Career Advice

Successful Interviewing

Successfully managing the interview is a critical step in getting any job. The interview provides employers with an opportunity to get to know you. Although interviews are naturally anxiety producing, there are many strategies that will help you manage it effectively. There is no set formula for predicting the format of an interview since the organization's priorities and interviewer styles vary. The key is preparation. The best preparation is to know well enough that you are able to concretely describe yourself in the interview context.

Before the Interview

• Practice answering typical questions with a friend or other "mock interviewer".
• Review frequently asked questions.
• Research the company and identify reasons you would want to work there.
• Spend some time thinking about questions you would like to ask.
• Prepare a conventional business suit to wear to interviews.
• Be prepared for surprise questions/awkward questions and how you would prefer to deal with them.
• Consider how to deal with nervous habits; relaxation techniques will help.
• Have an opening remark in mind.
• Take a pad and pen along with you for any notes you wish to make during or after the interview.
• Know time and location of interview and arrive 15 minutes early.
• Convert opinion into fact by citing specific examples of your accomplishments as well as illustration of your skill/abilities/traits.

During the Interview

Our experience has proven that job offers don't always go to the most qualified candidate. They often go to the best performer. Make no mistake an interview is a performance. We suggest that you ask the following questions on all your interviews to enhance your performance.

1. "I have spent a lot of time on the phone with (Recruiter) and they did a good job profiling the overall opportunity. I would like to hear from you specifically what you're looking for."
2. "What is the most important thing that the winning candidate will need to accomplish?"
3. "Can you share with me the structure of the department/division and how it fits into the overall organization?"
4. "Considering the people on your team, tell me what your top producers are like and what you think makes them the most successful."
5. "Tell me about your corporate culture and what type of person best fits into your organization."
6. "As the Hiring Manger, tell me about your management style and what traits best match your personality to produce the best results."
7. "What are the biggest or most critical challenges that you and the company are currently experiencing."
8. "If I'm the winning candidate, how will you measure success?" "How will we both know I am doing a good job?"
9. "What are your performance benchmarks for the first:"
   • 90 Days?
   • 6 Months?
   • 1 Year?
10. "Assuming success in this position, what is the typical career path potential?"
11. "What types of support resources will be available?"
    • Marketing Support
    • Administrative Support
    • Budget
    • Remote Office
12. "What are the key things that would cause a person to not be successful on your team?"
13. "What did you like most about the person who did this job before me? What made them successful/unsuccessful?"
14. "In considering this position, do you foresee any imminent changes (i.e. territory, accounts, etc.)?"
15. "Now that we have had a chance to learn more about each other, is there anything that would lead you to believe that I would not be successful in this position?"
• IF YES: Treat it like an objection, cushion it, qualify it, turn it into a question and answer the question. Map your background, experiences, accomplishments, etc. to his/her objection.
• IF NO:"Great. . . "
16. CLOSE: "I was excited about this opportunity when I first learned about it. Now that I have had a chance to learn more about it, I am even more excited. Hopefully, the feeling is mutual. Where do we go from here?" (Set the meeting, phone call, test, action step, date, time, deadline, etc.)

Behavioral Interviewing

Behavioral based interviewing is a new style of interviewing that more and more companies and organizations are using in their hiring process. The basic premise behind behavioral interviewing is this: the most accurate predictor of future performance is past performance in a similar situation. It provides a more objective set of facts to make employment decisions than other interviewing methods. Traditional interview questions ask you general questions such as "Tell me about yourself". The process of behavioral interviewing is much more probing and works very differently.

Since it's impossible to prepare answers to specific questions, try to recall past accomplishments that you can use to illustrate your skills and characteristics.

Accomplishments are experiences you enjoyed, were satisfied by, or did well. They have to be work related. As you recall each accomplishment, list a few key words on paper so you'll know which experience to which you are referring. Jot experiences quickly, since one memory will trigger another. List as many relevant experiences as possible, but don't view any as insignificant. During the interview, it's likely that he/she will ask about one of those seemingly insignificant or minor experiences will satisfy interviewers more than a recounting of a top achievement.

During the stress of an interview, you'll be hard-pressed to recall good examples. Hence you'll have a little trouble remembering them now when you aren't under stress.

Rehearse how you'd describe key experiences to interviewers, so you can recount them vividly and concisely. If you can create strong visual images in interviewers minds, you'll have a better chance of convincing them that you have the desired skill level.

Behavior-based interviewers know how difficult it is to recall good examples, so they allow you adequate time to think before answering. Although you can't predict the questions you'll be asked, you'll be ready to cite examples. And, if you receive a job offer, the extra time spent preparing will be well worth it.

Important Points About Behavior Based Interviewing:

• Employers predetermine which skills are necessary for the job for which they are interviewing and then ask very pointed questions to determine if the candidate possesses those skills.
• In the interview, your response needs to be specific and detailed. Tell them about particular situation that relates to the questions, not a general one. Tell them briefly the situation, what you did specifically, and the positive result or outcome
• The interviewee tells a story for a few minutes; typically the interviewer will pick apart the story to try to get at the specific behavior(s). The interviewer can probe further for related details.

Sample Behavior Based Interview Questions

• Tell me about a time when you displayed excellent customer service?
• What has given you the greatest sense of achievement at work? Why?
• All jobs have frustration; can you describe some examples of your job, which frustrate you?
• What standards have you set for yourself in your current position? How well have you done about meeting these standards?
• Can you provide me with 3 situations in which you did not succeed and why?
• Have you ever introduced a new idea? Can you describe what it covered, the steps you took to implement it and why you saw the need to introduce it?
• Tell me a time when you were confronted with an unexpected problem? How did you deal with it? What happened?
• Tell me about a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty in getting a job done.
• Give me an example of a time when you were able to successfully communicate to another person even when that individual may not have personally liked you (or visa-versa).
• Can you tell me a time when you dealt with a difficult person? How did you handle it and what happened?
• Can you give an example of a deadline you have had to meet?
• Describe a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince someone to see things your way.
• Describe an instance when you had to think on your feet to extricate yourself from a difficult situation.
• Give me a specific example of a time when you used good judgment and logic in solving a problem.
• By providing examples, convince me that you can adapt to a wide variety of people, situations, and environments.
• Describe a time on any job that you held in which you were faced with problems, stresses that tested your coping skills.
• Tell me about a time in which you had to use your written communication skills in order to get an important point across.
• Give me a specific occasion in which you conformed to a policy with which you did not agree.
• Give me an example of an important goal that you had set in the past and tell me your success in reaching it.
• Describe the most significant or creative presentation that you have had to compose.
• Has there been a time when you improved a process? What was it?
• How did you go about making the changes (step by step)? Answer in depth or detail such as "What were you thinking at that point?" or "Tell me more about meeting with that person", or "Lead me through your decision process".

Always listen carefully to the question, ask for clarification if necessary, and make sure you answer the question completely.

Your interview preparation should include identifying examples of situations when you have demonstrated the behaviors for a given company.

Your resume will serve as a good guide when answering these questions. Refresh your memory regarding your achievements in the past couple of hears. Demonstration of desired behaviors may be proven in many ways. Use examples from past internship activities, team involvement, community service and work experience. In addition, use examples of which you may be proud, such as extracurricular activities or hobbies.

After the Interview

• Write thank you letters to interviewers.
• Reflect on and write down points of the interview that you felt good about/need improvement.
• Assess outcomes realistically.
• Be persistent in preparing for the next interviews.

Participate in a mock interview for constructive feedback regarding interviewing strengths/weaknesses to prepare for the next interview.