Exit Interviews: Tips for Success Mrs. Boarman and Mrs. Quinlan
Interview Skills Even the most qualified job seekers need to prepare for job interviews. Why, you ask? Interviewing is a learned skill, and there are no second chances to make a great first impression.
Dress for success -Professional and appropriate -Ladies: No tank tops or exposed shoulders, cleavage, or midriff. Nothing sparkly or flashy. Limit the amount of makeup and jewlery. -Guys: Nice dress pants, button up shirt and tie, nice dress shoes. -Hair and teeth brushed -Sleep well the night before so you don’t look tired! -No gum -Keep your cell phone at home -Have a good breakfast, but do not drink too much caffeine!
Good Nonverbal Communication is key! -Firm Handshake when greeting and leaving the interviewer -SMILE! -Show excitement and enthusiasm- do not look bored! -Be confident in yourself- it shows!
Body Language Effective forms of body language: smiling, eye contact, solid posture, active listening, nodding. Detrimental forms of body language: slouching, looking off in the distance, playing with pen, fidgeting in chair, brushing back hair, touching face, chewing gum, mumbling.
Listen! -Good communication also means listening to what they have to share with you and answering their questions accurately -Do not tell more than you need too -Try not to ramble -Prepare for the interview by reviewing the questions and scoring rubric that the interviewers will ask/use (go over rubric)
Use appropriate language -No slang words ex. cool, BAE, fleek, yolo, turnt up, cray, squad, like -No swearing -Use good manners -”Yes mam/sir”, “thank you”, “you're welcome”
ASk questions -Always have questions ready! -After your last slide, you’ll have to come up with a way to end the conversation so it’s not awkward. -Some sentence starters you could use are below: - Thank you for listening to me share today. Do you have any further questions? - Is there any slide I’ve shown that you’d like more information about?
Follow up with a thank you -Sending a handwritten thank you card is very important! This shows that you appreciated their time and effort in getting to know you. -Writing a thank you card can make you stand out among other students. Example: Dear_______ Thank you for taking the time to listen to the highlights of my middle school experience. It was really helpful for me to practice my interview skills. I enjoyed our conversation and I hope you did too! Sincerely, ____________
Handshake Practice 9 Types of bad handshakes: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/handshakes -Find a partner to practice with for a few minutes -You will then come up one by one for a handshake test!