PREPARING FOR A

JOB INTERVIEW
Week 4
 HOW DO YOU PREPARE
YOURSELF?
• What is your check list?
• Knowledge?
• Dress code?
• Communication?

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 INTERVIEW PREPARATION
CHECKLIST
Domain
Knowledge

Organization
Dressing
Knowledge

Post/
Body language Designation
Knowledge

Personal
Communicatio Awareness
n Skills (Who are
you?)
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 INTERVIEW PREPARATION
CHECKLIST

Domain Organizational Post/Job Personal

Knowledge Knowledge knowledge Awareness
• Your expertise • Websites, • Responsibility • Your Elevator
• Technical skills • Reports, of a Team Pitch
• Experience • Articles, Lead? • Positive points
• Company • SQA • Negative points
literature Responsibility? • Your goals in
• Organization life?
Hierarchy • Why you need
• Products this job?

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 INTERVIEW PREPARATION
CHECKLIST
Communication Body Language Dressing
Skills
• Speaking tone • Your Walk • Formal dressing
• Language? • Sitting posture • No sparkling
• CV latest • Smile things
• Your portfolio • Handshake • Formal colors
• Face, hands • Formal
• Playing with makeover
your things

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Appearance Matters
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APPEARANCE MATTERS

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 SETTING
YOUR FIRST
IMPRESSION

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 SETTING
YOUR FIRST
IMPRESSION

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Behavior Analysis
BODY LANGUAGE

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BODY LANGUAGE

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BODY LANGUAGE

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BODY LANGUAGE

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YOUR GOALS

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 WHAT IS INTERVIEW

• 30-45 minute sales pitch of “You, Inc”

• Determining fit within an organization
• Your chance to determine if you want to work at the organization/
with these people/ in this function

• HOW TO PITCH YOURSELF?

• It should be 30 seconds or less.
• Your skill (or how you benefit a potential employer) should be clear.
• There should be a goal (or ask).

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 ELEVATOR PITCH
IMPORTANT POINTS TO NOTE
1. Know exactly where you want to go.
Your elevator pitch should answer three questions: Who are you? What do you do? Where do you want to go,
or what are you looking for? You need to know exactly what you want to achieve or no one can help you get
there.
2. Tell them a story.
People love stories, says McDonald, so tell them a story. It also makes it easier for others to remember you
later on.
3. Make sure it (your story) invites conversation.
After telling your story, the listener needs to be left wanting more. Is your story compelling enough to do this?
If not, you need to change your pitch.
4. Time yourself.
While practicing your pitch, you should time yourself to make sure you can tell your story in 30 seconds. If
you can't, cut down details and try again.
5. Record yourself on video.
You need to know what you look like to others while you're telling your story. Are you interesting? Are you
believable? People will come to their own conclusions while listening to you so make sure you give off a
good impression. Relax, act natural, and get comfortable with your story.
6. Pitch it to your friends and colleagues.
After you've got your story down, practice your elevator pitch with friends and colleagues. Ask them to give
you feedback. Ask them what you should do to make it better. Keep practicing.
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Ref: Business insider Article, For details, see Handout 3
 PITCH YOUR SELF
EXAMPLE PITCHES (1)
You’re at a workshop and you You’re at a personal branding
You’re on the subway and you are
meet Martha, a senior in college. conference and you bump into
sitting next to James. You ask
You ask her what she does and Katie. You ask her what she does,
him what he does and he says
she says… and she says…
• I’m currently studying education • I’m currently working as Human • I’m a communications
at [insert college]. One of my Resources Manager at [insert professional with a knack for
greatest strengths is my ability company]. My supervisors persuasive storytelling.
to make the conceptual practical frequently commend me for Considering my colleagues
and I’m interested in securing an being able to weigh and often complemented me for my
entry-level role at a nonprofit consider multiple perspectives thoughtful and engaging
that allows me to teach and and negotiate conflicting presentations, I’m looking for
develop curriculum. Because perspectives. I’m looking for insight as to how I can best
nonprofit programs and suggestions/advice on how I can position myself for a role in
fellowships were a key part of further cultivate my expertise in production or videography at
my development, it’s important this field because my ultimate social impact start-up. Because
for me to pay it forward and aim is to help organizations I’m inspired by documentaries, I
help student develop to their develop more ethical and want to help companies express
highest potential. inclusive workplace cultures. their missions in compelling and
relatable ways in the age of
social media.

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 PITCH YOUR SELF
EXAMPLE PITCHES (2)
As you exit an entrepreneurial conference you meet Sonia.
You ask her what she does, and she says…
• My core skill sets are civil engineering and psychology. I’m
endlessly curious and all my friends, family, and colleagues
look to me for answers on everything from mood swings to
mindcraft. As I’ve always been exceptionally passionate
about social issues, I’m looking to write for
publications/websites focused on climate change so that I can
create content and campaigns urging others to take action
and increase sustainability future generations.

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 WHAT DO YOU NEED TO
KNOW?
You need to know what you want
• Interviews are decisive
• The decision gets made early
• The interviewer’s perception of your personality is critical
• Confident/assertive behavior is valued

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 BEHAVIORAL
INTERVIEWING
• The most common type of interview used today
• Past behavior is an indicator of future behavior
• How can you identify if you’ve been asked a behavioral question?
• It asks for a specific example of something that has already happened to you
• Often starts with, “Tell me about a time when…” or “give me an example
of…”
• How do you answer any type of behavior-based interview
question?

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 PREPARE YOUR STORY

• A good story with specific, yet diverse examples of your skills and
competencies, will prepare you to answer any form of the most
common job interview questions
• including THE MOST COMMON… “tell me about yourself” to any
behavioral-based question.
• A good story leaves a lasting impression.
• A good story is the best way to market your skills & competencies
to a potential employer

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 PREPARE YOUR STORY:
BRAINSTORMING
ACTIVITY

Requirements of Job/
YOUR Skills? Company?
Competencies ? Problem of Company?
Positive Points?

Begin with :
Element of Innovation/ Lets Imagine you have….
Wonder/ Surprise in Story What if……
Its very difficult to do a task like…
Have you seen….
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 BRAIN STORMING
ACTIVITY
• Prepare your story for following:
• Introduce yourself?
• What is the most difficult situation in your
professional life so far?
• What is your greatest achievement so far?
• Give me an example of when you showed initiative
and took the lead ?
• Tell me about a recent situation in which you had to
deal with a very upset customer or co-worker?

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 CORE COMPETENCIES
THAT EMPLOYERS WANT
• Decision making and problem solving
• Leadership
• Motivation
• Communication
• Planning and Organization
• Critical thinking
• Team building
• Ability to influence others
• Interpersonal skills

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 PRE-INTERVIEW
PREPARATION
• Prepare
• List of your competencies
• Your downfalls
• Your successful projects

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 POSSIBLE STRENGTHS:
CHARACTERISTICS EMPLOYERS
VALUE

Look at this list, below, of characteristics that • Detail-oriented

employers prefer for their employees. Relate • Hard-working
the characterists you choose to the
requirements of the job, with examples of • Team player
how you have demonstrated the characteristic • Quick learner
in the past:
• Good communicator
• Flexible
• Honest/trustworthy
• Creative
• Intelligent
• Passionate about doing a good job
• Reliable
• Organized
• Likeable
• If the job also involves managing people,
• Positive like a department or project team, add
• Independent (vs. needing close "leader" to that list of strengths you
management) consider.
• Problem-solver
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 WHY YOU WANT TO WORK
HERE?
• Your answer should demonstrate your knowledge of the company
and the skills, talents, experience, and strengths you have that are a
match for their culture and the targeted position/department.
• It's Not About You
• Until you get to the point of receiving an offer, employers are just
looking for reasons to eliminate you.

Don’ts DOs

• • "Because I know I can make a really good

"For the money.“
contribution.“
• "It seems like a nice place to work.“ • "Because I know you have an opening for
• "My cousin Fred works for you, and he has ______________ and I am qualified."
great benefits."

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 WHY YOU WANT THIS JOB?
• Consider this as your opportunity to position yourself and gain a competitive
advantage over other candidates.
• Walk in well-prepared to give a solid answer.
• A good answer requires some forethought and preparation that will make it
easier to answer this question for other opportunities, too. This preparation will
also help you focus your job search, essential for success.
Don’ts DOs
“I learned a long time ago that doing the same thing every
day is not for me as I enjoy problem-solving in fast-paced
• "For the money.“ environments. I am also a people-person who likes to build
• "It seems like a nice place to work.“ relationships. Based on what you have told me, I would be
• "My cousin Fred works for you, and he has the point-of-contact with customers resolving issues and
great benefits." overseeing their product delivery. So every day would be
different and interesting. I would get to know my customers
and build long-term relationships with them

A great job is one where I am excited about coming to

work, and that’s what I think this position offers.”
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 WHY WE SHOULD HIRE
YOU?
• Provide a technical reason that may state your need

Don’ts DOs
I need the money.
I need a job.
The financial reports were created and
This location is very close to where I live (or go to
maintained using Excel, and both newsletters
school or want to move or whatever).
were written using Microsoft Word, using
I've always been interested in (whatever they do).
templates that I developed, and distributed
using Outlook.

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Questions Asked
How to answer them?
 QUESTIONS
1. Tell me about a time when you had to give someone difficult feedback. How did you
handle it?
2. What is your greatest failure, and what did you learn from it?
3. How do you handle working with people who annoy you?
4. If I were your supervisor and asked you to do something that you disagreed with, what
would you do?
5. What was the most difficult period in your life, and how did you deal with it?
6. Give me an example of a time you did something wrong. How did you handle it?
7. Tell me about a time where you had to deal with conflict on the job.
8. If you were at a business lunch and you ordered a rare steak and they brought it to you
well done, what would you do?
9. If you found out your company was doing something against the law, like fraud, what
would you do?
10. What assignment was too difficult for you, and how did you resolve the issue?
11. What's the most difficult decision you've made in the last two years and how did you
come to that decision?
12. Describe how you would handle a situation if you were required to finish multiple tasks
by the end of the day, and there was no conceivable way that you could finish them.
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 INTERVIEW QUESTIONS (1)

• Salary questions:
• What salary are you seeking?
• What's your salary history?
• If I were to give you this salary you requested but let you write your job
description for the next year, what would it say?
• Career development questions:
• What are you looking for in terms of career development?
• How do you want to improve yourself in the next year?
• What kind of goals would you have in mind if you got this job?
• If I were to ask your last supervisor to provide you additional training or
exposure, what would she suggest?

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 INTERVIEW QUESTIONS (2)

• Getting started questions:

• How would you go about establishing your credibility quickly with the team?
• How long will it take for you to make a significant contribution?
• What do you see yourself doing within the first 30 days of this job?
• If selected for this position, can you describe your strategy for the first 90 days?
• Brainteasers:
• How many times do a clock's hands overlap in a day?
• How would you weigh a plane without scales?
• Tell me 10 ways to use a pencil other than writing.
• Sell me this pencil.
• If you were an animal, which one would you want to be?
• Why is there fuzz on a tennis ball?
• If you could choose one superhero power, what would it be and why?
• If you could get rid of any one of the US states, which one would you get rid of and why?
• With your eyes closed, tell me step-by-step how to tie my shoes.
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 INTERVIEW QUESTIONS(3)

1. How would you describe your work style?

2. What would be your ideal working environment?
3. What do you look for in terms of culture -- structured or entrepreneurial?
4. Give examples of ideas you've had or implemented.
5. What techniques and tools do you use to keep yourself organized?
6. If you had to choose one, would you consider yourself a big-picture person or a
detail-oriented person?
7. Tell me about your proudest achievement.
8. Who was your favorite manager and why?
9. What do you think of your previous boss?
10. Was there a person in your career who really made a difference?
11. What kind of personality do you work best with and why?
12. What are you most proud of?
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 INTERVIEW QUESTIONS(4)

13. How would you describe your work style?

14. What do you like to do?
15. What are your lifelong dreams?
16. What do you ultimately want to become?
17. What is your personal mission statement?
18. What are three positive things your last boss would say about you?
19. What negative thing would your last boss say about you?
20. What three character traits would your friends use to describe you?
21. What are three positive character traits you don't have?
22. If you were interviewing someone for this position, what traits would you look
for?
23. List five words that describe your character.
24. Who has impacted you most in your career and how?
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 INTERVIEW QUESTIONS(5)
25. What is your greatest fear?
26. What is your biggest regret and why?
27. What's the most important thing you learned in school?
28. Why did you choose your major?
29. What will you miss about your present/last job?
30. What is your greatest achievement outside of work?
31. What are the qualities of a good leader? A bad leader?
32. Do you think a leader should be feared or liked?
33. How do you feel about taking no for an answer?
34. How would you feel about working for someone who knows less than you?
35. How do you think I rate as an interviewer?
36. Tell me one thing about yourself you wouldn't want me to know.
37. What is your favorite memory from childhood?
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 INTERVIEW QUESTIONS(6)
38. Tell me the difference between good and exceptional.
39. What kind of car do you drive?
40. There's no right or wrong answer, but if you could be anywhere in the world
right now, where would you be?
41. What's the last book you read?
42. What magazines do you subscribe to?
43. What's the best movie you've seen in the last year?
44. What would you do if you won the lottery?
45. Who are your heroes?
46. What do you like to do for fun?
47. What do you do in your spare time?

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Ask your employers

 ASK QUESTIONS FROM
EMPLOYER
• Training programs
• Career development opportunities
• Types of projects & responsibilities
• Reporting structure
• Performance appraisal
• Profile of staff
• Questions about topics raised in interview
• What happens next?

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What do famous companies Ask?

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GOOGLE
 WHAT DOES GOOGLE ASKS (1)

• 1. What is your favorite Google product, and how would you improve it?--Associate Product Manager, January
2016
• Source
• 2. If you wanted to bring your dog to work but one of your team members was allergic to dogs what would you
do?--Associate Account Strategist, December 2014
• Source
• 3. If ads were removed from YouTube, how would you monetize it? - Associate Account Strategist, January 2016
• Source
• 4. What do you know about Google?--Administrative Business Partner Interview, February 2015
• Source
• 5. Design an evacuation plan for the building.--Business Analyst Interview, November 2014
• Source
• 6. Which do you think has more advertising potential in Boston, a flower shop or funeral home?--Account
Strategist, October 2015
• Source
• 7. A coin was flipped 1000 times and there were 560 heads. Do you think the coin is biased?--Quantitative
Analyst, September 2015
• Source
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 WHAT DOES GOOGLE ASKS (2)

• 7. A coin was flipped 1000 times and there were 560 heads. Do you think the coin is biased?--Quantitative Analyst, September 2015

• Source

• 8. What does "being Googley" mean to you?--Product Specialist, December 2015

• Source

• 9. Name a prank you would pull on x manager if you were hired.--Google Applications Support Engineer, June 2014

• Source

• 10. What is your opinion on whether or not individuals should be required to use their official name when opening a gmail or Google + account?--
Administrative Assistant Interview, April 2014

• Source

• 11. What would you want to do if you didn't have to work?--Interaction Designer, September 2014

• Source

• 12. What scares you?--Business Analyst Interview, September 2014

• Source

• 13. How many ways can you think of to find a needle in a haystack?--Business Associate, May 2014

• Source

• 14. Estimate the number of tennis balls that can fit into a plane.--Intern, December 2015

• Source

• 15. If you could be remembered for one sentence, what would it be?--Associate Account Strategist Interview, March 2014 45
• Source
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 WEB RESOURCES FOR
PREPARATION
• Glassdoor for interview questions: https://
www.glassdoor.com/Overview/Working-at-Google-EI_IE9079.1
1,17.htm

• UL Careers website: www.ul.ie/careers

• Gradireland website: www.gradireland.com
• Careers4graduates: www.careers4graduates.org
• Doctor Job: www.doctorjob.com (Virtual Interview)
• Prospects: www.prospects.ac.uk
• Realworld: www.realworldmagazine.com
• Virtual Career Coach: www.windmillsprogramme.com
• BBC: www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/onelife/work 48
 REFERENCES

• http://theundercoverrecruiter.com/
• http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/interviews/
• University of Michigan School of Information Career Development
Office
• http://
www.monster.com/career-advice/article/100-potential-interview-qu
estions

• http://
www.inc.com/business-insider/google-hardest-interview-questions.
html

• Good CV : http:// 49