Since every employer has a different hiring strategy, it’s impossible to know exactly which questions and what approach they’ll adopt. However, according to John Shingleton’s Job Interviewing for College Students, nearly half of a typical interview will focus on you and your education, experience, background, attitudes and career objectives. There’s no excuse to be unprepared for a job interview, because you already know the answers to at least half the questions.
In the Toolkit you’ll find a worksheet (Typical Questions Employers Ask) (See Typical Questions Employers Ask) with a list of common questions you’ll encounter in a typical interview. Use it to prepare and practice for your interview.
As you study the list of questions, begin to prepare your responses. It’s best to write the question, followed by your concise, honest reply. Do this until you’ve drafted a response to each question. Review your written answers and revise them to focus on the most important facts you want to bring to the interviewer’s attention. As you practice drafting replies, work to connect experiences and examples from your resume to the job for which you’re applying. Ideally, all your answers should focus on these objectives:
– Responding to the employer’s question
– Revealing positive skills, knowledge and abilities you’re able to contribute
– Relating your experience to the specific job opening
Once you’ve drafted your replies, practice reading them aloud. This step will help you identify obvious omissions, extremely wordy responses, or situations where you’ve really not responded to the question. Re-read the skills and qualities employers value to make sure your replies focus on the employers’ needs, not your own.
You may need to read and edit your responses several times in order to develop the proper balance of concise detail. After you’ve prepared and practiced your interview responses, have a friend or relative ask you the questions in random order, and practice responding to them again. Make notes and refine your replies, based on your practice performance and the feedback you receive.
Savvy companies believe that hiring good people is one of the most important things they do, so their employment processes may be highly refined, sophisticated and demanding. You may be asked to participate in several interviews, each with its own unique structure. The one-on-one interview is the classic approach, but group interviews and serial interviews are also common in both large and small companies. In addition to the number of people involved, there are different interviewing strategies, such as structured, situation or stress interviews.
To avoid being surprised when you arrive at your destination, ask what type of interview process the organization will be using and how many interviewers will be involved. It’s easy to ask these questions when the organization contacts you to schedule the interview. Knowing what type of interview you’re facing will allow you to prepare more effectively and increase the chance that you’ll perform well the day of the interview.
KINDS OF INTERVIEWS
One-on-one interview
This is the classic interview format. Typically, the interviewer is a personnel recruiter or the manager responsible for the vacant position.
Group interview
Two or more people may team up to interview applicants. In some organizations, the personnel manager and the supervising manager will interview together. In other organizations, a variety of managers, staff, and search committee members may be involved.
Structured interview
The structured interview follows a prescribed set of questions that are posed to every applicant interviewed. Theoretically, this allows a number of interviewers to screen quantities of candidates while still maintaining some means of comparing the quality of responses from one candidate to another.
Unstructured interview
This approach is open-ended and allows for more give and take. It also allows more room for error, so if the interviewer hasn’t asked about important points, be sure to bring them up yourself.
Situation interview
Some employers prefer to pose problems rather than ask questions. Hence, after the preliminaries, the interview will describe problem situations and ask you to describe how you would handle them.
Stress interview
Just as it sounds, stress interview questions are designed to assess your abilities under pressure. Take each question one at a time and stay calm.
–From Job Interviewing
IDENTIFYING QUESTIONS TO ASK
Since half of the interview can be anticipated, what does the other half consist of? Typically, employers will ask their own favorite questions, and you’ll have an opportunity to ask your own.
It’s easy to assume that employers will ask the “right” questions because they’re more experienced at this. The truth is, many employers don’t ask the questions that allow you to showcase your best skills and abilities. This means that it is often up to you to bring these points out and to get clarification on any point that is puzzling you.
Make a list of any questions you want to discuss with the interviewer. Memorize this list or take it with you to refer to during the interview. The employer expects you to have questions about the job, the company, and your fit with the position.
Review the list of some of the most common questions applicants ask during job interviews — provided in the Typical Questions Employers Ask worksheet – ( See Typical Questions Employers Ask) and develop your own questions. You’ll have concerns that are specific to you, the job and the company.
RESPONDING TO TOUGH QUESTIONS
By definition, a tough interview question is any question you find difficult or impossible to answer. Several excellent books devote all or part of their discussion to strategies for handling stress interviews, challenging questions or penetrating probes.
For sound strategies on handling questions that may verge on illegality, read Martin Yate’s book, Knock ’em Dead. In it, he also identifies “illegal” questions versus those that touch on the same topic but which are generally permissible.
Remember, large companies have teams of well-trained interviewers. In many smaller companies, the person doing the interviewing is often the manager who’s seeking a new employee, and this manager may inadvertently ask borderline questions. As in all steps of the job hunting process, you must use your own judgment whether to respond or not. If you have doubts about questions you were asked during an interview, you may want to check with a lawyer.
DIFFICULT QUESTIONS
“Illegal”
– Does your religion allow you to work on Saturdays?
– What is your ancestry?
– National origin?
– What is your native language?
– How old are you?
– How old are your children?
– Is that your maiden name?
– Are you married? Divorced? Single?
– Do you wish to be addressed as Miss, Mrs., or Ms.?
Permissible
– This job requires work on Saturdays. Is that a problem?
– Are you a US citizen or a resident alien with the right to work in the US?
– In what languages are you fluent?
– Are you over 18 years old?
– Have you ever worked for this company under a different name?
– How do you like to be addressed?
— Adapted from Knock ’em Dead
CHOOSING WHAT TO WEAR
In The Career Adventure, Susan Johnston points out there are many variables controlled by you, and one of these is your appearance. Most employers are interested in credible, competent professionals, and since they don’t know you, employers often judge these qualities based on appearance and behavior.
There are countless books on “dress for success” strategies, so feel free to read more about the options you might want to consider. Keep in mind that interviewers assume you’re putting your best foot forward, so if you appear untidy or wear inappropriate clothes, they’ll fear the worst for your day-to-day job attire.
Men, quite frankly, have it easier in this arena, since male business attire has changed little during the past 100 years. Wear a dark suit (navy or charcoal grey), a white or ivory shirt, and a conservative tie. Shine your shoes, wear dark colored socks, and wear your hair neatly combed. Distribute your wallet, check book, pen, keys and change among the various pockets of your suit so your appearance isn’t downgraded by bulging pockets and clanking change.
Since women’s fashions change drastically from year to year, it’s easy to fall victim to trendy designs that aren’t appropriate for many work environments. Most businesses are relatively conservative, so in general you can’t go wrong with classic, classy attire. Select a well-tailored skirt suit in a solid, dark fabric, and wear a white or ivory blouse of simple design. Select a skirt that is long enough and full enough to allow you to walk, sit and bend with comfort and modesty. Wear hose that match your skin tone and plain, closed-toe flats or low-heeled pumps. Wear your hair in a neat, tidy style and if you must carry a purse, make it a small shoulder bag so you can shake hands readily. Avoid see-through fabrics, plunging necklines, mini-skirts, skirts with slits, patterned hosiery, noisy jewelry and overdone makeup.
Well before your scheduled interview, try on the clothes you will wear and study your appearance in a full-length mirror. Observe how your clothes move as you walk, stand still, and sit. Eliminate any clutter or awkward details. Check your jacket, skirt or trouser hems for length and trailing threads. Make sure your clothes fit you well, without puckers, pulls or baggy spots, and that the combination you’ve chosen is comfortable and attractive. Crush the fabric in your hand to see if it wrinkles easily, because your goal is to arrive at your interview looking clean, crisp and professional.
If you’re uncertain how to dress for an interview, err on the side of conservative attire. Both men and women should wear the minimum of jewelry. If you’re seeking a creative position in a field like design, marketing or theater, you can add drama and flair with small details, such as a unique scarf or dashing necktie. Carry your materials (extra copies of your resume, reference letters or contact names and numbers, your calendar, a pad and pens) in a pad-folio or briefcase.
BEHAVING LIKE A PROFESSIONAL
If you approach a job interview as if it were an important meeting, you’ll be able to keep your interview stress level under control. It’s also helpful to remember that one of the most important tasks managers perform is hiring and supervising good people. You and the interviewer have complementary goals: to determine if you’re the best person for the job and to determine if this is the best job for you. Keep this thought in the forefront of your mind, and you’ll be more successful in your efforts to make the interview a cooperative exploration of the mutual “fit.”
Whether you’re a woman or a man, you should shake the interviewers’ hands and look directly at them. (Carry your briefcase or notebook in your left hand so you won’t have to juggle it to free your right hand.) Repeat each interviewer’s name as you are introduced, and say something simple, like, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Carry yourself with confidence (not arrogance), and be yourself. You don’t want them to hire some artificial personality you projected during the interview; you want them to hire the real you.
If you’re with an experienced interviewer, he or she will work to draw information from you. Inexperienced interviewers will sometimes let you do all the talking, or they will talk so much you have little chance to showcase your talents. Try to spend at least half the time during the interview listening and observing the interviewers.
Take brief notes when important points are covered. The interview is a meeting, remember? In any other meeting, you’d take notes to identify what was discussed, key decisions, and who agreed to do what. Do the same here. Otherwise, you’ll return home and realize you’ve forgotten everyone’s name or you’re a bit fuzzy on who’s supposed to call whom next week.
CONCLUDING THE INTERVIEW
Conclude every interview with a clear plan of action in mind. Be sure you and the interviewers review these steps together and agree on the sequence and timing.
You’ll want to determine if you need to plan for additional interviews (with other managers in the organization or perhaps with your potential supervisor) and when these interviews might occur (this week, next week, within a month, etc.). Ask if they need more information, such as written references, contact names and numbers, or copies of your transcripts, before they can reach a decision. If you don’t have the necessary materials with you, agree on a date when you will deliver or mail the necessary information.
If additional interviews are required, find out who will be in the interviews and how the interview will be structured (one-on-one, group or team interview, etc.). Ask when the company expects to make a final decision. This is your chance to learn as much about the next decision-making steps as possible, so make the most of it.
Be sure you let the employer know if you are interested in the position. This is called “asking for the job” and many employers use this one factor as an important method for selecting among top candidates. The candidate who says, “I’m truly excited about this opportunity and am eager to start working with you,” often receives the job offer.
Before the interview is concluded, be certain you have the name and job title of every person involved in the interview. When the interview is concluded, stand up, look directly at the interviewers, and shake hands firmly. Thank them for their time and the information they shared. Reiterate that you’re looking forward to hearing from them soon, then leave promptly and without fuss. On your way out of the building, be gracious to everyone you encounter.
DEALING WITH MONEY
Sooner or later, the issue of money will arise. Many employers list a range of pay in their job advertisements and recruitment notices, but some do not. Job applicants tend to err in two ways: they avoid bringing up the topic of pay, or they bring it up at the wrong time. Here are some strategies for talking about pay and benefits in a professional, matter-of-fact way.
Researching salary ranges
Be sure to research salary ranges as part of your job interview preparation process. Once you’re in the interview room, it’s too late to find out how much the position pays at other companies. The exact amount an employer pays for particular jobs can be difficult to determine, but general salary ranges are easy to find if you do the legwork. The descriptions in The Big Book of Jobs include typical starting, mid-point and top salary ranges, as well as the education and experience expected at each earning level.
To determine what a specific job is paid in your region, study the want ads in the newspaper for a week or two and plot the salary ranges stated in the ads. You may not be able to identify an exact figure for your target job, but you should be able to pin down a basic range of pay appropriate for that position. Pinpoint two figures: the minimum salary with benefits you would be willing and able to accept, and a minimum salary without benefits. That way, you’ll be prepared to discuss money issues like a pro.
Discussing compensation and benefits
Once an interviewer has asked you their target questions and described the position, many will naturally begin to discuss compensation and benefits. Listen carefully to the figures and conditions they disclose, and let them fully make their case before you start asking questions. Be sure to keep your expression neutral — no matter how delighted or dejected the information may make you feel.
Keep in mind that employer-paid benefits, such as vacation, sick leave, holidays and health insurance, carry a dollar value, too. A comprehensive package can add the equivalent of 20 to 35 percent to your basic pay rate. Conversely, the absence of employer-paid health care may mean you will need to negotiate for a higher salary in order to afford private insurance. Know the minimum salary range you’ll accept, both with benefits and without, and evaluate the offer against those figures.
Some employers will wait for you to broach the topic of salary and benefits, so be prepared to do so. Many employers, however, react negatively if the first question you ask relates to salary. If you are nearing the end of your scheduled time together, and money hasn’t come up yet, ask two non-monetary questions from your list. Then state, “We’ve discussed many aspects of the position, and I’m very interested. Could you tell me what the salary and benefits are?” By first asking questions not related to money, you communicate to the employer that you are genuinely interested in the organization and the job opportunity, not just the salary.
If possible, let the employer offer a figure first. It’s easy to over- or under-price your skills and experience, particularly if you’re just starting your career or you’re switching from one field to another. Once the employer has detailed the compensation package and any benefits, take time to repeat the basic details out loud. This allows the interviewer to clarify any points you’ve misunderstood.
FOLLOWING UP AFTER THE INTERVIEW
The post-interview follow-up letter is invaluable. It’s one more opportunity to expose interviewers to your name, and gives you another chance to highlight your strengths and reaffirm your interest in the job. Follow-up notes are the sign of a courteous and savvy professional.
A typical follow-up letter can be typed, computer printed, or handwritten. Send one to everyone who interviewed you (if there were five people in the interview, send a personal note to each person), and mail it within two or three days of the interview.
What should you say? It’s traditional to thank interviewers for their time and the information they shared. Recap your strengths and any special qualities that make you uniquely desirable for the position. Express your interest in the job and your eagerness to start work. If the interviewer asked you to forward references or other information, mention this and enclose the materials they requested along with your letter. Close courteously, and be certain to include your full name along with a contact number and address.
Once you’ve sent a follow-up and any additional materials to that organization, continue to pursue other opportunities. A successful interview is not the same as a job offer, and you want to keep every lead alive until you finalize arrangements on a specific job with a specific employer.
Also, if an employer agreed to contact you by a specific date and you don’t hear from them, pick up the phone and call. Handle follow-up calls professionally. Don’t be accusatory or desperate. Simply state your purpose clearly and briefly. For example, you might say, “You mentioned you’d contact me by such-and-so date. I’m still interested in the position, and wanted to know if you’d reached a decision or if there was any additional information I could provide that would help with your decision-making process.”
This strategy shows the employer that you take this opportunity seriously, you’re interested in the job, and you’re willing and able to take proactive, professional steps to accomplish your job-seeking goals.
EVALUATING JOB OFFERS
Sometimes, it’s a challenge to get even one offer of employment. At other times, you’re faced with evaluating two or more offers from different employers, with different rates of pay, benefit packages and long-term opportunities. If you have only one offer to consider and you’re eager to work, you may feel tempted to accept the offer, even if the job or company are not a perfect fit for you. If, on the other hand, you have several offers to consider, it can be difficult to choose among them.
Making a decision
Making a decision about a job offer is tricky, whichever situation you face. Most professionals advise job seekers to not accept an offer at the moment it’s extended. Make sure you understand all of the details, then request time to consider the offer and agree on a date to respond to the employer. Some factors you’ll want to evaluate are:
– The specific duties and responsibilities of the position
– The opportunities for advancement and promotion
– The potential for additional training and education
– The stability of the organization and the likelihood of near-term cutbacks
– The location of the organization
– The “personality” of the organization and how well you fit in
– The personality of your potential supervisor and how well you two might work together
– The work schedule (flexible, fixed, holidays off, work all holidays, etc.)
-The average expected work week (“full-time” employment can mean 32, 35, or 40 hours a week)
-The number of overtime hours expected (some salaried environments expect employees to work 60-70 hours a week)
Other factors that interest or concern you (commuting distance or child care, for example)
-The starting salary
-The long-term salary potential
-The benefits package
First, assess how important each factor is to you. Then rate how closely the specific job offer matches your ideal. Keep in mind that your priorities may differ from those of your parents, teachers and friends, so don’t let their needs influence your decision. And, while income is important to all of us, try to avoid choosing a job solely because it pays the most. Job satisfaction is much more than pay. It’s performing tasks you enjoy and can do well. It’s working with people you admire, trust, and like. It’s balancing personal and professional demands effectively. It’s learning new skills and developing your best potential. It’s receiving credit and recognition for your accomplishments. Pay and benefits are just one part of the total picture.
Accepting an offer
Large organizations are likely to issue a job offer in writing. Smaller organizations often omit this step and rely on oral agreements. In either case, take the time to write a letter of acceptance. It provides you with the opportunity to review the position, salary, start date, job location, additional screening criteria (physical exam, drug tests, etc.) and other particulars you and the employer agreed upon.
A written summary of employment criteria and conditions accompanied by a written letter of acceptance provides both you and the employer with the opportunity to flag any items or areas where you’ve inadvertently misunderstood each other. You will thus be able to work together to resolve these issues before you start work, rather than face unpleasant surprises afterward.
WRAPPING UP YOUR JOB SEARCH
Once you’ve accepted a position, contact every employer with whom you’ve interviewed recently and inform them of your decision. At the same time, or shortly after you’ve started your new job, take an evening or weekend and write notes to every person who provided a lead, advice, references or assistance. Thank them for their efforts on your behalf, describe your new position briefly, and offer to reciprocate the assistance should they need it in the future.
If you’ve been working with a college placement office, be sure to let the administrators know of your success. Include particulars of your degree, job title, company name, contact number and address, and your starting salary range. This type of information is invaluable to placement offices because it helps them provide better assistance to future graduates.
Many job seekers neglect this final stage, but it’s truly the mark of a professional. If you ever need assistance again, you’ll feel more comfortable reviving contacts if you handled yourself with grace in the past.
It’s easy to become unnerved — but don’t let the thought of job interviewing bring your job hunt to a halt. As with every other phase of the job-seeking process, follow the guidelines and tackle each phase one step at a time.
Interviews can be delightful, enjoyable experiences if you approach them with the right attitude. Interviewing can also be quite mysterious. Sometimes, you’re certain your superb qualifications and polished delivery will prompt a job offer — and nothing happens. At other times, you’re convinced you blew it and you’ll never hear from that company again — but they call and offer you the job. Often you’ll never know why one company wants you and another doesn’t.
As you work to master the interview process, keep Vaughan’s universal hiring rule in mind. Your primary mission is to demonstrate to a potential employer that you’ll add critical value to the organization. In the end, what employer can resist that?
