High Stakes Communication: Interviewing for a Job

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High Stakes CommunicationInterviewing for a Job
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Successful Interviewees

• Analyze situation audience
• Organize knowledge and experience
• Convey confidence
• Handle questions
• Reduce anxiety

www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/ ed/jobs.html
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Analyze Situation and Audience
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Analyze Interview Situation

• Where?
• When?
• How many interviews?
• With whom?
• Other expectations?
• Give job talk
• Take tests

www.quantumwave.com/images/interview.jpg
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Research the Employer

• Mission
• Organizational structure and culture
• Clients, dept. faculty, students
• Products, research foci, services
• Size and location
• Financial standing

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Sources of Information

• Career services
• Web sites
• Advisors, peers, employees
• Annual report
• Promotional materials
• Periodicals

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Organize Knowledge and Experience
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Know Yourself

• List adjectives that describe yourself
• Create table of job satisfaction factors
• Rank personal values
• Analyze past work experiences
• Assess strengths weaknesses
• List life career goals
• Stay aware of current events

• http//www.resumetapebook.com/i/tn_interview_jpeg.
  jpg

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Know Your Work Experience

• Assemble and review job portfolio
• Review notes on employer
• Match your qualifications to their needs
• Formulate questions to ask

http//uk.dk.com/static/cs/uk/11/features/whatnext
/images/interview.jpg
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Get Organized!

• Greeting
• Small talk
• Confident, Can-Do stmt
• Strategy
• Deliver topic sentences
• Provide concrete examples
• Organize for conciseness
• Adapt to audience
• Closing (memorize)
• Summarize qualifications
• Reinforce interest in position

www.nebhworker.org/images/organize.gif
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Apply New Knowledge

• Respond to the interview prompts on the next 4
  slides.

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Tell me a little bit about yourself.
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What are your most significant accomplishments?
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What are your strengths and weaknesses?
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Describe your research.
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Convey Confidence

• Posture
• Gestures
• Eye contact
• Voice quality
• Dress

http//a.abcnews.com/media/US/images/pd_job_interv
iew_030812_nv.jpg
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Handle Questions

• Do
• LISTEN
• Paraphrase/clarify
• Engage and elaborate
• Monitor body language

• Dont
• Exaggerate qualifications
• Give yes/no responses
• Criticize previous employer

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Reduce Anxiety

• Physical signs
• Sweat
• Hands shake
• Voice cracks
• Psychological signs
• Blank out
• Babble

http//gradschool.rgp.ufl.edu/images/handbook/Job-
interview-door.gif
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Success without Stress

• Eliminate negativity

www.owlnet.rice.edu/cainproj/ news/october99/octo
ber.html
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Negative Talk Positive Talk

• --- Im freaking out! Im going to blow this.
• Im prepared. This could lead to a great
  opportunity.
• --- He/she thinks Im an idiot.
• The interviewer is on my side. He/she needs
  me to fill important role in org.

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Success without Stress

• Breathe

www.owlnet.rice.edu/cainproj/ news/october99/octo
ber.html
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Breathing Exercise

• Relax shoulders, neck, and jaw
• Place fingertips on diaphragm
• Inhale slowly and silently count to 5
• Hold 3 seconds
• Exhale while counting to 5
• Repeat sequence for 5 minutes

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Success without Stress

• Eliminate negativity
• Breathe
• Eat
• Sleep
• Avoid caffeine

www.owlnet.rice.edu/cainproj/ news/october99/octo
ber.html
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Practice!

• Practice answering questions out loud
• Mock interview w/ different people
• Get videotaped
• Keep a journal about interview experiences to aid
  future preparation

performance