1. Applying and Interviewing for Employment
Learning Objectives
After studying this chapter, you will be able to:
Define the purpose of application letters and explain how to apply the AIDA organizational approach to them.
Describe the typical sequence of job interviews.
Describe briefly what employers look for during an employment interview and preemployment testing.
List six tasks you need to complete to prepare for a successful job interview.
Explain the three stages of a successful employment interview.
Identify the most common employment messages that follow an interview and explain when you would use each one.
© Prentice Hall, 2007
Business Communication Essentials, 3e

2. Employment Interviews
Organization’s
Main Objective
Applicant’s
Main Objective
Match Applicants
with the Organization
Match Goals and
Capabilities with the Job
An employment interview is a formal meeting during which both employer and applicant ask questions and exchange information. These meetings have a dual purpose: (1) the organization's main objective is to find the best person available for the job by determining whether the applicant and the organization are a good match, and (2) the applicant's main objective is to find the job best suited to his or her goals and capabilities.
© Prentice Hall, 2007
Business Communication Essentials, 3e

3. Typical Interview Sequence
Employer’s
Objectives
The Interview
Process
Hiring
Decision
Screening
Stage
Selection
Final Stage
Most employers interview an applicant two or three times before deciding to make a job offer. Applicants often face a sequence of interviews, each with a different purpose.
First is the preliminary screening stage, which is generally held on campus and which helps employers screen out unqualified applicants. Interviews at the screening stage are fairly structured, so applicants are often asked roughly the same questions. Your best approach to an interview at the screening stage is to follow the interviewer's lead.
The next stage of interviews helps the organization narrow the field a little further. Typically, if you're invited to visit a company, you will talk with several people: a member of the human resources department, one or two potential colleagues, and your potential supervisor. Your best approach during this selection stage of interviews is to show interest in the job, relate your skills and experience to the organization's needs, listen attentively, ask insightful questions, and display enthusiasm.
If the interviewers agree that you're a good candidate, you may receive a job offer, either on the spot or a few days later by phone or mail. In other cases, you may be invited back for a final evaluation by a higher-ranking executive who has the authority to make the hiring decision and to decide on your compensation. An underlying objective of the final stage is often to sell you on the advantages of joining the organization.
Applicant’s
Objectives
© Prentice Hall, 2007
Business Communication Essentials, 3e

4. Common Interview Types
Open-Ended
Group
Structured
Video
Situational
Stress
Organizations use various types of interviews to discover as much as possible about applicants.
A structured interview is generally used in the screening stage. Here the employer controls the interview by asking a series of prepared questions in a set order.
In contrast, the open-ended interview is less formal and unstructured, with a relaxed format. The interviewer poses broad, open-ended questions and encourages the applicant to talk freely.
Some organizations perform group interviews, meeting with several candidates simultaneously to see how they interact. This type of interview is useful for judging interpersonal skills.
Perhaps the most unnerving type of interview is the stress interview, which is set up to see how well a candidate handles stressful situations (an important qualification for certain jobs). During a stress interview you might be asked pointed questions designed to irk or unsettle you. You might be subjected to long periods of silence, criticisms of your appearance, deliberate interruptions, and abrupt or even hostile reactions by the interviewer.
The video interview is becoming more popular. Many large companies use videoconferencing systems to screen middle-management candidates or to interview new recruits at universities.
Another modern twist is the situational interview, in which an interviewer describes a situation and asks, “How would you handle this?”
© Prentice Hall, 2007
Business Communication Essentials, 3e

5. Business Communication Essentials, 3e
What Do Employers Seek?
Organization Fit
Qualifications
Background
Style
Personality
Skills
Abilities
Knowledge
When it comes down to it, every job has basic qualifications. Employers first look for two things: evidence that a candidate will fit in with the organization and proof that the person can handle a specific job.
Most interviewers put a high priority on discovering the basic dimensions of your personality so that they can judge whether you will be compatible with other people in the organization and with the corporate culture in general. Some interviewers believe that personal background indicates how well the candidate will fit in, so they might ask about your interests, hobbies, awareness of world events, and so forth. Beyond your organizational fit, interviewers are likely to consider your personal style as well. You’re likely to impress an employer by being open, enthusiastic, interested, courteous, sincere, willing to learn, positive and self-confident.
When you’re invited to interview for a position, the interviewer may already have some idea of whether you have the right qualifications, based on a review of your résumé. But during the interview, you’ll be asked to describe your education and previous jobs in more depth so that the interviewer can determine how well your skills match the requirements. . In many cases, the interviewer will be seeking someone with the flexibility to apply diverse skills in several areas.
© Prentice Hall, 2007
Business Communication Essentials, 3e

6. Interview Preparation
Conduct preliminary research
Think ahead about questions
Build your confidence
Polish your interview style
Plan to look your best
Be ready when you arrive
Preparation will help you perform better under pressure; moreover, the more prepared you are, the less nervous you'll be about the interviewing process. Be sure to consider any cultural differences when preparing for interviews, and base your approach on what your audience expects. To prepare for a successful interview, learn about the organization, think ahead about questions, bolster your confidence, polish your interview style, plan to look good, and be ready when you arrive.
© Prentice Hall, 2007
Business Communication Essentials, 3e

7. Conduct Preliminary Research
The Organization
The Opportunity
Corporate name
Age and location
Products or services
Industry Position
Earnings and Growth
Overall Structure
Job Title
Job Functions
Job Qualifications
Career Path
Salary Range
Travel and relocation
When planning your employment search, you probably already researched the companies you sent your résumé to. But now that you've been invited for an interview, you'll want to fine-tune your research and brush up on the facts you've collected.
Today’s companies expect serious candidates to demonstrate an understanding of the company’s operations, its market, and its strategic and tactical problems. Learning about the organization and the job enables you to show the interviewer just how you will meet the organization's particular needs.
© Prentice Hall, 2007
Business Communication Essentials, 3e

8. Business Communication Essentials, 3e
Plan for Questions
Skills
Goals
Achievements
Interests
Attitudes
Relationships
Planning ahead for the interviewer’s questions will help you handle them more confidently and intelligently. Moreover, you will want to prepare insightful questions of your own.
Employers usually gear their interview questions to specific organizational needs. You can expect to be asked about your skills, achievements, and goals, as well as about your attitude toward work and school, your relationships with others (work supervisors, colleagues, and fellow students), and occasionally your hobbies and interests.
© Prentice Hall, 2007
Business Communication Essentials, 3e

9. Prepare Some Questions
Do I like these people?
Will I enjoy the work?
Do I want this job?
Does the job pay well?
Who will supervise me?
What about my future?
Before the interview, prepare a list of about a dozen questions you need answered in order to evaluate the organization and the job.
Don't limit your questions to those you think will impress the interviewer, or you won't get the information you’ll need to make a wise decision if and when you're offered the job. Here’s a list of some things you might want to find out:
Are these my kind of people?
Will I enjoy the work?
Is the job what I want?
Does the job pay what I'm worth?
What kind of person would I be working for?
What sort of future can I expect with this organization?
Rather than bombarding the interviewer with these questions the minute you walk in the room, use a mix of formats to elicit this information. Take your list of questions to the interview on a notepad. If you need to, jot down brief notes during the meeting, and be sure to record answers in more detail afterward. Having a list of questions should impress the interviewer with your organization and thoroughness. It will also show that you're there to evaluate the organization and the job as well as to sell yourself.
© Prentice Hall, 2007
Business Communication Essentials, 3e

10. Business Communication Essentials, 3e
Plan to Look Good
Business Clothing
Good Grooming
Appropriate Behavior
Physical appearance is important because clothing and grooming reveal something about a candidate's personality and professionalism. When it comes to clothing, the best policy is to dress conservatively. Wear the best-quality clothing you can, but remember that clean and appropriate are far more important than expensive and flashy.
Good grooming makes any style of clothing look better. Make sure your clothes are clean and unwrinkled, your shoes unscuffed and well shined, your hair neatly styled and combed, your fingernails clean, and your breath fresh.
Make professional appearance and habits a routine part of your day after you land that first job, too. Some students fail to recognize the need to adjust their dress and personal habits when they make the transition to professional life.
© Prentice Hall, 2007
Business Communication Essentials, 3e

11. Dealing with Questions
Give Thoughtful Answers
Ask Intelligent Questions
Pay Careful Attention
Respond to Discrimination
Questions and answers will consume the greatest part of the interview. The interviewer will ask you about your qualifications and discuss many of the points mentioned in your résumé. You'll also be asking questions of your own.
Let the interviewer lead the conversation, and never answer a question before he or she has finished asking it. Tailor your answers to make a favorable impression. Don't limit yourself to yes or no answers. If you're asked a difficult question, be sure you pause to think before responding.
If you periodically ask a question or two from the list you've prepared, you'll not only learn something but also demonstrate your interest.
Paying attention when the interviewer speaks can be as important as giving good answers or asking good questions. Listening should make up about half the time you spend in an interview. The interviewer's facial expressions, eye movements, gestures, and posture may tell you the real meaning of what is being said. Be especially aware of how your comments are received.
Employers cannot legally discriminate against a job candidate on the basis of race, color, gender, age (from 40 to 70), marital status, religion, national origin, or disability. If you are asked personal questions, how you respond depends on how badly you want the job, how you feel about revealing the information asked for, what you think the interviewer will do with the information, and whether you want to work for a company that asks such questions.
© Prentice Hall, 2007
Business Communication Essentials, 3e

12. Following Up After the Interview
Thank-You
Messages
Touching base with the prospective employer after the interview, either by phone or in writing, shows that you really want the job and are determined to get it. The two most common forms of follow-up are the thank-you message and the inquiry. These messages are often handled by letter, but an or a phone call can be just as effective, particularly if the employer seems to favor a casual, personal style.
Express your thanks within two days after the interview, even if you feel you have little chance for the job. Acknowledge the interviewer's time and courtesy, and restate the specific job you're applying for. Convey your continued interest, then ask politely for a decision. Even if the interviewer has said that you are unqualified for the job, a thank-you message may keep the door open.
If you're not advised of the interviewer's decision by the promised date or within two weeks, you might make an inquiry. A letter of inquiry is particularly appropriate if you've received a job offer from a second firm and don't want to accept it before you have an answer from the first.
Inquiry
Messages
© Prentice Hall, 2007
Business Communication Essentials, 3e