1 High Stakes Communication: Interviewing for a Job

2 Successful Interviewees  Analyze situation & audience  Organize knowledge and experience  Convey confidence  Handle questions  Reduce anxiety ed/jobs.html

3 Analyze Situation and Audience

4 Analyze Interview Situation  Where?  When?  How many interviews?  With whom?  Other expectations?  Give job talk  Take tests

5 Research the Employer  Mission  Organizational structure and culture  Clients, dept. faculty, students  Products, research foci, services  Size and location  Financial standing

6 Sources of Information  Career services  Web sites  Advisors, peers, employees  Annual report  Promotional materials  Periodicals

7 Organize Knowledge and Experience

8 Know Yourself  List adjectives that describe yourself  Create table of job satisfaction factors  Rank personal values  Analyze past work experiences  Assess strengths & weaknesses  List life & career goals  Stay aware of current events m/i/tn_interview_jpeg.jpg

9 Know Your Work Experience  Assemble and review job portfolio  Review notes on employer  Match your qualifications to their needs  Formulate questions to ask s/whatnext/images/interview.jpg

10 Get Organized!  Greeting  Small talk  Confident, Can-Do stmt  Strategy  Deliver topic sentences  Provide concrete examples  Organize for conciseness  Adapt to audience  Closing (memorize)  Summarize qualifications  Reinforce interest in position

Apply New Knowledge Respond to the interview prompts on the next 4 slides.

12 Tell me a little bit about yourself.

13 What are your most significant accomplishments?

14 What are your strengths and weaknesses?

15 Describe your research.

16 Convey Confidence  Posture  Gestures  Eye contact  Voice quality  Dress s/pd_job_interview_030812_nv.jpg

17 Handle Questions  Do:  LISTEN  Paraphrase/clarify  Engage and elaborate  Monitor body language  Don’t:  Exaggerate qualifications  Give yes/no responses  Criticize previous employer

18 Reduce Anxiety  Physical signs  Sweat  Hands shake  Voice cracks  Psychological signs  Blank out  Babble interview-door.gif

19 Success without Stress  Eliminate negativity news/october99/october.html

20 Negative Talk Positive Talk --- I’m freaking out! I’m going to blow this. ++ I’m prepared. This could lead to a great opportunity. --- He/she thinks I’m an idiot. ++ The interviewer is on my side. He/she needs me to fill important role in org.

21 Success without Stress  Breathe news/october99/october.html

22 Breathing Exercise  Relax shoulders, neck, and jaw  Place fingertips on diaphragm  Inhale slowly and silently count to 5  Hold 3 seconds  Exhale while counting to 5  Repeat sequence for 5 minutes

23 Success without Stress  Eliminate negativity  Breathe  Eat  Sleep  Avoid caffeine news/october99/october.html

24 Practice!  Practice answering questions out loud  Mock interview w/ different people  Get videotaped  Keep a journal about interview experiences to aid future preparation stress performance