RICHARD, WAYNE & ROBERTS PRESENTS

THE ART OF INTERVIEWING

Preparation is the key to a successful interview. Thorough preparation

enhances your chances of accomplishing the two main objectives of an

interview. The interviewer's objective is to decide whether or not to make you

a job offer by evaluating your history, educational background, your strengths

and accomplishments, as well as your level of motivation, attitude and

personality. In other words, to find out if you're the right person for the job,

what is your potential for promotion and whether or not you will fit into the

company environment. As the candidate your objective is to satisfy the

interviewer's objective, as well as learn those things you need to know about

the position and the company that enable you to make an intelligent decision

about the job - and keep focused on "Getting a job offer."

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Appearance

Know Yourself

Research The Company

The Interview Process

Types of Interview Questions

Questions To Ask The Interviewer

Behavioral-based Interview Questions

Phone Interview Prep

APPEARANCE FOR AN
INTERVIEW

Appearance: Men
A navy blue or dark suit is appropriate for most

positions.

White or pale shirt, freshly laundered and well

pressed.

A quiet tie with a subtle design or slight pop of

color.

Shined shoes, over the calf dark socks.

Minimal jewelry, and mild light fragrances only.

Appearance: Women
Wear a suit or tailored dress (with or without a

jacket) in basic navy or gray.

Blouses should be tailored and color coordinated.

A closed toe pump or business-appropriate shoe

with a low heel.

Light colognes or avoid fragrances totally.

For good posture, if you cross legs, do so at the

ankles, not at the knees.

Minimal jewelry.
KNOW YOURSELF

Honestly assess your employment background and

develop explanations for any weak points. Prepare a

list of tough questions that may be asked, then

develop answers to those questions.

Why are you considering a career change at this

time?

What are your strengths? What are your

weaknesses?

What do you like the most/least about your current

job?

Why should we hire you?

Many of these questions are aimed at finding out if

you have the qualities sought. Support your answers

with specific examples to open ended or complex

questions.
RESEARCH THE COMPANY

Researching the company is necessary to learn as

much as possible to ensure the prospective job and

company are a good fit for you - and, equally

important, to impress the people with whom you'll

interview. The Internet offers a wealth of company

information and industry statistics (annual reports,

articles, etc.)

Find their homepage.

Follow the company's stock price if it's publicly

traded.

Know the company's products and services.

Be prepared to tell the interviewer why their

company is attractive to you.

Talk with company employees. Talk to customers of

the company.

Your Richard, Wayne and Roberts Executive Recruiter

will provide an interview timetable, including names

and titles of persons with whom you'll be talking if

available. Solid company research will enable you to

confidently say at the end of your interview "I'm

interested in pursuing this opportunity, what's the next

step?"
THE INTERVIEW PROCESS

Interviewing can be a stressful situation, you want to

be yourself and really show your capabilities. Here

are some simple suggestions that we've developed

that will make interviewing easier.

The Application:

You may be asked to fill out an application. Complete

the form in full and leave no blanks.

Do not write "see resume" as a response to any

application question.

Respond to "expected salary" questions as "open"

and answer "current salary" (if legally appropriate

in your state) questions truthfully.

List references if requested (you should have this

prepared on a separate sheet and should be taken

to all interviews).

Your recruiter's name and/or Richard, Wayne and

Roberts (whichever is appropriate) should be your

response to any "referred by" questions.

THE INTERVIEW PROCESS

The interview should be a two-way conversation. Ask

questions of the interviewers. This shows your interest in

the company and the position, and enables you to

gather the right information to make an intelligent

decision afterwards. Human Resources will usually

provide company and benefits information. The

interviewers are trying to see how you can contribute to

the company. Conduct yourself with confidence and

determination to get the job. Sell yourself. You must

present a positive attitude to the prospective employer.

You must NOT seem disinterested or appear to be job

shopping.

Shake hands firmly and maintain eye contact with all

interviewers.

Be yourself. Poise, confidence and self-respect are of

great importance.

Be an ACTIVE participant. Ask questions, show

interest and interact!

REMEMBER: Everyone gives feedback. So, be polite to

secretaries, receptionists and all administrative staff.

THE INTERVIEW PROCESS

Typical Interview Questions and Responses:

You should give complete but brief and relaxed

answers to questions. When possible use questions as

a basis for developing information that you want to

make sure is presented. Continue to sell yourself in a

positive way.

Describe current/past jobs in terms of duties and

give indicators of good performance such as

raises, sales volume, promotions, money saving

ideas/projects.

Include short stories involving problems or

challenges and how you were able to solve or

overcome them.

Describe the results you achieved.

Remember to keep your answers brief and focused

while exploring opportunities to convey all relevant

qualifications.
THE INTERVIEW PROCESS

Background Questions:

"Tell me about yourself."

Answer these questions in terms of the

qualifications required of the position.

Keep responses concise and brief and avoid being

negative about previous jobs and bosses.

The "Tell Me" question means "tell me your

qualifications." Start with your education and

discuss your employment experiences.

Gear the response to the duties and

responsibilities of the position you are interviewing

for.

"What are your greatest strengths?"

Keep this as job related as possible by relating to a

job task/skill that you know to be an asset of yours.

"I like people" is not a good answer.

THE INTERVIEW PROCESS

Salary Questions:

Do not state a starting figure. A suitable reply: "I am

looking for the right opportunity and I am confident

that if you find me to be the best candidate for this

position, I am sure you have considered where this

position fits within the organization and will make a

competitive offer."

If legally appropriate in your state, provide your

current salary truthfully. If you are due for a raise in

the next three months, state the approximate

percentage you expect. Be sure to explain that you

have included bonuses, commissions, and overtime

pay if applicable.
THE INTERVIEW PROCESS

Motive Questions:

What can you contribute to this company?

Where do you hope to be in five years?

What interests you most about this position?

This type of question should be answered

enthusiastically. Show the interviewer you are

interested in the position and relate the answers to

the duties and responsibilities of the job.

Personality Questions:

What do you do in your spare time?

Present yourself as a well-rounded person. Your

answer gives you dimension.

Name some hobbies.

THE INTERVIEW PROCESS

Job Satisfaction Questions:

Why are you looking for another job?

What do you like most/least about your previous

job/jobs?

Why did you leave your previous

employer/employers?

Never speak poorly about former employers. Be positive.

You are providing clues about the environment you seek.

Don't discuss what you were trying to "get away from"

when you made a prior job change, but what you were

trying to achieve by making that transition. The same is

true about why you would leave your current role for this

opportunity.

Other Questions To Prepare For:

Are you willing to relocate?

May we check your references?

May we verify your income?

QUESTIONS TO ASK THE
EMPLOYER

Interest Questions:
Why do you want someone for this job?

How many people have held this job in the past five

years?

Were they promoted or did they leave the company?

Why isn't this position being filled from within the

company?

What are examples of the best results produced by

people in this job?

Qualification Questions:
What would my responsibilities and duties be?

Describe a typical day on the job.

What are the most difficult aspects of this position?

Describe the department's/company's growth in the

next two years?

What is the philosophy on training and development

in the company?

How do you think I'd fit into this job/on your

team/into your organization?

What projects would I be involved in now? Within the

first year?
THE INTERVIEW PROCESS

ASK FOR THE JOB!

If you like what you see make a positive statement about

the position. If you are sincerely interested in the

position and are satisfied with the answers given, you

should ask the interviewer if he/she feels that you are

qualified for the position.

A typical conclusion might be "I'm interested in being a

part of your team, what's the next step?" Often, the

difference in "GETTING AN OFFER" and "NOT GETTING

AN OFFER" is your failure to ASK for the job.

BEHAVIORAL-BASED
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Behavior based interviewing focuses on experiences,

behaviors, knowledge, skills and abilities that are job

related. It is based on the belief that past behavior and

performance predicts future behavior and performance.

In behavioral based interviews, you are asked to give

specific examples of when you demonstrated particular

behaviors or skills. You may use work experience,

activities, hobbies, volunteer work, or school projects as

examples of your past behavior.

How to best answer Behavioral-Based Questions:

Interviewers will be looking for three parts in your responses to the

behavioral based questions.

First, explain the specifics about the circumstance that you

were involved in.

Next, describe the actions you took in that circumstance.

Finally, tell what results followed due to your actions?

Keys to responding well to these types of questions are:

Use one specific example, not a general or vague example.

Don’t describe how you would behave. Describe how you did

behave. If you later decided that you should have behaved

differently, explain this. It will show that you have learned from

the experience.
PHONE INTERVIEW PREP

1. Stand up; you will be less nervous and will project better.

2. Enthusiasm and passion are all you have to sell.

3. Have a copy of your resume in front of you - so you can see what the

hiring authority is seeing.

4. Know your background. Review your past job history, including dates

and earnings, where legally permissible.

5. Think about the key functions of this job… where have you had

experience and SUCCESS in similar responsibilities in your past?

6. Make sure you have good cell phone reception. Do not risk being

mobile and dropping the call.

7. Focus! Distractions are a killer. i.e.; emails popping up, barking dog,

screaming kids, etc.

8. Use notes rather than a script, a highlight film.

9. Active listening - watch the flow of the conversation, is there a balance

of who is talking and who is listening?

10. Be sure to avoid cutting the other person off (count to 3 when they

pause).

11. Have a series of questions ready. Choose questions that show you've

done some homework - maybe refer to a recent press release from the

website!

12. You must try to find out if there are any questions about your

credentials. Flush out objections with, "Is there anything about our

conversation today that would keep you from setting up a second

interview?"

13. If you are interested in pursuing- let them know, try to close on the next

step… "I've enjoyed our conversation. There is only so much we can

cover on the phone, when can I meet you (or have another phone

call)?"