Effective Communication in Interviews

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Effective Communication in Interviews

• Chapter 17 in BMC

2
The Wall Street Journal/Harris Interactive Survey
Findings

• University recruiters who said each attribute is
  very important

3
The Wall Street Journal/Harris Interactive Survey
Findings

• 89 Communication and interpersonal skills
• 87 Ability to work well within a team
• 85 Personal ethics and integrity
• 84 Analytical and problem-solving skills
• 73 Leadership potential
• 72 Fit with the corporate culture
• 68 Strategic thinking
• 64 Likelihood of recruiting stars
• 54 Well-rounded
• 50 Willingness of students to relocate
• 45 Student chemistry with interviewer

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Develop Contact Credibility

• When someone who has credibility with the
  employer refers you, you have contact credibility
• Letters of recommendation are helpful, but
  employers dont place a lot of confidence in
  letters of recommendation because of their
  tendency toward a positive bias

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First Impressions

• Appearance
• Wear a conservative suit
• Look as professional as possible
• If you have a tendency to touch your hair, pull
  your hair up and out of your face
• Do not leave your cell phone on
• Know how to correctly pronounce the interviewers
  name
• Hold your materials in your left hand so you can
  easily shake with your right

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First Impressions

• Bring 3-4 copies of your resume, printed on
  resume paper, to hand out to the employer, even
  if they already have your resume on file
• Bring a professional portfolio or folder
• Prepare 4-5 questions to ask the interviewer at
  the end of the interview
• Be prepared to give impromptu answers. Its okay
  to pause and think, but do not wait too long to
  give an answer. This will cause an uncomfortable
  silence.

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Types of Interviews

• Structured
• Open-ended
• Group
• Stress asked pointed questions designed to irk
  or unsettle you, or you might be subjected to
  long periods of silence

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Approaches to Interviews

• Situational on-the-job scenarios
• Behavioral describe real situations in the past
  and explain how they responded
• Working interview candidate is asked to perform
  the actual work that he or she would be doing

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First Impressions

• Give specific examples from all areas of your
  life. Remember the STAR method
• Situation
• Task
• Action
• Result

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First Impressions

• Attitude
• Have plenty of confidence in yourself and your
  abilities. Do not downplay your experience.
• Know what your future career goals are. The more
  specific and ambitious your answer, the better.
• Maintain eye contact. Do not look at the ceiling
  or out the window.
• Lighten up, let them see your personality.

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Answering Questions

• Stay focused on the question you are answering.
  Make sure to answer it fully and do not jump
  around to other topics until you have answered
  that question
• Do not give one or two word answers. Give
  detailed examples however, do not give wordy
  answers
• Do not bad mouth past employers or give negative
  examples of past work experiences

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Answering Questions

• Do not discuss salary/benefits until they bring
  it up. If you bring it up, it looks like you are
  more interested in compensation than the job
  itself. If asked what salary you expect, give a
  range.
• Do not be informal in your interview. Even if
  the atmosphere is relaxed, it is still an
  interview.

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Pre-employment Testing

• Integrity/Personality Tests
• Job Skills Tests
• Substance Tests
• Background checks

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How can you gain contact credibility? Ask your
contact to

• Introduce you to the employer or make an
  appointment for you with the employer
• Write a letter of recommendation for you
• Allow you to use his or her name when contacting
  the employer
• Examples in textbook pg. 252

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Interviewing Skills

• To demonstrate that you are qualified, you must
• Know the qualifications the employer wants
• Demonstrate that you have them
• Show how your background meets qualifications
• See pages 256-257

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During the Interview

• Present yourself well
• Nonverbally and Verbally
• Show that you are competent
• Demonstrate knowledge of the employer
• Demonstrate knowledge of business
• Use the language of the profession

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Confidence During the Interview

• Prepare
• Practice
• Manage anxiety
• Be enthusiastic by generating a positive
  attitude, being expressive in your tone, and
  talking about subjects you feel positively about

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Emphasize Similarities

• Interviewers will evaluate you more positively
  when youre similar to them than when youre
  different.
• Before the interview, identify attitudes,
  interests, and values that you have in common
  with the employer
• You can identify organizational culture from
  company literature and websites

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Emphasize Similarities

• During the interview, focus on common attitudes,
  interests, and values
• Communicate in a manner similar to the
  interviewer
• Dress for the company

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Be Friendly

• In simulated employment interviews, students
  rarely smile. They miss an opportunity to build
  rapport and a positive relationship with the
  interviewer.

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Strategy

• Learn about the organization
• Think ahead about your response strategy
• What was the hardest decision you ever had to
  make?
• What are your greatest weaknesses?
• What didnt you like about pervious jobs youve
  held?
• Where do you want to be five years from now?
• Tell me something about yourself

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Questions to Ask Interviewer

• What are the jobs major responsibilities?
• What qualities do you want in the person who
  fills this position?
• Why is this job now vacant?
• What additional training does your organization
  provide?
• Do employees have an opportunity to continue
  their education with help from the organization?

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After the Interview

• Are these my kind of people?
• Can I do this work?
• Will I enjoy the work?
• Is this the job I want?
• Does the job pay what Im worth?
• What kind of person would I be working for?
• What sort of future can I expect with this
  organization?