Interview

Unit VIII Presentation BUS 2303/PROFESSIONALISM IN THE WORKPLACE

HOW TO PREPARE FOR AN INTERVIEW

Ways to Prepare for an Interview

 Update Social Profiles: Be sure that your LinkedIn profile matches your resume and cover sheet, check your privacy settings on your Facebook page, hide or make your page private if you do not want a potential employer to see your page

 Practice: Practice talking about your skills, experience, resume, cover sheet and answering potential interview questions

 Prepare Questions to Ask: Prepare questions to ask the interviewer about the job

 Research: Research the company that you are interviewing with, they want to see effort on your part and see that you are knowledgeable about their company

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Ways to Prepare for an Interview

 Dress Professionally: Wear something that looks professional, fits good and doesn’t distract from the interview. Dress for the job that you are applying for and keep any known dress codes in mind.

 Be Prepared: Know who you’re interviewing with, the job & job title that you are interviewing for and be on time. Be polite & courteous.

 Bring a copy of your cover sheet, resumes, references, etc. in case the interviewer does not have a copy.

 Keep good eye contact and be sure to listen to everything that the interviewer is saying.

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3 Different Types of Interview Questions

 Question: Why should we hire you?

 Answer: Make your response confident and focused on the job that you are applying for and why you should get the job. Make it a focused sales pitch that shows what you have to offer.

 Question: What is your greatest strength?

 Answer: If you are an excellent problem solver, tell a story that demonstrates this in a previous job or position. If you are very organized then give an example of how you keep yourself organized in your job or daily life.

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 Question: What is your greatest weakness?

 Answer: You can answer this question by framing your positives and turning the “weaknesses” into strengths. You can also share examples of skills that you have improved and provide specific examples of “weaknesses” or skills that you have improved upon or learned more about on your own. Give examples of how you recognized a certain weakness and then took steps to correct it.

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Ways to Close the Interview

 Thank the interviewer for their time and the interview

 Ask a question about the company or ask the interviewer when they will let you know something regarding the job if they do not tell you

 Confirm your interest in the job again

 Reiterate why you think that you would be good for the position

 Ask about any training or requirements for the job if you get hired

 Address or go over any mistakes from the interview or clarify any previous answers

 Ask a question about the position’s schedule expectations and maybe mention that the schedule would be perfect for you personally

 Understand the next steps after the interview

How to Follow Up after the Interview

 Send a thank you and follow-up email or

letter to the interviewer

 Keep in touch with the interviewer even if you don’t get the job, another job at the company could come available and it shows you are interested in working at the company

 Be polite and courteous even if you did not get the job

Also Remember:

 Make sure that your cover sheet, resume, reference pages, etc, are all typed and formatted neatly and organized.

 Be sure that there are no misspellings on any of your paperwork, cover sheet or resume

 Be sure to be on time for your interview

 Look put-together and neat

 Dress professionally

 Act confident but be polite and sincere

 Turn cellphone completely off or turn all ringers/vibrate off