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Show oo in •S3 CO s » •a P o o The Interview: Your First Step up Ladder of Success •Confirm time, place, and name (include spelling) for the interview. Arrive 10-15 minutes early. •Dress appropriately and be sure you have several copies of your cover letter, resume, and references ready. •Practice responding to sample questions. Be sure to link yourself and your background to the job. •Maintain a positive attitude. •Have a list of questions that you want to ask the interviewer. Show them you have done some How to Succeed in an Interview research and that To succeed in interviews, it is vital you are a thoughtful to understand that you are selling a product — yourself — to an organiza- person. People who intertion. These employers (buyers) only view well are often want college graduates that can sucbetter employees ceed in their organizations. Given that because they have the number of candidates applying learned how to for each career position is high, an sell themselves and employer wants to sec evidence of a their ideas to othcandidate's qualifications as they relate ers. Positive interacto the job opening. tions gets people Displaying these qualifications in hired, promoted, interviews is not easy but self-assessand recruited for ment, preparation, and practice can help. College graduates need to analyze better opportunities. Recognize that most interviews follow a similar fortheir strengths, weaknesses, motivamat Interviewers evaluate potential tions, and goals to see how well they employees on educational background, fit with employers1 needs. The good creativity, character traits, initiative, news is that interviewing skills can work experience and training, manbe developed and improved through agement ability, communication skills, effective preparation and practice. and outside interests. There are a variPreparation is the key to success and allows you to overcome stress in order ety of questions associated with each factor. For example the question, "Do to focus on the interview. you get bored with detail?" is meant Interview Preparation to assess a character train. A good •Research the company you are answer to this question is: pursuing. (See your career advisor for "No, I'm getting paid to do what the more information.) 11. What is the largest single problem facing your staff (department) now? I2.jMay I talk with the last person who held this position? 13. Once the probation period is completed, how much authority will 1 have over decisions? 14. Do you fill positions from the outside or promote from within first? 15. What qualities are you looking for in the candidate who fills this position? 16. What skills are especially important for someone in this position? 17. Ls there a lot of team/project work? 18. How much travel, if any, is involved in this position? 19. What is the next course of action? When should I expect to hear from you or should I contact you? Reasons Why Potential Employees Are Rejected in the Interview... Poor personal appearance Lack of interest and enthusiasm Failure to keep eye contact Late to the interview Asks no questions about the job Too overbearing Inability to express self dearly Lack of poise or self-confidence Unrealistic salary demands Lack of maturity No leadership potential Know nothing about the company Unwilling to relocate Excessive interest in security & benefits ~ What can you do for me? • Inappropriate background Top Jobs for 2005-2006 *Data are bachelor's degree candidates. . . Questions You Might Ask The Interviewer Remember, it is not only how you answer the interviewer's questions, but also what questions you ask which can lead to a job offer. The types of questions you ask can help you stand out among the other candidates. You might consider asking some other the following questions during the interview: 1. Please describe the duties of the job for me. 2. What kinds of assignments might I expect the first six months on the | job? salary' adjustments geared 1 to3. Arc the cost of living or job perfor1 mance? I 4. Does your company encourage further education? 5. What products (or services) arc in the development stage now? 6. Do you have plans for expansion? 7. Have you cut your staff in the last tliree years? 8. How do you feel about creativity and individuality? 9. In what ways is a career with your company better than one with your competitors? 10. Is tills a new position or am I replacing someone? i Job Function Average Salary Offer $38,408 Management Trainee (Entry-Level Mgmt.) $37,622 Sales $31,954 Teaching $46,051 Financial/Treasury Analysis $49,759 Project Engineering $49,991 Consulting $43,987 Accounting (Private) $47,881 Design/Construction Engineering $44,776 Accounting (Public) $53,330 Software Design & Development . job requires. If checking details is part of what it takes to do the job right, then that's what 1 do. Success and advancement are not boring and they directly result from doing my work well." | (ranked by number of offers reported)* . Follow-up Unless you arc the last person interviewed, the impression you make will fade with each subsequent interview the interviewer undertakes. The following ideas ensure that "out of sight" does not mean "out of mind" for you. . Steps in the Follow-up Process 1. Immediately after the interview, do a written recap of the interview. Who did you meet (names and titles?) What does the job entail? What are the first projects you want to tackle? Why can you do the job? What went poorly? Why? What is the next step in the selection process? 2. Write a follow-up letter to keep you fresh on the interviewer's mind. This letter also shows that you arc appreciative, organized, and interested Make sure to express your appreciation of the interviewer's time and comments. Make it clear that you are excited about the job, can do it, and want it. Keep it short, type it, and proofread it carefully. 3. If you do not hear anything within a reasonable period of time (one to two weeks), make a call to the lead interviewer. Restate the points you made in your letter, and restate your interest in the position. You may want to say, "I feel confident about my ability to contribute to your department's efforts, and I really want the job." If you are told that you arc no longer in the running, be sure to ask for the opportunity (possibly at another time) to discuss ways yo might improve your interviewing skills. |