INTERVIEWS
THAT GET YOU
THE JOB!
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
Update your resume
Update/Create an elevator pitch
Social Media- “To tweet or not to
tweet”
Pre-Interview/Post Interview Tips
Career Center Resources
YOUR RESUME, WHY DO
YOU NEED ONE?
Your Resume Should….
Reflect your skills and experiences
Provide enough information to entice the
reader to read it more carefully rather than
skim through it
Be free of grammatical and spelling errors
Leave a good impression
GET YOU AN INTERVIEW!!!
SO YOU APPLIED FOR THE JOB…
The company liked your resume and has asked you back for an interview. What now?
While interviews can be stressful, they do offer great opportunities for both the employer
and the employee to learn more about each other – determining whether it’s a good fit
for both parties.
Make sure you are prepared to present yourself in the best possible way. Follow these
six simple steps for interview success:
Step 1: Interview Pre-work
Step 2: Day of Interview Preparation
Step 3: How to Dress for an Interview
Step 4: Types of Interviews
Step 5: Frequently Asked Questions
Step 6: After the Interview
STEP 1: INTERVIEW PRE-WORK
Research the Company/ Organization
It is no longer acceptable to just “show up” for an interview. Most companies/organizations large
and small have websites which allow you to become acquainted with the organization.
Prepare a 60-second Elevator Pitch
Preparing this statement allows you to answer the “tell me a little bit about yourself
question” and help you start a conversation at a networking event or Career Fair!
 Example: Hello My name is Jonathan Brown, I am a student athlete at UNC Pembroke and was
recently voted team captain. Despite a heavy practice and travel schedule, I have maintained a
3.6 GPA as an Economics major. I became involved in my fraternity’s Big Brother program as a
freshman and thought we could do much more, so I spearheaded an initiative that grew the
percentage of fraternity members actively participating from 20% to nearly 60%. Last year I pitched
the program to five other Greek organizations and we now have over 200 Big Brothers and Sisters, and
it is the most popular social service program on campus. After graduation I am interested in pursuing
a career in financial management. Could you tell me more about your financial management training
program ?
Relax
Studies show that interviewees that are more relaxed and conversational during an interview
have a greater success rate of securing the position.
KNOW YOURSELF
The Top-10 Candidate Skills/Qualities
Employers Seek
 Leadership
 Ability to work in a team structure
 Communication Skills (Written)
 Problem-Solving Skills
 Strong Work Ethic
 Analytical/Qualitative Skills
 Technical Skills
 Communication Skills (Verbal)
 Ability to take initiative
 Computer Skills
Source: Job Outlook 2015, National Association of Colleges and Employers
STEP 2: DAY OF INTERVIEW PREPARATION
Allow enough time for the interview
Plan to arrive to your interview early, at least 15 minutes prior to your interview time.
This will allow you to clear security, and check your appearance in the rest room. (do a
test run)
Go Alone
Quite simply, the company you are interviewing with only wants to hire YOU!
Greet Everyone with a Smile
This includes the interviewer, the receptionist, the security guard, even the janitor.
Stand and Greet Interviewer with a Firm Hand Shake
The one hand, straight up and down handshake is the most effective and professional,
make eye contact, smile you have made it this far now help the interviewer to discover
why you are the best person for the position.
STEP 3: DRESS FOR SUCCESS
 Present yourself in a
manner that is polished
and professional
 This is not the time to
make a personal statement
about the way you dress
 Demonstrate that you
respect the interviewer’s
values, tastes, and
expectations relative to
dress and personal manner
 First impressions are
lasting ones be sure yours
is something to
remember!!!
WOMEN’S INTERVIEW ATTIRE
Solid color, conservative suit
Coordinated blouse
Moderate shoes
Limited jewelry
Neat, professional hairstyle
Tan or light hosiery
Light make-up & perfume
Manicured nails
Portfolio or briefcase
WOMEN’S INTERVIEW OPTIONS
MEN’S ATTIRE
Solid color, conservative suit
White long sleeve shirt
Conservative tie
Dark socks, professional shoes
Very limited jewelry
Neat, professional hairstyle
Go easy on the aftershave
Neatly trimmed nails
Portfolio or briefcase
MEN’S INTERVIEW OPTIONS
STEP 4: T YPES OF INTERVIEWS
One-to-one Interview
In the one-to-one interview the candidate for employment meets directly with the
interviewer.
Phone Interview
This eliminates bias that may arise from a candidate’s appearance, mannerisms,
or ethnicity. (Be sure to have your resume in front of you, smile, sit or stand up straight, make sure you
have a good connection and be in a quiet place!)
Group Interview
Interviewing simultaneously with two or three other candidates all vying for the
same position. (Remember to be friendly, attentive, stand out, and most importantly be a team player!)
Panel Interview
A panel interview involves three or more members of the hiring organization
meeting simultaneously with the person being considered for the position.
STEP 5: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q. Tell me about yourself.
A. This is the most common interview question and can sometimes be the hardest. This
question allows you to decide what parts of your career experiences you want to share with
your prospective employer.
Q. What are your major strengths? What are your weaknesses?
A. When you answer this question you should answer it in terms of “what are the top two or
three skills I bring to this job?” Avoid weaknesses that may hinder your job performance or
will disclose personal issues.
Q. Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?
A. When an employer asks you this question they are trying to get a better grasp on your
level of dependability, focus, and commitment. Your answer to this question should not
include personal or family goals.
Q. What do you know about us and why are you interested in working here?
A. To answer this effectively, you will need to do your research. Interviewers expect that you
have at least checked out their website. Reply with the organizations attributes and how you
see them.
STAR METHOD
 Situation
 Describe the situation or
task that you needed to
accomplish.
 Task
 What goal were you
working towards?
 Action
 What specific steps did
YOU take/what was your
contribution?
 Result
 What was the outcome?
 Situation (S): Advertising revenue was falling
o f f f o r m y c o l l e g e n e w s p a p e r, T h e R e v i e w , a n d
large numbers of long -term advertisers were
not renewing contracts.
 Ta s k ( T ) : M y g o a l w a s t o g e n e r a t e n e w i d e a s ,
materials and incentives that would result in
at least a 15% increase in advertisers from
the year before.
 Action (A): I designed a new promotional
packet to go with the rate sheet and
compared the benefits of The Review
circulation with other ad media in the area. I
also set-up a special training session for the
account executives with a School of Business
Administration professor who discussed
competitive selling strategies.
 Result (R): We signed contracts with 15
former advertisers for daily ads and five for
special supplements. We increased our new
advertisers by 20 percent over the same
p e r i o d l a s t y e a r.
BEHAVIORAL QUESTIONS
 Give me an example of a problem you encountered & how you
handled it?
 Give me an example of a time when you faced a lot of obstacles
to achieving a goal…
 Talk about a stressful situation you’ve experienced…
 Tell me about a time when you’ve been a team player..
 Tell me about a project or role that you’ve taken on that is
outside your job description….
 Tell me about a situation when you “took the ball & ran with it.”
 How have you handled situations in which you had to deal with
something that you're not totally comfortable with?
 How do you build your confidence?
 Give me an example of how you’ve failed…
 Tell me about a time when you’ve had to challenge authority...
QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD ASK
Can you give me an example of a typical day in this position?
What are the next steps in the application process?
Is there a formal training program for new interns/employees?
What can I expect in my first day or week on the job?
What are the typical office hours?
What are some key qualities found in your most successful interns/employees?
How would you describe the company/office culture/atmosphere?
How would you describe the ideal candidate for this position?
What are the opportunities for advancement?
LET’S TALK MONEY
WARNING! PROCEED WITH CAUTION!
In your physical research you should have
found out the likely “ballpark” salary for the
position. Prior to the interview you need to
become comfortable with that starting salary.
* If and only if the interview is going well and
you feel that you are more than qualified,
then you can try to negotiate a higher salary.
In most cases, it is best to wait until the
employer brings the salary into the
conversation.*
PLEASE & THANK YOU
Finally, you should send a thank you
card or email to the person you
interviewed with.
A thank you email should follow this
format:
• Heading
• Greeting
• Body
• Thank the person for meeting with
you.
• Express continued interest in the
position.
• Recap one or two themes discussed
during the interview.
• Closing
Dear Mr./Ms. Last Name:
It was a pleasure speaking
with you today about Target
Executive Team Leader ship
Program. Af ter speaking with you
and some of the wonder ful staf f I
am more interested in the program.
I appreciate the time you
took to inter view me and believe
that my back ground and
experiences fit the qualifications of
the position. I look for ward to
hearing from you soon and if you
have any questions please fee free
to contact me at…..
Sincerely,
Your Name
SOCIAL MEDIA BACKGROUND CHECK
 A c c o r d in g to s u r v ey s , a b o u t t h r e e q u a r te r s o f r e c r uite r s c h e c k o u t
a p p l i c a n t s o n t h e I n te r n et w h e n
hiring, and almost half of all
e m p l oye r s d o t h e s a m e . E m p l oye r s
report rejecting job applicants when
t h ey f i n d r e f e r e nc e s to d r u g u s e ,
h e av y d r i n k i n g , s ex u al l y o f f e n s i ve
m a te r i al s , v i o l e n t i m a g e r y, a n d s o o n .
 I f yo u a r e a b o u t to e m b a r k o n a j o b
s e a r c h , c o n s i d e r w h et h e r yo u m i g h t
n e e d to c l e a n u p yo ur o n l i n e a c t .
Ta ke a c l o s e l o o k a t yo u r p u b l i c ly
a c c e s s i b l e i n f o r m a t io n a n d m a ke
sure it’s ready for prime time. Also,
m i n d t h o s e p r i va c y s et t i n g s . I f yo u
h av e i n f o r m a t i on
 S i te s l i ke Fa c e b o o k , Tw i t te r,
L i n ke d I n , a n d G o o g l e + a l l ow
e m p l oye r s to g et a g l i mp s e o f w h o
yo u a r e o u t s i d e t h e c o n fi n e s o f a
r é s u m é , c o v e r l et te r, o r i n te r v i ew
WHAT WE OFFER!
Career and major
exploration
Interests
Values
Abilities
Personality type
Resume/cover
letter critiques
Interview
Preparation
Identifying &
marketing
transferable skills
Job & internship
search
Networking
Graduate school
ONLINE RESOURCES
Our Online Resources!
Individualized Career
Counseling
Make an appointment,
M-F, 8am-5pm, at
(910) 521-6270 or
career@uncp.edu
Drop by during
WALK-IN WEDNESDAYS
10am-4pm,
Spring & Fall semesters
COMMENTS/QUESTIONS
Remember to be yourself…
Everyone is nervous…
Be prepared
LET US HELP YOU!
 Make an appointment, M -F, 8am-5pm, at
(910) 521-6270 or career@uncp.edu
 Drop by during WALK -IN WEDNESDAYS
10am-4pm, Spring & Fall semesters
https://uncp.interviewstream.com