Your Arts Degree

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INTERVIEW TECHNIQUE Careers and Counselling
Service Cork Institute of Technology
Interviews
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• Careers and Counselling Service
• Appointments Tuesday-Friday.
• Drop-in on Mondays Thursdays 9.30-3.30
• www.careersandcounselling.com

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Today

Why Interviews? Interview types How to
Prepare The Interview process Action Plan
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Why an Interview ?

• Interviewers mission
• Can you do the job ?(abilities/skills)
• Will you do the job ?(drive/ initiative)
• Will you fit in ? (Interpersonal)
• an opportunity to assess you and determine your
  suitability for the job your abilities/skills/in
  terest and motivation
• What you are like in person!

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Your Mission

• Your mission
• Yes I can. Yes I will!
• Opportunity to prove yourself
• Ensure you comprehensively answer all the
  questions

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So You have an interview..

• Already impressed with your application
• Want to see you in person
• Are you what you say on paper ?
• You have to prove it to them!
• Remember
• You are in full control of the information you
  give about yourself.

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Interview types.

• Vary from company to company
• Formal/Informal
• One interviewer
• 2 interviewers or more (Panel)
• HR and/or Dept manager/team leader
• Series of questions /or assessments

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Interview types.

• Competency Based Interviews
• Series of questions asked by an interviewer
  looking for core competencies
• Soft skills Leadership, communication, teamwork.
• Technical skills

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Preparation

• Self
• Strengths / weaknesses
• Aims / values
• Achievements/interests
• Organisation/Job
• Organisation / products / culture
• Job description

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3 Key Areas

• ACADEMIC
• WORK
• SOCIAL

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Start With Yourself
Academic College/course Subjects Results Projects
(Ind/ Team based) Other qualifications/courses
Work Jobs to date (relevant/other) Duties Skill
s Developed-communication/ team
work/organisational/initiative/
problem-solving
Social/ Interests Sport Societies Music Travel
Other interests

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Core Competencies

• Research core competencies (skills) desired by
  the firm
• give examples of how and where you demonstrated
  these skills.
• eg. course/work/hobbies
• Decide on 5 skills relevant to the job that
  you want to communicate to interviewers

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Matching Competencies

• IDENTIFY SKILL
• PROVE SKILL Provide Examples
• MATCH TO JOB

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Organisation Preparation

• Website - research thoroughly (Annual reports)
• Business magazines
• Newspaper articles
• Current projects/developments
• People/networking
• Develop your Business awareness

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Arrive Early..

• 30 minutes early gives you time.
• To Find Location
• To Relax Freshen up.
• To Read additional information
• To take in the atmosphere

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Phases of the Interview

• Warm up
• Introductions/ explain about job/company
• Tell us about yourself?, Run us through your CV
• Getting down to business
• Competency based questions
• Technical questions
• Situational questions
• Identifying skills/interests/motivations

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Phases of the Interview

• Over to you
• Any questions? Opportunity to ask about the job
  or go back on areas of the interview. Bring your
  written questions to the interview so you can
  refer to them.
• Closure
• Interview finishes interviewers may indicate
  next move/handshake and goodbye

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First Impressions

• Interviews may be won / lost in the first few
  minutes.
• Halo effect
• Devil effect

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Impressions

• Your appearance
• Confidence levels
• General Attitude
• Knowledge of company
• General preparation for interview

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Body language

• Handshake-firm definite
• How you sit-grounded.
• Eye contact-include all interviewers
• Smile
• Tips with answering
• Reinforce what you are saying - examples
• Be positive about previous experiences
• Use Im not too familiar with that, however..

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Interview questions

• Account for past choices
• Eg. Why did you choose to do this course?
• Strengths/weaknesses/likes/dislikes
• Eg. What are you preferred subjects?
• What are your least preferred and why?
• Activities individual/group Role .
• Eg. Describe a project you were involved in and
• the Role
• Why this company?

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Interview questions up close

• Tell us about yourself?
• Open ended question
• Structure essential
• 2-3 minutes maximum
• Dont waffle! Skimming the surface

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Interview questions up closeAcademic

• Can you give us an example of a group
  project/assignment and what it involved?
• Project Title of project.
• This project entails extensive research.
• Responsible for designing
• I was responsible for
• Technical.
• Presentation (Power Point).
• Result..

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Interview questions up closeWork

• On your application you mention working incan
  you tell us more about this and the challenges
  you encountered?
• Give background on job. Responsibilities, duties
• Name of company , June 20.. Present
  position
• Provided customer service and dealt with
  queries.
• Supervised 2 staff members at weekends.
• Skills acquired - be specific
• Worked long and flexible hours in a team
  environment
• Manage small team of staff, organisational-order
  stock/staff rosters
• Challenges Be Positive!

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Interview questions up closeSocial

• What do you like to do in your spare time?
• Clubs/societies/other activities
• Level of involvement/role
• Individual and Team Based activities

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Interview questionsCore Competencies

• Can you give us an example of where you have
  demonstrated leadership ability?
• Rememberexample from one of the 3 Key Areas
• Academic
• Work
• SOCIAL

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Standard Interview questions

• Why should we employ you?
• skills, qualities matched to job firm
• What interests you in this job?
• show what you know about job firm
• Why are you applying to us?
• show what you know about firm enthusiasm

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Interview questions

• What is your greatest achievement?
• Achievements?
• Music grades/competitions
• captained team
• Achieving grade in academic module
• Mature Student- college place/return to study

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Interview questions

• What are your strengths/weakness?
• Past weakness worked on itnow an area of
  strength
• Strategic Example (Will not effect job
  performance)
• Shows interviewer that you have the openess and
  ability to grow/develop/learn on the job

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Interview questions

• Why should we hire you?
• What contributions can you make to our company
• How would others describe you?
• How would you describe yourself
• SIMILAR PREPARATION SKILLS SET!

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Dreaded Interview question!

• What Question do you FEAR the most?
• Prepare an answer!
• Book on preparing answers
• Great answers to tough interview questions
• Martin Yates Careers Section in Library

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Tips

• Preparation Key!
• Positive language
• Body language/Tone of voice/Eye Contact
• DO NOT give incorrect information
• Be yourself but very professional at all times
• Practice Practice Practice out loud/with family
  or friend
• Know yourself/know the company!

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Resources

• DVD Library Interview Techniques
• Books Great answers to tough interview
  questions by Martin Yates and others.
• Interview downloads on our site
  www.careersandcounselling.com
• Practice!
• www.careersandcounselling.com