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Resources: Tips, How To’s and Links
Okay, you got your foot in the door—now what? Be prepared for
your interview with the confidence that comes from knowing you are
ready for any interviewing inevitability.
Click on these skill-boosting documents and links to unearth a payload
of tips and tools:
Interview Preparation
- Arrive 10 minutes before the scheduled time of the interview.
- Understand the appropriate dress attire for the interview.
- Obtain the correct spelling and pronunciation of the interviewer’s
first and last name as well as their title.
- Be knowledgeable about the company.
- Understand the interview process (name(s) and title(s) of all
decision-makers you will meet with).
- Greet the receptionist with a friendly smile.
- Give a firm handshake and make eye contact.
- Fill out the application neatly (print) and completely. Do
not leave any items blank or write “see resume.” It
is acceptable to write “open” in the salary box.
- When the interviewer says, “tell me about yourself”
they are asking for the following:
- Education
- Previous employers and job responsibilities (select specific areas to emphasize that relate to this
position)
- What you enjoyed about previous positions
- Reasons for leaving previous positions
- Be prepared to answer questions about areas requiring improvement
and turn the weakness into a positive.
- Have 2-3 questions prepared for the interviewer:
- This is my understanding of the position... Can
you please expand on...
- What is the function of the department?
- What is the potential for advancement?
- What are the challenges of the position?
- What do you like about working here?
- Never ask salary or benefit questions on the first interview.
If client asks, respond: “I am looking for an opportunity where
I can utilize my ________ skills and would be open to a competitive
offer.”
- If interviewing with multiple people, treat each interview as
if it were the first one.
- Close the interview by asking for the position “I am very
excited about the opportunity. What is the next step?”
- In your car, summarize the key points to include in your thank
you note.
- Send each interviewer a thank you note or email (ask for a business
card).
Typical Interview Questions
- Tell me about yourself.
- What is your greatest strength?
- What is your greatest weakness?
- What are you looking for in a position?
- What do you know about our company?
- Why do you want to work for us?
- Why do you want to work in this industry?
- Why do you want this position?
- What motivates you?
- Why should we hire you? What sets you apart from others?
- Why are you leaving your current company? Past companies?
- Where else are you interviewing?
- What is your biggest achievement?
- What was your biggest failure? What did you learn from it?
- Why did you select your college or university?
- What motivated you to choose your major?
- What do you see yourself doing in 5 years? What position do you
see yourself in?
- How much money do you want to make this year? 3 years? 5 years?
- In your current or past positions, what did you like the most?
Least?
- What would be your ideal job?
- Give an example of a time you had a conflict with a co-worker
and how you handled it.
- Did you ever work for a manager you didn’t care for? What
did you do about it?
- Give me a specific example of a time when you dealt with a disgruntled
customer.
- Tell me about an important goal you set for yourself in the past
and how you achieved it.
- Give me an example of a particularly difficult time you had to
be persuasive in order to get your ideas across.
- Tell me about a time when you worked really hard for something
over a period of time and did not get it.
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