COMM 202

T20, T21, T27 & T28Week 8: Interviews

Garret LaValley

No laptops or Cellphones,NAMETAGS OUT

PLEASE!!!

Agenda1. Employment Interview Assignment

2. Interview Questions

3. Closing

4. Words of Wisdom

5. Action Items

LNOSRQ

Employment Interview (10%)When: Apr 4th, Apr 5th and Apr 7th

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO BRING?RESUME

COVER LETTER

JOB DESCRIPTION

PADFOLIO

PEN

Employment InterviewThings to Remember

• Check in with reception at Birmingham

• Be Early! – ideally about 10 minutes, if you are not

there when the interviewer comes out, you will

receive an automatic “0”

• Interview is approx. 20 minutes long

Dress to Impress – Business Formal

Common QuestionsTell me about YOURSELF!#1

What are your STRENGTHS?#2

What are your WEAKNESSES?#3

Tell me about A TIME WHEN…#4

*WILD CARD* Question!#5

Do YOU have any QUESTIONS?#6

#1 Tell me about yourself?The MOST COMMON QUESTION you will get in an interview

Can be asked in different ways!

Keep it 2 minutes or lessBrand yourself – give them something to remember

you bySound natural, not like you’re reading off a script!Speak to your skills and accomplishmentsShow passion Provide a well-rounded picture

Your StoryThe Beginning

Growing Interest

The Spark

Your Future

Why you are here

Introduction – quick background

Realization that this was the career for you

Your formula that makes you perfect for the job!

Where you see yourself

How this position ties into it all

Your Story – What is your formula?

? + ? ?+THE GOAL: Tell them a story that no one else can replicate and impress them in the first 2 minutes

My Story

+ +

=Desire for a fast-paced work environment that requires teamwork, only possible in Investment Banking.

Played volleyball in high school & post secondary.

Made a major jump from Kinesiology to Commerce.

Experienced the bank/corporate relationship first-hand in Treasury.

Activity

Grab a partner and share “tell me about yourself”

stories

Give some feedback!

#2 What are your strengths?

Relevant to the position Links experience to job or position There is no perfect answer

#2 What are your weaknesses?

DO NOT FLIP WEAKNESSESINTO

STRENGTHS!

#3 What are your weaknesses?✘ “I’m such a perfectionist”✘ “Too detail-oriented”✘ “Over-achiever”✘ “I work too hard sometimes”

Weakness wouldn’t impair you from doing the jobShow you are actively trying to improve these

weaknessesShow the “lesson learned”

#4 Tell me about a time…?

SKILLS MATRIX

Resume

Cover Letter

Interview

Don’t forget to link it back to the company and position!

#5 Wild Card QuestionsYou have a 3-gallon and a 5-gallon jug that you can fill from a fountain of water.

The problem is to fill one of the jugs with exactly 4 gallons of water. How do you do it?

Industry/Job Specific or a surprise!• A way for the interviewer to gauge your interest and knowledge

of the position and industry

• Test your ability to communicate clearly

• Shows the interviewer how you think

• TESTS BUSINESS ACUMEN: news, trends, etc.

THE GOAL

Walk them through your thought process

Stay calm and provide a clear answer

ExamplesFINANCE PITCH ME A STOCK

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS VS DOWNSIDES OF USING DEBT VS EQUITY FINANCING?HOW WOULD VALUE A PERPETUAL ZERO COUPON BOND? DO YOU THINK THE FINANCIAL MARKETS ARE EFFICIENT?

ACCOUNTING WHY DO YOU WANT TO PURSUE A CPA?WHY THIS FIRM?WALK ME THROUGH THE MAJOR LINES OF A CASH FLOW STATEMENT?

MANAGEMENT CONSULTING

HOW MANY WORDS ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE NY TIMES?TELL ME YOUR 5 WEAKNESSES… AND ANOTHER… ANOTHERDESCRIBE A PROJECT YOU HAVE WORKED ON THAT CHALLENGED YOU?CASE-BASED QUESTIONS…

MARKETING HOW WOULD YOU INCREASE SALES OF X PRODUCT BY X%?SELL ME THIS PENHOW DO YOU THINK OUR BLOG IS DOING? WHAT CAN BE DONE BETTER?

TLOG HOW COULD YOU IMPROVE THE COMPANY’S PRODUCTIVITY?HOW WOULD YOU DEAL WITH A DIFFICULT FACTORY WORKER?TELL ME ABOUT A TIME YOU IMPROVED SOMETHING WHERE YOU WORKED?

HR TELL ME ABOUT A TIME WHERE YOU HAD TO MOTIVATE A TEAMASSUMING YOU ARE SELECTED, WHAT WOULD BE THE FIRST CHANGE YOU WOULD MAKE?

RANDOM WHAT IS 3/16 IN DECIMAL?TELL ME ABOUT SOMETHING IN THE NEWS, HOW IT RELATES TO THIS JOB?WHY ARE MANHOLES ROUND?TEACH ME SOMETHING YOU LEARNED IN SCHOOL?WHAT MOTIVATES YOU?

#6 Do you have any questions?• Always have at least 2 questions• Avoid asking questions you could find the answer to on Google.• Never ask a question like, “What do look for in candidates?” –

probably should have asked this before the interview• Do not ask something that has already been addressed in the

interview• Always safe to get them talking about themselves – maybe ask

something directly related to their job/industry or some career advice.

Closing the Interview

Thank Them

Re-iterate Interest

Confirm Follow-up

Solid Handshake

Business Card

Remember Name

ASK QUESTIONS IF IT NEVER CAME UP IN THE INTERVIEW!

Follow UpEmail in 24 Hours

Thank Them

Refer to Convo

Tailor to Reader

Re-iterate Interest

Check for Typos

DO NOT WRITE AN ESSAY!

ExampleHi Michael,

I just wanted to say a quick thank you for taking the time to interview me. I really enjoyed our conversation, even though you did not like my top two classic rock bands, at least we could agree on Zeppelin. Good luck with your future at Goldman, hopefully the transition continues to be a smooth one for you.

Best Regards,

Curtis Kuznecov

General Tips

GUIDE THE CONVERSATION TO WHERE YOU ARE COMFORTABLE

SMILE AND NODANSWER THE DARN QUESTION

DIFFERENTIATE YOURSELFBRING ENERGY INTO THE ROOM

Words of Wisdom• Ask before making judgements• Actively seek mentorship & provide it!!!• “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”• Stay humble, give credit where it’s due.• Take the opportunity first, then find out if you

are capable of it.• Be the best at the job you are in, success will

find its way to you.

- Wayne Gretzky

Action Items

• Employment Interviews April 4th, 5th and 7th

• Informational Interview due April 14th at 1:59 pm

• InterviewStream 2 due April 3rd at 8:59pm PST