Interview skills/Content and readings/Fall 2017/Week 3

Week 3 - Critical Success Factors for Interviews

The interviewing stage of your job search is where you will have an opportunity to convince employers that you are the right person they are looking for! You need a plan of action - you must take the initial steps necessary to help you prepare for that exciting, yet often anxiety-producing interview that lies ahead.

These article describes techniques and tactics to study prior to your first interview and differentiates between competency and behavioral answers. For example, click on Top 10 Critical Success Factors to learn about personality traits, skills, and abilities that "nearly every employer is seeking." To rise above the competition, the author suggests to prepare to show your competence in as many areas as possible. Links are listed that lead to many relevant articles such as the ones below."

Readings

• Practice Tips and Activities to Improve Your Interview Skills in Huffington Post.
• The Job Interview: All Time Classic Do's and Don'ts in LinkedIn blog post.
• Interview Tips: Dos and Don'ts for College Students in Career Profiles.
• Mastering the Interview from CollegeGrad. (Read at least 6 of the readings.)

1. Top Ten Critical Success Factors
2. The Eight Types of Interview Questions
3. Fifty Standard Interview Questions
4. Ten Tough Interview Questions and Ten Great Answers
5. What to Do If You Are Asked an Illegal Question
6. One Interview Question that Nearly Every College Student Fails

Videos

• Before the Interview: Interviewing Skills (4:20), Saylor

Interview Goals & Logistics

Tip: Reduce the possibility of surprises by knowing your goals and interview logistics (e.g., name and title of the person you'll be seeing; approximate travel time; transportation options; parking, etc.

On the day of the interview, be confident, well informed, and enthusiastic. Debra Wolf's article also includes a helpful Interview Preparation Checklist and a Job Interviewing Quiz in this article on Job Interviews.

Readings

• Interviews from Debra Wolf in Trusty Guides. Retrieved August 9, 2017.

Dress for Success & Create a Positive First Impression

Tip: Dress to impress. For interviews, it's always better to dress up - even if everyone is in casual shirts and jeans. It's expected that the new person will dress this way, and it's a sign of respect - for the employer and you!

"You never get a second chance to make a good first impression." These articles offer suggestions for appropriate clothing, grooming, and jewelry, and remind us that, "The way you dress is how you want an employer to think of you.

Readings

• Interview Dress Suggestions from Kentucky Office of Employment and Training.
• Dress for Success from North Dakota State University Career Center.. (Read the introduction and click on an industry under male or female to learn the critique of the model's appearance.)
• Is Hiding Body Art During Interviews, Then Revealing It on the Job, Deceptive?, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

Nonverbal Interviewing Skills (Body Language)

Tip: Nonverbal skills / body language can account for as much as 70% of communication. Be aware of your tone, eye contact, responsiveness and enthusiasm - they really make a difference!

Readings - Candidate's Perspective

• Nonverbal Interviewing Skills, Salisbury University.
• Rutgers Resources for Special Populations, Students with Disabilities; Diverse Students & International Students

Videos - Candidate's Perspective

• Video: 30 Seconds to Impress (6:52), Duke University Career Services

Videos - Hiring Manager's Perspective

• Video Interviewing Technique: Getting It Right (4:24), Gemma Burton
• Video: Body Language that Gets the Job (4:26), Forbes

Culture & Cultural Fit

Tip: Researching the employer's culture to determine (1) whether you fit into the culture; and (2) whether you want to fit into the culture is an important part of the research and interview process.

Readings - Candidate's Perspective

• Interviewing Across Cultures (PDF, 14 pages), Pamela Leri in GoingGlobal.com

Readings - Hiring Manager's Perspective

• 18 Cultural Fit Job Interview Questions to Assess the Candidate's Fit in Your Workplace, by Susan Heathfield, 2017
• Recruiting for Cultural Fit, by Katie Bouton in HBR.org, 2015.
• How to Interview Candidates for Passion and Cultural Fit, by Sharon Waldrop in Monster.com
• Seven Tips for Interviewing Culturally-Diverse Candidates, Monster.com
• 16 of the Best Job Interview Questions to Ask Candidates (And What to Look for in Their Answers), by Lindsay Kolowich, HubSpot blog, 2017.