1 High Stakes Communication Interviews and Job Talks The Cain Project in Engineering and Professional Communication PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SERIES
Jan 08, 2018
1
High Stakes CommunicationInterviews and Job Talks
The Cain Project in Engineering and Professional Communication
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SERIES
Successful Candidates
• Analyze situation and audience
• Organize knowledge and experience
• Convey confidence and professionalism
• Give great job talks • Handle questions
Research Your Employer
• Mission• Organizational structure and culture• Products, services, clients• Research foci, facilities• Financial standing• Size and location
Sources of Information
• Web sites• Annual report• Promotional materials• Advisors, peers• Conferences and meetings• Journals
Know Yourself
• Assess strengths and weaknesses• List life and career goals• Create table of key job satisfaction factors• Stay aware of current events
Know Your Work History
• Evidence from earlier résumés• Technical skills• Supervising or mentoring • Service
Get Organized
• Review notes on employers
• Match your qualifications to their needs
• Formulate questions to ask
Show What You Know!
• Greeting– Start with a confident,” Can-Do”
statement
• Road Map– Deliver topic sentences– Provide concrete examples– Organize for clarity– Adapt to audience’s interests
• Closing (memorize)– Summarize qualifications – Reinforce interest in position
“Map the Stops on Your Talk”
Time to Practicewith the person next to you!
Tell me a little bit about yourself.
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Convey Confidence and Professionalism
– Posture
– Gestures
– Eye contact
– Voice quality
– Attire
Listen Actively
• Give full attention
– Eye contact
– Body position
• Focus on main points
• Paraphrase questions
• Filter emotions and distractions
• Ask questions
Being professional means that you . . .
If Interviewers’ Questions Suggest an Unstated Agenda . . .
• Obtain additional information• Request clarification• Seek recommendation
Time to Practicewith the person next to you!
What are your most significant accomplishments?
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Success without Stress
• Breathe slowly
• Loosen up
• Eat
• Sleep
• Avoid caffeine
• Eliminate negativity
Turn Negative Talk Positive Talk
--- I’m freaking out! I’m going to blow this. ++ I’m prepared. This could lead to a great
opportunity.
--- He/she thinks I’m an idiot.++ The interviewer is on my side. He/she
needs me to fill important role in the organization.
Practice!
• Rehearse out loud
• Mock interview with different people
• Get videotaped
• Keep a journal
Performance
Quality
Thorough
Practices
Preparing a Job Talk
High Impact Presenters
• Size up the situation• Organize the argument• Convey confidence• Integrate visuals• Handle questions
Size up the Situation: Audience
• Who is your audience?– Why are they interested?– How much do they know?– What criteria do they use to
make decisions?– What do they value?
Tailor Message to Audience
Non-Experts• Make it interesting• Provide background• Define terms• Distinguish between fact and opinion• Use examples, analogies, visuals
Experts•State how and why• Present limited background info• Use language of discipline• State inferences and conclusions• Cite references
From: Barrett, Deborah (2006). Leadership Communication.
Start Strong and End Strong
Introduction– Motivate interest– State key points– Preview topics– Establish credibility
– No apologies– No “Today I’m gonna
talk about . . . ”
Conclusion– Send cue– Restate &
summarize– Spell out
implications
– No new info– No “That’s it.”– No ?s slide
Keep Audience with You
• Create coherence• Make intuitive
connections explicit• Weak verbal cues
– “And another thing” – “So”– “Next”
• Strong verbal cues– Sequence
– “First” – Contrast
– “However” – “On the other hand”
– Causality– “Therefore”– “Consequently”
Handle Questions• Anticipate questions • LISTEN • Repeat or rephrase• Watch body language• Don’t bluff• Wrap up well
References
1. Barrett, Deborah. Leadership Communication. McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2006.
2. D’Arcy, Jan. Technically Speaking. Columbus: Battelle Press, 1998.
Image References
www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/ed/jobs.html
http://http://www.toastofchicago.org/sc-image.gif
http://www.uni-koblenz.de/~vladimir/breviary/dilbert-powerpoint.gif
www.owlnet.rice.edu/~cainproj/ news/october99/october.html
http://www.resumetapebook.com/i/tn_interview_jpeg.jpg
www.nebhworker.org/images/organize.gif
http://www.resumetapebook.com/i/tn_interview_jpeg.jpg
http://a.abcnews.com/media/US/images/pd_job_interview_030812_nv.jpg
http://www.tesl.iastate.edu/projects/onlineunits/kawaler/img/listening.gif
http://www.openp2p.com/pub/a/p2p/2001/11/06/tuesday_photos.html
http://www.openp2p.com/pub/a/p2p/2001/11/05/monday_photos.html
math.rice.edu/~lanius/ Algebra/stress.html
http://www.uaex.edu/Other_Areas/news/_archives/April2003/Stacy15.gif
More resources are available for you
• under “Engineering Communication” at Connexions at http://cnx.org
• at the Cain Project site at http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~cainproj
• in your course Communication Folder in OWLSPACE.
Lead through Excellence in Engineering Communication