From Interview to Offer

Key Job Interview TacticsSTC Interview Workshop

Mercer University School of EngineeringMarch 30, 2005

Preparation is the Key

Be ready to answer recruiters’ questions by doing company research. Product lines, services offered Locations Current events Mission and goals Corporate culture

Set the right tonefor your interview Stress your best qualities through:

Appearance Demeanor Eye contact Word choice Tone of voice Body language

Know your rights Illegal questions probe into your private life or

personal background. Forbidden by federal law. Can’t discriminate based on these things:

Sex or sexual preference Religion Age Marital Status Whether you have or plan to have children

Recruiters seek12 types of information Your passion for their

business Motivation, purpose Skills, experience Diligence,

professionalism Creativity, leadership Compatibility with job

Personality, cultural compatibility

Management style, interpersonal skills

Problem-solving ability Career aspirations Accomplishments Personal interests, hobbies

Your passion for their business

Recruiter needs to know you’re a good match for their company.

Examples: Why are you interested in working in this field in this

industry? Why would you be particularly good at this business? How do you stay current? Why do you think this industry would sustain your

interest over time? Where do you want to be in five years?

Motivation, purpose

Recruiter needs to know why this interview is important to you.

Examples: Tell me what you know about this company. What‘s your favorite product made by our company? Why do you want to work here? What particular aspect of this company interests you

most? Tell me what you think our distinctive advantage is

within the industry.

Skills, experience

Recruiter needs to know why you’re the best candidate.

Examples: What are your key skills? How will you use your key skills in this job? How is your experience relevant to this job? What skills do you think are most critical to this job? If you needed to stay at your current job, what would

you spend more time on? Why?

Diligence, professionalism

Your professional character: thoroughness, diligence, accountability

Examples: Give an example of how you saw a project through,

despite obstacles. Describe a time when you tackled a tough or

unpopular assignment. Describe a professional skill you’ve developed in your

most recent job. What personal skill or work habit have you struggled

to improve?

Creativity, leadership

Give examples of your initiative, resourcefulness, leadership abilities.

Examples: What color is your brain? Consider the following scenario . . . Describe the situations in which you are most

comfortable as a leader. Describe your comfort level working with people of

higher rank and people of lower rank.

Compatibility with this job

Interviewer needs to know your qualifications, skills, related experiences.

How you fit position requirements. Examples:

What interests you most about this job? What interests you least about this job? What concerns you most about performing this job? What is your most productive or ideal work setting?

Personality, cultural compatibility

Recruiter needs to know how you work with others personality types and how clients will relate to you.

Examples: What would your friends tell me about you? Describe your personality beneath the professional

image. How will you complement this department? Tell me what you learned from a recent book. Are you most productive working alone or in a group?

Management style, interpersonal skills

What kind of colleague will you be? Examples:

Tell me about an effective manager, supervisor or other person in a leading role you’ve known.

What type of people do you work with most effectively?

How do you organize and plan for major projects? Describe a time when you’ve worked under intense

pressure. What aspect of your management style would you like

to change?

Problem-solving ability

Recruiter needs to learn how you resolve difficult or challenging issues.

Examples: How do your technical skills, combined with other

skills, add to your effectiveness on the job? How do you usually go about solving a problem? How do you measure the success of your work? Tell me about the most difficult problem you’ve ever

dealt with?

Accomplishments

Recruiter needs to see what you can contribute to the organization.

Examples: Talk about a contribution you’ve made to a team. What accomplishment is your greatest source of

pride? Tell me about a need you fulfilled within a group. What situations do your colleagues rely on you to

handle?

Career Aspirations

Do your goals match the company’s goals? Examples:

Where do you hope that your career will have progressed to in the next few years?

Since this will be your first career position, how do you know you’ll like the career path?

Why is this the right job for you at this time in your career?

What new challenges would you enjoy? Tell me about your salary expectations.

Personal interests, hobbies

Recruiter needs to know that your personal and career goals are compatible.

Examples: What outside activities complement your work

interests? What do you do to relax? Our company believes that employees should give

time back to the community. How do you feel about it?

Questions you might ask Never leave without asking questions. Examples:

Assuming I were hired and performed well, what additional opportunities might be open to me?

Your firm has a terrific reputation in marketing. What are the major insights into the marketing process that I might gain from this position?

I’d really like to work for your firm. I think it’s a great company and I’m confident I can do this job well. What’s the next step in the selection process?

Zingers!

Interview questions

you may not want to hear

Tell me about a project in which you were disappointed with your personal performance.

Describe roadblocks and what you did to get around them.

How have your skills come into play? In hindsight, what could you have done

differently? What lessons have you learned?

What would you do if I told you that I think you are giving a poor interview today?

This is a stress question meant to see how well you hold up under pressure.

Stay calm and relaxed. Don’t allow your confidence to be shaken.

Tell me about your most difficult work or personal experience.

Shows how you hold up under pressure. Describe a situation (personal or professional)

that involved a great deal of conflict and challenge and placed you under an unusual amount of stress. Don’t reveal anything that would be covered by an

“illegal question.” What specific problems did you face? How did you resolve them?

If this were your first annual review with our company, what would I be telling you right now?

Present a positive impression. Don’t say something like, “I wish you’d show up

on time more often.” Focus on one or two of your key strengths.

How have you handled criticism of your work?

Shows your accountability and professional character.

Describe a specific project or work habit that caused you a problem until you faced up to it and overcame it.

Or describe a time you responded objectively and professionally to particularly harsh criticism of your work.

What aspects of your work are most often criticized?

Recruiter is trying find your weaknesses. Give an example from an early job. Tell what you did to overcome the situation and

improve your work. Discuss how failure inspired you to pay more

careful attention to detail in your work.

Tell me about a problem you’ve had getting along with a work associate.

Avoid talking about a personality clash. Focus on differences in work ethics or culture

between you and associate. Focus on something with which the interviewer

may empathize. Describe someone whose standards of

excellence were lower than yours.

Why weren’t your grades better?

Relax. You already match their basic criteria, including education requirements.

Helps interviewer judge how you handle adversity.

Don’t be defensive or place blame. Put a positive spin on question.

Was there a course that you found particularly challenging?

Question shows how well you respond to difficult situations.

Demonstrate that you won’t fold in the face of difficulty.

Show that you’re willing to put in the extra effort to meet a challenge.

Why didn’t you participate in more extracurricular activities?

Interviewer needs to know you have interests outside school or work so you won’t suffer burnout.

Talk about less formal activities like reading, physical fitness, running, hiking that aren’t team sports.

Focus on volunteerism, community service.

After Your Interview

Follow up Ask yourself these key questions:

What does the position entail? What do like and dislike about the job and the

company? Did I make any mistakes or have trouble answering

interview questions? Do I feel that I was well prepared? If not, what can I do to improve on future interviews?

Write A Thank-You Letter

Express appreciation for interview time. Express continued enthusiasm for position and

company. Recap strengths as they relate to job

requirements. Answer any questions you couldn’t answer

during interview. Request a follow-up interview.

After the Offer . . . Consider start date Job title and associated responsibilities Work environment Salary, overtime, compensation Bonus structure Tuition reimbursement Vacation, parental leave policy Pension plan Travel requirements

Office of Career ServicesMercer University478.301.2863

www.mercer.edu/career

Information for this presentation from taken from

The 250 Job Interview Questions You’ll Most Likely be Asked and the Answers That Will Get You Hired!

by Peter VerukiDirector of Career Planning and Placement at the

Owen Graduate School of Management Vanderbilt University.

(Adams Media Corp. 1999)