Employability: Professional Career
Start Strategies & Job Search
Katrina Sardellis
JOB SEARCH STRATEGIES
25 November 2015
Session objectives
Swinburne
Students will gain an insight into:
- Interview preparation
- Techniques to enhance interview performance
- Typical interview questions
- Tips to create a positive impression post interview
- Interview practice
SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN
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Communicating your story in person
Swinburne
Being asked to attend an interview generally means you
have made it to the next step of the selection process – you
are one step closer to winning that job!
You have to make the most of the of the opportunity to tell
your story in person and continue to market yourself as the
ideal candidate
SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN
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Purpose of the interview
Swinburne
The employer’s objective: to attract and appoint the best
applicant for the organisation.
They want to assess:
 Can you do the job?
 Will you do the job?
 Will you fit in?
SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN
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Feedback from graduate recruiters
on common interview mistakes
Swinburne
- Lack of preparation
- Unprofessional personal presentation
- Lack of career direction clarity
- Oversharing information / not focussed
- Not understanding the organisation or role
- Poor communication and interpersonal skills
- Not being able to provide relevant examples of
experience and skills that fit selection criteria
- Focussing too much on the future career opportunities not
the job
SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN
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Interview skill issues faced by
international students
Swinburne
Cultural differences
 Interviewers expect open & direct answers to questions
 Need to talk about your achievements with a positive, marketing focus –
some cultures emphasize modesty & humility
 Body language needs to be open
 Eye contact needs to be maintained
Communication skills
 English may be your second language – focus on speaking slowly & clearly
 Focus on the benefits of your foreign language skills
SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN
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Swinburne
Demonstrate your commitment to a career in Australia
Be very clear about your visa status and work rights
Reassure the interviewer by having all the necessary
documentation
www.border.gov.au/about/corporate/information/fact-sheets/45tempgraduate485
SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN
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Swinburne
International students have unique value
In addition to the standard employee - you can offer:
-
Bi-cultural / bi-lingual advantage
-
Latest industry developments and insights from overseas
-
Provide ‘intelligence’ – assist employers to understand new
markets and tap into different networks
-
Import & export opportunity focus
SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN
Swinburne
Types of interviews
Panel
Group
1:1
Group
Assessment
Centre
Telephone
Behavioural
SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN
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Swinburne
In 2013, on average more than 10 of the following techniques were
used to assess graduates’ suitability
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Behavioural Interviews: 88% • Case studies: 31%
• Medical assessments: 31%
Panel Interviews: 81%
• Role plays: 9%
Reference Checks: 71%
• Emotional intelligence
Telephone screening: 63%
assessment: 14%
• In-box exercises: 8%
Aptitude tests: 67%
• Social events: 22%
Group Interviews: 56%
• Video interviews: 14%
Background checks: 57%
Personality questionnaires: 43%
Written exercises: 34%
The AAGE Employer Survey 2014
SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN
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Steps to interview success
Before the interview
Swinburne
- Consider what qualifications, skills and experience the
interviewer is seeking
- Research yourself and your audience
- Be clear about what you have marketed to the employer on
paper and how you are going to demonstrate those skills
- Review different types of interview questions & practice
answering them
- Prepare your own questions
SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN
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Interview preparation cont’d
Swinburne
Research the interview venue – parking, transport timetables
Know the names, pronunciation and job titles of the
interviewers. Be aware of any latest initiatives.
 Decide on professional dress / grooming – ask for an
opinion (avoid jingly jewellery, chipped nail-polish, scuffed
shoes, go easy on perfume/aftershave, avoid eating spicy
food, smoking etc before the interview)
 Have your paperwork ready – resume, references, awards,
academic transcript, referee details, portfolio of work, visa
details
TURN OFF YOUR PHONE!!
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Steps to interview success
Swinburne
Presentation – first impressions
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rPNTBIvtn4
SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN
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Interview skills
Swinburne
What has the greatest impact?
1. Words
2. Voice/Tone
3. Body Language
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Typical structure of an interview
Swinburne
- Rapport building / ice breaker discussion
- Overview of role and company
- Getting to know you and your story
- Behavioural questions: preset questions often based on the
selection criteria.
- Your questions
- The close / the next steps
SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN
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Swinburne
Performance
- Review the key selection criteria and understand the skills
- that are essential or desirable for the job
- Prepare examples
- Practice responding to questions
SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN
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Swinburne
Your performance during an interview
DO…
Be yourself. Speak clearly and enthusiastically about your
experiences and skills. Be professional, but don’t be
afraid to let your personality shine through.
Be a good listener. There is nothing worse than asking a
question at the end of the interview that the employer has
already talked about.
Be positive. Don’t talk about your bad feelings or give
excuses about a negative experience. Instead, focus on
stating positive facts and lessons learnt from your
experiences.
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Your performance during the interview Swinburne
DO…
 Be clear about what you have to offer
 Anticipate questions
 Prepare thoroughly (preparation and practice is key!)
 Answer the question asked
 Have the question clarified if not clear
 Project confidence and enthusiasm
 At the end of the interview thank the interviewer for their
time – make a positive final impression
Your performance during the Interview
Swinburne
DON’T…
x Answer questions with a simple yes or no, you need to elaborate
whenever possible. On the other hand don’t over answer
questions, there needs to be a balance – keep under 2 minutes
x Be overbearing, conceited or a know it all, on the other hand you
can’t be too modest. There needs to be balance
x Make derogatory remarks about your present or former employer,
manager or lecturer, it makes YOU seem negative, a gossip and
potentially difficult to get along with.
x Limit the questions you ask the interviewer to those about
remuneration (salary, holidays, bonuses, etc). You don’t want to
give the impression you are only interested in your needs, not
those of the employer
x Lie / provide incorrect information
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Interview skills
Swinburne
Structuring answers to commonly
asked questions
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Behavioural questions
Swinburne
Past behaviour is the best predictor of future performance
Situation – where you were
Describe the situation that you were in or
the task that you needed to accomplish.
Task – what was asked of you
Action – you took
Describe the action you took and be sure to
keep the focus on you.
Result – you achieved
What happened? How did the event end?
What did you accomplish? What did you
learn? Were there any obstacles that you
faced?
SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN
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Swinburne
Sample behavioural questions
-
Describe a recent work or study-related problem. Tell me about the
action you took to solve the problem. What was the outcome?
-
Tell me about a time when you had to work as part of a team and
you had a team member who wasn’t being very cooperative or
productive. What did you do to help rectify the situation? What was
the result?
-
Tell me about a time when you effectively led a group? How did you
do this? What was the result?
-
Tell me about a time when you failed to complete a project on time,
despite your best efforts. What did you do to fix the situation? What
was the outcome?
SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN
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Performance
Swinburne
The STAR technique in action
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJH8w540MzA
SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN
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Tell me about yourself…
Swinburne
TIPS:
> “Tell me about yourself” does not mean tell me
everything. Keep your response professional – answer
with your “Profile Statement”.
> Keep your answer to under 2 minutes
 If answered with care, your response should
compliment the interviewers needs as well as support
your application.
 This is a question you should definitely be prepared to
answer as opposed to attempting to “wing it”.
> Don’t assume that the interviewer will be able to join all
the dots to make sure the interviewer understands how
your experiences are transferable to the current
position.
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Tell me about yourself … a good answer
Swinburne
> At the end of the year, I will graduate with a Bachelor of Information
Technology from Swinburne University which is a scholarship program
incorporating extended industry placements. I have particularly enjoyed
the networking aspect of the course which is reflected in my good results.
> Whilst studying, I have also been working in the customer service industry
for the past three years as a Sales Consultant with IT Focus, a big
computer sales company. Some of my duties have involved …
> One reason I enjoy this role, and the challenges that go with it, is the
opportunity to connect with a wide range of people. Just recently, I
successfully increased sales by 30% for the last financial quarter by ...
> Throughout my studies and experience I have demonstrated that my real
strengths are my attention to detail, ability to solve problems and my
natural capacity to build effective customer relationships.
> What I am looking for now is an opportunity to gain exposure to business
analysis and projects in a company that value IT and sees it as business
partner.
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Other typical interview questions
Swinburne
Ice-breakers / background information
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Why have you applied for this role?
-
What is your preferred type of role?
-
What do you want to gain from your placement?
Resume information
-
I noticed in your resume that you have experience in X. Tell us some
more about that.
-
Your resume says you studied X. How will that help you in this role?
Awareness of the organisation
-
Why do you want to work for us?
-
What do you know about our organisation?
SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN
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Swinburne
Motivation and career orientation
- Why did you choose this career?
- How do you stay knowledgeable about this industry?
- Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
Self-awareness
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- What will you bring to the organisation?
Hypotheticals or scenarios
- How would you deal with an angry customer on the
phone? Why would you take this approach?
SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN
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Performance in phone/video
interviews
Swinburne
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Treat the interview as though it’s a face-to-face interview
-
Prepare thoroughly
-
Take the call in a quiet room
-
Use a reliable phone and network
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Ensure your equipment is working
-
Pay attention to your tone
-
Be ready to answer salary and availability questions
-
Have a cheat sheet in front of you together with your resume
-
Listen carefully and stay focussed
-
Ensure your appearance is professional
SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN
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Swinburne
Questions for the interviewer BRAINSTORM
SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN
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Post interview follow-up
Swinburne
- Consider sending a thank you email to the interviewers
thanking them for their time and to reinforce your interest
- Take the time to reflect on your performance
- If you were unsuccessful, politely ask for feedback
- Treat every interview as a learning experience
SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN
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Practice interview questions
Swinburne
- Tell me about yourself?
- What can you bring to our company?
- Tell me about a time you solved a difficult problem. What
did you do and what was the outcome?
- Tell me about a time when you had to alter your own
priorities with little or no notice due to changing
demands? What did you do?
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