Redefining Ability in the Workplace
Job
Interview
Skills
Suite 650; 839—5 Ave. SW Calgary, AB T2P 3C8
Phone (403) 265-5374 / FAX 403-265-5675 / TTY 403-265-5309
E-mail: Website:
INTERVIEWS IN A NUTSHELL
In order to have a great interview with a prospective employer, it is vitally important that you focus your time and attention to the entire interview process rather than the interview itself. The “time investment” you make now will pay big dividends later!
Interview Process
Assessment
When was the last time you took a long and hard look at yourself? If you are like most people, then it probably has been a while. Since you are searching for the “right fit” in your next employment position, NOW is the perfect time to assess your skills and abilities. Use the list below to begin thinking about the skills that could benefit an employer.
Transferable skills
Interpersonal, communication, computer literacy, leadership, thinking, teamwork
- adaptability and flexibility
- analysis and problem solving
- computer literacy / specific software
- instruction, teaching and supervising
- knowledge transfer
- languages
- oral communication, presentation
- people skills
- research (technical, literature/internet searches)
- self-promotion - marketing yourself
- writing - technical, report
Personal management skills
Organizational, money management, time management
Work specific skills
Specialized training, on the job training
SKILLS BENEFITS STATEMENTS
Please list FOUR skills in each area: Transferable Skills – Personal Skills – Work Skills
Transferable SkillsPersonal SkillsWork Skills
1.5.9.
2.6.10.
3.7.11.
4.8.12.
Take each specific skill and create a Skill Benefit statement similar to the following examples:
- I can adapt to situations so that I will be able to learn a new task and/or work in a different area with different co- workers.
- I can manage my time wellso that I will be able toplan and prioritize and give myself enough time to do the things that I need to do.
- I can trouble-shoot so that I will be able to figure out what the problem is, why there is a problem, or prevent a problem before it happens.
Skill Benefit Statements
Skill #1/ I can______
So that I will be able to______
Skill #2/ I can______
So that I will be able to______
Skill #3/ I can______
So that I will be able to______
Skill #4/ I can______
So that I will be able to______
Skill #5/ I can______
So that I will be able to______
Skill #6/ I can______
So that I will be able to______
Skill #7/ I can______
So that I will be able to______
Skill #8/ I can______
So that I will be able to______
Skill #9/ I can______
So that I will be able to______
Skill #10/ I can______
So that I will be able to______
Skill #11/ I can______
So that I will be able to______
Skill #12/ I can______
So that I will be able to______
Research
Researching potential employers before interviewing with them has always been an important, if difficult, part of a successful job search. With the emergence of new technology and all types of search mechanisms, a job candidate doesn’t even have to leave home to conduct thorough research on a company.
Research –WHY?
You will be able to ask questions about the organization in an informed way, which allows for a more relaxed, conversational type of interview rather than simply a question and answer type that doesn’t set you apart from any other quality candidates. Here’s where conducting company research before your interview pays off the most: You can step up to the challenge and answer questions about the company confidently and intelligently. At minimum, know what a company’s products and services are, why they interest you, and how you can help support them.
Research –WHAT?
Find out everything you can about the company, including the following:
- Benefits
- History
- Culture
- Advancement opportunities
- Financial status
- Strategic plans/goals
- Leadership
- Diversity
- Community involvement
- Industry knowledge
Pay close attention to areas of the site labelled “Investor Relations”, “Careers”, “Diversity” and “Community Outreach”. These areas tend to give you the best information on the company and what it’s like to work there. Study this information and any description of the job for which you are applying.
Research – WHERE?
- Web pages
- Annual Reports
- Career Fairs
- Associations
- Information interviews
- Advertisements
- Chamber of Commerce
- Consumer Reports
- People who work there
Research – ORGANIZING THE INFORMATION?
You now know WHAT to research and WHERE to research, so how do you plan to organize the information that you have gathered? It would be a shame to do so much work only to find that when you need the information it has vanished into thin air – all due to lack of organization. The following example is a way to organize your research in order to have the information at your fingertips. On the following pages are two blank interview planning forms that you can tear out and make numerous copies. When you complete the research just attach the completed form to a copy of the resume and cover letter that “got” you that interview.
INTERVIEW PLANNING FORM (Example)
Job Title: Drop-in centre worker (Adult Care Worker)
Describe the position: Appraise clients' needs or eligibility for specific services, Develop, coordinate and implement the delivery of specific services within the community, Resolve conflict situation. Target groups are:Male, Female, Seniors, Aboriginal groups, Culturally diverse groups, Street population, Persons who are deaf/hard of hearing, Persons who are blind/visually impaired, Persons with intellectual disabilities, Persons with physical disabilities, Persons with mental health disabilities, Persons with learning disabilities.
Describe the products and services: The needs of people who are homeless or at risk are met in a respectful, comprehensive and safe way. Services are three pronged: Live – food, clothing, shelter, storage. Learn – counseling, technology, employment, personal development. Thrive – Artworks, Furniture construction, music, affordable housing.
Industry knowledge: Shelters: Avenue 15 - Boys & Girls Club provides a short-term alternative to life on the streets with counseling services available. Mustard SEED Street Ministry offers shelter, food, educational health and religious services. Inn from the Cold Society provides families and others with shelter and education. Awo Taan Native Women's Shelter provides shelter for women and their children who have experienced domestic violence. The shelter also provides advocacy, counseling, outreach, information, and support services.
Company history: 48 years of excellence in serving Calgary Area. The DI has been a familiar face in the homeless sector since 1961. The DI was originally operated through a joint initiative of the Roman Catholic Diocese and the Calgary Interfaith Community Action Committee in 1961.Today, the DI has the capacity to shelter 1,250 individuals a night. Due to the diverse needs of our population, they offer four levels of accommodation. In the fall of 2008 C110 was sold to the “Inn from the Cold” Society.
Miscellaneous information: Fast-paced environment, Work under pressure, Physically demanding position.24 hour operation with Morning, Evening and Night shifts. Preference will be given to people who are willing to work overnights.
Sources of information: DI website, Alberta Resources website
INTERVIEW PLANNING FORM
Job Title:
Describe the position:
Describe the products and services:
Industry knowledge:
Company history:
Miscellaneous information:
Sources of information:
INTERVIEW PLANNING FORM
Job Title:
Describe the position:
Describe the products and services:
Industry knowledge:
Company history:
Miscellaneous information:
Sources of information:
Research – HOW DO I USE IT?
In the interview, if you want to point to research you’ve done, say something like “I saw XXX and I love it”. You don’t ever want to say, “I would do this differently”.Learning about the company is great for tailoring your interview examples and highlighting things that you see in the company that are commonalities with you and areas where your expertise could be useful. It is also a wonderful way to help you develop company-specific questions to ask the interviewer, in addition to the standard questions below:
- What are the main responsibilities of the position?
- How will my performance be evaluated?
- Who would I be reporting to?
- What direction is the organization taking?
- What is the organization’s approach to training?
- What are the expectations for the position and the person in it?
- What are the main responsibilities of the position?
- How will my performance be evaluated?
- Who would I be reporting to?
- What direction is the organization taking?
- What is the organization’s approach to training?
- What are the expectations for the position and the person in it?
Remember, an interview is a DIALOGUE so it is of the utmost of importance that you have questions for the interviewer.
WHAT NOT TO ASK
Do not ask about:
- Pay
- Benefits
- Social club events
The interview is the time to show how your skills and abilities will benefit the company; it is not the time to be asking how the company will benefit you!
Keep in mind President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural speech where he so eloquently stated, “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.”
List your potential questions for the interview.
1.______
2.______
3.______
4.______
5.______
6.______
7.______
Plan
In the competitive business world, there are sure to be dozens of other highly qualified candidates going after your job. It’s important to make yourself stand out as someone special. Now is the time to practice exactly how you will sell yourself to a prospective employer during that crucial first meeting.
SAY – WHAT?
What format are you going to use to talk about all your great achievements in your employment history at an interview? What will you say, when will you say it? Which brings us to...?
SAY – HOW?
It can be easy to talk about your pastachievements when you have a formula to
follow and MAKE time to develop your stories. By using STAR stories, you will present yourself to an interviewer as a candidate who is prepared, organized and communicates well.
The STAR method is:
S – Situation, background, set the scene
T – Task or Target, specifics of what's required, when, where, who
A – Action, what you did, skills used, behaviours, characteristics
R – Result – Outcome, what happened stated in the positive
EXAMPLE
S / Situation:Describe the situation!
What was going on that created a need for action? / Advertising revenue was falling off for my college newspaper and large numbers of long-term advertisers were not renewing contracts.
T / Task:
Identify the key objective/task to be performed. / I needed to increase advertising revenue.
A / Action:
What specific action steps did you take? / I designed a new promotional packet to go with the rate sheet and compared the benefits of our newspaper circulation with other ad media in the area.
I also set-up a special training session for the account executives with a School of Business Administration professor who discussed competitive selling strategies.
R / Result:
What was the impact of your actions?
What were the benefits?
What did you learn through the process?
The result must be a positive one, if not, talk about what you have learned! / We signed contracts with 15 former advertisers for daily ads and five for special supplements, as well as, increased our new advertisers by 20 percent over the same period last year.
Now try one yourself
S / Situation:Describe the situation!
What was going on that created a need for action?
T / Task:
Identify the key objective/task to be performed.
A / Action:
What specific action steps did you take?
R / Result:
What was the impact of your actions?
What were the benefits?
What did you learn through the process?
The result must be a positive one, if not, talk about what you have learned!
SAY – WHY?
The STAR method will enable you to answer tough work related questions (not limited to job interviews) in a subtly, compelling and powerful manner.
People like hearing stories, facts are easier to remember if wrapped in a story, stories tend not to get interrupted; basically stories are an ancient proven method of getting a message across!
Listeners will remember more of your answers, and the messages within them, yet your message will be delivered in a friendly likable style.
As far as job interviewing is concerned, your success ratio will go off the scale.
Practice
A man, lost on the streets of New York City, sees a man carrying a cello. He asks the finely dressed gentleman, “How do I get to Carnegie Hall?” and the gentleman answered, “Practice, practice, practice!”
I know it’s an old joke, and it is perfectly fitting for this portion of preparing for your interview. All the work you have done thus far will be of little use if you skip this step.
Practice – How?
Practicing for an interview and being ready for an interview are very different. Knowing how to practice is the important part.
- Get a friend to help who will be as unbiased as possible with your responses
- Practice every question possible about your background and work history
- Do as many practice sessions as you need to feel completely comfortable with your answers
- When practicing, do a 'dress rehearsal' (practice like it is the real interview)
- Write down every possible question and five possible answers
- If you can, record the practice sessions and review the tape to check for possible nervousness or other correctable issues
Being ready for the interview requires awareness and foresight of potential issues, and questions about those issues during the interview. Know the job description and link your skills and experience to the description’s points. The employer will be preparing for the interview by listing the questions he wants answered. Your job as the applicant is to prepare for the interview by practicing the answers for those questions.
Final preparations:
Select appropriate attire long before the interview day.
Know the culture of the organization for which you are interviewing and dress accordingly -- perhaps a notch above that -- especially if the company has espoused corporate casual. A business suit is always acceptable.
Be certain that your clothing is clean and well pressed. Do a test run to determine comfort level. Too short or too tight may cause you -- or others -- to be distracted or uncomfortable. Minimize accessories. Remember: less is more. You want to be memorable for the right reasons.
Know the location of your interview. Do a drive-by if possible. Plan to arrive at the designated office 15 minutes in advance. Allow ample time for traffic, the possibility of getting lost, and parking difficulties. If you arrive more than 15 minutes early, don’t go in just yet. Find a washroom and take the time to check your appearance in a mirror.
Bring extra copies of your resume in a folder or portfolio.
Bring a small notebook with a list of questions that you have prepared for the interview, but keep note taking to a minimum to maximize your eye contact.
Interview
One thing that can help you make sure all goes well is to recognize that the interview process will naturally break down into three stages. Knowing what stage of the interview you are in will help you respond to the interviewer in the proper manner.
Interview Format
Opening
Introductions, small talk
Information exchange
Verifying/validating your experience
Emphasize your skill benefit statements
Truthfully discuss your skills, accomplishments
Use your STAR stories to answer interview questions
Closing
They may ask foryour questions
Have 4-5 questions prepared to ask interviewer
Ask when the selection will be made
Ask for a business card from each person that interviewed you
THANK the interviewer
Follow-up
Remember that your work is not done once you finish the interview. You can't sit back and wait for the job offer, so consider these key rules and strategies for following-up your job interviews.
- Record what you did well (and not so well) immediately following the interview
- Identify what you learned about the organization and the job
- Send a thank you email immediately after the interview
- Send a handwritten thank you note to everyone at the interview
- If you do NOT get the job, call the interviewer and ask for any constructive feedback
- Some interviewers prefer NOT to give real feedback for fear of lawsuits
- Interviewer may just say something like, “ …not the ‘right fit’
- Politely inquire what “not the right fit” means
- Don’t push for more information.
THANK YOU NOTE SAMPLES
Thank you for meeting with me today. In learning more about your organization and the position has confirmed for me that I would be the right fit with your culture. I look forward to hearing from you and if you have any questions, please contact me at any time.
I appreciate the time you took to meet with me today to discuss the position of ______. I was particularly interested to learn ______about your organization and I believe that we are the right fit. I look forward to hearing from you for the next steps in the hiring process.