»  Interviewing Tips
»  Behavioral Interviewing
»  Practice Interviewing
»  Interview Simulator
»  Interview Follow-up
»  On-Campus Recruiting


Interviewing Tips

• Decide ahead of time what knowledge, skills, abilities, and attributes you want to make known or stress during the interview.
• Prepare a few questions for the interviewer. If those questions have been answered by the time the interviewer solicits your questions, mention that your questions have been answered already.
• Be sure you are clean, neat-looking, and appropriately dressed.
• Bring additional copies of your résumé to the interview along with any other information you might need if asked to complete an application.
• Arrive 10-15 minutes ahead of your scheduled appointment. Catch your breath and collect your thoughts.
• Be polite to the receptionist, office manager, and all other personnel.
• Extend a firm handshake when meeting the interviewer or other personnel.
• Maintain eye contact and avoid nervous gestures.
• An experienced interviewer will try to put you at ease and establish rapport, so expect some casual conversation before the actual interview gets underway.
• Let the interviewer do as much talking as possible, but be sure to make your points about your knowledge, skills, abilities, and attributes.
• Take between 20 seconds and two minutes to respond to questions.
• Focus on the job for which you have applied, answering all questions in terms of the job.
• Use current jargon related to your field.
• Be honest. Never lie or exaggerate.
• Be enthusiastic and optimistic, approaching issues as challenges that can be met.
• Be yourself.
• Don't intimidate the interviewer. Be pleasant, agreeable, and skilled, but do not act as though you want the interviewer's job.
• Don't chew gum, smoke, or drink beverages during an interview. Never order an alcoholic beverage if an interview takes place over dinner or in any other out-of-office setting.   
• Be confident and assertive, not timid and shy. If you have prepared through self-assessment and have illustrations of your skills and attributes, your confidence will be greater.
• Answer all questions briefly and to the point. Say no more than necessary. Don't offer excess or unrelated information. Take between 20 seconds and two minutes to respond.
• Be enthusiastic and optimistic. Approach difficulties or problems as challenges that can be met.
• Provide examples that illustrate times when you have demonstrated a strong work ethic.
• Never ask about salary or benefits during a first interview unless the topic is presented to you.
• Focus your enthusiasm on the position and your qualifications.
• Remember, the interview is a two-way process. Your role is to share and gather information.
• Be prepared to summarize your skills and background, restating its relevance to the job for which you are being considered.
• If not yet explained, inquire briefly about the selection process and the time table so that you will know what to expect and how to proceed with follow-up.
• Follow-up by phone or e-mail unless instructed otherwise by the employer.
• Prepare a thank-you note to be mailed to the interviewer within 24 to 48 hours. If you have neat handwriting and appropriate business note paper, it may be hand written. If not, it may be best to type it. In this day and age, many employers are pleased to receive well-written thank-you notes through e-mail.
• Finally... Follow up. Follow up. Follow up!

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Behavioral Interviewing

Most candidates who have been through a traditional interview process are accustomed to being asked questions like:

• What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
• Why did you apply for this position?
• What are your professional goals for five years from now?
• Why should we hire you?

While these kinds of questions are still included in most selection processes, an increasing number of employers are now using the behavioral method of interviewing.

The behavioral interview allows employers to predict a candidate’s future performance based on past behavior. It requires that candidates share real-life experiences as an example of their attitudes and how they behaved in particular situations. It helps employers to rate an applicant’s skill levels and more effectively “match” people and jobs.

Employers using the behavioral method will ask candidates questions to elicit concrete examples or evidence that the candidate has the skill, attitude, and experience required for success in a particular role, department and organization. Questions asked may relate to such issues as:

• Adaptability
• Assertiveness
• Decision-making
• Confidence
• Flexibility
• Initiative
• Interpersonal Skills
• Leadership Organization
• Stability
• Coping Skills
• Attitude
• Critical thinking skills
• Work Ethic
• Follow-through

Sample questions to uncover related information on specific past behavior, experience, and attitudes may include:

“Describe a situation in which you had to deal with a difficult customer. How did you interact with the customer? What did you say and do? What was the outcome?”

“Give me an example of a time when you could not make a decision because you did not have enough information? How did you handle the situation?”

“Have you ever had a difficult time convincing others to accept your ideas? How have you approached this challenge?”

“Describe a situation that shows evidence that you are self-motivated. ”

“Give me an example of a situation in which you became stressed on the job. How did you handle the situation?”

“Give me an example of a situation in which you went above and beyond the call of duty. ”

“Describe a situation in which you were part of a team and not everyone was doing their share. How did you handle the situation?”

“Give me an example of a time when your schedule was interrupted. How did you handle it?”

“Give me an example of an important goal you set for yourself and how you made progress towards that goal. ”

While preparation for any type of interview is important, preparing for a behavioral interview will enhance your chance for success no matter what questions you are asked.

To prepare effectively for an interview:

• Review the position description and or job vacancy notice.
• Based on this information and other information you may have gathered from your networking, research, and current employees, ask yourself what skills and attributes are necessary for the job. What would make you successful?
• For each skill or attribute, think of at least one specific situation as an example.
• Practice briefly recounting the situation/task/project and sharing what action you took as as what results or outcomes were achieved.

Some “experts” refer to this as the STAR technique. S = Situation you were in; T = Task you had to perform; A = action you took; R = Results/outcome of the action. This technique helps interviewees substantiate their claims in terms of skills and experience and provides a structure that is helpful for showcasing their successes.

• Practice so that you are able to answer the question concisely rather than rambling.

Remember: Preparation counts! It can result in increased confidence and comfort, allowing you to be more at ease in the interview. Also, preparation shows that you are truly interested in the employment opportunity for which you have applied. Invest the time it takes to achieve success in the interview process. Let the interviewer see that you care enough to prepare and put your best foot forward. Make a positive impression on the interviewer. Help him/her see how your past behavior and experience predicts future success.

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To help you prepare for the “real thing”, Practice Interviews are offered on campus during the fall and spring semesters. When the program is advertised, students should pay particular attention to the sign-up process and deadlines. Time slots are limited according to space and interviewer availability.

In some cases students are paired with professionals in their career of interest. In other cases, the interviewers may be a staff person or human resources professional who may provide a more general interview. In either case, the experience will provide you with an opportunity to practice your basic interview skills and to effectively promote yourself.

What students can expect:

• Practice Interviews are held in Hodes and other campus offices.

• Check in at Career Services 15 minutes before your scheduled interview.

• Obtain a name tag and wait until you are called.

• Your interviewer will call your name and you will be escorted to your interview.

• Your interview will last about 20 to 30 minutes. The rest of your 45-minutes session will focus on constructive comments to help you with future interviews. The interviewer will complete a brief feedback form and present it to you for discussion. You will have an opportunity to ask for clarification and suggestions.

• At the end of your interview, you will be asked to complete a brief program evaluation form that will take about 5 minutes . Your input will help us to develop and plan future programs.
  
  

Practice interview suggestions:

• Be sure sure your résumés represent you professionally and are on good quality paper. Bring one additional professional-looking copy of your résumé as a back-up.

• Dress professionally, just as you would for any job interview. If you have a suit, wear it.

• Consider writing a thank you note or professional e-mail to your interviewer within 48 hours, just as you would for a real interview.

We are confident that this will be a positive learning experience for you!

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Interview Simulator

Now available in Career Services is the MyInterviewSimulator.  This CD-ROM features:

85 Behavioral Interview questions and suggested responses in the following categories:

• Adaptability
• Analysis
• Communication
• Creativity
• Decision Making
• Difficult Situations
• Goal Setting
• Initiative
• Technical& Professional Knowledge
• Integrity
• Interpersonal Skills
• Leadership
• Motivation
• Persuasion
• Planning& Organization
• Teamwork
• Work Standards

27 Case Study Interview questions and suggested responses in the following categories:

• Business Cases
• Brainteasers
• Guesstimates

46 Basic Interview questions and suggested responses (including 12 illegal interview questions)

6 Interview Simulations with 10 questions each

Stop by Career Services to practice your interviewing skills. Sorry, this resource cannot be checked out, it must be used in Career Services.   To ensure availability of this resource, please call Career Services, 816.501.2901 or 816.501.3764, to reserve the software and a computer to practice your interviewing skills.

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Interview Follow Up

Critical to Your Job Search

Your interview is over. And it went well. Congratulations! Now all you have to do is sit and wait for a response. Well, guess again!

Many candidates seem to think that their interview is expected to be the only or final contact they have with a prospective employer unless they are hired. Perhaps that explains why it doesn’t occur to most people to do any follow-up. Experts say that those who do call or send a thank-you note to employers will put themselves ahead of 95% of their equally qualified competition.

The following are some basics to help you get started.

• Send a thank-you to employers within 48 hours of your interview. The quicker the hiring decision will be made, the quicker your note should be sent. Timing is everything! Experts encourage applicants to send follow-up notes within 24 hours if they are particularly interested in the position and organization.
• Mention the date of the interview, thank the employer for his/her consideration. Restate or summarize only the main points (appropriate experience/skills/interests that match employer’s needs) you made during your interview, add a strength you may have omitted in your interview, and reaffirm your interest and enthusiasm for filling the vacancy.
• Keep it short. An eight to fifteen line note is more than enough.
• Use formal, but plain high-quality note cards or stationery with matching envelopes. Be sure your thank-you appears business-like. White or off-white paper is generally recommended.
• Your thank-you is a personal correspondence. If your handwriting is good, hand write or print your note. If it is not, type it on 8 ½ x 11 stationery.
• Address your note Dear Mr. /Ms. /Dr. (whichever is appropriate) even if the interviewer was introduced by first name. An exception might be when the interviewer is a personal friend or someone you have known for years.
• Be sure your letter is error free with no noticeable corrections.
• Include your return address on the envelope - front left corner of a large envelope or back flap of small note card envelope.
• Some professionals recommend the use of an attractive, non-controversial commemorative stamp. Direct-mail advertising using attractive stamps often results in greater sales. Be sure you are using adequate postage, but never use a postage meter.
• In this day and age many employers also accept thank-yous and follow-up by e-mail. Just be sure that your e-mail message has a professional tone. It should read and sound professional ~ not like an informal message you would send to a friend. The guidelines above are still relevant when sending an e-mail.

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