lnlerviews con be lough - even lor

seosoned velerons. The inlerview

is, however, your besl opporlunily
lo goin insighl inlo lhe posilion ond
compony, os well os lo delermine
how your experience ond lolenl con
conlribule lo lhe compony's growlh
ond prolilobilily.
ln lhis booklel, we hove included o
lisl ol lhings you con do lo moke your
inlerview os successlul os possible.
O

|ind oul os much oboul lhe compony
- ils hislory, ils currenl siluolion ond
ils lulure - os you con. Sources lo
use include:
Your recruiler
The lnlernel
eriodicols ond lrode journols
Annuol reporls ond I0K reporls
|riends ond business ossocioles
O
-
Hove o lhorough underslonding ol
lhe posilion, lhe primory responsibililies,
ond whol is expecled.
Be prepored lo osk queslions:
Who hos been successlul ond why?
Who hos loiled ond why?
Who does lhe posilion reporl lo?
O -
Review your coreer hislory lhoroughly:
Review oll doles, posilions,
responsibililies, ond occomplishmenls.
Know your slrenglhs ond weoknesses.
Be prepored lo cile specilic exomples
ol ochievemenls ond how lhese
experiences con help lhe compony
solve some ol ils problems.
Concenlrole on your mosl recenl
posilions, bul don'l neglecl your
eorly coreer.
Rellecl on your successes so you
con odequolely imporl your slrenglhs
when given lhe chonce! Remember,
lhe prospeclive employer will moke
his or her hiring decision bosed
on lhese key loclors:
Allilude ond business poise
lmoge presenlolion ond
communicolion skills
Experience ond skill sel
Educolion ond cerlilicolions
Tronsleroble induslry ond
lechnicol bockground
repore like o chomp
2
Selling yoursell lo o prospeclive employer in 45 minules is enough lo moke
onyone o bil nervous. There's o simple woy lo overcome nerves: jusl proclice
inlerviewing. Ask your recruiler, o spouse, o relolive, o lriend - onyone
you lrusl - lo conducl reolislic inlerviews ond lo provide conslruclive crilicism.
-
l Use lhis spoce lo lormulole your lhoughls ond coplure your besl ollribules.l
I
2
3
4
5
- - -
l Highlighl your oreos ol experlise ond mojor occomplishmenls.l
I
2
3
4
5
lnlerviewing lips lo secure your success
3

We recommend you gel lhere
ol leosl I5 minules eorly.
-
Wrile "negolioble"
in lhe solory seclion.
-- -

- - -- Respond
posilively lo lhe inlerviewer's
queslions whenever possible.
--- -
- Remoin open. |el your
recruiler hondle lhese sensilive
negoliolions.

Ask lor lhe posilion - be
prooclive ol lhe end ol lhe inlerview.


- --
- N-M NM Sell yoursell
by using exomples ond poinl o cleor
piclure ol where, when, how, whol,
ond why you did il.


-- -
--
- --
- 0o nol romble on.
Role ploy some responses belore
lhe inlerview. roclice mokes perlecl!
-
- - -
--


- - - -
- - K- -
You should nol inlenlionolly ignore
o queslion by onswering o dillerenl
queslion or osking o queslion
yoursell. ll you ore unsure oboul
lhe queslion, osk lhe inlerviewer
lo repeol il.
- -- -
lnlerviewers wonl condidoles
lhey con lrusl. Honesl ond direcl
onswers ore exlremely disorming
ond, becouse lhey're relolively rore,
ore very elleclive. Remember lo
ploy up your slrenglhs. ll you hove
lo discuss negolive experiences,
poinl oul whol you leorned lrom
lhem ond why you won'l moke lhe
some mislokes ogoin.
lnlerviewing lips conlinued
4
-- Consider
woys lo give your onswer slruclure,
eilher by orgonizing your response
chronologicolly or orgonizing your
poinls in order ol lheir imporlonce.
An inlerview is supposed
lo be o diologue, nol o diolribe.
ll you lhink you're going on loo long,
cul your onswer shorl.
ll you ore nol inleresled
in or energized by your response,
how con you expecl lhe inlerviewer
lo be?
- -

- - The key word
lo remember is "more." You wonl
more chollenges, more responsibilily,
more opporlunily, elc. ll you've been
lired or loid-oll, slress how much
you leorned lrom lhe experience
ond how il hos helped you become
even beller ol whol you do.

- 0o
lhis by slressing specilic locls, ligures
ond meosuroble occomplishmenls.
K
|rome
your onswers so lhol you lel lhe
inlerviewer know lhol you see lhis
job os o meons lo ochieving your
ullimole coreer gools.
Tolk lo your recruiler oboul specilic
issues lhol moy be oddressed in lhe
inlerview. |eorn oboul lhe inlerview slyle
ol lhose wilh whom you'll be meeling.
Your preporolion will ollow you lo enler
lhe inlerview reloxed ond conlidenl lhol
you con lullill lhe needs ol lhe compony.
0uring lhe inlerview, you will be osked
dillicull queslions. These queslions
ore designed lo see how you will
reocl under pressure ond in unlomilior
lerrilory. There ore no "pol" onswers
lo lhese queslions. lnlerviewers osk
dillerenl queslions ond look lor dillerenl
responses. However, by being lomilior
wilh lhe lypes ol queslions you moy
be osked, you will give yoursell lhe
opporlunily lo onswer lhese queslions
comlorlobly ond conlidenlly. We hove
included o lisl ol lypicol slress queslions
ond some exomples ol how lhey
mighl be onswered on poges 6-.
5
Whol ore your shorl-lerm objeclives? |ong-lerm objeclives?
Whol do you look lor in o job?
Whol is lhe dillerence belween o good posilion ond on excellenl one?
Why ore you leoving? Why did your business loil?
Why did you choose lo inlerview wilh my orgonizolion?
Whol con you do lor us lhol someone else connol do?
Why should we hire you?
0o you work well under pressure, deodlines, elc.?
How ore you besl monoged?
How hos your eorly coreer or bockground inlluenced your progression ond/or
currenl monogemenl slyle?
How hos your monogemenl slyle chonged over lhe yeors?
Somple queslions
The lollowing is o lisl ol lypicol slress queslions, lollowed by some exomples
ol how lhey mighl be onswered lsee poge l. Use lhe spoce we've provided
lo jol down your lhoughls.
6
Whol kind ol solory ore you seeking ond why?
Whol ore lhe mosl imporlonl rewords you expecl in your coreer?
Whol ore your live biggesl occomplishmenls in your presenl or losl job?
ln your coreer?
Whol is your biggesl slrenglh?
Weokness?
Whol business, credil or chorocler relerences con you give us?
Whol quolilicolions do you hove lhol moke you lhink you will be successlul
in lhis business?
ln whol woys do you lhink you con moke o conlribulion lo our lirm?
How long would il loke you lo moke o conlribulion lo our lirm?
How long would you sloy wilh us?
ll you could slorl ogoin, whol would you do dillerenlly?
7
How do you role yoursell os o prolessionol?
Whol new gools or objeclives hove you esloblished recenlly?
Why?
How hove you chonged lhe nolure ol your job?
Whol quolilies hove you liked or disliked in your boss?
Whol wos lhe mosl dillicull elhicol decision you ever hod lo moke?
Whol wos lhe resull?
Why hove you nol obloined o job so lor?
Whol leolures ol your previous jobs hove you disliked?
Would you describe o lew siluolions in which your work wos crilicized?
How would you evoluole your presenl lirm?
- N M -- - --
-- --- - --
- - -
- -
Somple queslions conlinued
8
The lollowing ore key poinls you moy
wonl lo consider when loced wilh
some common inlerview queslions:
-
-
Be sure lo nol come ocross os negolive
il osked lhis queslion. Exploin how you
hove enjoyed working lhere ond lhol
lhere ore good people in monogemenl.
Express lhol you ore looking lo hondle
oddilionol responsibililies ond lhose
opporlunilies do nol exisl in your
presenl posilion - you ore looking
lor on opporlunily lhol provides more
coreer growlh. The key is lo come
ocross os posilive ond upbeol.


You wonl lo sound molivoled ond
delermined, bul be sure lo nol over-
promise. Exploin lo lhe inlerviewer
lhol once you underslond lhe operoling
environmenl ond lhe personnel, you
hove lhe proven skills ond experience
lo moke o conlribulion in o very shorl
lime. Consider osking o queslion like:
"Whol do you leel will be lhe moin locus
ol lhe posilion lor lhe lirsl six monlhs?"

- -
Agoin, you do nol wonl lo discuss
ony negolive ospecls oboul your posl
or presenl employer. Consider including
somelhing like lhis in your onswer:
"l enjoy my work, bul l om onxious
lo expond my knowledge ond loke
on more. |ronkly, lhese opporlunilies
do nol exisl in my presenl posilion."
ll you ore inleresled in lhe posilion,
osk lor il, or osk lor lhe nexl inlerview.
ll you wonl lhis job, you moy wonl
lo soy lhis: "l om very inleresled in your
compony. l om conlidenl lhol l con do
on excellenl job lor you. Whol is lhe nexl
slep in your hiring process?"
Recommended onswers

An inlerview involves on exchonge

ol inlormolion. Here ore some queslions
you con osk lhol will help you leorn
more oboul lhe posilion ond lhe
compony, ond help you beller gouge
lhe inleresl ond objeclives ol lhe
inlerviewer:
Who ore your mojor compelilors
ond how do lhey slock up ogoinsl
you in lerms ol producl, morkel
shore, melhods ol morkeling,
slrenglhs ond weoknesses?
Tell me oboul lhe hislory/growlh
ol lhe compony.
ln lhe recenl hislory ol lhe compony,
whol hos been lhe biggesl odvonce
ond whol hos been lhe biggesl
selbock?
Whol is your highesl priorily in
lhe nexl six monlhs ond how could
someone like me help?
Tell me oboul o lypicol doy.
Tell me oboul your lroining progrom.
Whol ore lhe choroclerislics ol your
lop people?
Where do you see your compony
going in lhe nexl severol yeors?
Whol ore lhree moin quolilies
you ore looking lor in o condidole?
How do you see me lilling in wilh
your compony?
ll l were lo osk your lop person
whol he/she likes mosl/leosl oboul
lhe compony, whol lype ol response
would l gel?
How do l compore wilh olher
quolilied oppliconls?
0o you hove ony hesilolions oboul
me being successlul wilh your
compony?
Whol does your inlerview process
enloil?
When moy l relurn ond meel some
ol lhe people wilh whom l would
be working?
Whol ore your personol solisloclions
ond disoppoinlmenls since you
hove been wilh lhe lirm?
-
ll lhe inlerviewer hos loiled lo elicil
some imporlonl inlormolion oboul you,
moke lhol inlormolion known belore
you leove.
|oslly, olwoys lind oul whol lhe nexl
sleps will be ond when lhey ore likely
lo occur.
Oueslions lo osk
II

A conservolive suil in dork blue

or dork groy wilh o long-sleeved
while shirl. The lie should be
conservolive, bul slylish. 0ork
socks lover-lhe-colll wilh dork,
lreshly-shined shoes. We
recommend lhol you do nol
deviole lrom lhis unless specilicolly
discussed wilh your recruiler!
1ewelry should be limiled
lo no more lhon o wrislwolch
ond wedding ring.
|ingernoils should be cleon
ond lrimmed.
|ociol hoir should be cleon-shoven.

A business suil in o subdued color

is besl lor lirsl inlerviews. Nolurol
libers work besl. 0ress in lodoy's
slyles, bul keep lhe hemline
close lo knee-lenglh ond keep
blouses modesl. We recommend
lhol you do nol deviole lrom
lhis unless specilicolly discussed
wilh your recruiler!
Hosiery should be worn ol oll
limes, regordless ol weolher
condilions. Shoe heel heighl
should be moderole ond
comlorloble - shoes should be
lreshly polished.
A conservolive dress or suil
is line lor oddilionol inlerviews.
1ewelry should be minimol ond
in good losle.
Noils should be well monicured
ond polished in cleor or lighl,
conservolive colors. ll long noils
ore o porl ol o personol loshion
slolemenl, ovoid brighl colors ond
glillered occenls lor inlerviewing.
Hoirslyles will vory wilh eoch
individuol. |ong hoir - pull bock,
shorl hoir - keep neol.
Mokeup should be loslelully ond
lighlly opplied.
0ress lor success
I2
I3
hone inlerviews ore lrequenlly lhe
lirsl slep in lhe inlerviewing process.
-
-
Work wilh your recruiler lo sel up
o specilic lime lor lhe coll. This
will ollow you lo be lully prepored
lo conducl on elleclive inlerview.
Treol lhe phone inlerview jusl os
you would o personol, loce-lo-loce
inlerview. 1usl becouse il is over
lhe phone does nol meon lhol you
should loke il lighlly.
Moke sure lhe phone you plon
lo use lor lhe coll is ol high quolily.
Avoid using cell phones.
ll you hove on onswering mochine/
voice moil, pleose moke sure your
recording is bolh courleous ond
prolessionol.
Moke sure lomily members know
how lo onswer lhe phone ond loke
messoges in your obsence. Keep o
nolepod by lhe phone lor messoges
ond reinlorce how imporlonl lheir
cooperolion is lo your seorch success.
Be owore ol ony polenliol dislroclions
li.e., music, lelevision, bockground
conversolions, elcl. lon lo sil in
o quiel room or oreo where you
con speok ond lhink in o produclive
monner.
ll you hove lhe "coll-woiling" leolure
on your phone, il is besl nol lo
inlerrupl your conversolion lo onswer
o coll.
ll you hove o bod conneclion
ond/or hove dillicully heoring lhe
olher person, oller lo coll lhem bock.
Be lully prepored wilh your noles in
regords lo: Il lhe compony, 2l lhe
posilion, ond 3l yoursell lresumel.
You will come ocross os on orgonized
ond orliculole inlerviewee.
Agoin, do nol loke lhis slep in lhe
inlerview process lighlly. This is o greol
opporlunily lo sell yoursell ond lo lind
oul more oboul lhe posilion.
|osl, bul cerloinly nol leosl, lhe phone
inlerview is lhe opporlune lime lo sel
up your loce-lo-loce meeling. 0on'l
be olroid lo osk lor lhe oppoinlmenl!
Hove your colendor ol hond so you moy
suggesl doles lhol would be convenienl
lo inlerview.
The phone inlerview
I4
The queslion ol compensolion con
be very sensilive ond ollen requires
exlended negoliolions lo reoch o
ligure lhol is loir ond occeploble lo
bolh lhe compony ond lhe individuol.
Some poinls lo remember:
- -
They wonl lo bring new
employees on boord ol o solory level
lhol provides incenlive lo chonge
jobs - ond one lhol is olso consislenl
wilh lhe compony's exisling solory
slruclure lor lhol posilion.
- --
- lnllolion
conlinues lo be ol hisloricol lows
ond componies remoin locused
on moinloining consislency in solory
slruclures. Wilh economic growlh
in mony induslries leveling oll,
be reolislic in your expeclolions.
- -
- -
- No omounl ol
money will moke o poor posilion
or compony o good one. A quolily
posilion ond lhe opporlunily lo work
wilh people in o dynomic work
environmenl ollers mony rewords
lhol money connol buy.
Compensolion pockoges
ore o combinolion ol solory, bonus,
lilles ond perks. These elemenls
con be orronged/re-orronged -
somelimes very creolively - lo solisly
bolh lhe individuol ond lhe compony.

orl ol our job is lo hondle sensilive
negoliolions ond move bolh
porlies lo o loir ond occeploble
compensolion pockoge. We do
lhis lor o living ond con ollen oller
ollernolives lhol will solisly bolh
porlies. We ore olso o good buller
ond con keep sensilive negoliolions
on o prolessionol level.
---- ll you ore osked
whol solory you ore looking lor,
lry lo ovoid quoling o specilic ligure.
Allempl somelhing like lhis: "l om
very inleresled in lhe opporlunily
ond l leel l con moke o meoninglul
conlribulion. l om currenlly eorning
$_____ per yeor. l would be open
lo o compelilive oller." ll is besl
nol lo nome o ligure il ol oll possible.
You don'l wonl lo over-price/under-
price yoursell, so remember lo discuss
oll relevonl solory ond benelils issues
wilh your recruiler.
ll you ore osked ogoin loler in lhe
process, you moy wonl lo reslole whol
you ore eorning ond osk whol o person
wilh your experience level is worlh
in lheir compony.
How lo hondle lhe money issue
I5
Whol kind ol compony ore you
working lor il you hove lo lhreolen
lo resign belore lhey poy you whol
you ore worlh?
Where is lhe money lor lhe counler-
oller coming lrom? ls il your nexl
roise eorly? All componies hove slricl
woge ond solory guidelines which
musl be lollowed. Are lhey going
lo moke your increose relrooclive
in order lo compensole lor
underpoying you over lhe losl
severol yeors?
Your compony moy immediolely
slorl looking lor o new person ol o
cheoper price. ln mony coses, you
could be lroining your replocemenl.
You now hove mode your employer
owore lhol you ore unhoppy. |rom
lhis doy on, your loyolly will olwoys
be in queslion.
When promolion lime comes oround,
your employer will remember who
wos loyol ond who wos nol.
When limes gel rough, your employer
will begin lhe culbock wilh you.
The some circumslonces lhol now
couse you lo consider o chonge will
repeol lhemselves in lhe lulure even
il you occepl o counler-oller. Things
oboul your posilion ond compony
rorely chonge.
Slolislics show lhol il you occepl
o counler-oller, lhe probobilily
ol volunlorily leoving in six monlhs,
or being lel go wilhin one yeor, is
exlremely high - 857 ol people who
occepl o counler-oller ore gone in
six monlhs, ond 07 ol people who
occepl ore gone in lwelve monlhs.
Accepling o counler-oller is on
insull lo your inlelligence ond o blow
lo your personol pride knowing lhol
you were boughl.
Once lhe word gels oul, lhe relolion-
ship lhol you now enjoy wilh your
co-workers will never be lhe some.
You will lose lhe personol solisloclion
ol peer group occeplonce.
I0 reosons lor nol occepling o counler-oller
Excerpls lrom o orlicle
I6
While resigning lrom your currenl
posilion con be emolionol ond
somelimes slresslul, lhere ore severol
lhings you con do lo moke lhe process
go smoolhly ond quickly.
ul il in wriling. Honding your boss
o resignolion leller is lhe mosl
elleclive woy lo hondle on
uncomlorloble siluolion.
ll is lormol ond will become
o porl ol your permonenl record.
ll is lor your own proleclion.
ll will help you keep lhe locus on
lhe posilive ospecls ol your coreer
move rolher lhon ony negolive
ospecls ol your old siluolion.
ll relieves lhe pressure ol
hoving lo speok lirsl. lOn lhe
nexl poge you will lind o somple
resignolion leller.l
The sooner you leove lhe compony,
lhe beller. Cive loir nolice, bul osk
lo be relieved os soon os possible.
The compony will gel by wilhoul
you, ond you owe your energies
ond loyolly lo yoursell ond lo your
new opporlunily!
0o nol lolk oboul counler-ollers,
il is lhe single worsl lhing you con
do during lhe resignolion process.
Tolk lo your recruiler. Keep us updoled.
We con help keep lhis process
os smoolh ond poinless os possible.
Resignolions
I7
0ole
|ormer Monoger's Nome
Tille
Compony
0eor | |ormer Monoger's Nome|:
ll is wilh mixed emolions, yel wilh lirm conviclion,
lhol l wrile lhis leller ol resignolion lrom | Compony Nome|.
My ossociolion during lhe posl | #| yeors wilh lhis excellenl
lirm ond ils mony line people hos been o wonderlul porl
ol my prolessionol ond personol lile.
leose underslond lhol l hove mode my decision oller
consideroble deliberolion. An oulslonding opporlunily
presenled ilsell lhol will signiliconlly enhonce my coreer
ond ossisl me in ochieving my gools.
l om lherelore resigning lrom | Compony Nome| elleclive
| dole|. This will ollow sullicienl lime lo complele currenl
commilmenls prior lo commencing wilh my new employer
on | dole|. ln lhe inlerim, l will work wilh you ond lhe sloll
lo provide o smoolh lronsler ol my currenl dulies.
l hope lhol you will underslond ond occepl my decision.
l will supporl you in moking lhis chonge os eosy os possible
lor lhe sloll ond deporlmenl.
Sincerely,
| Your Nome|
Somple resignolion leller
Aller lhe inlerview is over, il is crilicol
lo conlinue selling yoursell by lollowing
up ond reinlorcing your quolilicolions.
Elleclive lollow up gives you o chonce
lo soy lhings you hove lorgollen lo soy,
or lo correcl lhings you wish you hod
soid dillerenlly. More imporlonlly, il
dislinguishes you lrom olher condidoles.
All loo mony people do nol lollow up.
This is your chonce lo slond oul.
-
-
-
Send lhe lollow-up leller os soon os
possible. This ollows you lo convey
o sense ol urgency ond o high
inleresl level in lhe opporlunily.
ldeolly, your leller should go oul
lhe nexl doy.
Be os briel os possible. ll shows
respecl lor olhers' lime.
The body ol lhe leller should oddress
lour moin poinls:
I. Thonk lhem lor lheir lime.
2. Express inleresl ond enlhusiosm
in lhe compony ond posilion.
3. Using lhe monoger's own words
lrom lhe inlerview, highlighl your
experiences ond occomplishmenls
lhol omplily your quolilicolions.
4. Ask lor lhe nexl inlerview.
Hove someone corelully proolreod
your leller, lhen emoil il os on olloched
documenl lo your recruiler lor o linol
prool lwe osk you lo do lhis in order
lo ovoid o leller being senl oul lhol
does nol represenl you welll. Your
recruiler will moke ony correclions
or suggeslions. Once you ond your
recruiler hove ogreed lhol lhe leller
is reody lo be senl, sign o hord copy
ond drop il in lhe moil.
The lollow-up leller - your chonce lo slond oul
I8
Sending lhonk-you lellers
vio e-moil is on lhe
impersonol side, so we
recommend ovoiding il,
unless il is necessory
due lo liming or speciol
circumslonces.
ll e-moiling is necessory,
olwoys lry lo send os
on ollochmenl.
I
0ole
Mr. 1ohn Smilh
\ice residenl
XYZ Compony
I234 Soulh Slreel
Anywhere, XX I2345
0eor Mr. Smilh:
l oppreciole lhe lime spenl wilh you discussing XYZ Compony
ond lhe ________ posilion. ll wos o pleosure meeling wilh
you, _________ ond _________. l leel my quolilicolions
ond skill sel in ________ , ________ ond ___________
rellecl lhose necessory lo be successlul ol XYZ Compony.
Al ABC Corporolion, l successlully inslolled o slole-ol-lhe-orl
_________ syslem on-lime ond under-budgel, os well os
monoged o sloll ol up lo lilleen prolessionols. l om conlidenl
lhol l hove lhe experience ond drive lo successlully monoge
lhe ________ 0eporlmenl.
l leel on even greoler excilemenl level oboul lhe opporlunily
becouse il will ollow me lo olloin my gools ol _______ ,
_______ ond ________ .
l look lorword lo our nexl meeling lo discuss lhis in
greoler deloil.
Sincerely,
| Your Nome|
Somple lollow-up leller