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Chapter 9
Job Interviews, Follow-Up Messages,
Job Offers, and First Jobs
Interview Strategy
Preparation
Interview Channels
During the Interview
Kinds of Interviews
After the Interview
First Jobs
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Develop an Interview Strategy
1. What do you want the interviewer to
know about yourself?
2. What disadvantages or weaknesses
do you need to minimize?
3. What do you need to know about the
job and the organization to decide on
a job offer?

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Preparation: What to Take
 Extra copies of your résumé
 Notepad, pen, and list of questions
 Copies of your work or a portfolio
 Reference information

A low-cost briefcase will carry

these items

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During: Behavior
 Practice active listening
 Do not monopolize interviews with
lengthy monologues
 Never say anything bad about current
or former employers, including schools
 Be enthusiastic
 Be yourself—your best self

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During: Behavior
 Review your accomplishments; know your
self-worth
 Remember these basics
 Look at people when you talk; don’t mumble
 Sit up straight; mind your table manners
 Turn your cell phone off
 Order non-messy foods
 Look for signs of organizational culture

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During: Note-Taking
 Record the following briefly during or
right after the interview
 Interviewer’s name (or names)
 Advice given to you
 What they liked about you
 Negative points discussed
 Answers to your questions
 When you’ll hear from company

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Interview Questions
1. Tell me about yourself
- Focus on several strengths to show you’re a good
candidate.
- Give examples to these strengths.
- Provide professional, nor personal, information.

2. Walk me through your résumé

- Highlight your best features and offer reasons for major
decisions.
- Why did you choose this major or field of study, this
college? Use professional reasons.
- This should be no longer than 3 minutes, maintain eye
contact and do not read from your résumé

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Interview Questions …continued
3. What makes you think you’re qualified to work for
this company? OR I’m interviewing 120 people for
two jobs. Why should I hire you?
- Use this question as an opportunity to state your
strong points: your qualifications, things that
distinguish you from other applicants.

4. What two or three accomplishments have given you

the greatest satisfaction?
- Pick accomplishments that you’re proud of.
- Focus on the problem-solving, thinking and
innovation skills that made the achievement
possible.

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Interview Questions …continued
5. Why do you want to work for us? What is your ideal
job?
- Make 2 – 3 reasons.
- Do some search about the company before you go
to the interview.

6.What college subjects did you like best and least?

Why?
- If your favorite subject is not related to your major,
focus on the skills you learned during this course
(e.g. presentation skills, group work, …etc)

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Interview Questions …continued
7. What is your class rank? Your grade point? Why are
your grades so low?
- If your grades aren’t great, think of an nondefensive
explanation. “When I started, I didn’t have firm
goals.” OR “I’m not good at multiple choice tests, but
I am good at working with people.”

8. What have you read recently? What movies had you

seen recently?
- These questions are either used as icebreakers or
to probe your intellectual depth.

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Interview Questions …continued
9. Show me some samples of your writing.
- Could be asked if the job requires the ability
to write well.

10. Describe a major problem you have

encountered in your work and how you dealt
with it.
- Choose a problem that was not your fault.
- In your solution, stress skills you know the
company will be seeking.
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Interview Questions …continued
11. What are your interests outside work? What campus or
community activities have you been involved in?
- Mention on activities that show skills and knowledge
you can use on the job.

12. What have you done to learn about this company?

- Could be asked to know what you already know about
the company so the interviewer does not repeat it.
- Could also be asked to measure how active you were
before going to the interview.

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Interview Questions …continued
13. What adjectives would you use to describe
yourself?
- Use only positive ones
- Be ready to offer examples of something
you’ve done.

14What is your greatest strength?

- It is usually asked so the interviewers would
know something about your values.
- Pick a strength related to your work
- Give examples.
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Interview Questions …continued
15. What is your greatest weakness?
- Use a work-related negative

[For a creative job in advertising] I don’t like

accounting. I know it’s important, but I don’t
like it. I even hire someone to do my taxes.
I’m much more interested in being creative
and working with people, which is why I find
this position interesting.

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Interview Questions …continued
16. Why are you looking for another job?
- Stress what you’re looking for in a
new job; not why you want to get away
from your old on.
- Focus on more skills or experience
you want to gain from another job.

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Interview Questions …continued
17. What questions do you have?
- It gives you a chance to cover things the
interviewer hasn’t brought up.
- It’s NOT the time to bring up salary or fringe
benefits.

e.g. - What would I be doing on a day-to-day basis?

- What king of training program do you have?
- How do you evaluate employees? How often do
you review them?

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