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 [email protected]
http://public.kenan-flagler.unc.edu/bizcommcenter/This presentation will be posted on the
BCC website under “Workshop Schedule”