Quick Job Quick Job Interview GuideInterview Guide

Seven Steps to Acing Seven Steps to Acing

Your InterviewYour Interview

The Seven StepsThe Seven Steps

Learn the Basics and Make a Positive Learn the Basics and Make a Positive ImpressionImpression

Know Who You Are and What You Can DoKnow Who You Are and What You Can Do Do Your Homework and Come PreparedDo Your Homework and Come Prepared Answer Key Interview Questions with EaseAnswer Key Interview Questions with Ease Handle Tough Interview Situations with Handle Tough Interview Situations with

ConfidenceConfidence Follow UpFollow Up Negotiate Your Way to a Fair SalaryNegotiate Your Way to a Fair Salary

Eight Keys to Interview Eight Keys to Interview SuccessSuccess

Make a positive impressionMake a positive impression Communicate your skillsCommunicate your skills Use control statements to your advantageUse control statements to your advantage Answer problem questions wellAnswer problem questions well Ask the interviewer appropriate Ask the interviewer appropriate

questionsquestions Help employers know why they should Help employers know why they should

hire youhire you Close the interview properlyClose the interview properly Follow up after the interviewFollow up after the interview

Making a Good Making a Good ImpressionImpression

Show up on timeShow up on time Check your Check your

appearanceappearance Use appropriate Use appropriate

waiting room waiting room behaviorbehavior

Be conscious of Be conscious of your dress and your dress and appearanceappearance

Act alert and Act alert and interestedinterested

Pay attention to Pay attention to your voice and your voice and your habits Give your habits Give a firm handshakea firm handshake

Use the Use the interviewer’s interviewer’s namename

Make small talkMake small talk Ask opening Ask opening

questionsquestions

The Three-Step Process for The Three-Step Process for Answering Interview Answering Interview

QuestionsQuestions

1.1. Understand what is really Understand what is really being asked. being asked.

2.2. Answer the question briefly in Answer the question briefly in a non-damaging way.a non-damaging way.

3.3. Answer the real question by Answer the real question by presenting your related skills.presenting your related skills.

The Prove-It TechniqueThe Prove-It Technique

Present concrete examplesPresent concrete examples Quantify your achievementsQuantify your achievements Emphasize resultsEmphasize results Link your experience to the Link your experience to the

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The Three Types of SkillsThe Three Types of Skills

AdaptiveAdaptive TransferableTransferable Job RelatedJob Related

Adaptive SkillsAdaptive Skills

AdaptiveAdaptive skillsskills are the skills are the skills you use every day to survive you use every day to survive and function. Some of them and function. Some of them could even be considered part could even be considered part of your basic personality. Such of your basic personality. Such skills include getting to work skills include getting to work on time, honesty, enthusiasm, on time, honesty, enthusiasm, and getting along with others. and getting along with others.

Transferable SkillsTransferable Skills

Transferable skillsTransferable skills are are general skills that can be general skills that can be useful in a wide variety of useful in a wide variety of jobs, like the ability to write jobs, like the ability to write clearly or to prioritize tasks.clearly or to prioritize tasks.

Job-Related SkillsJob-Related Skills

Most Most job-related skillsjob-related skills are specific are specific to an occupation, such as knowing to an occupation, such as knowing how to fly an airplane. Job-related how to fly an airplane. Job-related skills are most often gained skills are most often gained through work experience, through work experience, education and training, and education and training, and hobbies.hobbies.

The Skills Employers The Skills Employers WantWant

1.1. Learning to learnLearning to learn2.2. Basic academic skills in reading, Basic academic skills in reading,

writing, and computationwriting, and computation3.3. Good communication skillsGood communication skills4.4. Creative thinking and problem solvingCreative thinking and problem solving5.5. Self-esteem, motivation, and goal Self-esteem, motivation, and goal

settingsetting6.6. Personal and career development Personal and career development

skillsskills7.7. Interpersonal/negotiation skills and Interpersonal/negotiation skills and

teamworkteamwork8.8. Organizational effectiveness and Organizational effectiveness and

leadershipleadership

Preparing for the Preparing for the InterviewInterview

Research the industryResearch the industry Research the careers that Research the careers that

interest youinterest you Research the companyResearch the company Research the job itselfResearch the job itself Research the interviewerResearch the interviewer

Important Questions to Important Questions to Answer in Your ResearchAnswer in Your Research

Who is the employer and what does it Who is the employer and what does it do?do?

Who is its main competition?Who is its main competition? What has the organization What has the organization

accomplished in the last three years?accomplished in the last three years? What is the job description and salary What is the job description and salary

range for the job I’m interested in?range for the job I’m interested in? What skills and training does the job What skills and training does the job

require?require? How can I contribute to the How can I contribute to the

organization?organization?

The Ten Most Frequently The Ten Most Frequently Asked Interview QuestionsAsked Interview Questions

1.1. Why don’t you tell me about Why don’t you tell me about yourself?yourself?

2.2. Why should I hire you?Why should I hire you?

3.3. What are your major strengths?What are your major strengths?

4.4. What are your major weaknesses?What are your major weaknesses?

5.5. What sort of pay do you expect to What sort of pay do you expect to receive?receive?

6.6. How does your previous experience How does your previous experience relate to the job we have here?relate to the job we have here?

The Ten Questions The Ten Questions (Cont.)(Cont.)

7.7. What are your plans for the What are your plans for the future?future?

8.8. What will your former What will your former employers say about you?employers say about you?

9.9. Why are you looking for this Why are you looking for this sort of position, and why here?sort of position, and why here?

10.10.Why don’t you tell me about Why don’t you tell me about your personal situation?your personal situation?

The Laws That Protect You The Laws That Protect You from Discriminationfrom Discrimination

Title VII of the Civil Rights ActTitle VII of the Civil Rights Act

Makes discrimination on the basis of race, Makes discrimination on the basis of race, gender, religion, or national origin illegal gender, religion, or national origin illegal in hiring discussions.in hiring discussions.

The Americans with Disabilities The Americans with Disabilities ActActRequires that an employer provide an Requires that an employer provide an equal opportunity for an individual with a equal opportunity for an individual with a disability to be considered for a job disability to be considered for a job

The “Turtling The “Turtling Technique”Technique”

Turn a perceived disadvantage into an Turn a perceived disadvantage into an advantage by showing how it can benefit advantage by showing how it can benefit the employer (turning it around)the employer (turning it around)

Example: Too Old…Example: Too Old…

““I am a very stable worker requiring very I am a very stable worker requiring very little training. I have been dependable all my little training. I have been dependable all my life, and I am at a point in my career where I life, and I am at a point in my career where I don’t plan on changing jobs. I still have 10 don’t plan on changing jobs. I still have 10 years of working until I plan on retiring.”years of working until I plan on retiring.”

Following Up After the Following Up After the InterviewInterview

Make notes on the Make notes on the interviewinterview

Schedule your follow-upSchedule your follow-up Send your thank-you Send your thank-you

notenote Call when you said you Call when you said you

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Seven Tips for Thank-Seven Tips for Thank-You NotesYou Notes

Decide whether to use e-mail or regular Decide whether to use e-mail or regular mail Use quality paper and envelopesmail Use quality paper and envelopes

Decide whether to handwrite it or Decide whether to handwrite it or computer-print itcomputer-print it

Use a formal salutationUse a formal salutation Keep the note short and friendlyKeep the note short and friendly Be sure to sign itBe sure to sign it Send it within 24 hours after the Send it within 24 hours after the

interviewinterview

Sample Thank You NoteSample Thank You Note

Farr’s Rules of Salary Farr’s Rules of Salary NegotiationNegotiation

Never talk money until after an Never talk money until after an employer decides he or she wants you.employer decides he or she wants you.

Know in advance the probable salary Know in advance the probable salary range.range.

Always bracket your stated salary Always bracket your stated salary range to begin within the employer’s range to begin within the employer’s probable salary range and end a bit probable salary range and end a bit above what you expect to settle for.above what you expect to settle for.

Never say no to a job offer either Never say no to a job offer either before it is made or within 24 hours before it is made or within 24 hours afterward.afterward.

Final TipsFinal Tips

Know yourselfKnow yourself Know the employerKnow the employer Turn negatives into positivesTurn negatives into positives Don’t forget to follow upDon’t forget to follow up Remember, no matter what Remember, no matter what

questions interviewers ask, the questions interviewers ask, the underlying question is always, underlying question is always, “Why should I hire you?”“Why should I hire you?”