Interviewing Essentials

KEITH MUNSON, CAREER SPECIALISTSTROMMEN CAREER AND INTERNSHIP CENTER

LL OF ANDERSON HALL

Interviewing Essentials

Strommen Career & Internship Center •[email protected] • 612-330-1167 • http://cswl.pbworks.com/

Set the agendaInterview Structures-what to expectWhy Behavioral InterviewingStory telling and STARSmall group practiceQuestions and remaining ideasTopics for additional learning

Agenda

mailto:[email protected]


First round interviews (screening interview) Typically 30-45 minutes; sometimes an hour Typically with one or two people

1st round structure Small talk (brief) Questions for you Time to ask questions The Closing

On Site Interviews are a series of interviews throughout longer period of time

What to expect...



Questions about your background Tell me about yourself Walk me through your resume

Questions about your education and goals Why Augsburg? Why your major? What do you hope to do?

Behavioral based questions Situations that demonstrate a trait of skill.

What to expect...



Your Story



Tell me about yourself

One chance to control/focus the interviewThere are certain topics to include that will

make your response more effectiveAvoid personal background; focus on topics

relevant to the job2 minutes in an interview; 30 seconds as an

elevator pitchTake 5 minutes to develop your “story”



Start with your undergrad degreeDescribe your path

What experiences have you had along the way? How do they relate to the role for which you applied? What transferable skills run throughout? Explain reasons for moves/transitions. When/how did you decide to pursue this career? What do you hope to do going forward? What do you have to offer?

Tips for “tell me about yourself”



PAST BEHAVIOR OR EVENTS

FUTURE BEHAVIOR

Why behavioral interviewing?



Examples: Describe the last time you had to lead a team to

solve a complex problem. Tell me of a time when you needed to influence a

group or individual. Describe a project you managed from start to finish.

Skilled Interviewers will follow-up with several probing questions as you answer.

Interviewers want stories…..

What does behavioral interviewing look like?



Just enough details to give the listener a picture of what you were doing or how you work

Concise enough to demonstrate your point includes important details excludes unimportant details

Not too short; not too long There’s a character that the listener needs to “see” in

action Leave enough for the interviewer to ask follow up

questions…don’t start with the whole story

Interview story telling



S.T.A.R. technique is ONE tool:

Situation-What was happening?

Task (goal)-What were you trying to accomplish?

Action-What did you specifically do?

Result-What was the outcome? How did your work affect the organization or situation?

S.T.A.R. Prep



Let’s Practice

Using the S.T.A.R. prep sheet, develop a “story” around the question, “tell me about a time you worked on a team and the role you played within that team”.

Take about 10 minutes to develop your storyTake 5 minutes to pair up with a classmate

and tell your storyHave your partner use the S.T.A.R. evaluation

form to give you feedback (5 minutes)



Observations?

What did your partner do well?What, if any, part did they miss?What was the most difficult part to tell?



Is the story too long; too short?What are the themes you heard in their story

Any skills keep appearing? Any characteristics stand out?

Did their decisions make sense to you?Do you have a sense of what they’ve done?What are their strengths?Confidence, focus on strengths (not gaps)

Observations...



Commons pitfalls of new interviewers:

Don’t give enough details for the interviewer to understand what was going on

Don’t give enough detail about what you actually did: many spend too little time on the “A”

Do not discuss the results of their work/actions; spend too little time on the “R” or forget it all together

Give too many details about the situation; too much time on the “S”

Any a question with a story that isn’t related



Common pitfalls of new interviewers

Responses sound memorized; not enough practice OUT LOUD

Responses don’t seem natural/conversational



Focus on your strengthsDon’t be afraid to address your “gaps”Make your story relevant to that company,

industry, function, roleNote about Liberal ArtsTwo approaches

Final tips



Marketing the liberal arts:Employers want:

Communication Skills (written & verbal)

Honesty/Integrity Teamwork Skills Strong Work Ethic Analytical Skills Adaptability Interpersonal Skills Motivation/Initiative Computer Skills Detail-orientation Organizational Skills Leadership Skills Self-Confidence

Liberal Arts teaches: SEE PREVIOUS LIST



Start with writing if it helpsMove to bullet points of most important

pointsRehearse-over, over, overAd lib story to different speakersAdjust story to answer several questions, but

make sure you answer the question!Practice out loud, not just in your head!

Final Tips



Use pauses to think of your response.Take a drink of water/coffee to give yourself a

second to think.Use behavioral examples, even if interviewer

isn’t asking for themDescribe how you would handle a situation if

you have not yet faced it. Others?

Final Tips



Evaluate your presentation (from your point-of-view)

Learn from your experience

Final Tips



Arrive early Introduce yourself Be professional Watch your eye

contact and body language

May bring and use your portfolio

Leave your cell phone at home!

Answer questions Ask questions Do not bring up salary

or benefits Get business cards Close the interview

Interviewing Tips



Men Well fitting suit Pressed shirt (white,

off-white, gray) Conservative colors

(gray, black, navy) Professional hairstyle Little cologne, jewelry Traditional tie BLACK dress socks Portfolio, NO BACK

PACK

Women Well fitting suit Conservative colors

(gray, black, navy) Professional hairstyle Little perfume, jewelry,

or make up Knee length, If wearing

skirt Avoid high heel shoes Sheer hosiery Portfolio, NO

BACKPACK

Dressing for the interview



I’d like to thank you for your time today. I’ve really enjoyed talking with you and would like to reiterate my interest in this position. The things we have discussed today have made me more interested than ever. And with my background in training employees and managing projects, I know I can contribute right away. I hope I have the opportunity to talk with you again about this job and I hope you give me a chance to demonstrate my abilities in this internship. Thank you again.

Sample closing statement



Know what to expect.Be prepared.Rehearse.Tell good stories.Learn from the experience.

You have to be prepared!

Sum it all up:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahn25DwTsUg&list=QL&feature=BF

HTTP://CSWL.PBWORKS.COM/RESUME RUBRIC

http://cswl.pbworks.com/

http://jobweb.org/Resume/help.aspx?id=628





Interviewing Essentials

Documents

series of interviews

job2 minutes

topics relevant

round structuresmall

skilled interviewers

certain topics

remaining ideastopics

com7past behavior