THE JOB INTERVIEW
C o n te n t b a s e d o n U N M C a r e e r S e r v i c e s ’ “ I n te r v i e w i n g G u i d e ”
h t t p : / / w w w. c a r e e r. u n m . e d u / f o r m s / I n t e r v i e w i n g _ S k i l l s _ H a n d o u t _ 2 01 1 . p d f
BEFORE STEPPING INTO AN
INTERVIEW, BE SURE TO
PRACTICE.
A CANDIDATE GOING TO AN
INTERVIEW WITHOUT
PREPARING IS LIKE AN
ACTOR PERFORMING ON
OPENING NIGHT WITHOUT
REHEARSING.
Today we will look at some tips for
you to consider
Before the Interview
The Day of the Interview and
After the Interview
BEFORE THE INTERVIEW
BEFORE THE INTERVIEW
 Review the job posting and description
and think about how you meet all the
requirements
 Review your resume and application
 Neatly write down five things you want to
make sure the interviewer(s) know about
you by the end of the interview
 This will help you practice answering
interview questions and if you are
allowed to take it in to the interview,
you can refer to it and make sure you
shared all the information you think is
important to your interview
BEFORE THE INTERVIEW
 Research the company to learn about it’s mission, vision
and values as well as current events and news
 Call the employer before the interview and find out who
will be performing your interview
 You may be interviewed by one person
or by a group of people
 Knowing this ahead of time will
help you know what to expect when
you walk into the room
BEFORE THE INTERVIEW
 Pull up a list of common interview questions and write
out your answers. Practice answering these questions
by doing a mock Interview and getting feedback for
improvement
 See this site for a list of common questions:
http://career-advice.monster.com/job-interview/interview-questions/100-potentialinterview-questions/article.aspx
 There are three main types of interview questions:
 Resume Based Questions
 Company Based Questions
 Behavioral Based Questions
The following three slides will give examples of each
RESUME BASED QUESTIONS

Tell me a little bit about yourself.

How has your education prepared you for this position?

Tell me how your work/internship/co-op experience
prepared you for this position?

What was your motivation for applying for this
position?

What are your top three strengths? What is one of your
weaknesses? Please explain.
COMPANY AND POSITION QUESTIONS

What do you know about our company?

Why do you want to work for our company?

What qualifications do you have that will make you
successful with this company?
BEHAVIORAL BASED QUESTIONS
Behavioral Based Interviewing focuses on
experiences, behaviors, knowledge, skills and
abilities that are job related. It is based on the
belief that past behavior and performance
predicts future behavior and performance .
BEHAVIORAL BASED QUESTIONS
Here are some examples:
 Tell me about a time when you had a disagreement with a coworker or supervisor and how you handled it ?
 Can you tell me about a time when you had to overcome a
disappointment?
 Tell me about a time when you made a mistake and how you
turned it into a learning experience.
 Tell me about a time when you were on a team and one of the
members was not carrying his/her weight.
 Give me an example of how you were particularly ef fective on
prioritizing tasks and completing a project on schedule .
Fo r m o r e e x a m p l e s o n c o m m o n i n te r v i e w i n g q u e s t i o n s a n d a n s we r s r e f e r to T i p s F o r
A n s w e r i n g C o m m o n I n te r v i e w i n g Q u e s t i o n s a t : h t t p : / / w w w. c a r e e r. u n m . e d u / f o r m s / q a h a n d o u t
BEHAVIORAL BASED QUESTIONS
Make sure you use your answers to express
your strengths, how you handled problems
and overcame any obstacles.
BEFORE THE INTERVIEW
Also, before the interview you should develop a list of questions you
want to ask the employer
 What is the greatest challenge currently facing your organization?
 How does this department fit into the overall organization and its
goals?
 What is the busiest period for this position? How does the position
change to meet these busy periods?
 What is the most challenging aspect of this position? Most
rewarding?
 What opportunities do you offer for professional development?
See this site for a list of common questions:
http://career-advice.monster.com/job-interview/interview-questions/nine-questions-to-askinterview/article.aspx
THE DAY OF THE
INTERVIEW
WHAT TO WEAR
According to recent surveys of recruiters seeking to hire UNM
students, the following are some great tips for all candidates:
 Always dress one level above the typical work attire for the
position
 Conservative neckline/necktie in terms of color and pattern
 Avoid ill-fitting clothes (short, tight, clingy, or high slits in
skirts)
 No visible undergarments (camisole/bra straps or boxers)
 Business-style shoes. NO sandals, flip-flops or sneakers.
 High-fitting dark socks with slacks
 Match shoe and belt color
WHAT TO WEAR
According to recent surveys of recruiters seeking to hire UNM
students, the following are some great tips for all candidates
(Continued):
 Well-groomed hair style
 Understated makeup. Simple classic accessories.
 Minimal or no cologne or perfume
 No visible body art
 Breath mints. Use one before greeting recruiter.
 Briefcase or portfolio instead of a purse or backpack
INTERVIEW DAY
 Make sure you have good directions to the interview site and
information on where to park. Do not forget to bring parking money
if necessary.
 Take a folder/binder with you that includes:
•
At least one copy of your resume and cover letter

You can reference this during your interview and provide a
copy if they do not have one in front of them
•
The sheet of paper with the five things you want to make
sure to tell the interview committee (you may be able to
reference this if you get nervous)
•
Your list of questions to ask the interviewer
•
Paper to take notes
INTERVIEW DAY
 Leave early to avoid traffic or have sufficient time in case you get
lost
 Plan to arrive at least 15-30 minutes early to the interview
 Be polite to everyone you meet and be friendly
•
First impressions are extremely important and you never know
who may have a say in the hiring
Real Life Example:
An employer was driving into work one day when she was confronted by a
driver who was experiencing road rage. The car pulled up beside her and
began yelling. Later that day she was holding inter views and the other
driver walked in as one of the inter viewees. The employer knew right
then she would never hire her.
DURING THE INTERVIEW
 When the interviewer calls for you to enter the interview room
make sure you smile, make eye contact and shake hands
 Write down the names of the interviewer(s) if you don’t
already know them
 Answer questions clearly and confidently
 Answer questions by using examples from your previous
experiences. Tell little stories to give the interviewer an
understanding of your experiences and how you can relate
your past experiences to the new job.
•
Remember to address the five things you wanted to make sure to
tell the interview committee
 Accentuate the positive. Avoid saying “No” or “I don’t know.”
DURING THE INTERVIEW (continued)
 Do not ramble
 Give enough detail to sufficiently answer the question
and then stop talking.
 You want your answers to be short, focused and to the
point. If you’re not sure you’ve given enough information,
simply ask, “Did I answer that sufficiently for you, or
would you like more details?”
 Keep nervous habits in check
 Project confidence during the interview
AT THE END OF THE INTERVIEW
 This is your time to ask the questions you have
previously prepared.
 Ask about responsibilities that may not have been
available from the job posting, the culture, and
specifics you want to know about the job.
 Do not bring up salary and be careful about bringing up
benefits until the offer has been made
DEPARTING THE INTERVIEW
 Make sure you know each interviewer’s name
 Ask when you will be hearing from the company on a
hiring decision
 When leaving, shake hands with people you have met
and again, convey interest in the position
AFTER THE INTERVIEW
Send a thank you note!
 Thank you notes consist of an introduction to thank them for your
interview opportunity
 It should also include one or two unique and positive highlights
that occurred during the interview
 The thank you note ends with a conclusion expressing your
interest in hearing from the interviewer soon
 Be sure to send the thank you note within 24 hours of the
interview
 You can send it via email, regular mail or leave it with the front
desk
EXAMPLE
TAKE SOME TIME
Take out a piece of paper
Let’s take a moment to think about how you might answer
these questions
Write down how you would answer these questions

Tell me a little bit about yourself

What is one of your weaknesses? Please explain.
(remember that when listing a weakness, you should always
explain how you are working to improve it)
Teachers:

Give students about 10 minutes to answer these and then
ask for volunteers to share their answers
GOOD VS BAD INTERVIEWS
To finish, let’s take a look at a video that highlights good vs bad interviews Teacher,
make sure you turn the sound up it may take a second for the video to appear. When it
does click on the play symbol to play the video.