Successful Interviewing

Successful Interviewing Ruth Schemmer Assoc Director, Graduate Student Services

First Impressions • Arrive 10-15minutes early • Dress appropriately • Watch eye contact, handshake, and body language • You are ALWAYS being evaluated. • Be honest • Relax & be enthusiastic…be yourself

Basic Premise of Behavioral Interview Questions Past (predicts) Future Performance -------------> Performance

General Answer Format • STAR • Describe the Situation you were in. • Describe the Task you performed. • What was your Approach to the problem? • What were the Results of your actions? Be prepared for interviewer to ask for further details.

How to Prepare • Recall recent situations that show favorable behaviors, or actions, especially involving leadership, teamwork, adaptability, initiative, planning, delegation, innovation, communications, and service. • Prepare short descriptions of each situation and be ready to give details if asked.

How to Prepare (cont.) • Plan your examples – succinctly describe the situation, your action, & the outcome. • Be sure the outcome reflects positively on you (even if the result itself was not favorable). • Be prepared to provide examples of negative situations. Your skill in handling failure as well as success will be probed.

How to Prepare (cont.) • Be specific. Don’t generalize; give a detailed account of one event. • Prepare 5-6examples you can “adjust” to suit a question. Don’t memorize. • Know the organization’s mission, philosophy and goals as thoroughly as possible.

Take Aim as you Practice • Be concise: 2-3 minutes for each answer • Strive for poise: be confident, calm • Be clear: state exactly what you mean • Be specific: use examples • Do your homework: research the company!

Skills/Professional Knowledge • Describe the approach you have used to learn a new skill. • Describe a time when you solved a problem.

Teamwork/Collaboration • Interacting with others can be challenging at times. Describe a situation when you wished you had acted differently with someone. • Describe the best/worse team of which you have been a member.

Adaptability/Flexibility • Tell me about a difficult situation you recently had to manage. • Jobs differ in the extent to which unexpected changes can disrupt daily responsibilities. How do you feel when this happens? Why? Tell me about a time when this happened recently.

Initiative • Have you found ways to make your job easier? • Tell me about a time you saw a problem and figured out how to improve it. • Can you think of a project that was sold, implemented, or carried out successfully because of your efforts?

Leadership/Ethics • Tell me about a time when you had to make a decision that was unpopular with the group. • Describe a situation in which your efforts influenced the actions of others.

Planning & OrganizingWork Management • Walk me through yesterday (or last week) and tell me how you planned the day’s (or week’s) activities. • Tell me about a time when you had more on your plate than you could handle. How did you get everything accomplished?

At the End of the Interview • Prepare 3-4 questions for them: How long w/company? Typical career path? Mentors? Like most about working there? • No questions from you about salary or weekly hours worked • Ask the interviewer about next steps • Send a follow-up thank-you note

Bad Answers “Uh, um, hm, hum.” “I have no strengths.” “I have no weaknesses.” “I am really smart, and people are intimidated by it. That’s my biggest weakness.” “I work too hard.” “I’m a people person.” “This is the only place that interviewed me.”

Phone Interviews • First Call • Initial contact by company. May leave a message. Be sure voice mail message sounds professional • Short Pre-Screen • Exploring availability, interest, and fit? • Scheduled Phone Interview • In-depth screen. Can last 15 minutes to 1 hour. • Avoid use of cell phones, due to poor signal • Be prepared to demonstrate connection between your skills and the position • Develop rapport with recruiter and show interest

Phone Interview Preparation • Background • Learn about the company and job opportunity • Match your skills with their needs • Develop a 30-second overview of your background • Draft 5 key statements highlighting your strengths & resulting accomplishments • Identify which accomplishments or transferable skills fit their needs or company profile • Identify questions for interviewer

During the Phone Interview • Speak clearly & enunciate • Smile; it carries in your voice • Sit straight or stand; it helps voice • Clarify verbally: on-verbal cues (smiles, nods) are missing • Don’t ramble—keep answers to 2-3 minutes; recruiter will ask for more information. • Don’t interrupt interviewer • Show enthusiasm and interest

Tips for International Students • Sharpen conversational English skills • Practice handshake • When answering, it’s okay to take a few seconds to compose your thoughts • Speak slowly and distinctly (enable people to follow your accent) • Know about Aggie football!

Additional Resources • Information: www.HireAggies.com Job Search Prep  Interviewing • Practice! www.HireAggies.com  Career Resources  Perfect Interview (uses camera in laptop)

Contact Info: • Appts (Mock Interviews, Advising): 845-5139 • Resume/CV/cover letters, short questions: Grad Student Walk-ins, M-F, 8:30-11 • Ruth Schemmer: ruths@tamu.edu

Successful Interviewing