Effective Interviewing

What are some of the goals of a job

interview?

 To get a job
 To figure out if a position is right for you
 To provide potential employers with a stronger sense of
why they should hire you, your skills, how you stand out
 To provide further articulation and illustration of the
skills listed and experiences provided in your resume
Some Goals of a Job Interview
 Employer evaluates candidate
◦ Skills applicable to the job
◦ competence to do the job
◦ Potential to contribute to the team/organization
◦ Ability to mesh with team’s/organization’s mission,
philosophy, and environment
 Candidate evaluates employer
◦ Match between interests and job tasks/work
◦ Degree of responsibility and challenge
◦ Potential for growth and further education
◦ Ability to mesh with team’s/organization’s mission,
and environment
How can you best prepare for a job
interview?
 Dress appropriately  depends upon business; “dress
for the job you want”; better to overdress
 Back up documents; e.g., writing samples, copy of
resume, transcripts, other docs, references; letters of
recommendation (dossier or portfolio)
 Research the company  Google the company, talk to
people about what they know
 Make sure you know how to get there
Four Keys to Success
 Understanding what to expect
 Preparing and researching
 Anticipating questions
 Following up
 Understanding What to Expect
Types of Interviews

 Conversational
 Behavioral
 Case or situational
 Stress situation

all four of these interview types can be

one-on-one or might be a panel
conversation
Types of Interviews: Conversational (Traditional)

 Typically a question-and-answer discussion

 Usually a relatively short interview

 Interviewer’s main goals are to:

◦ Assess whether or not the job-seeker has the skills and
abilities to perform the job
◦ Evaluate whether or not the job-seeker possesses the
enthusiasm and work ethic that the employer expects
◦ Analyze whether or not the job-seeker is a team player
and will fit into the organization
Types of Interviews: Behavioral

 Typically an assessment of past performance

 Interviewers will expect to hear about specific situations and/or
scenarios
 Initial questions are typically followed by follow-up questions
 specific, key details related to situations/scenarios are expected

 Interviewer’s main goals are to:

◦ Assess candidate’s behaviors and approaches by exploring
specific situations
◦ Analyze past behavior to try to predict future performance
Types of Interviews: Case or Situational

 Primarily used by management and consulting firms to

determine how well a candidate fits in a field or job
 Typically interviewee is provided a problem or a scenario and
asked to work through it

 Interviewer’s main goals are to:

◦ Analyze how well interviewee can identify and work
through a problem
◦ Assess problem-solving skills
◦ Evaluate tolerance and ability to start on tasks
◦ Analyze communication skills
Types of Interviews: Stress Situation

 Typically used for jobs where high degrees of stress will be

encountered regularly
 Interviewers sometimes rely upon rudeness, sarcasm, to
provoke a response

 Interviewer’s main goals are to:

◦ Assess how well interviewee deals with unexpected
and/or stressful situations
◦ Evaluate how well interviewee can work and communicate
under pressure
Preparing and Researching

 Research the field

 Research the employer

 Research the job, team, and

context
Preparing and Researching
Research the Field

 Explore different branches

 Review trade journals/magazines
 Assess various career paths
 Know the major players
 Be familiar with current trends

 Goals are to:

◦ Be informed about who you are professionally (and what
professional community you are entering)
◦ Be able to talk widely and wisely about trends, techniques, and
tasks performed by professionals within different facets of your
field
Preparing and Researching
Research the Employer
 review annual reports
 read the organization’s mission statement and philosophy documents
 research the organization history
 familiarize yourself with the organizational scheme
 look for recent performance markers or success indicators

 goals are to:

◦ familiarize yourself with what the organization does
◦ familiarize yourself with what workers in the organization do, write,
produce, create, etc.
◦ assess how the particular job for which you’re interviewing fits into the
bigger organizational picture
◦ get a sense of the key players in and key outcomes of the organization
◦ develop a strong sense of what they might seek in an employee
Preparing and Researching
Research the Job, Team, and Context

 review the original job post/call

 research the “jobs” or “employment” area of the
organization’s web site
 make contact and try to get a stronger sense of the specific
job responsibilities
 analyze your possible role in relation to the team, unit, or
division you would work in
 find out who you would report to
 analyze how success is evaluated and rewarded
 goals are to:
◦ answer the questions you should be asking yourself (e.g., is
this really a job I want? what will I gain by getting this job?
what do I bring that this organization needs?
◦ become knowledgeable so that you can speak specifically
as to how you fit in the job, team, and context
◦ have a strong sense of what you will be expected to
perform, and how that performance will be measured and
evaluated
◦ address questions like:
 what might I be asked to answer?
 how will they expect me to answer?
 how might I be expected to demonstrate what I know
and what I can do?
Before the Interview

 sleep

 eat

 choose your clothes the night before

 prepare the materials you want to bring with

you—ideally, this is done long before the interview
 Interview Formats
 Screening interview- Usually handled by a
recruiter or a representative by Human
Resources (in-person or over the telephone).
 One-on-One Interview- Most common
type of interview. Focus is on assessing skills,
knowledge and abilities.
 Panel Interview- Group interview format
usually conducted by three or more people.
Questions usually asked to assess
interest/expertise.
 Interview Formats
 Peer-Group Interviews- This type of group
interview will introduce you to your potential
co-workers.
 Luncheon Interview- This type of interview
is used to assess how well candidates handle
themselves in social situations.
 Second Interview- Similar to first
interviews except they may be longer (in
time) and involve more people. Some are held
at company/organization headquarters.
What types of materials would you want
to bring to a job interview?
 Letter of Introduction/Motivation Letter
or Tailored Covering Letter
 Resume
 Work Samples
 References
 Letter(s) of Recommendation
Consider that your being watched (Even as
you enter the hall way – While waiting)
Getting Introduced
 prepare and practice a two-minute
introduction: “I am… I am interested
in…”

 prepare to
◦ demonstrate knowledge about the employer
◦ express enthusiasm and interest
◦ relate your background to the company’s
needs
Anticipating Questions
 “Tell me about yourself.”
Hint:They’re not asking for your life
story, and it’s not a trick question…

 interviewer is looking for:

◦ a brief statement of your professional status
and career objective
◦ some detail about your progression to this
point and strengths/ skills you can offer them
A Heuristic (way) for Answering Questions

 Identify the skill sought by the question so

that you can best focus your answer

 Give a STAR answer:

◦ Situation—what was the context?
◦ Task—what was the specific problem or
need?
◦ Action—what did you do? (produce, write,
create, etc.)
◦ Results/resolution—what did you learn? what
skills did you develop?
At the End of the Interview

 Review what you’ve heard and state

why you’re interested in the position

 Consider asking:
◦ Is there anything else I can provide—
specific references ?
◦ What’s the next step in the process? when
is your decision date?
◦ How can I contact you to check my status?
After the Interview
 Send a thank you email or letter after being interviewed
 Individualize a letter slightly if you’re sending it to more than one
person in the organization
 Send it within 24–48 hours of the interview

 Goals:
◦ Shows you’re courteous
◦ Differentiates you from other candidates and keeps your name
in front of the potential employer
◦ Proves that you’re interested in the job
March 31st, 2014 Sample Thank You Letter
Mr. Mohammad Rashid
Head of Human Resources
Bata Pakistan Limited
Batapur, Lahore, Pakistan

Dear Mr. Mohammad Rashid

Sir, I would like to Thank you for interviewing me for the Area Sales Manager. It was a pleasure meeting with you and
learning about your company and the position.

My enthusiasm for the position and my interest in working for Bata Pakistan Limited were strengthened as a result of the
interview. I believe my education and experience meet the job requirements, and I know that I could make a significant
contribution to the firm, over time, if given the chance.

I am strongly interested in the position and working with you and your staff. You provide the opportunity that I am currently
seeking in my career.

Thank you once again for the opportunity to interview with you. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

XYZ (Your Signature)

Mr/Miss. XYZ (Your Name)

10 Interview Bloopers
1. Poor handshake (tips of fingers, arm pump)

2. Talking too much (talking too long, but not answering

direct questions; nervous talking)

3. Talking negatively about current or past teams,

coworkers, employers/managers

4. Showing up late or way too early

5. Treating the receptionist rudely

6. Asking about benefits, vacation time, or salary in an
initial interview

7. Not preparing for the interview

8. Verbal ticks (uhmmmm, like, you know)

9. Not enough/too much eye contact

10. Failure to match communication styles (e.g., too

informal, too businesslike)
 HINTS:
 Be yourself (not who you think they want you to be)
 Be ready to talk about why you want the job (and think
about how they might respond to your answer)
 Ask ahead of time the format of the interview (e.g.,
panel/one-on one ?
 Ask about the function of your job in the larger
organization
 Be prepared to actually do/perform/write a task during
the interview process (e.g., writing documentation,
marking up a document for editing)
 Find out how writing is perceived and how people
negotiate
HINTS CONTINED:
 Carefully consider who you ask which questions
 Take notes with you (with your ideas, goals, questions); take notes
during the interview
 Learning opportunities and experiences not, never “problems”
 Ask if the organization has a policy toward funding/supporting
employee professional development opportunities
 Stay focused (even if it’s a long interview
 Get comfortable with pauses and strategies for giving yourself a bit of
time to prepare an answer
 Stay upbeat! (there will be painful moments—learn from them and
move on)
 Don’t get flustered (if you can at all avoid it—and practicing really, really
helps)
 Recognize the gatekeepers! (e.g., initial phone interview)
 You Didn’t Get the Job

Evaluate WHY…? But Staying Positive and Moving to next target job is
best approach rather than wasting time in being angry or blaming the
organization for being biased….. The best thing you can do for yourself
is to stay positive and focus on your next Job Interview...
Summing up
Latest Trends – Electronic Mediums
 Landing a Job in Pakistan
(Career Consultants Pakistan)
 Finally – Beware of Frauds
 Job Offers without even having
been interviewed
 Interview Offers from Unknown
Numbers (Always ask for details)
 Online Job Postings without
proper mailing/contact details,
web address
 Some Words of Wisdom
 Never resign from a position until you have an offer
letter in writing in your hand.
 Never discuss any job application with your co-workers
(they are your colleagues but they are also your
competitors)
 Never be coarse into resigning a position (keep in mind
you are protected by Law against discrimination).
 Always focus on a career path instead of accepting
every job in every field.
 Always expand your skills set (Higher Qualifications,
Certifications, Online Courses, Self-Study – reading)