UCC 210 | WSS 3100

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Interview Preparation Techniques

Snjezana Linkes, M.Ed. (Counselling Psychology), Registered Psychotherapist, CCC, CCC-S, Career Counsellor

Overview

Introduction

Before the interview

Non-verbal behavior

First impressions

Interview formats

Interview questions & strategies

After the interview

Expectations

What are you expecting from today’s workshop?

Are there any interviews in your future?

How have you prepared yourself for interviews in the past?

http://success.uwo.ca/careers/interviews/index.html

The Interview is the most important stage

in the selection process

It confirms the impression gathered from resume, cover letter, references, and other application documents. They want to know:

1. CAN YOU DO THEJOB?

Do you have skills and competencies to

do the job? 2. WILL YOU DO THE JOB?

Are you motivated to do the job and do it well? 3. WILL WE LIKE YOU?

Are you the person with whom they will like

working; do you make good addition to the team?

Dress for Success

Women: Dark, conservative suit or pantsuit, avoid bold patterns or high heels,

wear makeup conservatively, no cologne, and rule of 3 for jewelry.

Are all of the outfits below appropriate?

Dress for Success

Men: dark, conservative suit & tie, plain shirt with contrasting tie solid color suit (gray,

black, navy), polished shoes, no / minimal cologne.

Are all of the outfits below appropriate?

Non-Verbal Behaviour

Eye Contact • Indicates interest, confidence and sincerity

Facial Expressions • Smiling indicates warmth and friendliness

Posture • Good posture shows confidence and power

potential

Gestures • Should be minimal, natural and meaningful

Space

• Interviewers become uncomfortable if their

personal space is invaded

• A meter is a common “social zone” for more

extraverted people while more space may be

required for others

Practice: Hand shake, eye contact,

introduction, posture

Openness and Warmth open-lipped smile, open hands with palms visible, unbuttoning jacket upon

being seated

Confidence

leaning forward, chin up, upright posture, eye contact

Nervousness

whistling, pinching skin, fidgeting, jiggling pocket contents, running tongue

along front of teeth, clearing throat, running fingers through hair, wringing

hands, biting fingernails or other objects

Untrustworthy/Defensive

frowning, squinting, tight-lipped grin, arms crossed in front of chest, backing

away, chin down, darting eyes, looking down when speaking, clenched

hands, gestures with fist, etc.

How to Manage Interview Stress

Exercise in moderate and regular amounts

Eat well

Establish regular sleeping patterns if you can

Breathing exercises – abdominal breathing

Relaxation

Meditation

Visualization

Interview Structures

Structured (the most reliable for comparing candidates - same set of questions in the same order)

Semi-structured (planned set of questions + additional questions)

Unstructured (rare - no planned sequence of questions)

Screening

Panel

One-on-one

Group

Sequential

Interview Formats

Personal & General –Traditional Questions

Tell me about yourself.

What are your greatest strengths? What are your weaknesses?

Why do you want to work here?

Why should we hire you instead of someone else?

Why did you leave your last job?

What did you like/dislike about your last job?

What would you like to be doing five years from now?

What is your vision/mission statement?

What do you think you will be looking for in the job following this position?

Why do you feel you will be successful in this work?

Response Strategies

Structure, structure, structure!

Timeline Approach List Method

Past Present Future First Second Third

Tips for responding to popular questions:

“Tell Me About Yourself”:

- Include Profile, Academics, Work Experience, Skills (PAWS)

“What is Your Weakness”:

- Not a moment for true confession!

- Avoid responding, ‘none’

- Focus on a situation where you were able to learn and improve

“What are Your Strengths”:

- Think of strengths that make you best qualified for the position and provide a brief example

“Why do you want to work here”:

- Talk about what you’ve learned about the company/organization and link how you fit in

Behavioural Questions

• Tell me about a time...

• Describe a situation in which...

• Recall an instance when…

• Give me an example of…

If the interviewer knows how you performed in the past it

will help give a sense of how you might do in the

future.

Common Behaviour-based themes

Working effectively under pressure

Handling a difficult situation with a co-worker

Applying good judgement and logic in solving a problem

Thinking creatively

Completing a project on time

Persuading team members to do things your way

Writing a report or proposal that was well received

Making an important decision with limited facts and information

Adapting to a difficult situation

Dealing with an upset or challenging client

Delegating a project effectively

Explaining complex information to a client, colleague or peer

Prioritizing the elements of a complicated project

Behavioural Strategies

Storytelling Technique

• Prepare answers (basically “brief stories”) that highlight the different

competencies and skillsets the employer is looking for.

• Draw from paid work (part-time/summer jobs), internships, practicums,

volunteer work, extra-curricular activities, coursework, school projects, travel)

S Situation Where you were

T Task What you were facing

A Action What action(s) you took

R Result The outcome of your action

S Summary Brief summary of the skills, strengths, lesson, implications

Sample Behavioral Response Give an example of a time when you had to solve an unexpected problem that arose.

S During my job at ABC Camp last summer, as an activity coordinator I was

responsible for planning staff schedules for the camp programs.

T When I started, I noticed that the current schedule was difficult to read

and understand. We were also unexpectedly understaffed and unable to

maintain proper staff to child ratios. I needed to do something to

improve this quickly.

A I redesigned the schedule taking into consideration staffing regulations

and child to staff ratios. I collected feedback from staff and supervisors

to make secondary improvements as well.

R As a result I utilized some of the ideas from my co-workers and created a

scheduling system which was more understandable and ensured that

we maintained proper ratios.

S My critical thinking and teamwork skills were very valuable in this situation,

and a strength that I could bring to this position.

Situational Questions Interviewers use situational/hypothetical questions to see how you would react to and handle real-life situations on the job.

Examples:

If you had met your project deadlines and your direct supervisor was unavailable, describe how you would remain busy.

You have a conflict with someone who is senior to you and is not your supervisor. Describe how you would handle it.

Candidates must have a good understanding of the job and its requirements.

Strategies:

Put yourself in the situation and/or use an example

Talk it out – only way to assess problem solving & critical thinking

Consider alternatives

Describe what you would do and explain WHY

Provide details

Hint: Don’t let the question fool you! How you think about the situation can be just as

important as what actions you might take.

Situational Strategies

RACED Model:

Restate the situation briefly.

– This will give you a chance to think and re-organize your answer

Analyze. What is the dilemma here?

– Talk about both sides if you see them

Cause/Outcome. State possible causes of the situation. Make assumptions if necessary.

– What would be the outcome for picking one side or the other in a dilemma?

– Think about impacts: to yourself and others and the person involved.

Experience. See if you have a similar experience that shows qualities you possess.

Decide. Talk about the possible actions and WHY you’d do it.

– Talk about the implications of your decision

– Try to show as many positive qualities here - chance to shine..!

Illegal Questions

Other Questions • Salary

www.workingincanada.gc.ca

• Benefits

www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/es/pubs/guide/pregnancy.php

• Negotiation

What Not to Say When Negotiating Your Salary

• Questions for the employer

http://success.uwo.ca/careers/get_a_job/interview_preparation/questions_to_ask_an_interviewer.html

After the Interview

Overall assessment of the interview

Review questions you answered effectively

Consider questions with which you had difficulty; prepare a good answer

for next time

Record name of the interviewer(s)

Make notes for future interviews

Send a thank you letter/e-mail to each person with

whom you had contact during the interview process

Follow up

If you were not the successful candidate, politely

ask for feedback

Reasons Why Interviews Fail

• Inadequate preparation

• Applicant does not listen to questions

• Rambling, providing unnecessary information

• Applicant unconsciously gives warning signs to interviewer

• Positions are competitive – many great candidates

Practice, practice, practice…and be comfortable

speaking about yourself

Interview Stream

Access over 7000 practice questions, example responses, and more. If you have a webcam, you can conduct a personalized interview through uwo.interviewstream.com

Mock Interview

Simulate an actual interview and receive feedback on your interview skills from a career counsellor in a video-captured session. Limit of one per term.

Workshops

Interview strategies

MMI workshops

PRACTICE Your Interview Skills

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