Oral Forms of Communication - Interviews
Oral Forms of Communication - Interviews
Oral Forms of Communication - Interviews
Oral Forms Of
Communication: Interviews
“Hey, I’ve Got A Job Interview!”
FEAR
FACTOR
● What’s going to happen during the
interview?
● Who is conducting the interview?
● What is the interview intended to accomplish?
● How long will the interview last?
● Where will the interview be conducted?
● How will I be evaluated?
Your interview starts before you walk
into an employer’s door..
Interview Strategy
● Have advance knowledge of the company and the
answers to the “Fear Factor” questions.
● Know what the interviewer is asking and trying to
discover about you.
● Be prepared to convince the interviewer you can
accomplish his three goals: 1) you can do the job, 2)
you will do the job, 3) you will get along with other
employees.
● Most interviews are pleasant and friendly. Try to
enjoy it.
Understand Yourself
Take an inventory of your attributes
1. Education
2. Experience, both paid and unpaid
3. Accomplishments and achievements
4. Skills and competencies
5. Community service
6. Clubs and organizations
7. Extra-Curricular activities
8. Work ethics
9. Values
Create Your Personal
Profile
• Create a professional resume.
• Look for ways to put a positive spin on your
career history.
• Create a powerful, competent and
experienced
image by using action words to describe
yourself and your accomplishments.
Create Your Personal
Profile
• Give yourself all the credit you
deserve.
• Be totally honest, but don’t
shortchange yourself by underestimating
or minimizing your
accomplishments.
• Have a professional critique of your
resume.
Know the Position
Make sure you and the position are a match.
• Organization’s website
• Search engines like Google or Hoovers
• College placement office
• Networking
• Library and newspaper archives
Types of Interviews
One-on-one most often used
● Informal: Interviewer has a general idea of what will be asked,
but after first question, follows conversation trend.
● Structured: Questions will be written out based on job
requirements, and will be asked of every candidate.
● Unstructured: After one or two questions, the interviewer may
sit back and wait for you to make the next move.
Group you will meet with more than one person at a time
● Teamwork is important. They want to see how effective you are
as part of a group.
● Take it one question at a time
● Answer the person who asked the question. After finish look
around & see if anyone needs further clarification.
● Make eye contact with each member of the group.
The Job Interview
Make eye contact at least half Check your impulse to use other
to 2/3 of the time. Nod every soperson’s name repeatedly. Never
often. use first name in interview.
Smile, even if not in mood. FakeRadiate accessibility. Show
social generosity. interest in others.
Be careful about oversharing, Match speech cadence to other
i.e. disclosing too much. person. Listen closely.
Think Like the
Interviewer
What kinds of questions will
What does the manager want
the manager ask?
to know? That:
● All interviews are different.
● You are the best person to
● However, since most
accomplish his/her 3 goals.
interviews are routine, there
● You will NOT become his/her
are some routine questions
“worst fear”. you can expect.
● You will make ● Areas the manager needs to
● the company better, know about you
● the manager’s life easier, ● Education Experience
● the manager become more ● General intelligence Skills
successful & look better.
● Attitudes Personality
General Tips
• Map your route to the interview site so you’re not
late.
• Appropriate business attire is a must.
• Refer to your achievements often before your
interview date, so they’re fresh in your mind.
• Know your answers to probable questions
before you walk in the door.
General Tips
• Practice, practice, practice your answers and
your delivery. Ask others to critique you.
• If you have access to a video recorder, tape a
mock interview so you can see your nonverbal
communication.
• The image you project and how you present
yourself will be either a deal-maker or
deal-breaker.
• Think about questions you need to ask.
Write them down to jog your memory.
Typical and not so typical
Job Interview Questions
• Tell me about yourself. (Don’t ramble. Stay focused on
those things about yourself that make you best
qualified for the job.)
• What are your strengths? (Make sure you know what
they are before you get to the interview. Make a
list.)
• What are your weaknesses? (Careful of this one.
What you say can and will be held against you.)
Typical and not so typical
Job Interview Questions
• How would your current (or last) boss describe
you? (Be honest . . . They may be talking to
him/her)
• Describe the attributes of the worst boss you ever had.
(Treat this like a minefield. A misstep could blow up
in your face. Try to put a positive spin on the negative
attributes.)
Typical and not so typical
Job Interview Questions
• Describe a conflict or disagreement you have had at
work and explain how you handled it.
• How do you react to criticism? (This is not the time
for ego)
• Give an example of a risk you took at work or
school and how it turned out. What did you
learn from the outcome?
Typical and not so typical
Job Interview Questions
• What is your managerial style?
• Why do you want to leave your current employer?
(Positive, positive. A prospective employer doesn’t
want to hear a litany of grievances against your
current employer.)
• What was your most important contribution to
your last (or current) employer?
Typical and not so typical
Job Interview Questions
• What accomplishment in your life are you most proud?
• Would you hire you for this job? Why?
• Why should we hire you over other finalists for this
position? (Of course, you won’t know their
credentials, so focus on your own.)
Typical and not so typical
Job Interview Questions
SKILL: Creativity
QUESTION: Give an example of a situation where you were
inventive and explored new ways of thinking. What was the
outcome?
Behavioral Based
Interviewing
Problem Solving
SKILL: Decision Making/Decisiveness
QUESTION: (1) Give an example of how you reached a practical
business decision by an organized review of the facts and weighing of
options. (2) Give an example of a situation when you had to stand up
for a decision you made even though it made you unpopular.
Behavioral Based
Interviewing
Personal Work Habits
SKILL: Commitment to Tasks
QUESTION: (1) Describe a time in which you were able to be
very persistent in order to reach goals. (2) Give an example of
any specific time in which you found it necessary to give long
hours to the job.
The position sounds very interesting, particularly since it would be an opportunity for me to use
my skills in designing sound individual exercise prescriptions and administering safe, specific
activity programs. I am eager to develop and deliver exercise programs to your clients.
Dr. Lambert, I want this job. I can quickly become a member of your team if you’ll give me a
chance. If I may, let me call you in a few days to see if you have reached a decision favorable to
both of us. I look forward to talking with you. Thank you again for your consideration.
Sincerely,
(written signature)
Cynthia L. Smith