ace the interview: tell your story effectively

ACE THE INTERVIEW: TELL YOUR STORY EFFECTIVELYPresented by Sara West22 September 2008

Sponsored by the Business Communication Center

Agenda

How to prepare for the interview What to expect during the interview How to follow up after the interview

What not to do…

Agenda

How to prepare for the interview What to expect during the interview How to follow up after the interview

Preparing for the interview

Complete a self-assessment Research the company Conduct a mock interview at the

Business Communication Center

What employers want you to have: Communication skills Honesty and integrity Interpersonal skills Motivation and initiative Strong work ethic Teamwork and leadership skills Analytical skills Self-confidence

Assess your…

Academic background and performance Work and volunteer experience Special skills Activities Personal attributes Career goals

Matching up your skills

What you want to demonstrate

Where you might find a good example

Communication Class presentation

Honesty and integrity Personal relationship

Interpersonal skills Volunteer work

Teamwork skills Study group

Leadership Student-run organization

Analytical skills Statistics class

Company research

Why should you bother?

Company research

Why should you bother?

Demonstrate interest and knowledge Gives you something to ask the

interviewer Find out if you’re a good fit for the

company

What should you research?

Recent current events affecting the firm Products and services Size of firm and industry Organizational structure Geographic locations Stock price Sales revenue

Where can you find this info? Company website Annual reports

Letter to shareholders SWOT section (strengths, opportunities, threats,

weaknesses)

Vault and WetFeet Guides (on UCS website) Google news search

Spend 2 – 3 hours researching your top company.

Dealing with anxiety

Take a break from interview prep Walk up and down a flight of stairs Take deep breaths

Agenda

How to prepare for the interview What to expect during the interview How to follow up after the interview

During the interview

Do: Arrive early Use a firm handshake Smile! Make direct eye contact Sit up straight Use the interviewer’s name when

introduced

During the interview

Don’t: Say negative things about your former

employers, professors, or classmates Tell me about the worst boss you’ve ever had. Tell about a time you were frustrated by a

classmate. Interrupt Let your cell phone ring. (Turn it off!)

Typical interview structure

Greeting Small talk Opening questions More specific questions Your questions Close

Types of interview questions Education oriented

Why did you choose Carolina? The BSBA program? Goal-related

Where do you see yourself in five years? Results-oriented

What is the biggest risk you have ever taken? Behavioral

Tell me about a time you received criticism. Character-related

Describe your role within a group.

Resume walk

Also known as “Tell me about yourself.” Less than 2 minutes Results-oriented overview of experience Reverse chronological story leading up

to present

Upshot: why are you interested in this industry? What experiences have you led to this point?

Other opening questions

Why did you apply for this job? Give an answer that is specific to the company

Challenging projects Opportunities for mentorship

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? What are your strengths?

Also known as: What would you bring to this organization?

What are your weaknesses? Should not be relevant to the job

Behavioral questions

Tell me about a time when you demonstrated leadership skills.

Describe a time when you faced a moral dilemma. What was your decision-making process?

Tell me about a time when you learned something from someone else’s mistake.

Describe a time when you came up with a new idea and implemented it.

STAR method

Situation: Background or problem Task: Your role, what you were charged

with doing Action: What you did to solve the problem Result: Outcome

Pull experiences from all aspects of your life!

Your questions

Questions based on research, industry trends, annual report – goals, opportunities, etc

How would you describe the career paths available to someone in this position?

What are the next steps in the interview process? NOT: When will I hear back from you? Should be your last question, if you want to

ask it

Don’t ask about these. Please. Salary Benefits Sick leave and vacation time Other perks

None are appropriate topics of discussion in an initial interview.

Agenda

How to prepare for the interview What to expect during the interview How to follow up after the interview

After the interview…

Send a thank-you note to the interviewer(s) by end of next business day. Email preferred for on-campus interviews Personal letter (via U.S. mail) may be sent to

follow up

Consider your performance: What did you do well? What might you do differently the next time?

Questions?

Feel free to contact me, or make an appointment to meet with a consultant in the Business

Communication Center.Sara_west@unc.edu

http://public.kenan-flagler.unc.edu/bizcommcenter/This presentation will be posted on the

BCC website under “Workshop Schedule”