Dawn Williams Career Development & Education MAT 106

Prepare Perform Pursue (follow-up)

Recruiter makes the decision to hire or not to hire within the first 30 seconds. True? False?

Research/Analyze: Yourself Organization Position

Research Yourself: Why did you apply for the position in the first place? Research the Organization/Position: What do they do? How are they organized? Who are their clients/constituents? What challenges do they face? Job Responsibilities? Skill Set? Were they in the news? Why? What are their products/brands/services?

Avenues for Research: Internet Informational Interviews Employer Information Sessions/Job Fairs Networking

Preparation tested by the following questions: Tell us about yourself. Why are you interested in working for us? Why should we hire you?

 Know the setting ◦ One-on-one ◦ Panel ◦ Group ◦ Series ◦ Phone ◦ Job Fair ◦ Meal

Practice: Mock interview at the Career Center Use family and friends

Appearance Make a good impression before you arrive Arrive early Professional attire Neatly groomed Clean & polished Understated

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Greeting Smile Be friendly and polite to everyone in the office Enthusiastic & interested Firm handshake – practice! Be confident, not arrogant

Non-Verbal Communication Appropriate eye contact Sit on the front 2/3 of your seat Smile Be conscious of “habits”. Open posture Follow the interviewer’s lead

Verbal Communication Take your time, understand the question 2-3 minutes per answer Watch your “fillers”: um, ah, like Focus on positives Highlight skills, accomplishments Recognize that all interviewers may not be trained to conduct effective interviews. You should be prepared to find ways to interject important information about yourself

Type of Interview:  Traditional/Behavioral ◦ Past experiences, general work ethic, interpersonal skills, basic qualifications  Case/Technical ◦ applicant is given a question/situation/problem/challenge and asked to resolve the situation specific to the industry  Testing

Verbal Communication Behavior Based Interviews Potential employees’ future success based on their past behavior. Focus of questions is how you behaved in a given past situation.

Verbal Communication Behavior Based Interviews Examples: Talk about a time when you have worked on a project and your supervisor failed to provide much direction. Give me an example of your ability to work with a client in a clinical setting.

Verbal Communication Behavior Based Interviews Answer: SSituation TTask AAction RResult

Verbal Communication Your Questions: 1. Show knowledge of the organization 2. Your turn to interview the organization 3. What happens next?

 Why should I hire you?  Tell me about yourself?  What are you major strengths?  What are your major weaknesses?  How does your previous experience relate to the jobs we have here?  What are your plans for the future?  Why are you looking for this type of position, and why here?

Ask employer for a business card Take some time to reflect Write a thank you note that makes it clear that: 1. You understand the job 2. You paid attention to what was being said 3. You are excited 4. You are qualified Be persistent but not pushy. The key is convey interest, not desperation.

 Same rules for preparation & performance apply Plus:  Find a landline to use  Find a quiet place  Be even more aware of your language and intonation  Have your resume in front of you

 You dress inappropriately  You bad-mouth your boss or colleagues  You appear disinterested  You appear arrogant  You do not give sufficient responses  You don’t ask good questions

 You are late  You forgot your resume or other materials  You have a wardrobe malfunction  You forget the name of the person who is interviewing you  The interviewer is distracted  The interviewer asks an illegal question

 About your religion  About your personal life  Marital Status and Children  Disability  Age  Country of origin/Nationality  Immigration status

 Answer – it is not illegal to answer an illegal question  Refuse to answer  Tactfully sidestep ◦ Ex: Disability  If you are concerned that I won’t be able to perform the duties of the job, let me assure you that I would be able to perform them well. ◦ Country of origin  You are probably wondering whether I am authorized to work in the US. I am.

◦ Although it is illegal for employers to ask about your immigration status, they are able to ask if you have work authorization to work in the US and if you will need visa sponsorship now or in the future. ◦ Ensure that you fully understand your work authorization options under your international student status and respond accurately.work authorization options ◦ It is important to be able to articulate your work authorization options to the employer since not all employers may be familiar with them. You want to facilitate the hiring process for the employer so be prepared to explain it and clarify the employer’s role in the process.

◦ For bilingual international students, your language skills and cross-cultural communication skills can be an asset especially as more companies are increasing their global presence. ◦ Studying abroad takes initiative, resourcefulness, persistence, ability to interact with diverse individuals and adaptability to new environments – all skills employers value and look for in candidates. ◦ During the interview, remember to emphasize these skills as strengths.