Successful Strategies for Interviewing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1ucmfPOBV8
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Research the company
Study yourself to identify how your
qualifications match the job
Be ready to provide clear, specific evidence of
your qualifications
Plan a professional appearance
Plan to arrive several minutes early
Practice
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Look interested — attentive posture and eye
contact
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Avoid negative mannerisms
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Be able to avoid answering illegal questions
without offending the interviewer
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Opening
 Greet the interviewer by name with a smile, direct
eye contact, a firm handshake
 Wait for the interviewer to ask you to be seated
 Sit erect and lean forward slightly to convey
interest
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Body of the Interview
 Explain how your qualifications relate to the job
requirements using specific examples
 Ask pertinent questions that communicate
intelligence and interest in the company
 Allow the interviewer to initiate a discussion of
salary and benefits
▪ Be prepared to provide a general salary range for
applicants with your qualifications
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Closing the interview
 Watch for cues the interview is ending
▪ Rise, accept the interviewer’s handshake and
communicate enthusiasm
 Express appreciation for the interview and say you
are eager to hear from the company
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Why?
 To show your interested
 Provides an edge over other candidates
 You may be asked any of the following questions:
▪ What do you know about our company?
▪ Why do you want to work here?
▪ What do you think it takes to be successful in this career?
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How?
 Company websites
 Contact the company and ask for literature or details
about the position you are applying for
 Networking
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Step 1: Prepare answers to common
interview questions
Step 2: Rehearse with a friend or videotape
yourself
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Traditional
 Ex. “Tell me about yourself.”
 Ex. “Do you prefer to work alone or in a group?”
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Behavioral
 Used to predict future on-the-job behaviors
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Tell me about your recent work experience(s).
Why did you leave your previous place of employment?
Why are there gaps in your employment history?
What strengths and weaknesses would you bring to this
position?
What is your understanding of this position and what
skills do you bring to the position?
What types of job responsibilities do you find to be most
rewarding? Why?
What types of job responsibilities do you find to be most
frustrating? Why?
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Describe a situation in which you were able to use
persuasion to successfully convince someone to see
things your way.
Describe a time when you were faced with a stressful
situation that demonstrated your coping skills.
Give me an example of a time when you set a goal and
were able to meet or achieve it.
Give me a specific example of a time when you had to
conform to a policy with which you did not agree.
Tell me about a time when you had to go above and
beyond the call of duty in order to get a job done.
Tell me about a time when you had too many things
to do and you were required to prioritize your tasks.
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S-A-R Method
 Situation
 Action
 Result
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Question:
 Describe a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to
successfully convince someone to see things your way.
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Answer using S-A-R Method:
 Recently my company asked for bids on a phone system for our new
college campus. Two companies came in very close with their bids,
and most of my department wanted to go with a vendor that we have
used in the past. After I looked over the proposals, it was clear that
this was the wrong decision. So, I talked individually with each
member of our staff and was able to change their minds and get the
best product that would save money and provide the highest quality.
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Directions: Select 1question, from the list of
behavioral questions, and answer them using
the S-A-R method.
Put a circle around the situation, a square
around the action and underline the results to
distinguish each step of the S-A-R method.
Please answer the questions on a clean sheet
of notebook paper.
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National origin and religion
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Age
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Disabilities, health conditions, and physical
characteristics not reasonably related to the
job
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Marital status, spouse’s employment, or
dependents
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Arrests
 What is a typical day like?
 What type of people would I be working with
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and for?
What is the turnover rate of people in this job?
How would you describe initial and on-going
training for this position?
How do you expect the company to change in
the next ten years?
When can I expect to hear from you about your
decision?
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Directions: Search the internet and find 10
questions (other than the one’s previously
listed) an interviewer may ask during an
interview.
Directions: Search the internet and find 10
questions (other than the one’s previously
listed) an interviewee can ask during an
interview.
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First impressions
Competitive edge
Marketing a product
You CAN overdress for an interview
Dress to fit the job’s culture
Classic advice:
 “Dress 10 percent better than you ordinarily would”
 “Dress for the position you’d like to have, not for the
one you do have, so you’ll be seen as promotable.”
 “Dress the best your ever going to look in the job you
want.”
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Attention to detail
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Clean and polished conservative dress shoes
Well-groomed hairstyle
Cleaned and trimmed fingernails
No body odor, minimal cologne or perfume
No visible body piercing
Well-brushed teeth and fresh breath
No gum, candy, or other objects in your mouth
Minimal jewelry
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Conservative colors:
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Black
Dark Navy
Brown/Beige
Gray
Skirt length should be a little above the knee
Hair should be worn up, out of your face
Minimal make-up
Lipstick and nail polish in conservative tones (natural
colors)
 Jewelry
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 One set of earrings, and no more than two rings
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Conservative colors:
 Black
 Dark navy
 Gray
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White long-sleeved button-down dress shirt
with a simple tie (that matches suit)
Belt should match shoes
Facial hair should be neatly trimmed
No jewelry
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Take some time to review the interview while
it is fresh in your mind
 Interviewing is a learnable skill, use the experience
to help you in the future
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Ask yourself:
 How could you have better answered the
questions?
 Where did you succeed?
 Where did you fail?
 What will you do differently next time?
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A thank-you letter is essential!
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Get it in the mail the day of or the day after the interview
Avoid excessive enthusiasm
Keep your note cordial and brief
Thank the interviewer for inviting you to the interview
Say it was a pleasure to meet him or her
Mention something you learned during the interview and
assure them of your continued interest in the position provided you are still at all interested
See handout for more information on what to
include in a thank-you letter.
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http://jobsearch.about.com/od/thankyoulette
rs/a/thanktemplate.htm
http://www.quintcareers.com/Quintessential
_Careers_Press/Job-Interview-Preparation/