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Interview skills for jobs

Inside and Outside Academia

Dr Tracy BussoliCareers Consultant

for Researchers

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Objectives

• To understand the purpose of an interview and the motivations of the interviewer in the selection process

• To understand the type of preparation and research required for an effective interview

• To help you provide evidence/articulate behaviours which show that they have the key experiences and competencies for a particular position

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Interviews• Application-based

• Group • Competency-based • Technical or case study• Presentation (research or other)• Panel • Remote (telephone or video-link)

Interviews

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What are they looking for?

• Can you do the job? — Ability

• Will you do the job? — Motivation

• Can I work with you? — Fit

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Primacy & Recency Effect

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Preparation, preparation, preparation….

• Know yourself

• Know the role

• Know the Organisation/Research Group/University

• Know the details of interview. Where, when etc.

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Know Yourself

Aptitudes/Skills

Personality

Interests

Needs and priorities

Know the role and organisationSmall Groups (divide into i: those thinking about applying for academic roles and ii) those thinking about jobs outside academia) Think about

1) a position in industry or 2) an academic position e.g. postdoc

Think about how you would research:

• The Organisation/Research Group/University

• The Role

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Research the organisation

• Check on-line information – websites, linked-in, blogs etc.

• Understand the Company’s objectives/mission statement etc.

• Company position in market place

• Why are they different from their competitors?

• People in your potential department. What do they do? How do your interests fit?

• Speak to current employees

• Annual report?

• Memorise few obscure facts!

• Check online information – websites, academia.edu , blogs etc.

• How did they do in the REF? How many publications have they produced and in what type of journals?

• Know the research group’s work – read research papers

• Is their ‘type of research’ being funded by the research councils – how much research funding do they have?

• Speak to postdocs/academics.

• What is the PI like? Is the research group happy/well supported?

Industry Academia

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Research the role

• Scrutinise the personal specification

• Look at the job description

• Talk to people doing same job/other people working at organisation

• List the skills/qualities/techniques and think about specific examples that illustrate you have these

• Look at other sites to find out about similar roles e.g. Prospects

• Scrutinise the personal specification

• Look at the job description• Talk to people within the

research group and others• List the research

techniques/methods that you have think about how these fit with the role

• How much teaching is involved? Can you fit in your research?

• Will you be supported in developing your own independent research?

Industry Academia

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Content

• Talk about yourself

• Describe specific incidents

• Show don’t tell

• Be positive — don’t undersell yourself

• Do not waffle on!

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Answering Competency Questions

Tell me about a time when you showed good team working skills……….

• First have a think about the behaviours which that competency involves (behind the buzzwords sheet)

• Think about the different scenarios that one have been in ….research and other

• Think about specific incidents

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Types of activities

• Supervising a student

• Teaching / tutoring a group of students

• Preparing and publishing a paper

• Preparing and presenting a poster

• Undertaking an audit

• Writing a funding proposal

• Processing a set of accounts or managing a budget

• Managing a piece of laboratory equipment

• Participating on a committee

• Participating in graduate school training

• Managing part–time work and research

• Outreach or public engagement

• Volunteering

• Charity fundraising

• Careers courses and workshops

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ersTeam working - organising a

journal club

Seeking opinion and listening to others - is there a demand?

Collecting a list of

interested people

Enthuse and encourage students, staff and academics to participate – hand out flyers, spread the word etc.

Be flexible - volunteer to presentat the first journal club

Contact presenters

on a regular basis

Answering Competency Questions: Finding examples of your skills

Individually

Choose a specific situation from your PhD/research/other

• Do a map of the behaviours associated with the task• Do any of the behaviours fall into a particular skill?

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Structuring the answer

• Situation

• Task

• Action (70%) use lots of verbs

• Result

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Teamwork

SITUATION – During my PhD, I felt that there was a need to get together more frequently to share ideas about different research areas

TASK – So I decided to establish an interdisciplinary/ faculty wide journal club

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ACTIONS – I canvassed opinions amongst academics and students to see if this was a good idea, carrying out a small survey. I then tried to enthuse a few of my colleagues about the idea and asked them if they would be happy to present at the first journal club. I let them know about the audience and the format of the journal club. Some of them needed reassuring and convincing that this would be a good idea, as it would help with their presentation skills. Once I secured the first two speakers, I booked an appropriate room, sent an email/flyer to relevant people about the speakers, date, and venue.

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RESULT – there is now a well attended journal club each month, which I organise and coordinate

Tell me about a time when you showed excellent….

• Team-working skills• Communication skills• Time Management skills• Project Management skills

In pairs.Take one skill each and try to answer the question using STAR. Feedback to your partner.

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Impact• Appropriate appearance• Positive attitude, energy,

enthusiasm• Be pleasant to everyone you meet• Listen carefully and show it• Eye contact and smiling• Relaxed but attentive body

language• Varied delivery — pitch, volume,

speed.

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Tactics• Give yourself thinking time

– Repeat, comment, “Can I have a minute?”

• Think of the “punchline” before you talk

• Seek clarification– “Are you looking for an example of...?”

• Ask for feedback– “Is this example useful?”

• When in a hole, stop digging– “Sorry, I’ve got a bit lost. May I start

again?”

Some Practice

1 2

Interviewer

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Your Questions

The job: find out more detail on duties, how long has it been vacant, where did the previous incumbent go?

The organisation: what are the strategic goals, challenges they are facing, most significant recent developments in the organisation?

The working conditions: what about support for training, career development, appraisals?

The process: what happens next, how many

people are being interviewed, when are you likely to hear whether or not you’re being offered the job?

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AFTERWARDSEMPLOYERWhat have you learnt? Your impressions of the employer. The interview is your opportunity to decide if you want to work for

them.

REFLECTIONReflect on the interview. Make a note of the questions they asked.

Were you satisfied with your answers, or could you do better next time?

CONTACTIf they do not contact you when they said they would or if it has

been a long time since the interview (more than two weeks), try ringing or emailing to check the situation.

FEEDBACKIf you are rejected, try ringing to ask for some feedback so that

you can gain an idea of where improvements need to be made.

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Practicalities

• Rehearse journey• Turn off your mobile• Relax. They are human too.

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Interview Resources

• Careers Group Interview Tipshttp://www.careers.lon.ac.uk/files/pdf/CEP_Interviews.pdf

• Science Careers. Tools and Tips Sectionhttp://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/tools_tips/how_to_series/how_to_prepare_for_an_interview

• Academic Interviewshttp://serc.carleton.edu/files/NAGTWorkshops/careerprep/jobsearch/interview_proce.pdf

• Monty Python Silly Interviewwww.youtube.com/watch?v=zP0sqRMzkwo

Book: Great Answers to tough interview questions. Martin John Yate

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Case Study Practice

• http://www.mckinsey.com/Careers/Apply/

Interview_tips/Practice_case_studies

• http://www.joinbain.com/apply-to-bain/

interview-preparation/default.asp

• http://www.bcg.com/join_bcg/

interactive_case/default.aspx

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Support for PhD Students

• One to one appointments: Monday and Tuesday mornings and Wednesday afternoon. Book by calling 020 7882 8533.

• Workshops, Careers Seminars and Employer Events: http://www.esdcourses.org.uk/userlistcourse.php

• Researchers’ Career Blog:

http://qmresearcher.wordpress.com/