INTERVIEW GUIDELINES

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PURPOSE OF THE INTERVIEW

The interview is a conversation in which you and an employer exchange information. Your objective is to get an offer of a
job, and the employer's objective is to find out the following:
• What you have to offer (your skills, abilities, basic knowledge).
• Who you are (your personality, character, interests).
• Why you should be hired (you have what they are seeking). The interviewer will try to determine whether you will be
an asset to the organization.

Your goal is to present yourself as the best candidate for the position and also to learn more about the position and the
interviewer's organization to determine whether both are well suited for you and your career goals. Thus, the interview is a
two-way discussion rather than an interrogation, as it is often perceived to be.

The interview is a vital step to obtaining a career position and often depends on your skills in marketing your potential. Do
not miss out on a good position for which you are qualified due to a lack of preparation and practice. You need to be ready
to answer questions about your career goals and background. You will also want to develop intelligent questions of your
own to help you obtain the necessary information for making an informed decision. Furthermore, preparation helps build
your self confidence in your interview skills and is the key to successful interviewing.

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PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW

You need to get your goals in focus. You need to know what you want, where you want to be, who can employ you and,
most importantly, why you will be good at the job you seek. If you are undecided or unsure about the jobs that best match
your skills, interests, and background, take time now to assess yourself and explore various career fields. It is very difficult
and can be frustrating to conduct a job search if you are unsure about your career options.

Know Yourself
Most interviews include questions regarding your qualifications, education, campus and community activities, prior work
experience, personal characteristics, skills, and career interests. To prepare for answering questions about yourself, think
about the following questions:
• Which personality characteristics and skills do I want to talk about?
• What job experiences are most relevant to this position?
• What did I gain from my college education? Focus on those experiences that best sell you for the position for which
you are interviewing.

Identify your three main strengths. Be able to cite specific examples and apply these strengths directly to the requirements
of the position you are seeking. You should also be prepared to state the reasons why you should be hired, what you have
to offer the employer, and your interests in the position.

Research the Position

Analyze the job description and how your background, skills, and experience apply to the position. Evaluate your interest
in this career field and be able to verbalize it. If the job description is limited, research similar jobs in similar companies
and look up information on the job title in various career information resources, such as the O*Net
(http://www.onetonline.org/).
Research the Employer and Industry
It is important to learn as much as you can about the employer before you interview. By adequately researching the
organization, you will have a much better chance of creating a positive impression.
The following questions can help guide your research:
• What are the organization's philosophy and goals?
• What are the size and structure of the organization?
• What are the organization's products and services?
• What is the organization known for?
• What are the geographical locations of its plants, stores, or sales outlets?
• How well is the organization doing? (growth patterns)
• Who are the organization's clientele or customers and major competitors?
• What are the organization's entry-level positions and career paths?
• What type of training does the organization offer its employees?

To obtain information about the employer, read company annual reports, recruiting brochures, job descriptions,
promotional materials, trade journals, Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Business Week, etc. Faculty, alumni, friends, and
present employees can also be helpful sources of information.

Get References
Speak directly with the people you are planning to name as references (prior employers, faculty members, etc.). Let them
know the kinds of jobs you are applying for and what specific kinds of experiences and abilities you hope they can discuss
about you. Give them a copy of your resume to refer to when called.

Practice, Practice, Practice!!!

Many interview questions are predictable and can be anticipated prior to the interview. Practice speaking out loud in front
of a mirror, into a tape recorder, or with a friend. You can also predict "job-specific" questions by analyzing the job
description—duties, responsibilities, and skills of the position. Consider the kinds of questions you can expect during the
interview and prepare thorough and complete answers to each question. See the practice section at the end of this
packet, or consider these common interview questions:
• Tell me about yourself.
• What interested you about this internship? Our organization?
• Give an example of a goal you reached and tell me how you achieved it.
• How do you handle a challenge?
• When you are working on multiple projects how do you manage and prioritize your time?
• Can you provide an example of how you set goals and achieve them?
• Can you provide an example of how you worked on team?
• Have you handled a difficult situation with a co-worker or fellow student? How?

Do not memorize your responses, but instead outline the key points that you want to stress. Role playing of the interview
situation can be extremely helpful in providing you an opportunity to refine your interview techniques—to have a smoother,
spontaneous flow of words and to become aware of your nonverbal communication (i.e., body posture, eye contact, voice
quality). You may want to sign up for a mock interview in the Career Center.
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DURING THE INTERVIEW

First Impressions Count!

• Be on time. Find out when and where the interview will take place and how to get there. Arrive 10 to 15 minutes early
so you can relax.
• Dress appropriately; that is, according to the standards of the organization. Your appearance should project a
conservative, businesslike image and should communicate that you are ready for a professional career.
• Greet the interviewer by name, with a smile and a firm handshake. Treat secretaries and receptionists in a polite and
professional manner.
• Show your enthusiasm. Enthusiasm, energy, and a sense of humor can help create a good impression. Do not be
passive or indifferent.
Interview Format
The first few minutes of the interview are used to establish rapport and to help the job applicants feel more at ease. The
interviewer may engage in small talk or ask questions about interests and hobbies. However, these first few minutes are
where you make a first and lasting impression. This is a good opportunity to demonstrate your communication skills.

The next portion of the interview is spent in an exchange of information to determine whether a good "match" exists
between the employer's needs and your skills and career objectives. The interviewer will ask questions about your
qualifications, background, and career goals and will present additional information about the position and the
organization. You will be expected to ask questions about the position and organization that will help you decide whether
the opportunity is right for you.

Listen carefully to the questions and be sure you understand them. Answer the questions thoroughly by backing up your
statements with specific examples of your skills, experiences, and accomplishments. However, do not give more
information than what the interviewer is asking for. In addition, emphasize your strong points at every appropriate
opportunity in the interview. You want to avoid negatives/weaknesses and avoid using phrases such as "I only" or "I really
don't have much experience in that area." Show confidence in yourself and your ability to perform the job! Finally,
establish good eye contact with the interviewer and take an active part in the interview.

At some point in the interview, the interviewer will usually ask if you have any questions. Prepare two or three questions,
in advance, that you would want to ask. Ask questions that will help you form an opinion about whether the organization is
right for you. Avoid asking questions for which answers could have been obtained in preparing for the interview. A list of
sample questions is provided in this guide; however, make up your own questions to suit your career field and the
employer. Caution: Do not ask about salary, bonuses, or vacation benefits during the initial interview. Let the interviewer
introduce the subject of salary. If salary is discussed, be prepared to indicate a salary range that you would expect to
receive.

At Conclusion of Interview
Be alert for signs that the interview is coming to an end. At the conclusion, ask what the next step will be and when you
can expect to know the results of the interview. Restate your interest in working for the organization and thank the
interviewer for taking time to talk with you. The interviewer will usually close by telling you what the next step will be, such
as "We will be making our decision within the next two weeks and will notify you by mail."

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FOLLOW-UP

After you leave the interview, make notes about what you discussed, including the next steps that you should take. These
notes will be helpful in preparing for further interviews. Keep a log of addresses, phone numbers, dates of interviews,
names of referrals, etc. Write a thank you note to the interviewer within 24 hours of the interview. Tell the interviewer you
appreciated him/her taking time to see you and restate your interest in the position. If you do not hear from the employer
within the specified time period, follow up with a phone call. Normally, if the employers are interested in you as a job
candidate, you will be invited to visit their facilities to interview with additional people in your area of specialization.

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PHONE SCREENING

Many employers use phone interviews as an initial screening of job applicants who do not live within a close geographical
range of their facilities. If you plan to interview with an organization that is not local, be prepared to engage in a 30 minute
phone interview with the employer's representative(s). Your voice quality and choice of words will be especially important
during this type of interview. If successful, the employer will normally invite you to visit their facilities for more in depth
interview(s).

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BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEWS

What is a Behavior-Based Interview?

Today, more than ever, every hiring decision is critical. Behavioral interviewing is designed to minimize personal
impressions that can affect the hiring decision. By focusing on actions and behaviors, rather than subjective impressions
that can be misleading, interviewers can make more accurate hiring decisions.

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. You may use work
experience, activities, hobbies, volunteer work, school projects, family life as examples of your past behavior. Current
employment literature indicates that there is a strong trend towards this type of interviewing. You should consider the
following in your interview preparations.

What Do Employers Evaluate in a Behavioral Interview?

Employers are looking for three types of skills: content skills, transferable skills, and adaptive.
• Content Skills - Knowledge that is work-specific (i.e. computer programming, accounting, welding, etc.), expressed as
nouns.
• Transferable Skills - Used with people, information, or things (i.e. organizing, managing, developing, communicating,
etc.), expressed as verbs.
• Adaptive Skills - Personal characteristics (i.e. dependable, team-player, self-directed, punctual, etc.) expressed as
adjectives.

Behavioral vs. Traditional Interviews

If you have training or experience with traditional interviewing techniques, you may find the behavioral interview quite
different in several ways:
• Instead of asking how you would behave in a particular situation, the interviewer will ask how you did behave.
• Expect the interviewer to question and probe (think of "peeling the layers from an onion").
• The interviewer will ask you to provide details and will not allow you to theorize or generalize about several events.
• The interview will be a more-structured process that will concentrate on areas that are important to the interviewer,
rather than allowing you to concentrate on areas that you may feel are important.
• You may not get a chance to deliver any prepared stories.
• Most interviewers will be taking copious notes throughout the interview.

The behavioral interviewer has been trained to objectively collect and evaluate information and works from a profile of
desired behaviors that are needed for success on the job. Because the behaviors a candidate has demonstrated in
previous similar positions are likely to be repeated, you will be asked to share situations in which you may or may not
have exhibited these behaviors.

If you are an entry-level candidate with no previous related experience, the interviewer will look for behaviors in situations
similar to those of the target position:
• "Describe a major problem you have faced and how you dealt with it."
• "What class did you like the most? What did you like about it?"

Follow-up questions will test for accuracy and consistency to determine if you exhibited the desired behavior in that
situation (you will notice an absence of such questions as, "Tell me about your strengths and weaknesses.") For
example:
• "Can you give me an example?" • "How did you feel?"
• "What did you do?" • "What was your role?"
• "What did you say?" • "What was the result?"
• "What were you thinking?"

How Can I Best Answer Behavior-Based Questions?

A complete answer to a behavior-based question should use the format PARLA, containing each of these components as
you tell the interviewer a "story" (with beginning, middle, and end):
• Problem (P) - Advertising revenue was falling off for the Daily News, and large numbers of long-term advertisers were
not renewing contracts.
• Action (A) - I designed a new promotional packet to go with the rate sheet and compared the benefits of DN circulation
with other ad media in the area. I also set up a special training session for the account executives with a College of
Business professor who discussed competitive selling strategies.
• Results (R) - We signed contracts with fifteen former advertisers for daily ads, and five for special supplements. We
increased our new advertisers by twenty percent (quantities are always good) over the same period last year.
• Learned (L) - I learned how to develop a strategic approach to a problem and how to confidently present this strategy
to my colleagues.
• Applied (A) - I’ve volunteered to design a strategic funraising approach for the Oxy swim team.

How to Prepare for a Behavioral Interview

• Analyze the types of positions for which you are applying. Try to get an actual job description. Why are the specified
skills required by the employers?
• Analyze your own background. What skills do you have (content, functional, and adaptive) that relate to your job
objective.
• Recall recent situations that show favorable behaviors or actions, especially those involving course work, work
experience, leadership, teamwork, initiative, planning, and customer service.
• Prepare short descriptions of each situation; be ready to give details if asked.
• Be sure each story has a beginning, middle, and an end (e.g., be ready to describe the situation, your action, and the
outcome or result). Wherever possible, quantify your results. Numbers illustrate your level of authority and
responsibility.
• Be sure the outcome or result reflects positively on you (even if the result itself was not favorable).
• Be prepared to provide examples of when results didn't turn out as planned. What did you do then?
• Be honest. Don't embellish or omit any part of the story. The interviewer will find out if your story is built on a weak
foundation.
• Be specific. Don't generalize about several events; give a detailed account of one event.

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THE SECOND INTERVIEW

In Preparing for Your Onsite Visit With a Prospective Employer, You Will Want to:
• Conduct more in depth research on the employer and industry.
• Be prepared to answer questions about your background and career interests. You may be asked the same questions
you were asked in the initial screening interview; however, you will also be asked more in depth questions about your
academic qualifications, extracurricular activities, prior work experience, and career objectives.
• Be prepared to ask job/career related questions. You will be judged in part on the quality of your questions and the
depth of your interest in both the employer and the job.
• Practice your interview and presentation skills. Anticipate and practice! Identify the strengths and key points that you
want to stress during the interview. Review the qualities that employers seek in college graduates.

On the Day of the Visit:

Review your interview agenda. Note the names and titles of the individuals/groups that you will be meeting with during the
day. Usually you will interview with an average of five to six employer representatives during the day.

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SOME FINAL COMMENTS

Be yourself. There is no special formula for excelling in a job interview. Your personality and background may appeal to
some employers and not to others. It is to your advantage to be yourself, rather than try to mold yourself to fit an image
you think will appeal to an employer. After all, you want to find a position and employer that is compatible with "who you
are" and your career objectives.

Nonverbal communication influences the types of messages that you communicate to employers during your interviews.
Some examples of nonverbal messages that you want to avoid include: sleepy appearance, mumbling, rambling, loud
clothing, phony appearance, poor hygiene, crossing legs frequently, and other nervous habits (fidgeting, scratching head,
wringing your hands). Role-playing experiences and videotaping your interviews are the best approaches for identifying
both positive and negative nonverbal messages that you may be communicating in your interviews.

Self -confidence in one's ability to succeed at the unfamiliar and the untried is an important trait for individuals interviewing
for jobs. This confidence comes from within and can be increased by knowing what your skills and strengths are, as well
as knowing what assets you can offer to a prospective employer. Through interview preparation and practice, you can
also increase your confidence in your interviewing skills and your ability to make a good impression.

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QUALITIES EMPLOYERS LOOK FOR IN JOB CANDIDATES

• A Pattern of Success (i.e. academic • Flexibility

accomplishments, leadership, activities) • Initiative/Motivation
• Grades • Enthusiasm
• Written & Oral Communication Skills • Self-Confidence
• Related Work Experience • Polished Personal Style
• Interpersonal Skills • Honesty
• Leadership Potential • Ability to Work on a Team
• Decision-Making & Problem Solving Skills • Strong Work Ethic
• Creativity and Intelligence

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KNOCKOUT FACTORS (Some reasons why applicants don’t receive job offers or 2nd interviews)

• Inability to express oneself clearly - poor voice, diction, or grammar

• Poor personal appearance
• Not prepared for interview, no research on the organization
• Overbearing overaggressive, conceited, "know-it-all"
• Uncertainty about future goals and career plans
• Inappropriate qualifications for position the organization wants to fill
• Lack of interest and enthusiasm - passive, indifferent
• Asks no or poor questions about the position
• Lack of confidence - nervousness, fails to look interviewer in the eye
• Overemphasis on money - too interested in salary and vacation schedules
• Unwillingness to start at the bottom - expects too much, too soon
• Speaking derogatorily about former employers, supervisors, or other people
• Lack of maturity, courtesy, and tact

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SAMPLE QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO ASK

1. What kind of person are you looking for?

2. What specific skills or experiences would help someone do well in this job?
3. What are some of the satisfactions and frustrations of this job?
4. How is the company dealing with changes in the industry?
5. What are the company's plans for growth?
6. What do you consider to be the organization's strengths and weaknesses?
7. Describe your organization's management style.
8. What is the work style of this company?
9. Describe the supervision I would receive.
10. Who are the other people I would work with?
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INTERVIEWING PRACTICE

Use this space to plan answers to some commonly asked interview questions. Take time to practice saying the answers
outloud, if possible with someone who will listen and offer feedback.

“Tell me about yourself...”

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“What are your strengths?”

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“What are your weaknesses?”

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“What interests you about this internship and why do you want to work for this organization/company?”

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“Tell me about a conflict you’ve faced and how you’ve dealt with it...”

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“What class have you liked the most at Oxy and why?”

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Questions to ask your interviewer:

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