Nailing the Interview

Tutorial Outcomes How to prepare for an interview Understand the interview process Know how to tell a story – S-A-R Sell, Don’t Tell Closing the Deal

Preparing for an Interview keyReview job posting to review key skill sets the job asked for Identify where you have acquired those skill sets – school, work, other (as per Skills Matrix) Research the company – get the facts. –Who are they? –What do they do? –Where do they operate? –Why do you want to work for them?

Skills Matrix WORK SCHOOL OTHER Leadership Problem Solving Teamwork Initiative Creativity Communication

Types of Interviews Structured – set questions same for everyone Unstructured – interviewer takes it in whatever direction it flows Panel – more than 1 interviewer sharing duties of asking questions and taking notes Case Interview – a specific case study, you’re asked to dissect it and come up with solutions Telephone – Obviously long distance

Types of Questions Technical – specific to certain technical requirements, i.e. finance, accounting, marketing, etc. Traditional – general or macro in nature Behaviour Descriptive Interview – past behaviour is a strong indicator of future performance.

Examples of Traditional Questions Tell me about yourself What is it about our organization that appeals to you? Tell me about a significant achievement of yours and what makes it so? How will you add value to our organization? What do you consider your greatest strength? Weakness?

Examples of BDI Questions Tell me about a time… usually refers to a skill set they asked for in their job posting Other variables could be give me an example of …. –When you had demonstrated leadership skills? –When you were given a task beyond your capabilities? How did you handle it? –When you set a goal and achieved it? Didn’t achieve it? Whenever you hear this type of opening, this is a BDI question

Answering BDI with S-A-R Whenever you’re asked this question, answer with ONE (1) example only. S = Situation – Describe the role you were in A = Action – Describe what you did (identify skill set) R = Result – Tell them what happened (don’t make them ask). Quantify wherever possible. If appropriate, indicate how you would have handled it differently in hindsight (if at all)

Answering BDI with S-A-R Example – “ Tell me of a time you set a goal and achieved it?” –When I took over the role of Treasurer for my Tae-Kwon-Do club, we were in arrears to several vendors and had $3,000 in receivables. S = situation –I set a goal to have all Accounts Receivables collected within 90 days, and vendors paid off in 120 days. A = action –Through personal phone calls to all overdue members I asked for their help in allowing us to avoid high interest charges in meeting our payments. –To vendors I explained our situation and asked their cooperation in waiting 120 days to clear our debt. –Not only did we receive 100% of outstanding receivables within 60 days, we paid off all our debt within the 90 days. R = result

Your work ethic Your ability to think Technical skills – can you do the job? Fit – can he/she visualize you working with a certain team in accomplishing their goals? Long term commitment – is this someone we can grow with? What are Interviewers Looking For?

Making a Positive Impression At the start of the interview: Be on time Make eye contact Shake hands firmly Repeat the person’s name when introduced Posture–sit tall, not stiff but poised and confident

Smile to relax Avoid jumping into an answer early without thinking it through. Stumped? Take a drink of water to gather your thoughts, does not appear as a “pregnant pause”. Be concise yet comprehensive – don’t make them probe for information, but don’t forget to stop talking! Ask questions at the end of the interview – worst thing you can do is say “I have no questions” Why? Making a Positive Impression

Answering the Easiest Question Almost all interviews will start with “Tell me about yourself”. Here’s how NOT to answer it: “My name is Ed Jones and I’m a fourth year student in the School of Business majoring in accounting” You just wasted 30 seconds of my time and didn’t tell me anything I did not already know.

Answering the Easiest Question Almost all interviews will start with “Tell me about yourself”. Here’s how to answer it: I was born in England and moved to Canada as an infant In junior high I was the youngest winner of a highland dance competition In grade 12 I received the Arthur Lang Scholarship for my essay “Why Canada Needs to Remain a Confederation”. Through my volunteer work at the Heritage Festival I was exposed to the exciting world of marketing And that’s why I’m sitting in front of you today

Sell, Don’t Tell Some of your past experience will not be directly relevant to the job you are applying for. So, don’t tell them what you did, sell them on “Transferable Skills”. Past jobs are not necessarily the best reflection of your skills. Don’t forget volunteer work or sports teams I did it for them – I can do it for you. S-A-R Think “Visualization” – Can the employer see you working with his team? Paint the picture so he/she can see your contribution to the team.

“Why Should I Hire You?” “I’m a wonderful person and love my mom and will work hard and will learn fast and will be easy to get along with and…and… SO? “Mr. Employer, you asked for a highly skilled problem solver, and that’s what I can deliver.”

Closing the Deal At the end of the interview almost every employer will ask you “Do you have any questions for us?” Never say NO!!! Questions should be answerable by the interviewer – not overly detailed NEVER phrase questions in a threatening manner Also use this time to clarify past points

Closing the Deal When the interviewer is wrapping up and asks if there is anything else… –If you like what you heard and would really like the job, SAY SO!!! –“Mr. Jones, I really have enjoyed meeting you and learning more about this opportunity. I think it would be a great fit for both of us, and I know I can contribute right away. Thanks for meeting me”.

Why “FIT” is so Important