Interview Skills Student Handout

Job Interview Skills

To get to the interview stage, you must be considered a chance in gaining the job. The interview is your opportunity to sell yourself and your skills. employers decide on an appropriate employee on a range of areas. These include: 1.
2.

the 3. 4. 5. 6.

Skills, knowledge and abilities Personality and whether you will 'fit' into the team and with the culture of organization Presentation Attitude Availability References

You need to sell the whole package rather than just having the skills to do the job.

Before the Interview

It is important to Be Prepared. 1. Ensure you have the correct time and address. It may be useful to research transport options to the employer and ensure you know how long it will take you to get there. 2. Be early for the interview. Arriving approximately 30 minutes early creates the impression that you will turn up on time for work if you are successful and that you are motivated and keen to work.

3. Research the company - find out what their business is and what they provide. This is especially important for professional positions. 4. Have a copy of your resume to give the employer. 5. Dress appropriately, give yourself time to iron your clothes, polish your shoes and have a shower. 6. Remeber first impressions are very important and a poor first impression is hard to overcome. 7. Be confident and 'psyche yourself'. Be in the right mood to sell yourself.

The Interview

An interviewer has the task of discovering what kind of person and worker you are in a short period of time. Therefore, the questions asked in a typical interview are fairly standard from one interview to the next. What to expect at a typical Job Interview

Give yourself time to gather your thoughts. Check your appearance

Starting the Interview

Introduce yourself to the receptionist. Request the name of the interviewer (if you do not already know it). Thank the person and wait quietly. Greet the interviewer and introduce yourself. Be ready to shake hands.

Smile. Enter the interviewers office and take the seat offered. Watch the way you sit. Aviod nervous habits. Be aware of your Body Language.

Questions about your personal history

Provide a brief answer to all direct questions. Do not volunteer any negative information.

Questions about your good qualities

Describe any relevant skills or experiences. Describe any relevant personal qualities. Do not exaggerate or compare yourself to others.

Questions about work-related pressure State your ability to work under pressure. Provide examples of these abilities. Describe methods of handling pressure. Express your willingness to work under pressure. Describe the jobs positive characteristics. Describe the jobs positive comments (if applicable). Do not stress pay needs or work requirements. Questions about education and experience

Describe relevant education and/or experience. Relate your education and/or experience to the position.

Questions about future plans and goals

Mention how your employment goals match the position. Describe how the job will suit your educational plans and vice versa (if you have any). Describe your interest in gaining experience.

Questions about salary

Describe your flexibility. Do not make strict salary demands.

Questions about personal liabilities or disabilities State that you have no major weaknesses. Identify the area of difficulty. Describe attempts that you have made to deal with the condition. Note any improvements that you have made to deal with a condition (if you have a specific disability) Mention that the disability in no way affects your performance on the job. When asked if you have any questions Ask job-related questions that are not about salary of benefits.

Ending the interview

Summarise your qualifications. State an interest in the job. State your appreciation for the interview. State an interest in hearing about the outcome of the interview. Suggest that the interviewer contact your referees.

Wait for the interviewer to close the conversation. Thank that interviewer for their time.

Typical Interview Questions

Tell me about yourself? What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? I notice that you do not have very much experience in this area. How do you think you would handle this position? Why should we hire you instead of other applicants? What can you offer this company? Do you handle pressure well? Give me an example of this? Where do you see yourself in 5 years time? When would you be available to start work? Do you have any questions? What do you know about the job? What do you know about the company? How do your studies equip you for this job? Why did you apply for this job? Do you want a job or a career? What do you want from this role? Why did you leave your last job/or why do you want to leave your current position? What salary are you looking for? Do you know anyone in this company? What has been your best achievement? If you saw a situation that you could improve, would you do it? Are you studying or do you have future studies in mind? How do you handle responsibility? Do you like to take on responsiblity?

What would you change about yourself? Have you done this type of work before? Why have you been unemployed for so long? Why have you had so many jobs? What did you enjoy most in previous jobs? How long do you expect to stay in this job? What are your plans for the future? What is it that attracts you to this jobs? Why? What skills or personal qualities do you think would be important to this job? What boring or routine tasks have you had to perform regularly and how did you deal with them? How did you prepare for this interview? What experience do you have?

Appropriate Responses to typical Interview Questions An interviewer has the task of discovering what kind of person and worker you are in the short time period of an hour or even less. Therefore, the questions asked by interviewers are fairly standard from one interview to another since all inteviewers are trying to obtain the same type of information. On the following pages, these typical questions will be listed with a description of how you should answer each one.

Tell me about yourself You should talk about your skills and experience, mentioning the following work related factors: 1. Your interest and experiences related to the job. 2. Your past work experience. 3. Your training or education. 4. Your strong interest and employment of your work. Have you ever done this type of work before? Never say "no" to this type of question, as no two jobs are exactly alike and you probably would not have applied for the position if you hadnt had some experience or some reason for thinking you would be able to handle the job. Tell them about: 1. Your past experience related to the job. 2. Your education and training related to the job. 3. Non-paid experience related to the job. 4. How quickly you have learnt that kind of work in the past. As an example, the interviewer might ask you whether you have worked as a bookkeeper and you haven't, but you could mention facts such as:

You kept some books as part of your previous job as a secretary. You maintain an exact book or records of your family expenses You completed a bookkeeping course in high school You're good with figures You're sure you could learn the necessary details quickly.

Why do you want to work here? In other words, will you be satisfied with you job? Will you want to stay? Reassure the interviewer with positive comments about the company such as:

The good reputation the company has. It's fairness to its employees. The company has the kind of job you are looking for. You like this kind of work and feel you can do a good job.

Why did you leave your last job? This is, were there any difficulties? People leave jobs for many reasons and you should only mention those that are favourable to you. Some of the common reasons for leaving a job are that: The company has had to cut-back or layoff It was a seasonal job It was a temporary job It was only part-time It was only a casual job while you were in school It required too much travel away from home The company was not doing well and could not keep up with the award wages or standard salary level Other contributing factors may have been that you wanted to go into a different line of work for which you were well qualified and more interested, or that your company had a reorganisation and no longer required the position which you held.

Avoid saying you were fired, but whatever reasons you give, point out that the job for which you are being interviewed does not have the same problem that led you to leave your last job. For example, its not as far to travel, or the hours suit you much better etc. Emphasise the positive aspects of your last job as this will make you sound like a loyal and appreciative employee. An interviewer may ask why you have been unemployed for a long period of time. Remember that they may not be confident in their own judgement and will reject you if he/she thinks other interviewers have also rejected you. Or he/she may just be using the question to gain further impressions of you.

Reasons for quitting and being fired Two important aspects of job interviews that prospective employers must consider are reasons why people have quit or left previous jobs. Often when a person has quit or been fired, the employer will have a negative feeling about it But there are some very good as well as bad reasons why people quit or are fired. You should be specific about your reason for leaving, rather than just putting down "quit" or "fired". If there is not enough space, you might add, "will discuss". People are fired for many different reasons, and some can be a blot on a persons employment history. Being fired for absenteeism or misconduct is a lot different than being fired for medical reasons. Some companies, like Government Departments, have a probationary period. During that time your work is constantly evaluated, and if it is not satisfactory, you can be terminated. In that case, you would indicate "did not pass probation".

It is important to remember that if you were discharged due to lack of work, you were not sacked or fired. In that case, you show "made redundant". Some other reasons for leaving a job include:

Travel time is excessive Company was being run down Left for improved opportunities Family reasons etc. family moved, spouse changed jobs Car accident Victimisation or discrimination

What kind of salary do you need? The best thing to do here is to avoid mentioning any specific figures or even a salary until you have been offered the job. Otherwise you may give the employer the idea that you will work for less than they were willing to pay or you may end the interview right there if your figure is too high. Tell the interviewer that you would work for the award rate and if you feel you have skills, which are worth more than the award, it is advisable to wait until your probationary period is over and then negotiate your wage with the employer at this stage.

Why should we hire you instead of someone else? Quickly list the skills and attributes you have that will make you a valuable employee. You may have mentioned some of them before but this is like a summary for the interviewer who doesnt want to think for him/herself. For example, "Im efficient", "I dont have to be supervised", "Im not a clock watcher", "Im dependable and dont take time off" or "Im fast and accurate".

How often were you absent from work in your last job? An employer wants to be able to depend on his/her employees being present, and this question is designed to determine whether he/she could depend on you. If you were absent a good deal because of some reason, tell the interviewer what the reason was and why you feel that it will no longer be a problem - "Im in great health and dont expect to take any days off". If you are elderly or are a mother of young children or have some type of visible impairment such as a missing limb, this question of dependability is more likely to be asked. The same is true of some types of jobs that have an especially high absence rate and suffer a serious disruption when employees are absent, such as production line work. In answering this question, stress what your past reliability has been and give assurance of your future reliability.

How is your Health? Unless you have a medical condition that will interfere with your work answer this question "My health is excellent" or "I have no health problems that will interfere with my work". Minor problems such as a blood condition or a slight hearing problem would not interfere with your work and need not be emphasised. More obvious physical disabilities will make the interviewer wonder about your reliability and efficiency. For example if you have a limb missing, or you are in a wheelchair or are blind, you will need to be prepared to prove you are as efficient and reliable as an able bodied person.

1. Obtain a letter from your doctor stating that your disability does not require extensive treatment and does not interfere with your general ability to work. 2. Mention the problem before the interviewer does since he/she may feel embarrassed about discussing it and yet maintain bias because of it. 3. Demonstarte how your disability does not interfere with normaol functioning. Point out that your hearing aid has enabled you to conduct the interview normally, or pick up a piece of paper with your artificial limb. Then ask the interviewer if he/she can think of any situations you may have problems with. 4. Point out that your disability actually makes you a better worker. Disabled workers are usually more loyal to their employers and act as an inspiration to their workmates. Mention any specific advantages of your particular disability such as the reformed alcoholic does not take 'sickies' due to over indulgence, and a oneeyed worker has more highly developed senses and has developed that habit of constand alertness.

When are you available for work? When you are asked how soon you can start work, tell the interviewer as soon as possible. Many factors may be causing you to hesitate about committing yourself, but now is not the time to mention them. Take your time to think about whether the job and its starting date suit you away from the interview. If they dont suit, you can say so when you are offered the job. If they do suit, you are more likely to get the offer if you sounded keen to start at the interview. What are your greatest Strengths? This question is similar to "Why should you get the job instead of someone else?" Mention your skills, reliability, experience, enthusiasm, efficiency, ability to get along with others etc. If asked, "What is your single greatest strength?" mention your personal reliability but also add that you have several major strengths and go on to mention them.

What are your weaknesses? If you are going to mention a weakness always turn it into a positive. For example, "I dont like writing reports, but I understand that this is an essential requirement of the job so I will make sure they are completed on time".

What five words would you say describe you best? Of course select your five best attributes (e.g. Reliable, conscientious, friendly, honest, co-operative, hard working, energetic, skilled, experienced, responsible, respected, enthusiastic, dedicated, and likeable).

What was your last employer's opinion of you? If you have a reference from your last employer then this is the best answer you can give to this question. If not then try to think of something positive he/she may have had to say about you. If you and your last employer didn't get on very well then you could mention those aspects of your work that he/she didn't complain about. If you were fired you may consider not mentioning that particular job unless of course you are specifically asked. You may be surprised to learn that your employer had a high regard for some of your abilities even though you were fired. The interviewer may or may not contact your last employer however, assume the best and mention only those qualities that you feel the employer liked.

Are there any questions that you have? This is often the final question that an interviewer will ask and is often asked merely as a gesture of courtesy. Do not attempt to obtain complete information about the job at this point, since you may unintentionally give the impression that you are unsure you really want the job. Wait until you have definitely been offered the job before asking questions about retirement benefits, chances for advancement, public transportation facilities, salary and so on. This information may be critical for you in making your decision, but wait until you have been offered the job to ask about them.

Questions you can ask at the interview 1. What does the job actually involve? 2. Could you tell me more about the company? 3. Would I be working with other people or by myself? 4. Why is the position vacant? 5. What are the dress requirements? Are there any other conditions or requirements? 6. Is a uniform provided? 7. What is the level of pay? Are there any other benefits? 8. How soon can I start? 9. Could you tell me about the training program? 10. What opportunities are there for advancement? 11. What training opportunities are available? 12. When will I know the outcome of this interview? 13. When should I phone you or call back to find out how my application has gone? 14. Where and with whom will I be working?