Job Interview Tips

Job Interview Tips A job interview is a meeting between an applicant and an employer in which the employer can assess the applicant and the applicant can convince the interviewer that he or she is the best person for the job. The job applicant should focus on his/her strengths, abilities and qualifications. Studies have shown that the impression a job applicant projects in the first 30 seconds is crucial. Body language is very important — sit up straight, look the interviewer in the eye, and speak clearly — these are ways to convey a positive image. PREPARING FOR AN INTERVIEW  Make sure you know the name and title of the interviewer.  Research the company — what product/service does the business provide? How many employees? Current news on the company.  Try to get as many details as possible about the job.  Review your application.  Anticipate questions you might be asked and prepare your responses.  Think of some questions to ask.  Practise interviews with a friend.  Prepare references and take to the interview. Call your references before to ask their permission to use them as a reference. Ask them if they will give you a good reference. THE INTERVIEW  Dress appropriately — be neat and clean.  Arrive slightly ahead of the time scheduled for the interview.  Wait to be shown where to sit.  Speak clearly and show enthusiasm.  Listen to the questions and ask for clarification if needed.  Answer questions honestly.  Explain your answers briefly; don’t just say ―yes‖ or ―no‖.  Be positive — do not criticize past employers or co-workers.  At the end of the interview, thank the interviewer for his or her time and express interest in the position. BODY LANGUAGE  Smile.  Maintain eye contact with the interviewer.  Shakes hands with the interviewer at the beginning and end of an interview.  Do not chew gum.  Sit up straight — leaning slightly forward gives the impression you are interested.  Keep your body relaxed. TYPICAL QUESTIONS FOR AN INTERVIEWER TO ASK A JOB APPLICANT  What is your name? CP-SV Wrapping Up – Job Interviews and Tips V1.0 Supplementary             Where do you live? What are you doing presently — working or going to school? Where? What previous work experience do you have? Why are you interested in this job? Why should we hire you? Tell me about yourself. (The interviewer does not want the history of your life. Outline specific skills, achievements, personality traits and training that make you right for the position.) What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? Do you work well in a team? What are your career goals? What kind of a job are you looking for? How would you handle a given problem or conflict on the job? TYPICAL QUESTIONS FOR A JOB APPLICANT TO ASK THE INTERVIEWER  Describe a typical day in this position.  Who would I report to?  How many people would I be working with?  Why is the position available? (If a person has left the job, try to find out why.)  When will you be making your decision? CP-SV Wrapping Up – Job Interviews and Tips V1.0 Supplementary Job Interviews OVERVIEW The Participants will have an opportunity to identify the characteristics of good employees. They will also have an opportunity to practise interviewing skills. OBJECTIVES The Participants will:  list qualities employers look for in their employees  learn some tips for a successful job interview. PREPARATION CHECKLIST  Review the handout Job Interview Tips.  Make copies of the handout for all the Participants.  If you have access to audio- or video-taping equipment, you may wish to record the student interviews. PRESENTATION Explain that when a business decides to hire a new employee, it asks a variety of questions to find out who is the best person for the job, i.e., has the right skills, experience, education and personality. Ask the class to suggest some general questions that an employer might ask a job applicant. List their questions on the board. For example: What previous experience do you have? Why are you interested in this job? Why should we hire you? Divide the Participants up into groups of four. Ask each group to select one type of employee their company will need (e.g., production worker, president, sales person, etc.). Next have the groups think of two or three other questions that they would ask someone applying for the particular job. After a few minutes, ask each group to describe the type of employee they are planning to hire and the questions they would ask. Ask the Participants what qualities they would look for in a job applicant (e.g., honesty, responsible, punctual, etc.) Write their answers on the board. Ask for two volunteers to do some role-playing. One Participant will be the job applicant, the other will be the interviewer. Assign them a particular job, e.g., computer programmer, teacher, restaurant server, etc. and have them role-play a job interview. Ask the Participants to comment on the interview. Point out the strengths of the interview. Give the Participants a copy of Job Interview Tips and briefly review the contents. Divide the class into pairs to practice interviewing. You can assign them a particular job or the Participants can pick one themselves. One Participant should be the interviewer while the other should be the applicant. Give the interviewers a few minutes to conduct the interview, and then have the interviewers take a minute to tell the applicant what he or she did well, and what could be improved. Have the pairs switch roles and repeat the exercise. Meanwhile, circulate among the pairs and offer positive feedback on their interviewing techniques. CP-SV Wrapping Up – Job Interviews and Tips V1.0 Supplementary