Insider Tips for Successful Job Interviews and Career Development

Successful Interviewing David McMahon 69 Associate Director Experiential Education

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Your preparation for Interviewing Plan to speak on: What you know about company and/or job position Your motivations Your personality / teamwork Your area(s) of interest What you can contribute Know: 3 reasons why they should make you an offer Get your 3 or 4 key messages out to the Interviewer Prepare your questions for the interviewers 3

How Employers Grade TAMU Students - 2016 100% 100% 90% 90% A A 80% 80% 70% 70% B B 60% 60% 50% 50% 40% 40% C C 30% 30% 20% 20% D D 10% 10% 0% 0% F F

Know the Company If you won t take the time to review our website before the interview, why should I take the time to interview you? A&M Recruiter 5

What Should Students Research at Company Websites Priority List Feedback from Students Employers 56% 46% 15% 25% Company overview 80% Products/Services Career Opportunity 75% Location Financial Division 97% 77% 68% 45% 13% 6% 6

Career Direction What brings that sparkle to your eye or fire in your belly? What are the 3 to 5 things you see yourself doing with your degree for my company? What in my job description excited you, that you see yourself doing? Why are you the best person to fill my job, not just qualified to do my job? 7

Realistic Expectations Needing Improvement Employers Feedback 72% Oral communications 71% Written communications 64% Entitlement attitude 63% Constructive criticism 42% >40 Hour work week 41% Pay for performance 41% Not automatic promotions 26% Professional dress 8

What Employers Value When Selecting Full-time Employees 2014 RANK 2nd 3rd 6th 1st 5th 4th 8th 7th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 2012 RANK 2nd 3rd 6th 1st 4th 5th 8th 7th 9th 10th 11th 13th 12th 2016 3.40 3.29 2.56 2.54 2.41 2.31 2.14 2.06 1.71 1.49 1.30 1.05 1.04 2016 SCALE Personality / Social skills Creativity / Problem solving GPA / Major Intern / Co-op experience GPA / Overall Leadership in Professional organizations Part-time work experience Leadership in Non- professional organizations Volunteer experience Senior design project Research with faculty Work abroad experience Study abroad experience 4 - Very Important 3 2 - Important 1 - 0 - Not at All Important 9

What Impressed Employers Polite and Poised Academically Strong Students were professional and dressed for success. They present themselves well. The candidate knows recent (3-5 years) developments in the company. The candidate shows leadership in their examples with behavioral questions. (Didn t use the same example for every question) 10

What Impresses Employers Be flexible. Companies have several locations and it can really make or break it if you require one instead of being flexible. The candidates that stood out were the ones that asked questions about the role. Candidate was very successful - expressed interest in a position at our location through a well-written email to me very thoughtful and professional. Most candidates could at least say they had checked our website and could mention a couple of meaningful items from the website. 11

Opportunities for Improvement Fall 2016 Many resumes were over 2 pages in length, were not easy to read, did not do a good job of explaining key contributions in each job or leadership position. Some students did not bring a resume (3 out of my 11). Some students were not prepared to answer basic questions, some were not able to smoothly walk me through their resume Encourage research about the company they are applying for I would say less than half did anything more than read our job posting. Prepare for the interview (research the company) Know thy resume Be prepared to answer situational questions 12

Opportunities for Improvement I don t expect the students to know our company inside out, but I do expect them to know the types of products we produce. With our company, we are not any of the three oil & gas companies that have similar names. A number of interviewees didn t know who we are or what we made. Read the job description and ensure that you have good examples of why your experiences make you a good fit for that role. 13

Opportunities for Improvement Students were informed about the company, but need more command of how their job experience and academic work relates to the job opening. Answer the question that was asked and don't ramble or provide too much extra info. Be prepared with thoughtful questions about the company and/or position. 14

Opportunities for Improvement Leverage social media. Most companies are on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter and you can learn a lot about current events in that company or industry relatively quickly. Research the company to answer in an educated & unique way: What do you know about the company? Why do you want to work for the company? 15

First Impressions Are Lasting Impressions Arrive 5-10 minutes early Dress appropriately Watch eye contact, handshake, and body language Don t chew gum Talk to Interviewer, dis-connect to connect Turn off your cell phone Be honest Relax & be enthusiastic be yourself smile !! You are ALWAYS ALWAYS being evaluated. 16

Research the Company!!! la_political_cartoon 17

Content: Types of Questions Traditional Knowledge of organization and position. Your motivations and self-perceptions. Goals and plans to accomplish them. Situational What if questions give insight into how you go about resolving an issue and how you think on your feet. Behavioral 18

Basic Premise of Behavioral Interview Questions Past Performance -------------> Performance (predicts) Future 19

What Makes a Good Employee?? 1. Integrity - Ability to work with people - Responsibility - Judgment - Motivation to succeed - Work ethic - Intelligence - Creativity/ enthusiasm - Communications skills 10. Technical competence 20

General Answer Format STAR Describe the Situation you were in. Describe the Task you performed. What was your Approach to the problem? Be prepared for interviewer to probe for further details. What were the Results of your actions? 21

How to Prepare Recall recent situations that show favorable behaviors, or actions, especially involving leadership, teamwork, adaptability, initiative, planning, delegation, innovation, communications, and service. Prepare short descriptions of each situation and be ready to give details if asked. Be ready to describe the situation, your action, and the outcome or result succinctly. Be sure the outcome or result reflects positively on you (even if the result itself was not favorable). 22

How to Prepare (cont.) Be prepared to provide examples of occasions when the results were different than expected! Your skill in handling failure as well as success will be probed. Have 3 5 ideas of what you want to do with your degree and what you want to do in mid- term and long-term careers. Know the organization s mission, philosophy and goals as thoroughly as possible. Tell them your goals vs. the company mission. 23

How to Prepare (cont.) Be specific. Don t generalize about several events; give a detailed account of one event. Don t blow-off the informational session before an interview Emphasize your mobility Involvement implies time/priority management Be able to speak to every point on resume 24

What Is Your Career Direction?? look_it_up_T 25

Skills/Professional Knowledge Describe how you ve gone about learning a new skill. Describe a time when you solved a problem. 26

Teamwork/Collaboration Interacting with others can be challenging at times. Describe a situation when you wished you had acted differently with someone. Describe the best/worse team of which you have been a member. 27

Adaptability/Flexibility Tell me about a difficult situation you recently had to manage. Jobs differ in the extent to which unexpected changes can disrupt daily responsibilities. How do you feel when this happens? Why? Tell me about a time when this happened recently. 28

Initiative Have you found ways to make your job easier? Give an example of doing more than is required in your current job/class. Can you think of some projects or ideas that were sold, implemented, or carried out successfully because of your efforts? 29

Leadership/Ethics Tell me about a time when you had to make a decision that was unpopular with the group. Describe a situation in which your efforts influenced the actions of others. 30

Planning & Organizing Work Management Walk me through yesterday (or last week) and tell me how you planned the day s (or week s) activities. Tell me about a time when you had more on you plate than you could handle. How did you get everything accomplished? 31

Answer Tips Determine the skills necessary to do the job. Identify your skills and experience related to the job. Have brief scenarios about how you used those skills, each illustrating a specific activity or task required by the job. Rehearse, don t memorize scenarios. If possible, give the results in quantifiable terms. Include learning outcomes when results are not favorable. In a group interview, maintain face time with all Interviewers. 32

Bad Answers Uh, um, hm, hum. I have no strengths. I have no weaknesses. I am really smart, and people are intimidated by it. That s my biggest weakness. I work too hard. I m a people person. This is the only place that interviewed me. 33

Research the Company!!! main_pic2 34

Example of Interview Guideline for College Hires A candidate can receive one of three possible scores for each question: 0 Not fully acceptable 3 Fully acceptable 9 Superior All candidates are assumed to be a 0 when the interview begins. The candidate must earn their way up to a 3 or a 9. In other words, they must demonstrate, through their responses to the interview questions, that they are a fully acceptable or superior candidate. 35

TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE - APPLIED EXPERIENCE QUESTION - Tell me more about this experience you mentioned __(choose something relevant from resume)__. What, specifically, did you do? What engineering principles or concepts / technical skills did you use? What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment there? What types of computer programs or IT tools did you use? 0 Can t describe applied experience, principles used, or project results Describes how he/she applied common engineering principles / concepts or technical knowledge, either within the university setting (e.g., design project, lab work) or co-op / internship / summer job Used spreadsheets, standard engineering computer programs (e.g., ASPEN, HYSIM, SIMSCI), along with standard IT software packages (MS Office) Completed applied technical project(s) that significantly impacted the bottom line Application of engineering principles that goes well beyond coursework and fundamentals (e.g., project manager on a significant project, worked at the level of an entry-level engineer, involved in breakthrough work, applied knowledge from another area/major to their work) 3 9 36

3 Types of Phone Interviews Companies Initiate First Call Initial contact by company. May leave a message. Be sure voice mail message sounds professional. Short Pre-Screen Exploring availability, interest, and fit? Scheduled Phone Interview In-depth screen. Can last 15 minutes to 1 hour. Schedule during your prime time Avoid use of cell phones, due to poor signal. Be prepared to demonstrate connection between your skills and the position. Develop rapport with recruiter and show interest. 37

Telephone Interview Preparation Set the Stage Dress up for interview; increases confidence Have your resume in front of you Keep employer research materials nearby Have notepad to take notes Keep glass of water nearby Tell roommates about important call Turn off TV and other distractions Turn off call waiting on phone 38

During the Telephone Interview Speak clearly & enunciate Smile; it carries in your voice Sit straight or stand; it helps voice Don t ramble - Recruiter will ask for more information, if wanted Ask for a face-to-face interview Don t interrupt interviewer Show enthusiasm and interest 39

What Not To Do Aggie Recruiter - I did call him around 11 and I think I woke him up and he was pretty rude and seemed he just wanted to get off the phone. He said he was out of town and wouldn't be back for 2 weeks and he would get back with me and then hung up, didn't take down my contact info so not sure how he will get back in touch with me. Hiring Manager Scratch him off the list, even if he does call back. 40

What Is Your Career Direction?? 41

SKYPE Interviews Look the Part dress professionally and for the unexpected Check Your Surroundings open closets, posters, messy desk background Trial Run for Technical Issues audio, video, WIFI, lighting Eliminate Distractions pets, roommates, cell phone, other computer programs Practice the Interview validate the above www.torontojobs.ca 42

Asynchronous Interviews (pre-recorded questions, webcam-recorded answers) 93% 93% 89% 89% 88% 88% 81% 81% 72% 72% 71% 71% 56% 56% 54% 54% 51% 51% 49% 49% 44% 44% 7% 7% Yes Yes No No Intern/ Co-op Intern/ Co-op Asynchronous Asynchronous Full-time Full-time On-campus On-campus Skype/Video Skype/Video 43

When Do Companies Conduct Assessments 29% 24% 20% 11% 6% 5% 5% Do not conduct assessments Before initial interview Part of the initial interview Before secondary interview Part of the secondary interview After Other secondary interview 44

Interview Candidate Evaluations Enthusiasm? Knowledge of industry & company? Succinct & clear answers? Get their message out? Expression of interest? Any follow-up from candidate? Will this person increase company success? 45

Do You Want to Do What the Company Needs Done?? 46

Thank You Notes Hiring Managers Survey 15% reject candidate who doesn t send note 32% will still consider candidate who doesn t send note, but have a lower opinion of candidate 25% prefer handwritten note 21% seek typed hard copy note 19% want emails followed by snail-mail note (Source:CareerBuilder.com - Aug 2005) 47

Ranking of Important Social Etiquette Practices Feedback from Students 95% Employers 93% Professional Dress for interviews RSVP before event Post-interview thank you note Post-event thank you note 56% 58% 86% 75% 66% 40% 48

Beware of Blogs!!!! Student contacted for Interview at off-campus hotel. Job did not exist and was a ruse to arrange a meeting with the Student. Trust your instincts, if you become uncomfortable during interview, leave! 77% Employers checking search engines as part of selection process is yours professional?? 35% eliminated students based on findings 49

Multiple Interviews and Offers 1st - Inform other companies that you have a decision deadline they want to know Anything you can provide to help their decision? When do they expect to make decision? 2nd - Ask 1st company for decision extension based on above if you need one Reasonable time frame vs. your availability Was Company cooperative/understanding? Several companies replied to my email that day and mobilized quickly. A couple more offers are coming in now, some better than others.