How to Market

YOURSELF ?
Interviewing Skills
Preparing for the half hour that can
change your life

Be Your Best !
No matter how qualified you are on paper,
you need to present yourself to the people
who have the authority to hire you.
What Information Should Be In A Resume?
• Identify Yourself Optional Sections
• Education • Objective
• Continuing Education • Special Skills and Abilities
• Work or Professional Experience • Reference Statement
• Volunteer Experience
• Activities
• Computer Skills
• Professional Associations
Characteristics Of A Successful Resume
• Focuses on skills. Uses action words to define the
responsibilities of your job-related experience.

• Easy to read and understand.

• Visually powerful and free of gimmicks.

• One page, or at most 2 pages long.

 Characteristics Of A Successful Resume

• Language is grammatically correct.

• Spelling has been checked.

• Formal Style
 Resume Funny Mistakes
• Typos and Grammar Slips

• “Great attention to detail.”

• “Proven ability to track down and correct erors.”

• “Am a perfectionist and rarely if ever forget etails.”

• Accomplishments: Completed 11 years of high school.”

• Don’t use “I” or “me”

Characteristics Of A Successful Resume

• Must always be 100% truthful.

• Contains no inappropriate personal information.

• Produced on a computer.

• Data presented in chronological order.

... At The Interview

“Are you sure you don’t want to change our story

about your previous experience?”
Scannable Resume
• Watch bullet points (don’t always scan).
• How about a dash - ?
• Use labels or keywords.
• Less is more.
• Keep the design simple.
• Minimize use of abbreviations.
Ten Most Marketable Competencies
• Analytical / Problem Solving
• Flexibility
• Creativity
• Oral / Written Communication
• Organization / Planning
• Time Management
• Motivation
• Leadership
• Self-Starter / Initiative
• Team Player
•PREPARATION
 What Can You Do Now?

• Failing to Prepare is Preparing to Fail…!!

• Make a List (consider competencies):
• Use All Areas of Your Life - sports, clubs, societies
• Work Experience & Projects
• Leadership & Teamwork Situations
• Positions of Responsibilities
• Pick the Most Illustrative Examples & Think Them Through
• Don’t Just Re-use Those on Application Form
• Focus on What You did and why
RESEARCH THE COMPANY

• How old the company is

• What its products or services are
• Where its plants, offices or stores are located
• What its growth has been
• How its prospects look for the future
RE-Review your resume
Be prepared to answer questions about your

Education
Work Experience
Activities/Interests
Major
Grades
Goals

Be sure what is on your resume is current and accurate

Know your references!
THE DAY BEFORE...
• Review notes and Prepare your answers for typical questions
• Write down your success stories
• Prepare the questions you will ask the interviewer about the job
and the company
• Practice
• Check traffic routes
• Decide what to wear
• Get a good nights sleep
Timing
Be certain of the date, time, place, name of the
organization and the interviewer.

Be 10 - 15 minutes early.
NEVER BE LATE!
Remember to make time for unforeseen circumstances
such as traffic jams
DRESS Neatly and Conservatively
Do not wear heavy Perfume/aftershave lotion or much jewelry.
Jewelry should be limited to a single necklace or chain, a ring and
small button type earrings for women
Conservative rules the day

You want to wear something that makes the

interviewer think “professional” and “competent”.

You also want to wear something that avoids directing the focus away from
you and onto your clothes.

Grooming Counts
An expensive suit will not compensate for
long fingernails, messy hair, and wrinkled clothes

Good grooming indicates attention to detail and respect for others

WHAT TO BRING WITH YOU
• Directions to the interview
• Writing materials
• Copies of resume
• Reference letters
• YOUR questions
THE INTERVIEW
 INTERVIEWING PROTOCOL

• Exhibit pleasant personality to everyone

• Read related materials in waiting room
• Leave extra materials in waiting room
• Do not chew gum, smoke or drink

Remember !!
First Impressions Count …
THE GREETING

Greet the interviewer by name as you enter

the office, if you are sure of the pronunciation.

Be sure to shake the interviewer’s hand-firmly.

DURING THE INTERVIEW
• Be Relaxed as possible (Be Yourself)
• Smile
• Appropriate humor
• Open body posture (Body Language)
• Eye-contact
• LISTEN Carefully
• Promote positive communication
• Ask for clarification if you do not understand the
question
• Be careful not to criticize former employers,
professors, or anything for that matter!
What does the recruiter seek?
1. Ability to communicate – can you organize your thoughts
and ideas effectively when writing or speaking? Can you
present your ideas in a positive way.

2. Self-Confidence – Can you demonstrate a sense of

maturity and direction that enables you to deal positively
and effectively with situations and people?

3. Willingness to accept responsibility – are you someone

who recognizes what needs to be done? Are you willing
to get it done? Are you willing to do more than what is
required of you?

4. Flexibility – Are you capable of change and receptive to

new ideas and situations?
5. Ability to handle conflict – Can you successfully contend
with stress situations and antagonisms?

6. Competitiveness – Do you have the capacity to

compete with others and a willingness to be measured
by your performance in relation to that competition?

7. Goal achievement – Can you identify, work toward and

obtain specific goals? Can you look ahead, anticipate the
future and make long-range plans?

8. Level of Initiative – Can you identify purposeful work

and take action? Do you always wait to be told what to
do?

9. Possession of technical skills or ability to achieve them

– Do you possess the skills necessary for the particular
job or do you have the ability to learn them
10. Direction – Do you know where you want to be in two
or three years? Do you know enough about your field to
know the different opportunities available and what type
of position will satisfy your knowledge and goals?
11. Level of energy – Are you ambitious? Do you possess
drive? Can you take charge of a situation? Would you
be willing to put in extra time and time to accomplish a
specific task
12. Interpersonal skills – Can you get along with people
who are different from you in any respect? Can you
work with them toward a common goal in a professional
manner?
13. Leadership – Do you have the ability to gain people’s
respect and confidence? Can you organize and direct a
group of people? Can you delegate responsibilities?
The best predictor of future
performance is past
performance
Types of Interview Questions
Standard or traditional- Sample Questions
targeting your education, • Tell me about yourself?
work experiences, and • What is your greatest strength?
career goals Weakness?
• Why did you choose to interview
with us?
• What did you like most about your
last job? Least?
• What are your short and long term
career goals?
Types of Interview Questions
Behavioral Questions Sample Questions
-These focus on your actions • Describe a time you had to make
and/or behaviors in a a difficult decision?
previous setting.
• Tell me about a time you worked
- Past behavior provides under a deadline?
clues to future behavior
• What do you do when a team
member is not pulling his/her
weight?
• Think about a time you made a
mistake. What did you learn
from it?
Most Frequently Asked Questions

• How do you expect to achieve your goals?

• What motivates you?
• Give a specific example of a time when you have gone above and beyond
to satisfy a customer.
• Tell me about a conflict with a co-worker and how you resolved it?
• Can you identify a specific incident where your leadership proved to be
valuable to the operation?
• Describe a time you assisted an angry guest to ensure the situation was
corrected to their liking.
More Questions …

• Tell Me About A Time…

• You Persuaded Someone To Do Something
• You Solved a Small Problem Before It Turned Into Something
Large
• You Interacted With Someone And Wished You’d Interacted
Differently
• You Worked Well in a Team
• You Worked in a Team Where Not Everyone Was Putting
Forth The Same Amount Of Effort
More Questions …

1. In what school activities have you participated? Which did you enjoy most?

2. In what type of position are you most interested?

3. What courses did you like best? Least?

4. What kind of boss do you prefer?

5. What were the reasons for your choice in college major?

6. What interests you about our product or service?

7. How would a professor, colleague or previous supervisor describe you?

8. What would be the benefit to us of your joining our organization?

 S.T.A.R.
Focused Interviewing

• S - Describe the situation.

• T - What was the task?
• A - What action did you take?
• R - What were the results?
•Think of a situation (work or school).

•Explain when or where this situation took place.

•Explain the situation? What obstacles, challenges or

problems called for your action?

•State the action you took?

•Share the results or outcomes? Quantify

those results – how many, how large, what percent?

•Convey the transferable skills you used or learned

that you can bring to the job.
During the Interview
 Salary
If asked about salary requirements avoid mentioning
one specific amount.

When pressed for an answer:

The fair market value would be a good answer.
What YOU ask …
Questions asked by the interviewee Sample Questions
To determine if you are an • What type of assignments can I expect
within the first year?
appropriate fit for the company
• What do you like most about this company?
and position, prepare a list of
• What is the biggest challenge facing this
questions for the interviewer department right now?
• What skills are you looking for in this
position?
Types of questions to ask the interviewer
• What type of training/orientation would I have?

• What might I expect in terms of job progression?

• How does this particular department fit into the entire

structure of the organization?

• Do you have any recent graduates working at your

company?

• How long have you been with the company? What are the
positive factors? Negative?
 CLOSING THE INTERVIEW
• Express interest
• Determine next step
• Thank the interviewer
• Shake hands
FOLLOW-UP STEPS AFTER THE INTERVIEW
• Note follow-up date on calendar
• Immediately write thank-you note
• View the interview as a learning experience
• Follow-up when scheduled
• Ask for feedback
1. Keep your answers brief and concise.

2. Include concrete, quantifiable data

3. Repeat your key strengths

4. Prepare five or more success stories Ten Rules for

5. Put yourself on their team Interviewing
6. Image is often as important as content

7. Ask questions

8. Maintain a conversational flow

9. Research the company, product lines and competitors

10. Keep an interview journal

What to do now ??

- Practice Makes Perfect

- Practice interviewing with a friend

- Practice in front of a mirror or on a video camera

Thanks