Interview Prep Guide

   INTERVIEW PREPARATIONS




CONGRATULATIONS!
So we’ve managed to secure an interview with the employer.  Q. What do we do now?  A. We prepare: the candidate who takes the time to prepare before interviewing is the candidate that will be successful.

PREPARING FOR SUCCESS
In the days prior to your interview be sure you have done the following:

	Researched the company (Research the company as much as possible beforehand: Talk to anyone you know who works there, look on the internet, search for news stories, visit the company website and review their History, About Us etc.)
	STAR statements prepared (Appendix A)
	Prepare a few questions to ask the interviewer, smart questions  (Appendix B)
	Planned to arrive 15 -20 minutes early, if possible do a test trip to the site and see how long it takes you
	Prepared for behavioral questions (Appendix A & C)
	Look the part - plan what you will be wearing (Business Professional is always the standard – unless otherwise informed)
	Assembled supplies (your notebook, extra copies of resume)
	Samples (bring samples of your work where appropriate)
	Rested (get plenty of rest on the night before an interview and skip the pub night with friends)

THE DAY OF
So, you're a little nervous. Okay, so you're A LOT nervous: that's to be expected. But following these simple guidelines should take the edge off interviewing and leave you prepared for anything.  Upon arriving 15 minutes early:

	Greet Reception (remember the receptionist is your first impression – be friendly and cordial)
	Be positive, (do not let any outside worries, or stresses impact your current mood)

THE INTERVIEW
	Smile and shake hands (your handshake should be firm, and not limp or bone crushing)
	Eye Contact (eye contact can say a lot about your self-confidence and your interest in the position)
	Posture (Be sure to sit forward on the chair, do not lean back.  Sit with your feet planted on the floor, do not cross your legs.  Keep your hands in front of you or folded in your lap, never cross your arms over your chest)
	Listen and adapt. Be sensitive to the style of the interviewer.
	Support past career accomplishments with your STAR statements
	Relate your answers to the interviewer and his/her company.
	Encourage the interviewer to share info of the company
	Remain positive: avoid negative comments about past employers.
	Tell the interviewer WHY to hire you.
	Ask your questions
	Remind the interviewer to contact your representative if he/she has further questions.


CLOSING AN INTERVIEW
You've given a medal-worthy performance. You've asked all the right questions. You've had all the right answers. Here are a few points to help you conclude the interview like a professional.
	Restate your interest in the position and the company by asking about the "next step."
	Summarize your competencies and strengths, in relation to the job requirements.
	If you want the job RESTATE YOUR INTEREST in the role!
	Don't show discouragement if no commitment is made. The interviewer may need to see other candidates and confer with colleagues before making any commitments.
	Thank the interviewer for his/her time and consideration. Be sure to smile and give a firm handshake.

FOLLOWING YOUR INTERVIEW

	The last thing the interviewer said when you left
	The structure of the interview
	Something you’d like to clarify
	Something you wish you had mentioned
	Take notes after the interview.
	If needed, send a letter summarizing your skills.
	Continue your job search.

GOOD LUCK!

APPENDIX A

STAR STATEMENTS - Phrase all of the answers you give in a behavioral interview as well as whenever possible in a standard interview using a “STAR” statement.  Below there is a description of some sample job situations, and then broken them down into the Situation you faced, the Task to be performed, the Action you took and the Results achieved.

The Situation in which you were involved.
The Task to be performed.
The Action you took
The Results of your actions

Example 1:
When I began as a new Human Resource Manager, the IT Department averaged a 38% turnover rate for the last 3.5 years. Employees were being terminated without prior warning, and no formal corrective action was being taken to discipline them and improve their behavior. I created a disciplinary warning system for the department managers. Within an 8-month period of my new system's implementation, it had decreased the IT department's turnover rate by 18%.

S - The IT department's turnover rate averaged 38% over the last 3.5 years.
T- Reduce the turnover rate
A - I developed a formal verbal and written warning policy for department managers to follow. It required managers to provide each employee with a written copy of their job description. Furthermore, it directed managers to review these job descriptions with their employees and verify that their employees understood them. I also incorporated a requirement for all managers to write a development plan for each employee, with goal setting in mind, to be addressed during their semi-annual performance appraisals.
R - Within an 8-month period, I had decreased the turnover rate in the IT Department by 18%.

Example 2:
I joined the management of a magazine after its subscriber numbers had decreased from 11 million to 8 million. Unless we took a detour fast, we were on our way over the cliff. Under my leadership, the century-old organization was re-invigorated by shifting up to new sources of revenue. We adopted newsstand distribution, foreign language editions, a cable-TV channel, an online store, and new corporate partnerships. These strategic decisions helped us increase our subscriber base to 20 million.

S – After 10 years of declining revenue and a shrinking subscriber base, a once venerable magazine was threatened with extinction.
T – Increase the subscriber base
A – I made a series of strategic decisions that included the development of new corporate partnerships, and expansions into new media channels such as newsstands, foreign language editions, a cable-TV channel, and an online store. This in turn refurbished the magazine's identity.
R – My strategic decisions helped the magazine increase its subscriber base from 8 million to 20 million.

Example 3
The optical network technology company, where I am vice-president, was the best performing IPO (Initial Public Offering) in 2002. However, in less than 30 days, our strategic merger with a telecom company fell through, and our stock plummeted from $63 per share to an all-time low of $13 per share. In the face of disaster, I convinced my partners to make a bold move. Not one engineer left our team, but rather stayed as we built our own optical network. Initially, we needed to acquire two companies to support our technical growth and increase our client base. Today, we offer full-service optical network solutions to companies like XYZ Corporation. Our customer roster is now three times what we had in 2002, and our stocks have risen to more than $300 per share.

S – Our company was ranked 1999's best performing IPO. After a strategic merger fell through, we saw our stock price dive from $63 to $13 per share.
T – Avert this crisis and restore our share price.
A – I convinced my partners to respond to this business challenge by making a bold move, rather than scaling back. Capitalizing on our company's best assets—its employees' talent, passion and loyalty—we set off to build our own full-scale optical network.
R –As a result of this bold move, our customer roster has tripled since 1999, and our stocks have risen to more than $300 per share. Today, we are able to offer full-service optical network solutions to companies like XYZ Corporation

APPENDIX B

Asking Questions
An interview is your chance to learn more about a company's philosophy and atmosphere, details of the position available, and what is expected of employees. Asking questions not only gives you more information on the company, but also demonstrates that you're seriously interested in the position.

Here are some sample questions you can ask about the company, the position and management.

Company Questions
•	What's its mission? Vision?
•	What future plans does the company have?
•	What are the challenges the company is facing?
•	What's the culture like? What are the values?
•	How would you describe the atmosphere of this department?
•	Can you tell me about this recent article I saw in the newspaper?
•	What new products do you plan on launching?
•	Where would you like this department/organization to be in five years?
•	What are the most critical factors for success in your business?



Position Questions
•	Is this a new/existing/revised job?
•	If it's new/revised, why was it created?
•	If it's existing, why is it open, and why did this person leave?
•	How does this position fit within the company's structure?
•	How does a person in this position divide his/her time? What activities will he/she perform?
•	Can you give me more detail about the position's responsibilities?
•	What are the two/three most important things you would want this person to accomplish?
•	What is most pressing? What would you like to have done within the next two or three months?
•	What are some of the longer-term objectives that you would like completed?
•	What would you like to be done differently by the next person who fills this job?
•	What are some of the more difficult problems facing someone in this position?
•	How do you think these could best be handled?
•	What freedom would this person have in determining their work objectives, deadlines and methods of measurement?
•	How is performance in this position measured?
•	With whom does a person in this position interact?
•	What kind of support does this position receive in terms of people, finances, etc?
•	Is there an opportunity for growth and advancement? If so, what other career opportunities might be open to me here? What is the logical career path?

Management Questions
•	How would your employees characterize your management style?
•	Where would you like this (department) (organization) to be in five years?
•	How do you evaluate performance?
•	What are the most important characteristics you look for in an employee?
•	How do you like people to communicate with you? Orally, in writing, informally, in meetings or only when necessary?
•	How long have you been with the company and what do you like most about the organization?

APPENDIX C

Types of Questions
There are two types of interview questions, Traditional and Behavioral. Traditional questions spark solid answers that focus on your candidacy for the position, motivations or work history. The theory behind Behavioral questions is that past behavior can predict future behavior. Be prepared with solid, detailed examples of instances in which you encountered the topic situation.


We've provided these sample questions for your reference.

Traditional
•	What can you tell me about yourself?
•	What are your most significant accomplishments?
•	How would you describe your ideal position?
•	What can you contribute?
•	What's the biggest mistake you've made in your career?
•	Why are you interested in this position?
•	Why should we hire you?
•	Why did you leave your last position?
•	What will references say about you?
•	What are your strengths? Weaknesses?

Behavioral Questions
•	Share a time in which you were very persistent in order to reach a goal.
•	Tell me about a time when you had to provide service to a stubborn, arrogant customer.
•	Give me an example of a time when you failed to meet a specific deadline. Why did you fail? How would you do it differently?
•	Can you describe a high-stress situation in which it was desirable for you to keep a positive attitude?
•	Give me an example of a time when you used facts and reason to persuade another person to take action.
•	Tell me about a time when you strongly disagreed with your supervisor. What was the basis of the disagreement?
•	Describe a situation in which you had to draw a conclusion quickly and take speedy action.
•	When have you found it useful to use detailed checklists/procedures to reduce potential for error on the job? Be specific.
•	What idea have you developed and implemented that was creative or innovative?
•	Describe a situation in which you had to adjust quickly to changes in the organizational goals. How did these changes have an impact on you? Give an example.