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Interview Tips for People Who Want to Succeed

Preliminary Interview Prep:

The best way to ace your next job interview...prepare!

Ways to Succeed:

• Research the Company you are interviewing.
• Make only positive remarks toward a current or former employer.
• Be honest about your resume and your past mistakes and explain how you have learned from them.
• Keep conversation to job related discussions as much as possible.
• Make only positive comments during the interview and maintain a pleasant conversation.
• Prove you are trustworthy - do not embellish previous education, job functions, or compensation.
• Try not to overemphasize compensation and benefits.
• Show your interest in the job and company, ask questions that show sincere interest.

Ways to Prepare:

1. Learn the Important Facts:
   1. Know the exact place and time of the interview, the interviewer’s full name, and the correct pronunciation of his or her title.
   2. Learn pertinent facts about the company such as principal line of business, locations, stock price if publicly traded, and company history.
2. Be Prepared:
   1. Prepare to express why you are interested in the position, what strengths you will bring to the position, what areas you may require improvements, and what accomplishments you have achieved in previous positions.
   2. Know your resume. You should be able easily highlight appropriate projects, technologies, and responsibilities entailed in each position including appropriate dates, locations and supervisor names.
   3. Be prepared to bring at least one good copy of your resume printed on appropriate letterhead. In addition, bring a list of appropriate references with you. Ensure all references are aware that they are on your list!
   4. Arrive on Time: No earlier than 15 minutes prior to your appointment, and no later than 5 minutes prior.
   5. Look Your Professional Best: Put your best foot forward. Wear proper business attire. Greet your interviewer with a firm handshake. Don’t forget to smile.
3. What Interviewers and Employers Want:
   1. Maintain eye contact. This shows confidence and interest.
   2. Proven results!
      1. Candidates just starting their career: Highlight your youthful accomplishments, no matter how minor you feel they are. Early job success can be seen in early development years (i.e. Paper routes and school leadership activities predict early job success). Success in early jobs predict success in future jobs.
      2. Candidates continuing their career: Expect to answer the question: "Tell me about yourself". Carefully prepare your answer to include examples of achievements from your previous work history that closely match the elements of the job you’re interviewing for.
   3. Strategic Thinkers:
      1. Ask Questions: Companies want to know you are sincerely interested in them and their future, and not just what their salary range and benefits will be once hired. Example: ‘How did your company evolve? What is the plan for the future? What types of people do you believe operate best in your environment?

         More Questions are listed below in section D).

   4. Demonstrate a Positive Attitude and Interpersonal Skills:

      NO negative remarks about your previous or current employers, supervisors, or peers. If applicable, when explaining reasons for leaving, limit those comments to those necessary to positively communicate your rationale. For example, if you felt your career options were limited in your last company, focus on higher-level opportunities you are seeking.

      Interpersonal skills involve understanding that people have choices and their productivity is a result of their attitude and respect for people with whom they work with. The best predictor of people’s attitudes toward their company is their relationship with their supervisor and their peers.

   5. Interviewers want to you have the ability to:

      Look through the eyes of others.

      Treat people like you want to be treated

      Be respectful and open

      Possess good will and good intentions

      Use other’s time efficiently

      Give honest feedback

      Keep an open mind

      Show Common Courtesy

   Stay on track with your answers. Don’t lose sight of the original question. Don’t get sidetracked to inappropriate topics. Allow the interviewer to lead.

   Communicate Well: Speak clearly and answer your question in a factual, sincere and concise manner. Do not over-answer questions; however, do not answer with a simple "yes" or "no". Explain wherever possible.

4. Questions, Questions and More Questions????????
   1. Questions you might ask:

      Why this vacancy available?

      What are the most significant characteristics you are looking for in a perfect candidate for this job?

      Tell me about the job description and what you feel are the most important items this person will be responsible for?

      What are the characteristics of employees who do well in your culture?

      What will be the greatest challenges faced in this position?

      What is a typical day like in this role?

   2. Questions You Might be Asked:

      Tell me about your background and your key accomplishments

      What would your references say are your greatest strengths?

      Tell me about a specific situation where your strengths have contributed to your success in one of your previous jobs?

      What areas do you think you can improve upon to make you more effective in your role?

      Tell me about your most disappointing performance appraisal and how you learned from it?

      How do you stay professionally current?

      What are your career goals including short and long term objectives?

      What characteristics are you looking for in a company?

      How do you work under pressure?

      What have you learned from your mistakes?

      Why do you want to leave your current position?

      What would you consider to be your top 3 strengths?

      What is your management style? (If applying for leadership position.)

      What interested you about this job and our company?

      How do you think you can contribute best to our team?

   3. How to Answer Questions:

      Show Confidence - Highlight what strengths you bring to the position. If there are areas that have been pointed out where you may not be experience in, tell the interview how resourceful you can be in researching new areas.

      Be Concise - Answer the questions clearly and concisely. Don’t ramble - you’ll lose the interest of the interviewer and the point you are trying to make.

      Follow-Up - Show awareness and seek clarity. For complex questions, ask the interviewer if their question has been answered to their satisfaction.

      Accept Accountability/Responsibility - Do not blame others, processes, or make excuses for anything. You are responsible for your past performance and failures. Stick to what you’ve learned from your mistakes and what steps you’ve taken to improve your performance in that area.

      Show Ability to Work Well Within Teams - Clients want to know you will work well with team members. Give examples of how you contributed, showed interested, and work well with your previous teams.

      Demonstrate Ability to Work Independently if required - Clients want to know that you can be resourceful if required. Give examples of how you accomplished tasks on your own when required.

Congratulations - You are Well on Your Way to Landing this Position!