary of Qualifications or Related
Skills or Skills and Experiences. This presents two persuasive messages:
1) You are unquestionably qualified, meaning you have the basic skills,
credentials and experience.
2) That you are also especially talented in areas directly relevant to the job you
seek.
Use action phrases and power verbs here! (see attached sheet)
III.
Employment or Work Experience
Include dates of employment, place, city, state, and your position.
If employed at the time you write the resume, use “1/2000-present”
rather than list a specific date—this would look as though you are no
longer employed.
Start with your most recent and to backwards in time.
IV.
Education
Dates, names of schools, locations, any electives or courses that related to
the job you are seeking, GPA is 3.0 or above, attendance record if it is
outstanding. Only list your high school forward. (But remember, start
with your most recent and go backwards in time.
The Job Interview
Body Language
I.
The Greeting
Giving a “dead fish” handshake will not advance one’s candidacy; neither
will the opposite extreme, the iron-man bonecrusher grip.
II.
Taking Your Seat
Encroaching on another’s “personal zone” is a bad idea in any business
situation, but it is particularly dangerous in an interview. The thirty-inch
standard is a good one to follow: it is the distance that allows you to
extend your hand comfortably for a handshake.
Also, wait for the interviewer to motion to you to have a seat.
III.
Facial/Head Signals
Maintain eye contact, do not chew gum, and smile from time to time (at
the appropriate times or you risk looking, well, strange). Never look at
the interviewer below the head and shoulders (this is a sign of
overfamiliarity).
Tilting the head slightly when combined with eye contact, and a natural
smile demonstrates friendliness and approachability. “Slow” nodding of
the head emphasizes interest and even agreement.
IV.
Glasses
Don’ wear dark glasses, peer over your regular glasses, or leave off your
regular glasses if the result is a strained squint (near-sighted) or a stare
(far-sighted).
V.
Seated
Sit upright, no slouching, maybe a slight lean forward.
Keep your hands in your lap or on your pad of paper.
Keep feet flat on the floor—don’t cross your legs.
VI.
Walking
Posture—shoulders back, maintain an erect posture, smile and make eye
contact. Walk slowly, deliberately, and tall upon entering the room.
“Mirror” the interviewer.
Keep your head up and eyes forward at all times.
Remember to avert your gaze from time to time so as to avoid the
impression that you are staring.
Relax with every breath.