Lec-07 Interview Process (2).pdf

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Interview Process

Dr. Mutahir

April 27, 2015

Your interview starts before you walk

into an employers door..

Types of interviews

On campus interviews

Screening interviews

On site interviews

Second round interviews

One on one

Panel interviews

Group interviews

Over a meal

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Understand Yourself

1. Education

2. Experience, both paid and unpaid

3. Accomplishments and achievements

4. Skills and competencies

5. Community service

6. Clubs and organizations

7. Extra-Curricular activities

8. Work ethics

9. Values

Take an inventory of your attributes

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Create Your Personal

Profile

Create a professional resume.

Look for ways to put a positive spin on your

career history.

Create a powerful, competent and experienced

image by using action words to describe

yourself and your accomplishments.

Create Your Personal

Profile

Give yourself all the credit you deserve.

Be totally honest, but dont shortchange yourself by underestimating or

minimizing your accomplishments.

Have a professional critique of your

resume.

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Know the Position

Make sure you and the position are a match.

Duties of the position

Compensation range

Location

Work schedules

Benefits

Know the Organization

Organizations name

Private or public

What products or services

Key management team

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Know the Organization

Where to find organizations information:

Organizations website

Search engines like Google or Hoovers

College placement office

Networking

Library and newspaper archives

General Tips

Map your route to the interview site so youre not late.

Appropriate business attire is a must.

Refer to your achievements often before your

interview date, so theyre fresh in your mind.

Know your answers to probable questions

before you walk in the door.

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BE YOURSELF, BE HONEST

The more prepared you are the easier it is to be comfortable in this unique experience, and to be

yourself.

Always be honest. After interviewing perhaps 100s of candidates over the yearsinterviewers are excellent at discerning sincerity, honestly and

a true desire!

Good Luck!!!

FIRST IMPRESSIONS (you can only make them once!

Smile, Connect! BODY LANGUAGE SPEAKS

DO

Arrive on time (15 minutes early)

Dress appropriately

Treat everyone you meet well-interview starts when you enter front door.

Have a firm handshake

Make good eye contact

Use good (nice long spine), and attentive posture.

Dont Be late Be sloppy Look down or

disconnect during greeting.

Bring food Slouch Put arms in defensive

position Play with your hair or

face.

Tips Regarding Attire (Men)

If possible, wear a suit to the interview

Belt and shoes should be same color

Avoid ties with elaborate patterns or too

many colors

A wedding ring and/or watch is generally

the only jewelry that should be worn

Head to Toe: Hair should be well groomed

and shoes should be polished

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Tips Regarding Attire (Women)

A suit or dress is preferable

Skirts should meet at the top of the knee

or longer

The amount of jewelry should be

minimized

Make-up should be light

Avoid perfumes and scented powders

Dress for the position you want, not the position

you have

Men

Wear a white t-shirt under dress shirt

Helps with perspiration

Have someone help you tie your tie

Women

Pull hair back

Go easy on make up

One ring per hand

Hints

Different clothing types

Professional Dress Interview outfit

Daily clothing for professional office setting

Business Casual Dress Dress down Fridays or casual office environment

Career Fair

Casual Dress Company picnic

Traveling for work

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Womens Professional

Womens Business Casual

Womens Casual

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Mens Professional

Mens Business Casual

Mens Casual

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Starting The Interview

Be sure to arrive 10 to 15 minutes prior to the start of the interview

Greet the interviewer with a firm handshake

Maintain good eye contact and posture

Make sure you are energetic and enthusiastic

Speak clearly and articulate

General Tips

Practice, practice, practice your answers and

your delivery. Ask others to critique you.

If you have access to a video recorder, tape a

mock interview so you can see your nonverbal

communication.

The image you project and how you present

yourself will be either a deal-maker or

deal-breaker.

Think about questions you need to ask.

Write them down to jog your memory.

Copmpetencies required by X

Company

Adaptability

Integrity

Innovation

Teamwork

Initiative

Drive for Results

Know the Business

Open Exchange of Information

Makes Difficult Decisions

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Behavioral Interview Techniques

STAR METHOD

S - situation

T - task

A - action

R - result

Responding to Competency Q

Q Give me an example of a problem you encountered. How did you approach it. What was the outcome?

STAR response

S: Describe the situation

T: Explain the task/problem that arose

A: What action did you take?

R: What was the result or outcome?

What did you learn from this experience?

Standard Interview Questions

Would you tell me about yourself?

What is your greatest strength?

What is your greatest weakness?

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

What about this position do you find most

appealing?

Why do you want to work for our company?

Why should we hire you?

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Technical Questions what they want

There is no way they can possibly measure your skill level in all the areas accurately in such a short time So they take a guesstimate

Mostly ask basic questions To see if you were paying attention in class

Ask about previous work To make sure you have genuinely done it

And understood what you did

Look at impact and achievement Money talks if you can put a $ amount (or time or rating number)

they are sold

Looking for process/method you use to come up with answer than answer itself

Technical Questions what you do

Make best use of the time to showcase your skills

Breadth and depth both are important Breadth is important only Professors work in the area they studied Depth is important because that is the expertise you bring to the team

Your interviewer will most likely know less about your field You have spent years on your research while managers got out of

school a while ago

Think about impressing a pretty/handsome person from fine-arts or still worse her father

Stay away from Jargon

Give brief answers that address the question Dont go on and on about a particular topic Be specific enough to not sound vague and,

General enough to keep their interest

Technical Interview what if I dont know

Can you say I dont know? Only as a last resort after you have attempted to answer

Dont guess blindly and dont shut the door

Explain or give a process by which one can find the answer

Give an instance when you have solved a similar problem

Usually they give hints listen carefully and work with the interviewer to come up with an answer

If doubtful of the answer ask: Did I address your question?

Think aloud so they know what you are thinking

Dont be shy to use the board/pad practice drawing pictures

Draw pictures binary tree, hash table, linked list

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Ask questions

GOOD Questions

What aspect of your job do you like/dislike the most?

Which group works on cutting edge data analysis

methods?

What type of training program do you have for you

new recruits?

Does the company support continuing education?

How does the company help you manage your life

and work?

What does the typical career path look like in your

group?

Inappropriate Questions

What drives you to work here?

Do you like your managers?

Do you do any data analysis at your company?

Does your company pay for classes?

How many hours do you have to work every week?

When will I be eligible for promotion?

Is alcohol allowed at your workplace?

How many days vacation will I get in the year?

How soon can I change groups in the company?

How much do you make?

Make sure you ask questions when given a chance

It shows you are interested

Keep them general and/or related to your technical area of expertise but keep them relevant to the interview

Watch out to see if the interviewer is uncomfortable with the question; if so, move on do not persist

Do not hesitate to ask clarifying questions

Next steps, contact info, about the group business etc.

Presentations

Many companies are having their graduate candidates do presentations

Even otherwise, it does not hurt to take a couple of pages of print to point and show you research work pictures than text

If the presentation is scheduled, ask ahead how much time you have and what equipment they can arrange. Prepare for shorter than that time and do dry runs

Keep lots of time for questions remember unlike conferences your audience might not know your subject Stay away from complex mathematics

Could provide links or hard copies to your paper

Highlight impact address the questions: What was the problem high level, examples What you did and how you did it?

So what? most important think application

Legal versus Illegal

Questions

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS!!

Arrest or police records

Disability

Age

Military service

Race/Color

Child care

Religion

National origin

Marital status

It is important to understand the concept of legal versus illegal

questions. Any company wishing to avoid charges of

discrimination knows that there are some legal minefields to avoid

with respect to interview questions they may ask applicants for

positions.

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Questions

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS!!

1. Thats an unusual name. Is it Polish?

2. Would you have trouble working for a

supervisor who is younger than you?

3. What are you, about 50 or so?

Question Legal Illegal


Questions

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS!!

4. Do you have children?

5. The job requires frequent overnight

travel. Will your family obligations

prevent you from meeting this

requirement?



Questions

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS!!

6. Have you ever been arrested?

7. In what branch of the military did

you serve?


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Questions

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS!!


8. I see you grew up in Utah. Are you

Mormon?

9. Will your disability prevent you from

bending and stooping?

Typical and not so typical

Job Interview Questions

Tell me about yourself. (Dont ramble. Stay focused on those things about yourself that make you best qualified

for the job.)

What are your strengths? (Make sure you know what

they are before you get to the interview. Make a list.)

What are your weaknesses? (Careful of this one.

What you say can and will be held against you.)



How would your current (or last) boss describe

you? (Be honest . . . They may be talking to him/her)

Describe the attributes of the worst boss you ever had.

(Treat this like a minefield. A misstep could blow up in

your face. Try to put a positive spin on the negative

attributes.)

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Describe a conflict or disagreement you have had at

work and explain how you handled it.

How do you react to criticism? (This is not the time

for ego)

Give an example of a risk you took at work or

school and how it turned out. What did you

learn from the outcome?



What is your managerial style?

Why do you want to leave your current employer?

(Positive, positive. A prospective employer doesnt want to hear a litany of grievances against your

current employer.)

What was your most important contribution to

your last (or current) employer?



What accomplishment in your life are you most proud?

Would you hire you for this job? Why?

Why should we hire you over other finalists for this

position? (Of course, you wont know their credentials, so focus on your own.)

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What motivates you?

How do you motivate others to achieve their

personal best? (Keep in mind that motivation

is internal. You can only motivate yourself.)

Behavioral Interview Questions

Give me an example of a problem you encountered & how you handled it?

Give me an example of a time when you faced a lot of obstacles to

achieving a goal

Talk about a stressful situation youve experienced

Tell me about a time when youve been a team player..

Tell me about a project or role that youve taken on that is outside your job

description.

Tell me about a situation when you took the ball & ran with it.

How have you handled situations in which you had to deal with something

that you're not totally comfortable with?

How do you build your confidence?

Give me an example of how youve failed

Tell me about a time when youve had to challenge authority...

SKILL: Coping

QUESTION: Describe a high-pressure situation you had to handle at

work or school. What happened, who was involved and what did you

do in terms of resolution?

SKILL: Tolerance of Ambiguity

QUESTION: Give an example of a time when you had to deal

with frequent and unexpected changes. What does this say

about your ability to work in an ambiguous or unstructured

circumstance?

Behavioral Based

InterviewingBehavioral

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SKILL: Versatility

QUESTION: In work situations, as in life, we sometimes have to

compromise to make things happen. Tell me about a time when you

felt it necessary to compromise your own immediate interests in order

to be flexible and tolerant of anothers needs.

Behavioral Based

InterviewingBehavioral

Behavioral Based

InterviewingLeadership

SKILL: Energizing

QUESTION: Give an example of a time when your positive attitude

caused others to be motivated or energized into action. Be specific.

SKILL: Team Building

QUESTION: Building a team spirit to get results is often difficult.

Tell me about a time when you had your greatest success in building

a team spirit. What specific results did the team accomplish?

Behavioral Based

InterviewingLeadership

SKILL: Influence

QUESTION: (1) Give an example when you first used fact and

reason to persuade others to take action. Be specific. (2) Give an

example of a time when your communication skills were powerful

enough to enable you to influence the way others thought or acted,

even in a very difficult situation.

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Behavioral Based

InterviewingProblem Solving

SKILL: Analytical

QUESTION: Give an example where you actively designed several

solutions to a single problem.

SKILL: Creativity

QUESTION: Give an example of a situation where you were

inventive and explored new ways of thinking. What was the

outcome?

Behavioral Based

InterviewingProblem Solving

SKILL: Decision Making/Decisiveness

QUESTION: (1) Give an example of how you reached a practical

business decision by an organized review of the facts and weighing of

options. (2) Give an example of a situation when you had to stand up

for a decision you made even though it made you unpopular.

Behavioral Based

InterviewingPersonal Work Habits

SKILL: Commitment to Tasks

QUESTION: (1) Describe a time in which you were able to be

very persistent in order to reach goals. (2) Give an example of

any specific time in which you found it necessary to give long

hours to the job.

SKILL: Goal Setting

QUESTION: What has been your experience in defining

long and short-range goals? Tell me what specific goal

was set, how was it set, and how successful you were

in its achievement?

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Behavioral Based

Interviewing

Personal Work Habits

SKILL: Organization and Planning

QUESTION: Many positions have well-established, standard

methods to help you do the job. Give an example of a time

when you found a systematic method for solving work problems

to be a good routine to follow. How did your planning help you

deal with the unexpected?

Behavioral Based

Interviewing

Communication

SKILL: Interaction

QUESTION: Being skillful in dealing with others on the job is an

important factor in being productive. Describe a time when you

were successful in dealing with another person because you built

a trusting and harmonious relationship.

Behavioral Based

Interviewing

Communication

SKILL: Spoken Communication

QUESTION: Careful listening and effective communication go

hand in hand. Tell about a specific time when your ability to listen

helped you communicate better. Tell about a specific experience

of yours that illustrates your ability to influence others verbally.

SKILL: Written Communication

QUESTION: In some jobs, it is necessary to document

work thoroughly. Give an example of a project you

completed that required detailed written documentation.

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Follow-Up

Be sure to send a thank you after you have interviewed

A hand-written card is preferred

If you feel you have poor handwriting, then a typed letter may be a better option

Mail the card or letter on the same day as your interview

The verdict

4 Job is offered to you

Thank you for calling, Ill get back to you with my

decision by the end of the

day..

4 Job is not offered

Thank you for taking the time to interview me..

4 Professional/polite

Summary

You know yourself and what you have to offer.

You know you and the position are a match.

You know the organizations history and the benefits you would bring to it.

You have prepared a professional resume.

Youve practiced, practiced, practiced your delivery.

Youve selected appropriate attire.

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Summary

You know answers to probable questions, including

behavioral-based questions.

Youve practiced your smile, eye contact, and firm handshake.

Youve made it to the interview site on time.

This organization couldnt live without you.

Interview Marking Sheet

Name Mark-max 100

Communication Skills Max 30

Problem Solving Max 20

Team Fit Max 20

Relevant Experience Max 20

Project Management Max 10

Total Marks

Documents

Lec-07 Interview Process (2).pdf