PLACEMENT SERVICES
INTERVIEW TIPS
Web: www.cfni.org/placement.php Email: placement@cfni.org Phone: 214.302.6494 Fax: 214.302.6495
How to Interview Successfully
• Be Prayed Up Pray and ask God to guide you during the interview. It is natural to be a bit nervous before going into an interview, but remember to maintain a sensitivity to the Holy Spirit during the interview. (Psalms 37:23 NLT)The steps of the godly are directed by the Lord. He delights in every detail of their lives. This is not merely a time to “market or sell yourself”, but a time to discern the hand of God in positioning you with the right people, the right plan, and in the right place in order to fulfill His will in the earth. Be professional, but be yourself. An interview is a symbiotic process in which both parties are evaluating whether or not an employment relationship would be mutually beneficial. Be Prepared Do your homework; know the job position and ministry or company. You should familiarize yourself as much as possible with the mission, core values, and culture of the ministry/company that you are applying for before going for an interview and the details of the job position that is being offered. This will allow you to give well-informed answers that will assist the interviewer in assessing your job compatibility besides asking the right questions of the interviewer. Know the general direction that you believe God is calling you into. You don’t need to know the details, but you should have a clear sense of God’s will. Being able to articulate this before going to an interview will help you to relax and be confident. Be prepared to relate your past experience, both ministry and/or marketplace. You should be familiar enough with your resume to share your past experience and specific accomplishments. Be Professional Dress appropriately. Interviews should be done in business attire unless specifically stated otherwise by your interviewer. Clothing should be modest and pressed, shoes should be shined, hair should be neat and groomed. Good personal hygiene should be practiced before the interview. Be prompt. Typically, you should arrive 10-15 minutes before the time of the appointment. If you can’t be prompt to an interview, chances are you will struggle with promptness of the job as will be noted by the interviewer. Be Proactive After the interview if you believe that God is directing you to pursue it, take the next step by asking for a second interview or ask the interviewer what the next step is. You convey your interest in an opportunity by how you respond to it. Checking on the status of your interview shows the interviewer that you are interested in the opportunity. You must also use discretion in checking too frequently so that you do not become burdensome.
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PLACEMENT SERVICES
Behavioral Interviews Behavioral interviews are based on the premise that your past behavior is the most reliable indicator of your future response in a similar situation. Utilized by many companies, behavioral-style questions shy away from hypotheticals like "How would you deal with an angry customer?" or "How would you communicate to your boss that you disagree?" Instead, they ask you to draw on your actual life experiences – "When you've had to juggle numerous projects at once, how did you ensure that nothing slipped through the cracks?" or "Tell me about a time when you had to work with someone you didn't like or agree with." Don’t Just Try for the “Right” Answer. These questions are all about determining what your temperament is. Most organizations have a clear sense of their organizational culture and the kinds of people who will succeed in a given type of job in that environment. They ask behavioral questions to help determine whether or not you're a good fit, which often indicates that you are already qualified on a skill-set level, at least the skills you listed on your resume. Listed below are some sample questions you may encounter. Common Behavioral Style Interview Questions 1. Describe a time you were given a task with specific instructions and you chose not to follow those instructions. 2. What have you done to prepare for this interview? 3. How do you typically handle criticism? 4. Describe a situation where you feel you were unfairly criticized. What did you do? 5. What have you learned from your previous boss? 6. Tell me about a project you initiated and carried out. 7. When you are supervising people, how do you motivate them? 8. Name someone you look up to who is not a parent. 9. How would you handle an unethical situation at work? 10. How do you measure personal success? 11. Talk about a time you had to ask for help. 12. What is the biggest risk you have ever taken? 13. What are three words that describe you? 14. What is your communication style? 15. What is your greatest weakness? 16. What is your greatest strength? Assessments Many ministries/companies are using Assessments to assist in determining an individual’s temperament, skill sets, leadership style, and calling/career path. These tests consist of various questions and can take 20 minutes to several hours. The questions are not right or wrong questions but are simply geared to discover who you are. You will get the most accurate results by simply relaxing and answering the questions in honesty. Don’t answer what you think others may want you to be, but let your first response be from the heart. Trust God For The Outcome (Proverbs 3:6 NKJV) - In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
PLACEMENT SERVICES