interview tips: before, during, after

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Interviewing: Before, During, &

AfterGuide to Answering Difficult Interview Questions

Heather HernandezUTSA ‘07

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SlidesPreparing for InterviewsDay of ChecklistNon-Verbal ImpressionMost Likely to be AskedPost-InterviewAdditional Resources

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Preparing for the Interview

“The best way to get ahead is to start now.”

- William Feather

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Homework Email HR for clarification Research the job description Research the company Based on research, practice interview questions

Nice to Haves: Curate online presence Review existing employees/roles on LinkedIn Know someone who knows someone

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Ask Questions Who will be interviewing me? What style of interview will it be? How long will the interview last? Is there anything additional I can bring?

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Study the Job DescriptionBusiness Applications Analyst Analyzes business and technical information and provides analytical support

to business decisions making; collaborates with internal customers to understand business needs and opportunities

Provides intermediate to complex analysis supporting the planning and implementation of systems and upgrades and process changes; coordinates, prepares, and delivers training to customers and peers that cover new or upgraded applications and processes; leads / participates in development and / or maintenance of business analytics and decision support solutions

Performs and may coordinate business and application support; analyzes discrepancies and system failures; facilitates and performs resolution activities to minimize business impact and avoid future exposure; informs team leadership and business partners of business implications associated with those events and develops recommendations to mitigate future impact

Advises customers on matters related to overall business analytics and decision support solutions; maintains understanding of business processes, supporting applications, and strategic direction; collaborates and exchanges information with team members, customers, and information services to ensure dependencies, risks, and opportunities are identified

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Study the Company Understand company’s mission Read press reviews Personalize interview questions and answers with company in mind! Do you even like the company?!

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Network

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Be Prepared

(Picture by Mashable)

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Pre-Interview ChecklistTO BRING Pen

Works Doesn’t Leak

Resume Tidy Notepad

Pre-written questions

Take notes

TO DO Slept, eaten Leave EARLY Ask for the

interviewer’s card Check appearance

Teeth, Shirt, Pants Phone on silent!

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All the Things You Didn’t Say…

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Reminders

Open body language Create trust and be friendly Make eye contact Strong handshake (not crushing) Follow their lead

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Interviewer

This isn’t their full-time gig They might be switching gears from a hectic day You are not their only interview

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Story Teller Strengths and weaknesses Goals and objectives Personal and professional:

Must haves Nice to Haves Can’t haves

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Tell me a little bit about yourself Are you prepared and organized? Why should I keep listening? Keep it academic and professional.

Little about me…

You got the job!

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Tell me how you handled an ethical dilemma.

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What do you expect to be doing five years from now?

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Think Outside the BoxDr. Art Markman: Most creative people in any field are people who have a tremendous

amount of knowledge Openness reflects how much you are motivated to consider new ideas,

concepts, and experiences. Whenever you want to think about a problem or situation differently, you

have to ask your memory a different question. 

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Success or FailureQuestion

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What question do you have for me? How long have you been at this company? What have you done here? What does a typical day in this position look like? What opportunities are there for career advancement? What kind of influence can entry level employees have? What emphasis/opportunities for continued education and training are there?

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“Opportunities don’t happen, you create them.”

- Chris Grosser

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Warning Ahead:Interviewer Should Not Ask Race Age Religion Marital Status Pregnant or future pregnancy considerations Disabilities

Assume positive intent.

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Its Not Over Until Its Over

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Dear <<INTERVIEWER’s NAME>>, I hope you’re having a great week? <<MENTION

SOMETHING PERSONAL INTERVIEWER MENTIONED DURING INTERVIEW.>>

I am even more excited about the <<POSITION NAME>> and working at <<COMPANY>> after our interview. <<EXCITED ABOUT ???>> When you talked about <<JOB TASK>> I knew my experience doing <<SOMETHING RELATED TO JOB TASK>> would help in preparation for that role.

I continue to work hard in my remaining classes but if there’s additional focus that might help me prepare for this industry, please let me know. Please let me know if there’s additional information I can provide. I look forward to hearing back and cannot tell you how much I appreciated your time.

Thank You

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Questions?Keep in touch!

geekettebits.comtwitter.com/geekettebits

linkedin.com/in/heatherhernandez

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Additional Resources

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Phrases to Avoid