Interview. The Typical Job Interview Most job interviews follow a standard outline

Interview

The Typical Job Interview

• Most job interviews follow a standard outline.

The Typical Job Interview

• 1) Greeting and small talk to put you at ease and break the ice.

The Typical Job Interview

• 2) The employer may give you a brief overview of the position or additional information about the organization

The Typical Job Interview

• 3) You respond to questions. If it’s a good interview, this is the longest segment.

• Give them clear and detailed answers but do NOT ramble on and on.

The Typical Job Interview

• 4) You ask questions of the interviewer. Have at least five or ten questions prepared beforehand

The Typical Job Interview

• 5) The interviewer closes the interview and explains the next steps in the process.

• Be sure to thank the interviewer for his or her time.

Do’s

• 1) Be On Time

• (15 min early)

Do’s

• 2) Be prepared to ask as well as answer questions.

• Examples of questions they might ask… (Answer these on your separate sheet of paper)– Why should we hire you?– Tell me about yourself.– Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Do’s

• Be prepared for random, tricky questions.

• Take out a sheet of paper and answer the following…

Tricky ?’s

• If you could change one thing about the world, what would you change?

Tricky ?’s

• If you could only have one for the rest of your life, which one would you pick? Books, movies or music?

Tricky ?’s

• If you could have dinner with one person, who would it be and why?

Do’s

• Know the name of the person interviewing you and shake hands in a firm, businesslike way

Do’s

• Dress appropriately and conservatively

Do’s

• Maintain eye contact with the job interviewer

Do’s

• Speak clearly, using good grammar and a friendly tone

Do’s

• Take time to collect your thoughts before answering the questions

Do’s

• Be positive and enthusiastic during the interview and show your interest

Do’s

• At the end of the interview, thank the interviewer, shake hands, and ask when you may hear from him/her.

Don’t

• Be late for your appointment

Don’t

• Smoke or chew anything

Don’t

• Wear tight jeans, shorts, unusual jewelry or baseball caps

Don’t

• Talk too much or ramble on about personal information

Don’t

• Apologize for lack of experience.

Don’t

• Ask about salary, vacations, or promotions until you have been made an offer

Don’t

• Hang around after the interview is over

Don’t

• Be negative about former employers

Don’t

• Take anyone with you to your interview

Don’t

• Cross your legs, fold your arms, or touch your face

• These body language signals a negative attitude, boredom or doubt

Questions to ask…

• Would you describe a typical work day and the things I would be doing?

• Which duties are most important for this job?

• What do you consider to be my weaknesses? My strengths?

• If you were to offer me this job, where could I expect to be in 5 years?

Questions to ask…

• Have a couple questions of your own.

• Be sure to ask questions that relate to what you talked about during the interview.– Questions thought of on the spot or some

time during the interview.