Professional Year Program

Accelerating Interview Skills

Interview Preparation

This module addresses the following elements:

 Explain the selection process

 Define the purpose of interviews
 Identify and describe different types of interviews
 Understand the importance of personal branding
 Describe how to create an effective LinkedIn profile
 Prepare for and participate in a telephone screening (AIS: TSRP)
 Identify different employment tests and complete one
 Examine the preparation required for a face-to-face interview

1 | Learner Guide | 20180404 v1.1 AIS IP © Performance Education 2017

Interview Preparation
Activity 1.1: Warmer - Practicing Closed Questions
Your trainer will stick a ‘mystery profession’ on each
student’s back.
 While mingling with other students you may ask closed
questions (only one per student) to guess your
profession.
 The first to guess correctly wins!

Activity 1.2: The Interview Process

Search for
job
opportunities

2
 Activity 1.3: The Purpose of an Interview

What purpose
do they
Why do we serve?
have job
interviews?

Record notes from your discussion in the space below:

Activity 1.4: Your Interview Experience

Discussion - What interview experience have you had in the past?

3 | Learner Guide | 20180404 v1.1 AIS IP © Performance Education 2017

 Activity 1.5: Interview Types
Write the interview types in the table below. Describe key characteristics of the
interview next to the bullet points.

1. Recruitment agency interview 2. Employer Organisation

 
 
3. A panel interview 4. A group interview
 
 
5. Telephone interview 6. A video conference/skype interview
 
 
7. A technical interview 8. A coffee shop interview
 
 
9. Internship interview 10. second and third round interview
 
 
11. Job shadowing 12. Selfie interview
 
 

Who is likely to be
interviewing you for Who ultimately
an accounting/ICT decides who gets
position? the job?

4
 Activity 1.6: Personal Branding

A survey commissioned by Microsoft revealed that 86% of human resources

professionals said that a positive online reputation influences a job
candidate's application to some extent.
In the same survey, it showed that 70% of hiring managers rejected an
applicant based on online information.
Online Reputation in a Connected World - Microsoft

Part A

If your present or
potential employer
searched for you
online, what would
they find?

What might turn them

What can you do to off from wanting to
control your online meet or employ
presence? someone?
What things are
they looking for?
The video clip describes how people and brands are blending. Especially when
people are looking for a job, they need to consider their own “personal branding”.
According to the video, what are some key points to remember when developing
your personal brand?

5 | Learner Guide | 20180404 v1.1 AIS IP © Performance Education 2017

Part B
People and brands are blending. Personal Branding is the practice of people
marketing themselves and their careers as brands.
Consider the following companies and people – what image do they project to create
their “brand”?
Is ‘personal
branding’ just about
Part C the way you look?
Create a graphic image
(picture) in the box below which you think represents
your personal brand.

Confident
Open
Enthusiastic
Creative
Happy
Professional

6
 Activity 1.7: LinkedIn – Your First Interview

Do you have any tips

What do you know
for creating an
about LinkedIn?
effective LinkedIn
Have you got a profile?
LinkedIn profile?

The following video clip outlines 5 fast ways to improve your LinkedIn profile. Outline
keys areas and additional tips to remember in the table below:

1. headline-summary, experience,
2. change URL, photo, results/achievements


2.


3.


4.


5.



What are some creative

things we can do to
ensure people see our
LinkedIn profiles?

7 | Learner Guide | 20180404 v1.1 AIS IP © Performance Education 2017

 Activity 1.8: The Job Advertisement

How are jobs found or

advertised?

Activity 1.9: Telephone Screening

Part 1
Some employers conduct interviews by telephone — they may do this formally and
schedule a telephone interview in advance, but some may informally call you without
warning. A phone interview can be a screening step before an in-person interview.
Keep in mind that different employers have different methods of screening
candidates, so you should be prepared for all possibilities.

Why might an employer

choose to do a telephone
screening?

You should be prepared for the possibility of receiving a call from an employer
from the moment you make your contact details available - whether on your
resume, an email, an online application, etc.
Don’t be surprised. Be prepared.

8
 Part 2 – Preparing for a Telephone Screening

What advice would you

give someone to help
them prepare for a
telephone screening?

Watch the following video clip which will provide tips for a telephone screening.
Summarise the key points below.

1.prepare like face to face- can’t see u friendly 6.glass of water

go through resume
2.check company website-prepare question to 7.don’t be over sale
ask
3.list what u want to say to interviewer 8.smile/enthusiastic
bullet point
4. stand up 9.record the talk for face to face interview
summarize
5.dress up 10.enjoy the process

Part 3 - Prepare a Professional Sounding Voicemail

Be sure it is appropriate. Keep it simple and with your name clearly stated so the
employer knows they are reaching the intended person, and therefore may be more
likely to leave a message.

Hello, you’ve reached the voice mail of Yub raj

Sorry I can’t answer your call right now.
Please leave your name and number. Ill return your call

9 | Learner Guide | 20180404 v1.1 AIS IP © Performance Education 2017

Part 4 - Practise your Telephone Language
Correct telephone language is vital to creating a positive first impression of your
communication skills.

Highlight the correct word in italics.

1. Hi, I am / this is John speaking
2. Could you spell / write that for me please?
3. I am happy to hear / know from you.
4. Sorry, we got blocked /cut off.
5. OK, just let me read / spell that back to you.
6. Excuse me, could you say that a bit slower/ slowly please?
7. Sorry, can you speak up / louder a bit please?
8. Sorry, I didn’t catch / take that.

Use the words in the box below to complete the phrases for questions 9 – 16.

a) unable e) line i) could

b) suit f) convenience j) afraid
c) sound g) unfortunately k) calling
d) correct h) pleasure l) confirm

9. Sorry, this is a really bad ________line______.

10. Sorry, ________could _________ you repeat that, please?
11. I’m ______afraid_____ I’m on the train right now, could I call you back in an
hour?
12. I’m sorry, I’m__unable__ to talk with you now. Is there a time I can call you
back at your _convinence_?
13. So, just to _confirm_we will meet for an interview this Friday at 11am. Is that
__correct_?
14. I could come in Wednesday morning. How does that _sound_?
15. Unfortunately_, I am away on Tuesday. Is there another time which might
____suit___?
16. Thank you very much for __calling_. It was a _pleasure_ to speak with you.

10
 Part 5 - Inconvenient Timing
If it is inconvenient or inappropriate to receive a call from an employer (e.g. noisy
location, stepping into a lift where you’re likely to lose signal or in a quiet location in
which you should not be speaking on the phone), let the incoming call go to your
voicemail. Return the call promptly from an appropriate location. If you do answer
your phone, and the employer has reached you at a time when you can’t speak with
him/her, it’s perfectly appropriate to politely explain this and offer to call back at a
time convenient to the employer.

Thank you so much for calling. Unfortunately, I am

on the train right now. Can I call you back later at
your continence?

Part 6 - Answering Questions During the Telephone Interview

1. Turn to your Interview Preparation Guide (IPG) and prepare answers for
your telephone screening. The screening will be based on the job
advertisement you chose in Activity 1.8.

11 | Learner Guide | 20180404 v1.1 AIS IP © Performance Education 2017

 Activity 1.9a: Assessment – Telephone Screening
Role Play (AIS: TSRP)
In this activity you will be assessed on your participation in a telephone screening
role play based on the job advertisement you chose in Activity 1.8 and the questions
and answers you prepared in your Interview Preparation Guide (IPG).
During the activities, you should demonstrate the following skills:
 Greet the caller appropriately
 Indicate whether the time is appropriate, if not indicate a suitable time
 Understand questions and be ready to respond to unexpected ones
 Structure answers appropriately
 Use positive language to describe skills and abilities
 Make yourself understood to the listener by speaking clearly and at an
appropriate pace
 Seek clarification appropriately
 End the call appropriately

Activity Instructions
1. In a group of three, each person will take turns in the following roles:
Role Description
 Greets candidate
Interviewer  Asks key questions from the Interview Preparation Guide (IPG)
 Asks additional questions relevant to the job advertisement
 Is prepared to answer questions per those prepared in the Interview
Preparation Guide (IPG)
 Is able to answer additional questions appropriate for the job being
Candidate
applied for
 Pays attention to verbal and non-verbal communication (tone,
emphasis, fillers)
 Is a silent observer of the interview
 Times the interview
 Assesses the Candidate using the Peer Assessor Form in the
Observer/Peer candidate’s Assessment Workbook
Assessor  Takes notes of the Candidates performance - what was done well and
what requires improvement
 Provides constructive verbal and written feedback to the candidate at
the end

12
 2. Decide the order that you will participate in each role.
3. The Candidate will need to inform the Interviewer which job they are applying
for and also give the Observer their Assessment Workbook for completion.
4. The Candidate and Interviewer will role-play the telephone screening back-to-
back whilst the Observer times and records feedback on the interview. The
Candidate may practise with their script before the assessment, if required.
5. Repeat and change roles until everyone has had the opportunity to act in each
role.
6. The telephone screening should last at least 5 minutes and should include the
usual formal greetings and introductions you’d expect at a real telephone
screening.
7. The Candidate will receive verbal and written feedback from the Observer,
who will use their Assessment Workbook as a guide.
8. Finally, reflect on your performance and areas for development using the
“Telephone Screening Self-Reflection” template in your IPG.

AIS:
TSRP

13 | Learner Guide | 20180404 v1.1 AIS IP © Performance Education 2017

 Activity 1.10: Pre-Employment Tests
Many local and international companies in both the private and public sector now
rely on pre-employment tests, such as aptitude and personality tests, to measure
your ‘fit’, or match, for the position you’ve applied for.

Employment tests tell employers what they need to know, not just what you choose
to share with them.
Almost all employment tests are equipped to test if the candidate is being honest or
not. So it is in your best interest to be honest and answer the first thing that comes
to mind instead of trying to manipulate the answers.

What types of employment tests are

commonly used in the employment
process?

Consider the job you chose for your

telephone screening. What type skills and
personality do you think they might test
for?

Go to the following website and complete the personality test -

http://www.humanmetrics.com/hr/jtypesresult.aspx
According to the outcome of the test, what was the description of your personality?

14
 Preparation for a Face-to-Face Interview

What do you need to do to

prepare for a face-to-face
interview?

Here is your opportunity to create a graffiti fence! You will be provided with colourful
markers. Your class will create a graffiti fence which captures clever and practical
ideas for what you need to prepare before a face-to-face interview. Take a photo
of your graffiti fence afterwards as a record of your colourful creation.

15 | Learner Guide | 20180404 v1.1 AIS IP © Performance Education 2017

References

Your online presence http://www.salary.com/dos-and-don-ts-for-

creating-your-online-presence/slide/2/

BBC News Job hunting: How to https://www.youtube.com/watch?

promote yourself online v=QBYuFviU1xg
Tips for LinkedIn – YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=_dRExBRY6nI
Telephone Screening https://www.career.vt.edu/Interviewing/Tel
ephoneInterviews.html#Why
Cambridge English for Job Hunting Colm Downes

Google images

16