CCI Job Interview Workbook 20 W_PassItOn and Not for Group Use

8/11/2019 CCI Job Interview Workbook 20 W_PassItOn and Not for Group Use

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(For individual usage only, not to be used in team building, organizational publications or training

programs without written permission. [email protected])

THE JOB INTERVIEW WORKBOOKSevenStepstoHelpYouPrepareforTheMostImportantHalfHourofYourCareer

CareerClubsInternational,L.L.C.2009,2010

Every year one in seven workers changes jobs...

the applicants who get the best jobs are the ones who are

the most prepared for their job interviews.

Caution

If youre looking for a book you can just read and feel good

about, put this back on the shelf. Dont buy it unless

you are willing to give your active participation.

WhatForestGumpsaidaboutchocolates(Lifeislikeaboxofchocolates.

you never knowwhat you are going to get) shouldNOT apply to ajob

interview. If the interviewerand theapplicanthavebothdone theirjobs

well,bothpartieswillhaveagoodideaaboutwhattheyreeachgetting.

Name:____________________________

PASSITONThisversionoftheworkbookisfreepleas

tellyourfriendsaboutit.Theycangetthe

owncopyfromtheCCIwebsiteat:

http://www.careerclubsinternational.com

Youcanfillinthefieldsbuthavetosave

thePDFtosavewhatyouhavetypedin.


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TheJobInterviewWorkbook

ii


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iii

Note:

This interviewpreparationworkbook isprovidedcourtesyofCareerClubs International,

LLCorCCI.CCIprovidescompletecareerworkshopmaterial forchurchgroups, state

agenciesandjobclubs.Materials includeafacilitatorsguidecompletewithPowerPoint

slidesforeachmoduleandworksheetsforparticipants.Ifyoufindthisworkbookhelpful,

contactus

for

more

information

on

our

workshop

material

by

emailing

us

at

info@CareerClubsInternational.comorvisitingusatwww.CareerClubsInternational.com .

Interviewpreparation ispartofanoverallprocess that shouldbeginwithdefiningand

confirming individual strengths, identifyingjob preferences, and networking. The best

preparedcandidateswillhavedonethatworkbeforegettingtointerviewpreparation.

Careerplanningisbestdoneonanongoing,nonemergencybasis.Ourcontentisbased

on the Career PlanningWheel and relies on the Eight Principles of Effective Career

Planningasshownbelow.

TheCareer

Wheel

Eight Principles ofEffective Career

Planning

Effectivecareerplanning

1.Ismyresponsibility

2.Isanongoingprocess

3.Buildsonstrengths

4.Deliversemployervalue

5.Isgrouppowered

6.Buildsnetworksof

contacts

7.Accommodatesmy

preferences

8.Requiresflexibilityand

adaptability

LegalNotice: Thisworkbookdoesnotofferanylegaladvice. Ifyouneedorwantadvice

regardingemploymentlaw,pleaseconsultalawyerinyourjurisdiction.


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iv


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v

THE JOB INTERVIEW WORKBOOKSevenStepstoHelpYouPreparefortheMostImportantHalfHourofYourCareer

I. Overview&Purpose 1

II. WorkbookObjectives 1

III. HowItWorks 2

Step1: PrepareAnswerstoQuestionsYoullBeAsked 4

A. OpenEnded,DefineYourselfQuestions 6

B. CompensationQuestions 8

C. PriorAccomplishments 11

D. ImprovementorGrowth 13

E. UniqueSkillsorTalents 15

F. Manageability 17

G. InvitationtoNegativity 19

H. WorkLifeBalance 22

I. PeopleSkillsQuestions 23

Normallythe

interviewer

hasfarmore

practiceat

employment

interviewing

thanthe

applicant.

Preparation

andpractice

canreverse

thenormal

advantage.

J.Tools

Questions

25

K. InformationorKnowledgeQuestions 27

L. GoalOrientation 29

M. IllegalQuestions 31

N. WhatIf 33

O. TopThreePersonalCharacteristics 35

Step2: PrepareQuestionsToAsk 37

A.First

Tasks

38

B. PerformanceMeasurement&Career

Advancement

40

C. ImmediateSupervisor 42

D. CorporateValues 44

E. CompensationPackage 46


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vi

F. FringeBenefits 48

G. QualityofLifeFactors 50

H. AskingfortheJob 52

Step3:

Learn

Interview

Techniques

54

A. GettingClarification 55

B. RestatingtheActualQuestion 56

C. DecliningtoAnswerthePreciseQuestion 57

D. PresentingPreferredAlternativeQuestions 58

E. SofteningHardorUnexpectedAnswers 59

F. AdmittingIgnorance 60

G. AddressingHostilityorAnger 61

H. EncouragingMoreCompleteAnswers 62

Step4: WorkAtBeingConversational 63

Step5: DevelopaPlanforAnySensitivePastIssues 65

Step6: StacktheInterviewDeck:Solitaire 67

Step7: OneonOneRolePlaying 69

InterviewPracticeFeedbackForm 70

InterviewChecklist 71

WeWantYourFeedback! 72

JoinaCareerClub:forallyourjobsearchhelp 73

CareerClubWheel 74

Appendix:FurtherResources 75

Notes 76


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THE JOB INTERVIEW WORKBOOKSevenStepstoHelpYouPrepareforTheMostImportantHalfHourofYourCareer

I.Overview&Purpose

Duringanemploymentinterview,youasajobapplicant

need to sell the prospective employer on the skills,

capabilitiesand contributions that youwouldbring to

the organization. Equally important, you need to ask

the interviewer questions in order toobtain the facts

youneedtomakeaninformeddecision theviabilityof

thecompany,

job

duties,

quality

of

supervision,

compensation package, corporate values, career path

andahostofotheritems.

It is theoverallpurposeof thisworkbook tohelpyou

get the job you want by helping you (a) to present

yourselfinthemostpositivelight;and(b)toobtainthe

factsthatwillletyoumakeasounddecisiononanyjob

offer.

Getting the job you

really want requires

selling your

capabilities, and

carefully selecting the

right company

Both the applicant and

the employer are

selling and buying in

an employment

interview.

II.WorkbookObjectives

Tohelpyougetthebestjobyoucan,thisworkbookhas

been organized around five key objectives. The

readingsandexercisesaredesignedto:

Getting the best job will

require the best:

1. Show you how to frame the best answers to

questions thatyouaremost likely tobeasked ina

jobinterview;

Answers

2.

Suggestquestions

you

need

to

ask

if

you

are

to

obtain the information needed to make an

intelligent decision on buying into the

interviewingcompany;

Questions

3. Explain techniques you can use when answering

questionssothatyouaresureyouunderstandwhat

wasasked,andsothatyoudontanswerquestions

Techniques


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until you have the information you need tomake

thebestanswer;

4. Guide you in developing a strategy for handling

toughorembarrassingquestionsonsuchthingsas

periodsof

unemployment,

poor

grades,

or

having

been dismissed from an earlier job; and, most

importantly,

Sensitive Past Issues

5. Provide you with practical tools for rehearsing or

role playing that will improve your interview

performance.Practice

III. HowItWorks

Thegoalsofthisworkbookcanonlybeachievedif,after

goingthroughit,yourinterviewingskillsarebetterthan

theywerebeforeyoucompletedthenecessaryaction.

Thepurposeof theworkbook isnot toentertainor to

enlightenyou insomeabstractsense it istohelpyou

getthejobyouwantby improvingyourskillsduringan

actual interview. However, the only way to really

becomemoreskilledatanythingistopractice. Inorder

toimprove

their

skills,

debaters

debate,

actors

act,

and

interviewersinterview.

So if youre lookingformaterial you canjust readand

feel good about,put this workbook back on the shelf.

Dont buy it unless you are willing to give your active

participation.

We are going to ask you to think about and then to

practiceawayofbehavingduringajob interview that

will increase the likelihood that both you and the

interviewerwill

acquire

the

information

you

need

to

makesoundhiringdecisions.

Ifyoudo theseexercises thoroughly,you shouldnever

leaveaninterviewwondering,WhydidntIthinkabout

telling her about., or saying to yourself, Darn it, I

wishIdaskedabout

Achieving workbook

goals requires

improving skills.

Improving interview

skills requires

thought and practice.

Your active

participation is

required.

Think

and

Practice

Preparation means

no regrets.


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Taking theAction Steps outlined in thisworkbookwill

help you to get across the points you want to make

aboutyourselfandtofindoutkeypiecesofinformation

abouttheemployer. Thosestepsare:Steps

StepAction

1 Prepareanswerstoquestionsyouwillbeasked. Written Answers

2 Preparequestionstoask. Written Questions

3 Learninterviewtechniques. Techniques

4 Workatbeingconversational.Written Conversation

Topics

5 DevelopaplanfordealingwithanySensitive

pastissues.Sensitive Issues

6 Stacktheinterviewdeck:Solitaire(usingthePowerPointInterviewCardDeck).

Interview Deck,

Solitaire

7 OneonOneRolePlaying(UsingthePowerPoint

InterviewCardDeck(a)practiceanswering

questionsandaskingyourownquestionswith

someoneelse,and(b)getsomefeedbackand

ideasonotherthingsyoumightsayorwaysyou

canphrasethings.)

Dress Rehearsals;

Feedback and

Suggestions.

You will get the maximum advantage out of this

workbook if you have really taken the time to think

aboutandtobeabletoarticulatejustwhatyourunique

strengths, abilities, talents and skills are. And you do

havethemwealldo.

The whole point is to be able to clearly define your

strengthsandabilities in termsofworkingwithPeople,

InformationandTools(PIT)andtobeabletosupport

your claims with specific instances of Situations you

faced,Actionsyou took,andhow theResultsbenefited

youremployer

(SAR).

Think

of

PIT

and

SAR

as

you

completethisworkbook.

Know Your

Strengths!

PIT

-People

-Information

-Tools

SAR

-Situation

-Action

-Results


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Step1:PrepareAnswerstoQuestionsYoullBeAsked

Initialimpressionsareimportantininterviews. Youwill

want to arrive on time and wear clean, pressed,

appropriate clothes with shoes shined and to pay

particularattentiontoallaspectsofpersonalgrooming.

Youwillalsowanttobringyourownpenandnotepad

totakeanyhelpfulnotes.

Just as important as being punctual or looki ng neat

and well -groomed is knowing what i nformation you

want the employer to have when he or she is deciding

whether to offer you a job and what the terms of the

job would be. Knowing what you want the interviewer

to know lets you gui de the in terview and expands your

role far beyond being purely r eactive.

There is simply no substi tute for the conf idence and

completeness you get by being thoroughly prepared.

Whatimpressiondoyoumakewhensomeoneasksyou

how thisjob fits into your career goals and youhave

never thought in terms of career goals? Do youjust

say,Like,reallywell,youknow?orcanyouexplainin

detail how this job builds on prior experience or

education and is a logical extension of what youve

done

and

would

like

to

do?

Thepointisthateveryonewillbeforgivenforhavingto

take amoment or two to compose a response to an

obscuretechnicaldetail,butyoudontwanttoappear

stumped by basic, predictable questions. Again, you

neverwanttothinkIwishIdthoughtof.asyoure

leavingtheinterview.

The foll owing pages contain types of questions you re

li kely to be asked with several dif ferent forms included.

Wr ite out your best answers in the space provided andtalk them through with a spouse, friend or mentor

afterwards to see if there are ways to make them more

accurate or effective.

Always include specific examples of when youve

actually used any of the special skills, talents,

knowledgeorothercapabilitiesthatwouldbeusefulto

You need to know what

capabilities youre

selling, and how to

illustrate them.

Preparedness =

Confidence.

Preparation now

avoids later regrets.

Write out answers

Always include

examples, anecdotes or

illustrations.


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theemployer.

It is critical to take the time to actuallywriteout the

answers(or,ifyoureusingthePDFversion,typethem

in). Thephysicalactofwritingprovidesafocustoyour

efforts and demonstrates your commitment to givingyourbestperformanceduringtheinterview. Changing

behaviororskillsetsrequiresaction,notjust thought.

Again,writeouttheanswers.

Dontbesatisfiedwiththefirstresponseyouwriteout.

As you getmore experiencewith theseexercises and

get feedbackand ideas fromotherpeople,youshould

beabletoimproveyourresponsesbythinkingofother

specific skills or talents you possess and of other

instancesin

which

you

have

used

them

to

an

employersadvantage.

A few finalwordsbeforeyoubegin: Thisworkbook is

not intended to coach you to represent yourself as

somethingyouarent,just tomake thebestandmost

accurate representation of your skills and abilities.

Experiencedinterviewerswillsoondetectifyouarejust

roleplayingortryingtohidetherealyou. Thebestway

togetthebestjobforyouistoknowyourownabilities

andtalents

and

be

able

to

quickly

and

accurately

presentthemtotheinterviewer.

Dont just think about

the answers

WRITE THEM OUT!!

Dont be satisfied with

first answers.

QuestionArea

A. OpenEnded,DefineYourselfQuestions

B. CompensationQuestions

C. PriorAccomplishments

D. ImprovementorGrowth

E. UniqueSkillsorTalents

F. Manageability

G. InvitationtoNegativity

H. WorkLife

Balance

I. PeopleSkillsQuestions

J. ToolsQuestions

K. InformationorKnowledgeQuestions

L. GoalOrientation

M. IllegalQuestions

N. WhatIf

O. ThreeImportantPersonalCharacteristics


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A. Open-Ended Define Yourself Questions

Atsomepoint inmost interviews,the interviewerasks

something completely openended where the

candidateis

given

free

rein

to

describe

him

or

herself.

Variantsonthisthemeinclude:

Tell me something about yourself .

Or

What do you reall y li ke to do?

Or

Why should I hi re you and not someone else?

Or

What words do you use to descri be yourself?

In answering these you need to keep the following

pointsinmind:

Think from the employers perspectivehowwill

heorshebenefitfromhavingyouontheteam? If

youranswersdonthelp the interviewer figureout

whatanassetyoudbe,youve failed inyour sales

job.

Be a good sales person

thi nk what benefits

the employer would

receive.

Be positive and describe yourself in terms of

successes and goals as they pertain to the job.

Nobodyknowinglyhiresanegativeperson.

Think Positive!

Think Successes!

Thebestanswersdescribeyourskillsandtalents in

theareasofPeople,Information,andTools(PIT)

how youmanage,motivate, teach, train, sell toor

servePeople;whatkindsofspecializedInformation

orknowledgeyouhaveacquired;andwhatkindsof

Toolscan

you

use,

whether

they

are

physical

items

like hammers, or computer tools like software

programs.

Describe your skills

and talents with

People

Information

Tools.

Keepyourinitialanswershortbeabletodescribe

your education, experience, current position, and

strengthsorabilitiesastheypertaintotheposition,

in90 to 120 seconds. Thenask if theres an area

Keep it brief!


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about which the interviewer would like more

information.

Usespecificexamplesofbehaviorthatwould

benefittheinterviewingorganization,e.g.,problem

solving,nurturing

customer

relations,

saving

money,

etc.(SARSituation,Action,Result).

Use illustrations,

examples, success

stories, anecdotes.

Practice:Writeoutaresponsebelow. (Andremember

thatthisisjusttheinitialdraftyouwillbeableto

comebackandimproveyourresponseasyougetmore

practiceandinsightasaresultofworkingthesesteps.)

A commitment to change unaccompanied

by action is useless Start Writing!!


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B.CompensationQuestions

Whenyoutakeajob,themainthingthatyouaretrading

yourtimeandenergy for is thecompensationorsalary.

Becauseyou

may

be

alittle

anxious

in

this

area,

it

is

important tohaveananswerprepared in termsofhow

much pay youwould be expecting. Variations on this

themeinclude:

How much money do you need to work here?

Or

How much are you making in your cur rent job?

Or

What salary range were you looking for?

Or

What are your salar y expectations?

Inansweringtheseyouneedtokeepthefollowingpoints

inmind:

Ifthisisearlyintheinterview,thetypicaladviceisto

defer answering the question until you have a

completeunderstanding

of

all

the

aspects

of

the

job.

Youmight say something like, Mr.Randall, Im not

quitesureatthispointwhatthejob involves; letme

defer thatuntil laterwhen Iunderstandwhat youd

beaskingmetodo,OK?

Dont give salary

numbers until you

understand the job,

andtheyve had a

chance to evaluate

you.

You should demonstrate that you understand that

yourcompensationwillbedirectlylinkedtothevalue

you add to the organization, perhaps by saying

something like, Iwould expect to be compensated

according

to

how

much

I

contribute

to

the

company,

andIcantellyou,Iwillcontributealot.

Show you understand

that you get paid to

contribute.


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Sometimes interviewers who ask a compensation

questionearlyintheinterviewarejusttryingtoseeif

thepartiesarereasonablycloseintheircompensation

expectationssothatbothpartiesarentwastingtheir

timegoing

forward

with

the

interview,

so

dont

be

uncomfortablegivingrangesorapproximations.

Early compensation

questions are most

likely just looking for

broad ranges.

You need to know the answers to a number of other

questions that bear on job satisfaction and career

growth before you can answer. For example, does the

company have child-care benefits? Education

benefits? What about parking or uniform allowances?

Pay grade increases? Health benefits? Dental Benefits?

Signing Bonuses? All of these impact the money you

have left over at the end of the month and you need to

know that information before you can intelligentlyanswer.

.

Know all the factors

affecting your

compensation before

requesting or

agreeing to a salary

Iftheinterviewerasksasecondtime,bepreparedto

giveananswer. Inyouranswer,itisalwayssaferto

givearangethatleavesyounegotiatingroom,e.g.,

mid30sor34to38,dependingonwhatthejob

involves,insteadofaspecificanswerlike$32,000.

YoucanalsoanswerbysayingsomethinglikeA

packageinthemid30s. Thiscanletyouincludethe

cashvalue

of

things

like

health

benefits,

day

care,

etc.,recognizingthattheinterviewermaybethinking

ofjustsalary.

Ifpresseda

secondtime,

givearange

and/orreferto

a

compensation

package.

Yourpriorresearchshouldhaveestablishedwhata

reasonablecompensationlevelisforagivenjob.

Onceyougiveaspecificnumber,youneedtostay

reasonablyclosetoitorrisksufferingmajorcredibility

loss.

Research

compensation

levels,andstick

withyour

minimum.

Practice:Writeoutyourresponsebelowtowhatyouwillsaywhenaskedabout

compensationearly

in

the

interview,

and

what

you

would

say

ifthe

interviewer

followsupwithasecondrequestafteryouinitiallydeferredyouranswer:


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Earlyininterview:

Afterbeingaskedtwoormoretimes:

A journey of a thousand miles begins

with a single step Keep Writing!!


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C.PriorAccomplishments

Thebasicpremiseofthewaymostcompaniesconduct

jobinterviews

is

that

the

best

single

predictor

of

how

youractionswillcontributetotheemployerishowyou

have contributed in the past. Theywill try to get at

thoseactionsbyaskingquestionslikethese:

Tell

me

about

your

most

significant

accomplishments

on

your

prior

jobs.

Howhaveyoureallycontributedtoyourprior

employers?

What

have

you

accomplished

on

the

job

that

you

are

the

most

proud

of?

Youneedtokeepinmind:

Past actions are thebest predictor of fu ture

actions.

The most convincing way to tell about past

contributions is with specific stories, illustrations,

and examples. Anyone can claim to have skillsor

capabilities,butyouwanttobeabletobackupany

claimswith specific stories. As they say, It aint

braggingifyouvedoneit.

Use illustrations,

examples, stories and

anecdotes.

Frame the response in terms of what the prior

employerreceivedasbenefitsfromhavinghadyou

as an employee. Dollar sales figures, number of

customers servedwithout a complaint, number of

products producedwithout a defect ornumber of

days/yearswithoutanaccidentormissedtimeany

orallofthesecouldbeworkedintoyouranswer.

Speak in terms of

benefits to employers

dollars, hours,

customer satisfaction,

cost savings, etc.

Dont limit yourself to paidjobs. Include hobbies

and volunteer or charitable work, if the skills or

talents you used there are applicable to thisemployer.

Include any relevant

life experience.

Always try to tell about how you interact with

People, what Information or knowledge youve

acquired,andanyspecialToolsyoucanuse.

PI T

People

Information

Tools


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Use the SAR approach to telling stories or

anecdotestheSituationyoufaced,theActionyou

tookandtheResultsyouobtained.

SAR

Situation

Action

Results

Practice:Writeoutyourresponse:

Preparedness = Confidence.

Be Prepared, Keep Writing!!


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D.ImprovementorGrowth

Iftheresoneconstantinlife,itschange. Employers

wanttoknowthatyoucanchangeorgrowasthe

demandsof

the

job

grow

or

change.

Variations

on

this

topicinclude:

Tell me what you ve done to improve yourself

in the last year.

What have you learned from your pr ior

experiences?

What plans do you have to continue your

development?

Youneedtokeepinmindthefollowingpoints:

You want to show that you have accumulated

experience and knowledge,not that you have had

thesameexperiencerepeatedoverandagain.

Showvariety

Youneed tomakea concertedeffort toavoidany

negativity and you should never take this

opportunity to recite a laundry list of complaints

against

your

prior

employers.

Beingpositivegets

morejobsthan

negativity.

Thebestanswerswillshowhowyouveimprovedor

plantoimproveyourPeopleskills,yourInformation

baseoryourToolsinventoryorskills.

PIT

People

Information

Tools

Practice:Writeoutyourresponsebelow:

If we think ahead we may be able to avoid being

forced to think on our feet Keep Writing!!


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Theres a wrong way and a write way

to get ready for your job interview.


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15

E. Unique Skills or Talents

Thebestmanagersseekoutpeoplewithuniqueskillsor

talentsandemploythemintheirareaofgreatest

strength.This

is

why

doing

acomplete

skill

inventory

oftenpaysgreatdividends. Bepreparedforquestions

like:

What do you consider your greatest strengths

or talents?

What sets you apart f rom other appli cants?

Why should I hi re you over other appl icants?

Pointsyouneedtoconsider:

Beabletorespondwithveryspecificthingsyoucan

doforyouremployer. Thiswillgivetheemployera

clearideaofhowyourtalentscanbeused. Keepin

mindthatjobtitlescanvarywidelyfromcompanyto

companyandindustrytoindustry.Dontdependon

interviewersknowinghowajobtitleataprior

employerrelatestowhatyoucandoforthem.If

youcandescribetheskillsortalentsyouhave,the

interviewercandohisorherjobofmatchingthe

skillsto

the

job

titles

as

they

exist

in

the

interviewing

companyorbycreatinganewjobtitleforyour

specialskills.

Be specif ic, talk in

terms of job function,

not j ob titl es.

Thebestanswerswilltellaboutyourspecialtalents

astheypertaintodealingwithPeople,Information

andTools.

PIT

People

Information

Tools

Foreveryspecificskillortalentyouplantotalk

about,youshouldhavespecificexamplesofhowand

whereyouhaveusedthatskillortalent,eitherina

worksituation

or

some

other

real

life

situation.

Illustrations,

examples, anecdotes

Whileeveryoneshouldbeabletodescribetheirskills

andtalents,itisparticularlyvitalifyouare

attemptingtochangecareerfields. Itmaynotbe

immediatelyobvioustotheprospectiveemployer

whyyourpriorexperiencewouldbehelpful.

Really focus on this if

changing career

fields.


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16


As Will Rogers is supposed to have said, If youve done it, it aint

braggin! This is no time for false modesty Keep Writing!!


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17

F. Manageability

Beingabletodothejobisnotenough employersare

quite

interested

in

how

well

you

will

respond

to

guidanceordirection. Somevariationsofthequestions

usedtogetinformationinthisareainclude:

Tell me about the best supervisor you ever had.

How do you l ike to be managed?

How well do you take cri ticism?(fol lowed up with

What were you cr i ticized about?)

What type of manager wil l bri ng out the best in

you and al low you to be the most productive?Pointsyouneedtoconsider:

Taketimetothinkthroughyourpreferences inthis

area. One person might like welldefined

assignments with support and encouragement;

anothermay likeambiguoussituationswhereheor

shecandefinewhatneeds tobedoneandhow to

do it. In thesamejob,oneof themmightbevery

happyandtheotherveryunhappy. Thebestcourse

hereis

to

be

truthful.

Honesty

is

definitely

the

best

policy when it comes to getting the best fit

between the best possible person and the best

availablejob.

Even aside from the

interview, you need to

think through our

preferences in this

area.

Your research in this area should have led you to

companies who manage the way you like to be

managed.

Pick companies who

manage the way you

like to be managed.

Specific examples or illustrations always improve

the credibility of your answers and give better

insightinto

your

special

skills

and

talents.

Illustrations and

examples.

Practice:Writeoutyourresponsebelowandonthenextpage:

Professional athletes and actors prepare for weeks and months for

performances that may last less than an hour be a pro, Keep Writing!!


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Who would have thought that doing an interview workbook

would be like reading a Chinese fortune cookie?


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19

G.InvitationtoNegativity

Some interviewers liketosee iftheycangetyou tobe

negativeortosee ifyouareasproudorarrogantasto

denyhaving

any

failings.

Some

of

the

variants

of

this

typeofquestioninclude:

What

is

the

worst

thing

your

past

employers

could

say

about

you?

Whatareyourgreatestweaknesses?

What

would

you

change

about

yourself

if

you

could?

Youneedtokeepinmindthefollowingpoints:

Employers would

much rather hirepositive people.

Youmaycomeacrossasnotbeingopenifyoucant

admittoanydefects.

Have at least onestory about a defect

or limi tation.

Ideallyyouwouldbeabletolistasfaultscertainof

your characteristicsorattributes thatcouldactually

bestrengthsinthecurrentsituation,e.g.,Iexpected

too much of others in satisfying customer

expectations.

Remember that a

weakness in one

situation can be a

strength in another.

Remember that you may have to live with your

responsesif

youre

hired.

For

example,

ifyou

say

that your biggest failing was that you are a

workaholic,youmayneedtobepreparedtowork

weekendsandholidaysifyourehired.

You may have to live

with your answers.

When appropriate, include your current actions to

helpimproveonyourweaknesses.

Practice:Writeoutyourresponsesbelow:

No pain, no gain. See if you can get a finger cramp

with all this gainful writing!


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Success is when preparation meetsopportunity. Keep Getting Prepared!!


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H.WorkLifeBalance

Employerswanttoknowhow importantyourjob isto

you intheoverallschemeof things. Whensomething

needsto

happen

or

get

fixed

and

quitting

time

rolls

around,areyouwillingtostayandtakecareofthings?

Allthetime? Someofthetime? Variationsonthistype

ofquestionare:

How committed can I expect you to be if I

hi re you?

What do you think is the proper balance

between work and other areas of your l i fe?

What is your attitude towards overtime?Would you have a problem if you had to travel

X percent of the time?

Thingsyouneedtoconsider:

Inthelongrun,honestyisdefinitelythebestpolicy,

particularly in this area. The right answer iswhat

youbelieveand strive toachieve. Remember that

youaretryingtofindacompanyandculturewhere

youwillbethemosteffectiveandproductive.

Honesty is the best

policy.

You will bemuch better prepared to answer this

questionhonestly ifyouhavedoneworkonsetting

lifegoals.

Know your life goals.


A job may not be an end in itself, but it can be the means to some

very desirable things for you and your family its certainly worth

a little extra effort to have the best job possible Keep Writing!!


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Over a 40 year-career, you will spend some 80,000 hours at work. Isnt it

worth a little effort to get the best job you can? Keep Writing!!


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I.PeopleSkillsQuestions

Everyemployeehas to interactwithawidevarietyof

peoplecustomers,coemployees,stockholders,family

membersof

co

employees,

people

we

supervise,

etc.

Expectsomequestionslikethefollowing:

What ki nds of people reall y ir r i tate you?

What kind of people do you reall y li ke to work

with?

What i s your strongest character trait that

makes people li ke to work wi th you?

Are there any groups of people you f ind it

hard to deal wi th or you would prefer not to

deal wi th?

Thingsweneedtoconsider:

Thesetypeofquestionsareexcellentatseeinghow

youviewtheworld. Thisisanidealopportunityto

describeyourselfasateamplayerwholikestowork

withothergoaloriented,selfstartingpeople. You

needtobecarefulnottoprojectattitudesthatsay

youthinkotherpeopleareforthemostpartlazyor

dishonestorjustplainstupid.

Think team

membership.

Relatedtotheabove,beaspositiveaspossible,e.g.,

Actually,Igetalongwithjustabouteverybody

Think positive.

Becarefulaboutexpressingnegativefeelingsabout

anyspecificracialorethnicgrouporpeopleofany

particularsexorsexualorientation. Employershave

enoughproblemswithouthiringabigotorpotential

bigot.

Avoid displaying

prejudice.

Practice:Write

out

your

response

below

and

on

the

nextpage:

Winners never quit until they are prepared for their

interviews. Keep Writing & Win the Job you Want!!


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Take a minute or two off and think of something you aregoing to reward yourself with when you finish this workbook

and make it a good one, this is valuable stuff youre doing!


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J.ToolsQuestions

In everyjob there are tools that need to be used.

Sometimesthesearephysicalitemslikedrillpressesor

lathes.Other

times,

the

tools

are

software

tools

or

sets

of reference material. Be prepared to answer

questionslike:

Tell me about the tools you ve used in your

last jobs.

What kind of thi ngs did you use to achieve the

resul ts you show on your resume?

What would you need us to supply you to

enable you to do the best possible job for us?What tools do you use today that allow you to

be the most productive?

Pointstoconsiderhereare:

Iftheintervieweraskedyoutoactuallydemonstrate

theuseofatoolthatyouclaimtoknowhowtouse,

couldyou?

Be prepared to

demonstrate.

Adopting a flexible attitude about tools can be

helpfulas

the

employer

may

have

budgetary

or

other constraints that prevent the company from

supplyingyouwithexactlywhatyouveusedbefore.

Show flexibility.

As in all your answers, specific anecdotes or

illustrations are yourmost powerful selling tool in

getting the interviewer tobelieveyoucandowhat

youclaimtobeableto.

Illustrations,

anecdotes, examples.


A pen or a pencil is the write tool for

this job!


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Good marketing begins with solid product knowledge keep on building your knowledge of your skills and

talents.


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K.InformationorKnowledgeQuestions

Mostjobs require thatyoupossesscertainknowledge

orinformation,andthatyouhavetheabilitytoprocess

criticalinformation

in

specific

ways.

Be

prepared

for

questionslike:

Tell me what you know about (whatever it is

you need to know to do your job).

I n the past, when you have been in a new

role, how long has it taken you to get up to

speed?

What is the most important area of knowledge

you br ing to this job?

What information or knowledge would you

have to develop to perform at a super ior level

in this job?

Pointsyouneedtoconsider:

Being able to point to courses, degrees,

certifications and the like can serve to summarize

yourknowledge. Youcanthenembellishthatbasic

informationwith a brief summary ofwhat youve

done since you acquired those degrees or

certifications.

Degrees, certifications,

and courses can serve

to summarize

knowledge.

You should be able to give a 20 or 30 second

summary of your level of knowledge, using buzz

words, termsofartandacronymsthatapersonof

your interviewers background and experience

should be able to understand. After youve done

that,youshouldaskaquestionaboutwhether the

interviewerwantsmoredetail.

Have a 30-second

summary prepared that

closes with a question

whether the interviewerwould like you to

expand on any

particular subject area.

Be careful about talking too much and trying to

appearselfimportant. Anytimeyoutalkmorethan

40or50secondsyoushouldpausetoaskaquestion

orgetsomeotherconfirmationthattheinterviewer

isinterestedinalongeranswer.

Summarize then askwhere interviewer

would like more

information.

Practice:Writeoutyourresponseonthenextpage:


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Keep fresh this doesnt all need to be done in

one night.


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L.GoalOrientation

Most employers would rather have goaloriented

individualswhosepersonalgoalsarealignedwithwhat

thecompany

would

like

the

employee

to

be

doing.

You

needtobepreparedforquestionslikethese:

Where do you plan to be in f ive years? Ten?

How wil l this job help you get there?

What are the two most important goals you

want to achieve in your l if e?

Give me an example of a goal you set which

you achieved?

Pointsyou

need

to

consider:

Yourcareergoalsshouldbearsomerelationshipto

thepositionforwhichyoureapplying.

Relate your goals to the

position.

Interviewers will be able to detect the difference

between an offthecuff, generalized response and

one that is the result of your actually working

throughasetofcareerandlifegoals.

Interviewers can sense

off-the-cuff answers.


You might want to talk with the interviewer about how you

met your goal to be thoroughly prepared for the interview.


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There are 168 hours in a week. Isnt it worth taking just 10% of one

week to be absolutely prepared for an interview for the job you want?


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M.IllegalQuestions

It is generally illegal for employers to ask questions

about the following topics during a preemployment

interview:

Yourraceornationalorigin

Yourreligion

Placeofbirth

Maritalstatus

Numberofdependents

Whetheryouaredisabled

Some times interviewers are not fully aware of the

illegality of certain questions and have no wrongful

intentwhen theyask them, soyoushouldnt read too

much into the fact that theywereasked. In fact,you

mightbegrateful tobeable toaddresswhatmay the

realissueintheinterviewersmind:whetheryouwillfit

in with the organization or be able to contribute

becauseofwhateverwayyouaredifferent.Infact,you

maywanttodothisintheformofaquestion,Why,do

youhave

any

concern

whether

awoman

(or

Asian,

or

Moslem,etc.)wouldbeaccepted inyourworkforce?

or astatement,Dontworry,Iplantocontribute100%

tothecompanyforatleastthenext10years.

Thechoiceyouarefacedwithiswhethertoanswerthe

question and followup with a more jobrelated

questionofyourown,ortopolitelydeclinetoanswer

thequestion,e.g.,Ihavemypersonalbeliefs,but Ive

made itapractice to trynot to interject thosebeliefs

intothe

workplace.

Alternatively,

you

could

ask

about

thequestion,e.g.,IsthisrelatedtothejobIwouldbe

doing?

Inanyevent,youshouldwritedowntheexactwording

ofthequestionandasmuchelseabouttheinterviewas

you can recallas soonafter the interviewaspossible.

Date thosenotesandpreserve them in theeventyou

Dont assume illegal

intent because of a

poorly worded questionor two.

The decision to answer

is yours.

Document any illegal

questions in writing as

soon as you leave theinterview while they

are still fresh in your

mind.


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32

ultimately want to seek legal advice relating to that

employer.

Practice:Write out how youwill respond if asked an

illegalquestionaboutanyofthetopicslistedabove.

Art time: draw or paste a picture here of something youd

like to buy with the raise from your new job.


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N.WhatIf

One popular interviewing technique is called

situationalinterviewing.

The

interviewer

presents

a

hypotheticalsituationandaskstheapplicanthowheor

she would respond in real life. For example, What

wouldyoudo ifyouhadanemployee you supervised

whowasalwaysontime,alwaysoverquota,anddidan

excellentjobcoachingnewtraineesandallofasudden

hestartscallinginsick?

You need to be prepared to articulate the

problem solving techniques you use and how you

wouldapply

it

in

the

hypothetical

situation.

For

example, When I have a problem I always like to

substantiate the facts,checkany implicitassumptions,

list and weigh alternatives, and then select the best

alternative. Depending on the significance of the

problem, I may confer with those who could be

affectedbythedecision. Idevelopan implementation

planinconjunctionwiththoseaffected,implementthe

plan,evaluatetheresultsandadjustanyfutureactions.

Inthiscase

Asalways, if youhaveexamplesor illustrations

that show how youve handled similar issues before,

youshouldusetheminresponding.

Practice: WriteoutthreeWhatIfsituationsrelevant

to your area of expertise and then write your

explanationofhowtohandlethem.

Situational interviewing is

essentially role-playing in job-related scenar ios.

We should state generically

how we solve problems, thenrelate that to the specific

situation.

Always be ready with specific

illustrations or anecdotes

SAR

-Situation

-Action

-Results

Be sure to include a People situation, an Information or

data handling situation, and a Tools-type situation (PIT).


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Just remember if this was easy, anybodycould fill this job.


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O. Top Three Personal Characteristics

Researchonhundredsofthousandsofworkersfromclerks

to top executives, in organizations as vast as the U.S.

governmentandassmallasonepersonenterprises,shows

that there isa common setofpersonaland socialabilities

thathaveproventobecriticaltothepersonalsuccessofthe

peopleinthem. Thesecoreabilitieshavebeendescribedas

EmotionalIntelligence,andinterviewersareoftenlooking

forexamplesofthem.

Practice: Use the following list to help you identify the

three personal characteristics that aremost important for

thejobyouareseeking. Afteryouhave identifiedthetop

three personal characteristics,write out an illustration or

storyabouthowyouhavedemonstratedthatcharacteristic

inthepast.

Emotional sensitivity: Recognizing ones emotions and

theireffects.

Selfawareness: Knowingonesstrengthsandlimits.

Selfconfidence:Astrongsenseofonesselfworthand

capabilities.

Selfcontrol:Keepingemotionsandimpulsesincheck.

Trustworthiness:Actsethically,maintainingstandardsof

honestandintegrity.

Conscientiousness:

Takingresponsibility

for

ones

actionsandperformance.

Flexibility: Adaptableinhandlingchangeandambiguity.

Innovation: Comfortablewith new ideas, approaches

andnewinformation.

Initiative:Takesthelead,actingonopportunities.

Optimism: Hope for success versus fear of failures,

expectsthebestfromothers.

Commitment: Aligning one self with the goals of the

groupororganization.

Achievementdrive:

Striving

to

improve

or

meet

a

standardofexcellence.

Understanding others: Sensing others feelings and

perspectives and taking an active interest in their

concerns.

Developingothers:Knowingothersdevelopmentneeds

andenhancingtheirabilities.

Personalcharacteristics are not

limited to specific job

classifications or

descriptions.

Think about what three

characteristics are

needed most in the job

you are seeking.

Emotional sensitivity

Self Awareness

Self-Confidence

Self-Conrol

Trustworthiness

Conscientiousness

Flexibility

Innovation

Initiative

Optimism

Commitment

Understanding Others

Developing Others


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Service orientation: Anticipating, recognizing, and

meetingclientsneeds.

Valuing diversity: Utilizing the strengths of different

kindsofpeople.

Politically astute: Reading and responding to a groupsemotionalcurrentsandpowerrelationships.

Service Orientation

Valuing Diversity

Political Astuteness

Interviewers typically assume that the best predictor offuture actions is past actions, so always try to support any

statement with examples, illustrations or true-life stories.


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38

A.FirstTasks

Askingquestionsaboutthespecificsofwhatthe

successfulapplicantwill firstbeworkingon,andwhat

theemployer

would

be

hoping

to

gain

by

filling

the

position provides ammunition you can use in other

responsesorquestions tohighlightyour specificskills,

talentsandcontributions.

You shouldask thesequestionsearlyand then

really listenwithallofyourattentiontotheanswers.

They tell you what skill sets the interviewer is

lookingfor, and that lets you tellprecisely how you

wouldbeagreatfit. Thesequestions areessentially

themarket

research

you

will

be

basing

your

sales

approachonforthebalanceoftheinterview. Also,one

of the keys tomanageability iswhether people even

listen to other people andwhether they can use the

informationtheyaregiven. Youcandemonstrate this

importantskillrightintheinterview.

Practice: Write out questions that will elicit the

followingtypesofinformation:

The most immediate problem that needs to be

solved

as

soon

as

the

job

is

filled.

Thecostofnotsolvingthatproblem.

Theamountoftimethe interviewer isspendingon

interviewing, andwhether he or shewould rather

bedoingsomethingelse.

Thepersonwhoiscurrentlycoveringthejob.

Thereasonthejobisvacant.

Early on in the

in terview, do market

research on whatspecif ic job or problem

the successful

appli cant will be

expected to tackl e.

Reallylisten to the

answer and use it to

your advantage.

Use the interview as an

opportunity to

demonstrate your

communication skills

asking and listening as

well as telling.

Isnt it a nice change of pace to be thinking of

questions rather than answers?? Just remember thatyour questions can be as important as your answers.


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39

Who was it that said an inquiring mind is more

important than mere intelligence? Keep Inquiring!!


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40

B.PerformanceMeasurement

&CareerAdvancement

Whenyouremakingadecisiononwhetherornotto

acceptanoffer,yououghttoknowhowyourworkwillbemeasuredorgraded,andwhatkindofcareer

advancementhasbeenassociatedwiththatpositionin

thepast.

Practice:Writeoutquestionsthatseekanswerslikethe

following:

Theemployersexpectationsforthisjob.(If

possible,obtainacopyofthejobdescriptionand

the

performance

evaluation

form.)

Frequencyofevaluation.

Thepersonwhoshowstheevaluationtothe

employee.

Thebasisforpromotions.

Positionstowhichpeopleinthispositionhavebeen

promoted.

Notethatanexcessivelevelofinterestinjobshigherup

theladder

may

be

interpreted

by

the

interviewer

as

a

signtheapplicantismoreinterestedingrowththanin

provingherselfinthepositionthecompanyislooking

tofill.

Chances for

advancement are fully

as important as starting

salary.

We all sell our services. Its just that

some find better buyers than others.


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In retrospect, what should you have known about your last job

before you took it?


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43

How do you like your employees to communicate

withyouandhowdoyouliketocommunicatewith

your employees?

What types of selfimprovement or advanced

educationhas

she

received

in

the

last

five

years?

Whatdoeshelikemostaboutthepeoplewhowork

forhim? Whatwouldhechangethemost(listenfor

a negative outlook towards people if this is

present it will only be worse actually workingfor

him!)

What have you disliked the most about any one

whohaseverworkedforyou?

Whathave

you

liked

the

most

about

any

one

who

aseverworkedforyou?

What information about your last boss would have

been helpful to you before you took your last job?


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45

What would you like to know about a place where you will bespending about 2,000 hours per year? Or would you rather wait

until you get there to be surprised?


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46

E.CompensationPackage

Theactualamountyouwillbepaidforthefirstweekor

monthon thenewjob isonlyonepartof theoverall

compensationpackage.

Many

times

the

most

attractive job will not have the highest initial direct

compensation. You need to know what the whole

compensation package or system is at the new

company, and you find out by asking questions like

these:

Isovertimeexpectedorrequired?

Are there particular times of year when I will be

expectedtoputinsignificantlymoretime?

Aretherestockoptionsor401Ks?

Isthereahistoryofprofitsharing?

Aretherefixedpointsforraises? Atwhatlevel?

WhenwouldIbeeligibletoparticipate?

Whatisthecompanysparticipationlevel?

Pointsweshouldkeepinmind:

Sometimesgood

things

go

only

to

those

who

ask

for

them. Many items are negotiable, but you never

knowunlessyouaskforthem.

Sometimessupervisorswillhaveverylittleflexibility

in some areasbuthavequite abit in other areas,

e.g., initial review time, educational opportunities,

crosstraining,etc.

Practice: Write out a series of questions that will

provide youwith answers to questions on salary and

othercompensation.

Look for types of

compensation thatdont necessarily show

up on your W-2 form.

Sometimes all you have

to do is ask.

Find out the areas in

which the supervisor or

interviewer has

flexibility.

Oftentimes, good things only go to

those who think to ask for them.


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Applause and appreciation are nice, but

pay checks buy groceries and vacations.


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48

F.FringeBenefits

Manytimesanattractivebenefitspackagecanmakea

substantial

difference

in

how

attractive

a

job

looks

to

you. Youneedtofindoutaboutthingslike:

Whatkindofmedicalcoverageisavailable?

Dental?

Isthereanychildcareassistance?

Whattypesofeducationalassistanceisavailable.

Arealternativeworkarrangementsanoption?E.g.,

jobsharing,andteleworking.

Istherearetirementplan?

One importantpoint tokeep inmind: the interviewer

maynotactuallyknowthedetailsyouareinterestedin.

If so, ask to talk to the appropriate human resource

specialist.

Practice:Writeout somequestions youwould like to

haveansweredaboutbenefits

The right benefitpackage can make a

big difference.

Be sure to talk to a

knowledgeable person.

This could be a good item to ask your spouse orsignificant person in your life about.


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The idea is prepare now, get paid later.


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50

G.QualityofLifeFactors

Somepeoplehaveaneedtobeworking1012hoursa

day,fiveorsixdaysaweek. Otherswanttobeableto

devotealot

of

time

to

other

goals.

You

need

to

be

find

outaboutfactorsthataffectthequalityoflife,suchas:

Overtime

Travel

Vacation(amountandschedulingflexibility)

FlexTime

Telecommuting

Transferstootheroffices

Transferstootherjobsorcareerpaths.

Expectationsabout

off

the

job

participation

in

civic

affairs.

Pointsyoushouldkeepinmind:

Gettingagoodfitinthisareacanbeasimportantto

yourjobsatisfactionandlifesatisfactionassalary.

Youshouldalwaysaskforspecificillustrationsand

examples.

Becarefulwhendecidingtoaskquestionsabout

transfersastheymaybeinterpretedasindicating

youare

just

using

the

opening

to

get

your

foot

in

thedoorandthatmaynotbetothepersonal

benefitoftheinterviewer.

Practice:Writeoutquestionsthatyouwouldliketo

haveansweredinthisarea. Askforspecificillustrations

andexamples.

Define what could

impact the quality ofyour life off-the-job

Both parties need to be

explicit about their

expectations in this

area.

d

There may or may not be such a thing as a dumb question, but its definitelydumb not to ask questions about something as important as a new job.

Wouldyouhire a person who couldnt think of anything to ask?


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51

Keep up the great questions 60 Minutes

might want to talk to you about a job!!


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52

H.AskingfortheJob

As long as youve got the interviewer in the room,

shouldntyou

go

ahead

and

ask

for

the

job?

Remember, the singlegreatest failingof starting sales

people (and remember that you ARE selling in this

interview)isnotaskingfortheorder. Askingforthejob

letsyoudisplayyourdesireandconfidence. Points to

consider:

Summarizethecontributionsyoufeelyouwillmake

to the organization, using the interviewers earlier

statements of what theyre looking for and why

theyrelooking.

Summarizeyour

skills

and

experiences

that

support

your implicitargumentthatyouwouldfitthebill

forthejob.

Beconvincingandenthusiasticinyourexpressionof

interestinthejob.

Example: Mr.Boyd, Ivereallyappreciatedyourtime

today. Itshelpedmeunderstandevenmorewhatthe

X Company is looking for. I feel that with my

experience

at

Y

Company,

I

can

make

an

immediate

impact in (lowering cost of goods manufactured or

increasingsales,etc.)Dontyouagree?

Practice:Write out a closing statement where you

thankthe interviewer,summarizewhatyoucandofor

the company, and ask for a confirmation from the

interviewer..

Some people just like tobe asked. The

interviewer could be

one of those people.

If this is especially hard for you, you might want to pick up a sales book

that suggests trial closes, e.g., something by Tom Hopkins or Zig Ziglar.

Alternatively, ask a friend who is a sales person for some ideas.


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53

The harder it is to wri te out answers or questions in any

particular area, the more important it is to do the wri ting

and do the practice before the in terview.


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Step3:LearnInterviewTechniques

Sometimes it isnot inyourbest interesttogive

direct answers toeveryquestion youareasked. This

cancause

you

to

lose

complete

control

of

the

interview

andkeepyoufromfindingoutwhatyouneedtoknow

before you answer. Sometimes it is in your best

interesttodeferananswer,andothertimesitisinyour

best interest not to actually answer a question. You

should, therefore, know about the following

techniques:

A. GettingClarification

B. RestatingtheActualQuestion

C. DecliningtoAnswerthePreciseQuestion

D. PresentingPreferredAlternativeQuestions

E. SofteningHardorUnexpectedAnswers

F. AdmittingIgnorance

G. AddressingHostilityorAnger

H. EncouragingMoreCompleteAnswers

You need a set ofanswering techniques

to get out of being in a

purely reactive mode

during an interview.


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A.GettingClarification

Whenyoudonotunderstandaquestionorwhyitwas

asked,whenyouwouldliketobuyalittletimetothink,

orwhen

youd

like

to

nudge

the

focus

of

the

question

a

bit,itcanbeusefultousetheclarificationtechniqueby

makingstatementsoraskingquestionslike:

ImnotsureIunderstandthequestion.

Whatdoyoumeanby(repeattheconfusingpartof

thequestion)?

Practice:Reviewthequestions inStep1thatyoullbe

asked,andwriteoutthreerequestsforclarification.

Understand the

question before you

answer a different one.

Sometimes, asking the right question is more important than having the

right answer. Other times, knowing why a question was asked can be asim ortant as knowin what a ears to be the answer.


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B.RestatingtheActualQuestion

You can always buy time by restating the question,

makingsomecommentlike,Wellthequestionof..is

aninteresting

one,

or

merely

by

repeating

it

without

a

comment.

Practice:GobacktothequestionslistedinStep1,and

practicerestatingfiveactualquestions.

Repetition can buy time.

Whoever said that a life unexamined was not worth living

must have been getting ready for a job interview.


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58

D.PresentingPreferredAlternativeQuestions

You can sometimes buy time and avoid a difficult

question by appearing to restate the question while

actuallychanging

the

phrasing

or

intent

of

it.

For

example,Isupposethatwhatyouregettingatthere

is. BasedonmyexperienceIwouldsaythat.

Practice:Reviewthequestions inStep1andwriteout

three different scenarios inwhich you slightly restate

thequestionasked.

Do the politician

shuffle ask thequestion you would

have rather been asked.

Knowing ahead of time what you want the employer to

learn about you is a big help in deciding what to answer.


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F.AdmittingIgnorance

Ifyouwanttheinterviewertobelieveyouwhenyoutell

herwhatyouknow,itcanoftenhelptoadmityourlack

ofknowledge

when

you

really

dont

have

aclue

as

to

howtoansweraspecificquestion. Youcantryavoiding

theneedtoadmityourignorancebyaskingaclarifying

question. Ontheotherhand,ifitsobvioustoyouthat

you dont know, you should build credibility by

admittingthatyoudontknow. Sometimes,whenyou

dothisintheformofaquestion,youfindoutthatthe

interviewer doesnt know either, e.g., Mr. Nelson, I

franklydont recallwhata framholtzer is;what is that

anyway?

Practice:Writethreequestionsyouwouldnotbeable

toanswer inan interviewandthenwriteresponsesto

each question requesting clarifying information or

admittingthatyoudontknowtheanswer.

Build credibility for

what you do know byadmitting what you

dont.

Was it Plato who said that a wise man knows he doesnt know? Or

was it Clint Eastwood who said that a man has to know his limits?


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61

G.AddressingHostilityorAnger

On rare occasions, you may meet with interviewers

who are overtly hostile or angry, perhaps exhibiting

sarcasmor

prejudice.

It

will

help

calm

your

pre

interviewjitters ifyouhaveaplan formulated for this

worstcase scenario, keeping in mind thatfor certain

jobstheinterviewermaybedeliberatelyseeinghowyou

handle stress (e.g., youre interviewing for a job

managing a customer relations help desk). Perhaps

havingsomethingpreparedlikethefollowingwillhelp:

Mr. _____ I have the feeling that for some

reasonthis

is

not

the

best

time

to

be

interviewing with you. Would it be better to

reschedulethisforanothertime?

Practice: Write out two different ways to gracefully

terminateaninterview. Inoneofthem,trytoleavethe

dooropenforrenewingtheinterviewatalaterdate.

Sometimes the best way to dealwith a bad situation is to get

out of it as gracefully as

possible.

You deserve the full attention

of the interviewer. If you cant

get it, it may be better to wait

until you can.

Everybody has days when they are tense or irritable

we shouldnt take it personally.


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62

H.EncouragingMoreCompleteAnswers

There are several techniques to use to get the other

parties to a conversation to expand on or fill in a

previousanswer.

It

can

be

as

simple

as

saying:

Really?

And?

Andthen

Tellmemoreaboutthat

Im not sure I fully understand, can you

elaborate?

Anothertechnique

is

repeating

the

few

words

that

weresaidbytheotherpersontotheconversation. For

instanceiftheotherpersonendsherlastsentencewith

the general stock rally, repeat the phrase as a

question,e.g., Generalstockrally?

And,ofcourse,onereallyeffectivetechnique istojust

be silent and let the other person fill the silence by

expandingon theanswer. This canbeaugmentedby

appearingquizzicalorquestioning.

Practice:The

next

time

you

are

having

aconversation

withsomeone,seehowmanytimesyoucangetthem

to expand on an answer using one of the above

techniques. Try the silence technique at least three

times.

Theres a reason wehave two ears and one

mouth. Drawing out

information from the

interviewer lets us

understand his or her

wants and needs better.

Only rarely do you learn as much talking as you do listening.

Keep learning by keeping the other person talking.


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63

Step4. WorkatBeingConversational

Not all great conversationalists are born that

way.Some

work

at

it,

and

in

asetting

like

an

interview,

a littlework ahead of time can help you to bemuch

more prepared and relaxed in making "idle

conversation.

Practice: Write out what you could say to make

conversationinthefollowingways:

Talk about a sports team from the city or region

wheretheinterviewisbeingheld.

Talk about how the interviewing company was in

thenewslately,focusingonpositivenewsitems.

Comment on something you notice in the room

(e.g.,photographs,academicdegreesorcertificates,

deskornamentsorartobjects).

Askaboutapubliclyannouncedprogramorproduct

oftheinterviewingcompany.

Comment about a current event in a way that

encouragesadiscussionandexchangeofideas.

Talkaboutsomethingyoudidawayfromworkthat

youreallyenjoyed.

Shareapersonalgoal.

Addthreeconversationaltopicsofyourown.

You dont need to have

been born a greatconversationalist. A

little preparation goes

a long way.

How many script

writers do you think

there are for TV talk

shows?

Even Jay Leno and David Letterman have prepared monologues.


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66

strategic factors in planning your approach. For

example, someone with a felony may approach a

prospective employer by making contact through a

prison supportgroupora religious leader. Thatway,

the prospective employer will have already been

informedabout

the

potential

problem

prior

to

the

interview, indicating that he or she has is willing to

consideremployingyou. Inthesecases,itwillbeeven

more importantforyoutobeespeciallywellprepared

inallareasofthe interviewprocess,andtobeableto

point to specific examples or illustrations of behavior

thatwouldbenefittheemployer.

Practice:Ifyouhavesomesensitivepastissues,write

out (a)howyouwould respondtoaquestionabout it

earlyin

an

interview,

and

(b)

how

you

would

tell

the

interviewerlateronintheinterview.

Try to find a setting

where an apparent

liability can be an

asset.

A sharp pencil and a sharp mind.


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67

Step6:StacktheInterviewDeck:Solitaire

Bythispointyouvecomea longway. Youvethought

out responses to questions youre almost sure to be

asked. You know what you want to ask. Youveconsidered some interview techniques to help you

avoid or postpone answering or get amore detailed

response to certain questions. Youre able to be

conversational,andyouhaveanapproachfordealing

withanyespeciallysensitiveissues.

Sowhat?

If you cant actually use this knowledge during the

interview,

it

will

all

have

been

for

naught.

The

ONLY

waywegetmoreskilledistopractice. Step6involves

practicing saying things out loud to yourself by using

the Interview Card Deck found at

www.careerclubsinternational.com Free Resources.

(Note: for online purposes there is a PowerPoint

containingvariousquestionstopreparefor.)

Scroll through the Interview Card Deck and perform

the actions indicated, either answering questions,

asking questions, or using interview techniques. In

doing this, you should go back to this workbook andwrite out new ideas that occur to you for dealing with

certain questions or issues, or other specific examples

of your unique talents and skills.

The only way to get

more skilled at

interviewing is to get

more practice.

Use the Interview Card

Deck to practice

answering and asking

questions out loud.

Write out ideas for

better answers,

questions, techniques

or illustrations.

Remember to update the workbook as you come up with ideas for

better answers, questions, techniques, examples or illustrations.


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68

I have a great memory, its just a little short sometimes Im

sure glad I get to write things down and organize my thoughts.


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69

Step7:OneonOneRolePlaying

Yourealmostreadynow. Theonlythingyouneednow

isthe

practice

of

saying

everything

youve

mastered

in

front of someone else. You need a little fulldress

rehearsing,andtheonlywaytogetthisistodoitwith

another person. Go to Free Resources on

www.careerclubsinternational.com for a practice

Interview Deck. Your practice partner will read the

questionsorsituationsofftheircomputerscreenyou

will answer as if it were a real interview. As your

practice partner gets acclimated to the process, have

them

ask

follow

up

questions

or

questions

of

their

own,

sothatyougetmoreexperiencewiththegiveandtake

ofanactualinterview.

Whenyouarealmostdonewithasession,askforideas

on how particular answers could be strengthened or

rephrased. Oneadvantageofdoingthiswithsomeone

who knows you is that they may be able to add

examples or illustrations of your skills or talents that

youd forgotten.Use the Practice Interview Feedback

formonthefollowingpage.

The final step inpracticing is to go

through the Interview

Card Deck with a

partner, practicing

interactively.

Ask your partner for

feedback using the formon the following page.

As Yogi said, it aint over until its over. Until then, keep

making notes about additional stories, illustrations, examples

and anecdotes to substantiate your talents and skills.


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70

Date:__________________

Whatwasyouroverallevaluationoftheinterview?

Whatquestionsdidyouthinkneededfurtherwork?

What

questions

did

you

feel

were

handled

extremely

well?

Did the applicant have any idiosyncrasies of speech that might annoy the

interviewer or hurt the applicants chances (e.g., ending every commentwith

Youknow?orbeginninganswerswithLike,..)

Didtheapplicantuseanyimpropergrammar(e.g.,Wewasgoingtothelake.)?

Basedonyour familiaritywiththeapplicant,were thereexamplesofhisorher

skills,ortalentsthatwereleftout? Thinkspecificallyofwhethertherewereskills

intheareaofworkingwithpeople,orspecialareasofinformation orknowledge,

orspecifictoolsthatheorsheforgottobringup.

Interview Practice Feedback


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71

z

___Extracopiesofresumesorportfolios.

___Business

cards,

if

appropriate.

___Phonenumbertocallifyouaredelayedintraffic,etc.

___Nameofpersonyouwillbemeetingandanynecessarynotesonhowto

pronouncethename.

___Shinedshoes.

___Appropriateattireforthejob.

___Cleanandpressedattire.

___Pen(notjusta$.29special,somethingformalandspecial)

___Notepaper.

___Directionstoincludestreetaddress,floor,suite,andwheretopark.

___

Map.

___Breathmintsordrops(NOgum!!).

___Comborbrush.

___Scheduletoallowavisittorestroombeforehandtocheckappearance,clean

handsandface,etc.

___Scheduletoallowanopportunitytohavealightmealbeforehand.

___Handkerchieftodealwithminorproblems.

Interview Checklist


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72

WeWantYourFeedback!!

Anyworkof this sortbenefits immeasurably from the

feedback of job applicants themselves. We are

particularlyinterested

in

feedback

in

the

following

areas:

Any additional interview questions that you have

foundchallenging.

Additional questions that are becoming pertinent

for potential employees to know, i.e., what the

hotbuttonsarefornewemployees.

Questions onwhich youwould like suggestions or

comments.

General feedbackontheusefulnessofhavinggone

throughtheworkbook.

If you are an employer, we would appreciate any

feedback on topics you would like applicants to be

preparedtodiscussduringtheinterview.

Emailyoursuggestionsto:

[email protected].

Legal

stuff:

By

submitting

a

comment

or

suggestion

to

Career Clubs International, L.L.C., you are granting

CareerClubs International, L.L.C., the right to use the

commentorsuggestioninprintorothermediawithout

anyfurthercompensation.

We need your help to

make this book better


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73

JoinaCareerClub:ifyouarelookingforhelpandsupport

inmanagingyourcareer.

Why?Whatis itaboutaCareerClubthatisanydifferentfromdoingmy

ownindividualcareerresearchandpreparation?

Thereareseveralanswerstothisimportantquestion:

(a)Career Clubswork better than individualjob preparation. Richard Nelson

Bolles, author of the classicWhat Color is Your Parachute?and a strong

proponentofjobseeking supportgroups,notesan84percent success rate

whenjobsearch techniques are conducted in groups, comparedwith a 15

percentlower

rate

when

the

same

techniques

are

followed

individually

(b)Manypartsofthecareerprocessareinherentlyinteractive,e.g.jobinterviews

orworkingwithamentor.Youcansubstantiallyimproveyourperformancein

thoseareasbyrehearsingorpracticingtheminaCareerClubsetting.

(c)CareerClubmodulestakeyouthroughphasesofpreparationthatyoumight

overlookon yourowneachof the segmentson theCareerClubWheel

shownpage73.

(d)Input from other group members will increase the range of options and

factorsforyoutoconsiderandhelpyouselectthebestanswersforyou.

(e)Youremoreapt toactuallydo thework if youmake the commitment inagroupsetting.

(f) Itsfun!

Formoreinformation:http://www.careerclubsinternational.com


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74

CareerClubWheel


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Appendix:FurtherResources

Nooneworkbookwillsuiteveryonesneedsand learningstyles. Theresources

listedbelow

may

be

helpful

to

you:

Your WorkAbilities: How to Express andApply Them Through Man Power

Specifications by A. W. Rahn (One of the very first books to present a

structuredwayofcreatingsharplydefinedanddocumentedworkabilities.

Availableforonlinebrowsingatwww.careerclubsinternational.com)

PickYourJobAndLandIt!bySidneyandMaryEdlund(Anexcellentresource

ontheimportanceofsettingspecificjobgoalsalongwithadetaileddiscussion

on how to develop and test goals. Available for online browsing at

www.careerclubsinternational.com)

WhatColorIsYourParachute?byRichardBolles

KnockEmDead2000byMartinYates

Interviewing,ThirdEdition,byArleneS.Hirsch,JohnWiley&Sons,partofthe

NationalBusinessEmploymentWeeklyPremierGuides


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Notes

Documents

CCI Job Interview Workbook 20 W_PassItOn and Not for Group Use