Interview Education

Welcome

toooooo….

The interview• A dialogue conducted by the interviewer in order to gather as

many valuable information about the candidate, based on which we can evaluate if the candidate is suitable for the needs of AIESEC.

• The interview is the most used selection method worldwide. Also, it is knows to be the least effective one, due to the subjectivism of the interviewer.

Techniques

OpenDescriptiveRephrasing

ClosedSuggestive

MultipleYes/No

Hypothetical

Recommended Not recommended

Flow

• Introduction Who am I?• Main Interviewing General questions/ Ice brakers• More specific questions• Closure

Typical applicants

• The shy Candidate• The perfect Candidate• The talkative Candidate• The silent/defensive candidate

Shy

• Turns red• Shivering voice• No eye contact• Barely speaks

Perfect

• Answer what you would like to hear• Adaptation to every situation• Fluent, self confident speech

Talkative

• Very confident, answers quickly• Hard to stop • Speak a lot, but hardly about the question• Sometimes interrupt you, asks questions

Silent/defensive

• Not open• Short answers, not cooperative at all• Feels like he is attacked

Body language

Body Language

• Keep a straight but relaxed posture, a calm but not monotonous tone of voice and remember to seem interested by what is being said by using (moderated) head movements.

• Remember not to cross your hands in front of your chest as this is universally translated as a defensive gesture.

• Keep eye contact but do not stare the applicant straight in the eye since this tends to make people feel awkward.

Important!

• Don’t try to overanalyze the interviewer’s behavior, as you will lose focus on the questions.

• You need to develop a rapport with the interviewer as quickly as possible. Think about your non-verbal communication: make lots of eye contact, smile and sit up

straight. have good posture,

open your chest and speak

clearly.

IN AIESEC

What are we looking for?

Competencies Behaviors:

• Motivation & AIESEC Understanding• Self Assessment• Solution-orientation• Adjustability• Commitment

Some sample questions• Motivation & AIESEC understanding:

What do you know about AIESEC?  What motivates you to apply for an internship?  Why did you choose an AIESEC Exchange (from the various other

exchange programs available)?  How do you think that you can bring impact to your country after

participating in this project?

Some sample questions• Self assessment:  Do you have any kind of international experience? If yes which? (studying, internship,

travelling) If the answer is yes - How was that experience for you? - What did you like most/least about

the other culture? - Which were your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them? How would you describe how you work in a team? What do you hope to develop by working

in an international team?   How do cultural differences influence team work?  Have you already been in a situation where friend/co-worker/relative has disagreed with you?

How did you deal with it?  What kind of people can you work/get along well?

And why do you feel you couldn't work/get along with the others?  What was the toughest or most critical feedback you've ever received.

How it did make you feel? How do you think your strong characteristics are?

(please list 3 of them with one example)

Some sample questions• Solution orientation:  Imagine you start your internship and the tasks you are asked to do are totally

different from what was stated in the job description you applied to. What do you do?

 Explain a difficult situation that you where in and how you got out of it or solved it.

Explain one success (choice or outcome) that you are really proud of and why/what did you do to achieve it?

Tell me an idea you think your current environment needs and

convince me to invest in your idea.  Tell us/me a situation where you had to do something you

didn't like, but needed to do to achieve your goal.  Give us an example of mistakes that were made in a team of yours.

How did you communicate and handle them?

Some sample questions

• Adjustability  You're part of a team. You and the team must finish a certain task that only you

know how to do, teach them or do it yourself: Why ?  What do you consider to be your biggest failure? Why things went wrong, what

would you change now if you had the chance?  Have you had a cultural shock? If yes, please explain.

• Commitment What is the earliest date to start internship  What is the latest ending date of the internship?

 What are the learning points that you expect

from the internship?

Preparing for the interview

• Undivided attention to the interviewer• Repeat the information• Prepare interview plan• Know basic data about the project

Ice breaking

• Be open and relaxed• Great warmly• Introduce yourself (Education, age,

Extracurricular activities, Accomplishments so far)

Giving information

• What you have done so far• Try to give the full picture – be flexible

– Complete answer: background, what you did, achievements

Cool tips

Before it starts

• Keep the interview room as noise free as possible and try to remove any kind of stimulus that might cause you to lose focus.

• Do your research You are certain to be asked specific questions about the project.

• Practice your answers Although there is no set format that every interview will follow, there are some questions that you can almost guarantee will crop up. You should prepare answers to some of the about your personal strengths and weaknesses, as well as being able to explain why you would

be the best person for the project.

During• Stay calm 

Good preparation is the key to staying in control. Plan your route, allowing extra time for any unexpected delays and get everything you need to take with you ready the night before. Remember to speak clearly, smile and remember that your interviewers are just normal people, and the may be nervous too! 

• Ask questions You should always have some questions for your interviewer to demonstrate your interest in the position. Prepare a minimum

of five questions, some which will give you more information

about the project.

Common mistakes• Not showing an understanding of the

project • Not saying how you did something • Not knowing why you want this specific

project • Coming across as unprofessional • Not following up (send an email

again)

Sum up• Be welcoming and relaxed.• Have a general idea of what you want to tell

and how you want to look• Make sure you get all the information you

want and that you also provide all the information needed.

• Be objective and do not let yourself

be affected by others.

Thank you for your attention!

Implement it!