The Applicant’s Guide to Interviews
By: Maureen E. Harrop
The big day is fast approaching. It’s time to make your final preparations. The following tips and resources are intended to assist you in this effort.
Before the Interview
- Prepare responses to potential interview questions and know the contents of your resume well.
- Arrive early.
- Turn off your cell phone before entering the building.
- Bring a favorite book or magazine to read while waiting.
- Dress appropriately. Piercings and tattoos may be unappealing to some interviewers, but it is unlawful in most regions for employers to deny you a job because of these things.
Greeting the Interviewer
- Smile.
- Shake interviewer’s hand firmly – no limp or excessively strong handshakes!
- Greet with a statement like, “Good morning/afternoon,” not “Hey, what’s up?”
Conduct During Interview
- Maintain eye contact and don’t forget to smile when appropriate.
- Sit back in your chair. Leaning over the interviewer’s desk is inappropriate.
- Answer questions honestly without being negative. Listen, then respond. No interrupting.
- The best rule of thumb is, “Be yourself.”
Illegal Interview Question Topics
Questions regarding age, race, ethnicity or color, gender or sex, country of national origin or birth place, religion, disability, marital or family status or pregnancy are illegal.
For more illegal interview questions, visit the following sites:
http://www.hrworld.com/features/30-interview-questions-111507/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8963-2003Apr11.html
http://humanresources.about.com/od/interviewing/a/interview_quest.htm
Interviewer Questions and Responses
Questions like, “Tell me about yourself,” and “Why do you want to work here?” and “What do you know about our company?” and “What are your 5/10 year goals?” are pretty standard, so it’s a good idea to prepare responses for them. However, others may be a bit more difficult.
What did you do during this one year gap in employment? I was fired due to my allowing some personal problems to interfere with my work life. I’ve resolved those problems and I’m ready to give 110% to my new job. The time off allowed me to reevaluate my life, my personal and professional goals, and to take courses to upgrade my skills. It was a worthwhile experience.
What major challenges did you face in your last job, and how did you handle them? My boss sexually harassed me, so I told him to stop and he did.
What motivates you? Creating quality work, being challenged, and co-worker teamwork.
Have you ever worked with a co-worker you didn’t like, and how did you handle it? Yes, I have. I handled it by trying to get to know the person better and understand where she was coming from. Once I did that, I was able to respect our differences, and although I still didn’t like her, I could work with her without getting upset.
Please describe your favorite and least favorite bosses, and explain why you liked or disliked each one. My most recent boss was my least favorite, because he and I had different values and work ethics. Be prepared to give examples. My first boss was my favorite. He gave me a lot of responsibility and helped me when I made mistakes, rather than scolding me.
For more information on interview questions and answers, visit:
http://whitepapers.silicon.com/0,39024759,60171982p,00.htm
Telephone Interviews
- Prepare yourself as you would for a face-to-face interview and have your resume, a pen and writing tablet handy.
- Don’t chew gum, drink, smoke or eat during interview. However, your mouth might get dry, so keep a glass of water nearby.
- Don’t interrupt. Speak slowly.
- Keep answers brief.
- Be respectful. Use the interviewer’s last name unless s/he tells you it’s alright to use her/his first name.
- Call-waiting can be distracting to the interviewer and to you. Turn it off prior to taking the call.
- No background noise. Turn off radio, TV, remove animals and children from the room, close the door.
- Use a landline phone. Cell phones experience signal losses on a regular basis.
- At the end, thank the interviewer and send a thank you note.
Interviewee Questions Now it’s your turn to ask the questions. Don’t assume you’ve “got” the job, no matter how well you feel the interview progressed. That is a big mistake.
- Could you please describe a typical work week?
- Why did the incumbent leave this job?
- If I was hired, what would be my biggest challenges in this job?
- If I was hired, to whom would I be reporting?
- If I was hired, what would be the expectations for my performance?
- What is your timeline for making a hiring decision?
References
Plan ahead and compile a list of references and some letters of recommendations now, so you’re prepared if/when the employer requests them. Expect to have them checked prior to receiving an offer.
Common Mistakes
- Asking questions like you’ve already been hired, i.e., When do I start?
- Being late without a really good excuse.
- Chewing gum, burping, or slurping.
Conduct After Interview
- If the interviewer asks you to call back, do so. If the interviewer does not ask you to call back, don’t. You have the option of asking the interviewer whether or not you should call to learn about the status of your application.
- Continue looking for a job. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
Write a personal thank you note, not a thank you e-mail. Handwritten notes are very powerful but have gone out of style. Some experts believe a typed letter is the preferred method. It’s your call.
Future articles will include topics such as resume writing, salary negotiation, conducting interviews, etc.
Maureen Harrop is President of Claridis, Inc., a training and consulting company, specializing in the Latino/Hispanic workforce. Claridis has produced Telly Award-winning videos in Spanish, utilizing Latino actors. These films are unique because they are not dubbed or subtitled. They were designed for use by training and human resource professionals for their bilingual and Spanish-speaking employees. English versions are also available. Maureen has a Master’s Degree in Education and has been in the human resource/training field for 27 years. Customer service training is an additional area of expertise for Maureen.
For more information, visit her web site: www.claridis.com or e-mail her at maureen@claridis.com or call (888) 701-2879
Copyright © 2008, Claridis, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
