OVERVIEW

• Introduction to the Employment Interview

• Pre-Interview Stage
Research
Resume
Cover Letter
• Interview Stage (presenting Yourself in Interview)
Verbal Dimension
Nonverbal Dimension
• Post-Interview Stage
Getting the Job Offer
Negotiating Salary
Dealing with Rejection
INTRODUCTION
• Interviews come in a variety of forms: including the employment interview
• The secret to every stage of an interview is role taking – the ability to put yourself in the
shoe of the interviewer or interviewee and understand his or her primary needs and
concerns.
• The employment interview remains the primary tool for recruiting, hiring, and placing
new employees
PRE-INTERVIEW STAGE

• Research
• Cover Letter
• Resume
RESEARCH
• Places for any job search, including such classified advertisements in newspapers, career
center at your university, multiple job search resources on the Internet, etc.
• The development of social-networking sites is radically changing how people search for
job and present themselves for interviews.
• The goal in researching is to obtain basic information concerning the services or
products offered
• When you find a company with a suitable position that matches your goals, interests,
and qualifications, you should apply for the job.
RESUME
• A resume is a (usually) one-page description of your skills, education, and work
experience.
• Rather than copying another’s resume, a candidate should begin with a blank sheet of
paper and consider the three parts of a resume:
i. Headings
ii. Leads
iii. Descriptions
i. Headings
• The category under which specific information is classified such as Career Objectives,
Education, Work Experience, etc.
• Should be concisely phrased and highlighted with boldfacing and/or capital letters
• The candidate who has language abilities or computer skills should create headings that
draw attention to these desirable traits
• There are some headings (personal information) that should not appear on a
professional resume (unless being required): race, age, height, weight, etc.
ii. Leads
• Consist of the first information on each new line under the heading
• Should include the most important/revealing information for any individual entry
• For example, lead with the title of the position you held rather than the name of the
company (which does not emphasize your role)
iii. Descriptions
• Include all the information that follows the lead
• The best descriptions use action words and specific qualification to delineate what you
did in the position
• Whenever possible, omit phrases that promote listing: “Duties were” or “Responsibilities
included” – and find active verbs that better describe what you did
• For example: accomplished, administered, conducted, established, implemented,
integrated, moderated, participated, supervised, etc.
RESUME FORMAT
DOS
Include relevant information
Use action verbs
Consistent structure and style
Write out words in full
Make the docs visually appealing
Use professional-looking, high-quality paper
DON’TS
Include irrelevant information
Inconsistent in structure or style
Use contractions
Offer only vague descriptions of job
Make typographical errors or ‘correct’ errors
manually
Use colored, flashy papers
EXAMPLES OF RESUME
COVER LETTER
• It is your chance to explain and highlight how your abilities, skills, and experiences listed
on your resume fit the job requirements
• Each cover letter should be adapted to the specific job ad for which you are applying
• Writing a persuasive cover letter involves identifying the needs of the potential employer
and then selecting relevant aspects of your resume to demonstrate that you can fulfill
those needs.
EXAMPLES OF COVER LETTER
INTERVIEW STAGE

• Presenting Yourself During Interview:

Verbal Dimension
Nonverbal Dimension
NONVERBAL DIMENSION (DRESS)
• Your nonverbal communication is an important part of the interview process
• Interviewees should respect and adapt to the interviewer’s expectations
• For men, a conservative business suit is almost always the rule. A well-tailored suit will
go a long way in helping you present yourself professionally and confidently
• The additional expense invested in quality suit will give a positive first impression and
will also make you feel good, enhancing confidence
• Pattern designs may be worn only if they are subtle.
• For women, a conservative business suit is also the best way to present a professional
image
• Studies show that women have a wider range of colors to select from when considering
“professional dress.” (such as red, bright blues, and green)
• In sum, bot should be well groomed and moderation is always the key for the
professional interview
• You have to appear confident, professional, conscientious, and reliable.
NONVERBAL DIMENSION (IMAGE)
• Nonverbal body cues can convey a positive or negative image
• One of the first nonverbal traits that executives seek in prospective employees is
punctuality.
• Greet officers workers and interviewers with a firm handshake and direct eye contact
• Have your interview questions within reach and write down ready to ask when given the
opportunity
• Other nonverbal qualities: friendliness, appropriate eye-contact, enthusiasm, and
confidence
VERBAL DIMENSION
• Studies indicate that the most important factor in receiving a second interview or the job
offer involves the candidate’s answers to questions
• Answering questions is easier if you follow a four-step procedure:
1. State your answer briefly
2. Explain your statement with an additional two to three sentences
3. Provide some concrete examples or testimony to support your claim
4. Reconnect your answer to the original question
EXAMPLE
• INTERVIEWER: How does your previous experience relate to this position?
• CANDIDATE: I just completed an internship at a local television station that required
skills similar to those for this position. As a production assistant, I worked closely with the
producer to prepare every 6:00 news broadcast. Although I started out doing clerical work, in a
few weeks I was making decision about who should be interviewed, what questions should be
included, and which news to prioritize. My experiences in the internship have taught me to be an
effective communicator, and I have developed excellent oral and written communication skills. I
learned to carry out and complete daily and monthly projects. And my position taught me to
make good decisions under pressure. Good communication skills, project development, and
experience with making tough decisions are precisely the traits required for this position.
TYPICAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Why don’t you tell me about yourself?
2. What are your career goals?
3. Why did you decide to go into this field?
4. Why do you feel that you will be successful in this position?
5. How does your previous experience relate to this position?
6. What are your strengths / weaknesses?
7. What sort of pay do you expect to receive?
8. Why should I hire you?
 TIPS TO ADAPT TO INTERVIEWER’S
EXPECTATIONS
1. Successful candidates refer to the organization
interviewees who make specific references to the company make a better impression than
candidates who speak in vague and general terms about their goals or the company’s
objectives.

2. Successful candidates support their claims

support claims with concrete evidence - variety of personal examples, illustrations,
comparisons and contrasts, statistics and testimonies from colleagues or employers
3. Successful candidates are active participants in the process
speak more, elaborate on answers, and ask follow-up questions
provide summaries of relevant qualifications and relate to employer’s needs
4. Successful candidates have natural but enthusiastic delivery
use variety pitch, volume, and rate, natural gestures, good listening skills
portray an image that is professional, competent, dynamic, and enthusiastic
avoid monotone, soft-spoken and use inappropriate gestures
5. Successful candidates ask good questions
Never ask a question that is answered in the materials supplied by the employer
Ask questions about training and career expansion programs available at the company
Good questions communicate that the candidate is thoughtful, prepared, and interested in the organization
6. Successful candidates prepare for objections
 most common objections that interviewers express involve one’s employment record (e.g., has been fired from
the position)
A three-step format for phrasing responses:
i. Understand the objection
ii. Acknowledge the objection
iii. Neutralize the objection
i. Understand the objection
• Listen carefully to the interviewer and ask for the clarification if you are not sure
• This request demonstrates that you have actively listened and are earnestly trying to deal with the
objection
ii. Acknowledge the objection
• State in your own words
• Make a statement like, “In other words, you’re…..” or “I hear that you’re worried….”
• Restatements as these reflect that you grasp the concern and that you are willing to
deal with the question in a nondefensive manner
iii.Neutralize the objection
• Answer the objection fully, with no sign of defensiveness
Write down a brief statement of the objection

Develop your side of story

Review it for negative, self-defeating, or defensive

assumptions

Reinterpret the event is a positive way.

POST-INTERVIEW STAGE

• Getting The Job Offer

• Negotiating Salary
• Dealing With Rejection
GETTING THE JOB OFFER
• It’s time to determine if you still want the position and if the offer is desirable
• Organizations usually give a candidate 5 to 7 days to consider an offer
• Consider the issues that are most critical to you both personally and professionally
• Consider the company’s objectives, activities, professional and personal atmosphere, and
location, including cost of living and cultural and recreational opportunities
• Finally, consider opportunities for continued learning and growth within the organization
NEGOTIATING SALARY
• Salary negotiation goes in hand with some job offers
• Prepare for negotiation by learning about the industry’s standard salaries for your
position: by talking with people in similar positions, consulting classified ads, or
consulting relevance sources
• Consider also the benefits the position offers, including health coverage, expense
accounts, profit-sharing, retirement funds, life insurance, etc.
• The organization usually opens negotiation with a written offer that the candidate can
accept or reject
• Request for more than the original offer should be based on the candidate’s advanced
education or skills, or industry standards
• A candidate who has higher offers from other organizations should mention them, which
might induce the organization to up its offer
• If you accept the position, do so with a contact over the phone and follow up by signing
the documents provided by the organization
• However, of you reject the job offer, it is a common courtesy to write a formal letter of
rejection – let the employer know the reason
DEALING WITH REJECTION
• Try to keep the rejection of your candidacy separate from the rejection of your
personally
1. Try to get feedback
 Be polite and diplomatic, and suggest that you would like to learn from this experience. Ask
if there is something that the employer could tell you that may help you in future interviews.
2. Send a thank-you note
 by displaying the professional attitude that employers seek, you keep your options open for
the future.
3. Seek support
 don’t keep your rejection “hidden” because you are embarrassed about it. Talk to family
and friends who can lend an ear and keep you motivated. Don’t dwell on the bad news for too
long.

4. Use the rejection as a learning experience

 consider that you attained valuable interview experience, that you were able to reevaluate
your priorities and career options. If you view the interview process as an opportunity to learn,
even a rejection can become a valuable learning opportunity.