1. Interview Skills Presented by Productive Pathways of the Midwest

2. Before You Get There Arrive at least 5 minutes early Use a breath mint before you go in Dress appropriately. If a smoker, try not to smoke on the way there. If you do, spray a little cologne/perfume on. Research the company.

3. How to Dress What to wear Be well groomed. Clean hair and nails. Not to much makeup. Not to much jewelry. Blazers and nice matching pants/skirt. Conservative colors. Heels no more than 3 inches. What not to wear Casual clothes like sweat pants. Lots of makeup, perfume or jewelry. Jeans Crop tops. Non natural hair colors.

4. What to do once your there Be polite to the receptionist. Let her know your name and who you are there to see. SMILE! Be confident Shake the interviewers hand

5. Common Questions: Tell me a little about yourself Do not focus on personal data Talk about your strengths Talk about accomplishments you have made at previous jobs or at your current position

6. Common Questions: What are your strengths? This can be experience, education, and talents that relate to the job you are seeking

7. Common Questions: What are your weaknesses? Turn your weakness into a strength. Example: I am very critical of my work. Because of this, I know I can waste time rechecking my work for errors so I am making a conscience effort to check my work but not have a need to recheck. Example: It is important to me that everyone on the job gets along. I have been known to go the extra mile to help others so I do not disappoint or let them down. I have learned to be more assertive and know when I can help out others without my job duties suffering

8. Common Question: Why should we hire you? Desire to take on more responsibility and grow in a career. Desire a shorter commute to work. Desire to improve work/life balance.

9. Common Questions: What is something your boss would say about you? At this point, refer back to old appraisals and say what your boss said about you.

10. Common Questions: What do you like least about your job? Do not take this opportunity to trash your current/previous employer. Good answer is I work well under stress and when we were slow, I looked for projects to keep me occupied.

11. Common Questions: Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Keep your answer fairly general What is your long term career goal? They want to see that you are willing to grow with the company. “My goal right now is to find a position at a company where I can grow and take on new challenges over time. Ultimately, I’d like to assume more management responsibilities and get involved in product strategy. But most importantly, I want to work for an organization where I can build a career.” http://biginterview.com/blog/2013/02/where-do-you- see-yourself-five-years.html

12. Questions to ask the Interviewer What skills are needed for the ideal candidate What have you enjoyed about working here? Can you tell me about the team I will be working for? Can you tell me about new products or plans for growth? What is the next step in the process? Remember, they are interviewing you as a candidate but you are also interviewing them as an employer.

13. Illegal Questions Anything to do with nationality, religion, age, martial and family status, gender, and where you live.

14. Ending the Interview Shake the interviewers hand and tell him thank you for his/her times Ask what is the next step in the process Follow up with a thank you card.