Interviews are all about first impressions. You must prepare and be at your best. Some interviewers are looking at a lot of people for a single position. Making your first impression memorable and professional will allow you to stand out among the rest. Being personable is key to a great first impression. Practice before your interview with a friend or relative. If that's not possible use a mirror. You may be surprised at the impression you get of yourself! Mike Boya wrote an article on first impression where he states, “According to statistics, first impressions are made in the first 20 seconds, and a bad first impression takes 20 additional contacts to rectify that bad first impression.”
When going on an interview always smile and keep in mind you never get a second chance to make a first impression.
Please complete the following exercises. These will help you with your interviewing skills.
Review further information about informational interviews by clicking here (you may have to copy and paste these links into your web browser) (http://www.bls.gov/opub/ooq/2002/summer/art03.pdf). Also, review some information from UCF"s Career Services by clicking here (http://www.career.ucf.edu/UserFiles/File/Plan%20for%20the%20Interview/player.html).
Log on to Perfect Interview (http://www.perfectinterview.com/ucf/). For "Your Level of Experience," choose the level that fits you the best.
Complete one "short" interview where the selections are chosen for you. Complete one "short" interview where you make the selections. Choose at least three areas you'd like to work on the most. Note the options of the "Alternate Response" and the "Coach" that can be used.
You may choose to either use video capture or no video capture. If you choose no video capture you will be required to type your responses. Save both interviews.
Draft a reflection of at least a paragraph about your practice interview, commenting on the questions asked and your responses to the questions. You might comment on what questions were problematic. What were the strengths of your responses? What could you improve in your responses? How did your responses compare to the "Alternate Response"? What did you learn from the "Coach?"
What are some key points for participating in a phone interview and panel interview?
When should you discuss salary and how would you go about it?
At the end of the reflection give one question about interviewing or a piece of advice that you've gained in your interviewing experiences.
Click on "Review Saved Interviews." Click on the "Share" button. E-mail yourself your interview and include the links in your posting.
Nicole Perez
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ReplyDeleteHere’s another example of a bad interview: I was the manager and I had several individuals scheduled for an early morning interview. On the drive into the office that morning I encountered an irate driver a block from the office. The driver honked the horn at me, waved their hands erratically, and gave me a one finger salute as they sped off around my car! I just shrugged my shoulders and continued my drive to the parking lot. When it was time for the interview, my assistant showed her to my office. We greeted and started the interview. The individual was polite, dressed appropriately, and her work experience was just what I was looking for. As I finished her interview, I asked her if she had ever experienced road rage. She claimed that she had never had an incident while driving. I said “Well I have, that was me you flipped off on the way to this interview.” Her mouth dropped open and she was speechless. Obviously, I didn’t hire her!
ReplyDeleteLinda Diggs
My daughter, a assitant manager at a national retail store, interviewed a young lady for an open position. The interview went well and my daughter was strongly considering her for the position. She was going to call one of her referrences but instead she decided to check her out on Facebook.com She located her page and read an entry that she had posted an hour before the interview. It read "Smoking a doobie before I go to another f---ing interview". Obviously, she didn't get the job!
ReplyDeleteLinda Diggs
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteLinda Diggs
ReplyDeleteI’m going to start off with an interview experience I had a long time ago. I’m remembering back (way back in 1976!) to my very first job interview. It was for a cashier position at McDonalds. The interview was going well and I felt confident. The manager asked me typical work related questions and then asked me: “What would you do if you had a booger in your nose while you were taking an order?” I couldn’t help it and busted out laughing. He then stated “I’m serious, what would you do?” My answer was “I have excellent hygiene and I wouldn’t allow that to happen.” He said that was the best answer he ever received for that question. BTW, yes I got the job! OK, fellow bloggers…tell me something funny that happened to you!
Linda Diggs
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete Draft a reflection of at least a paragraph about your practice interview, commenting on the questions asked and your responses to the questions. You might comment on what questions were problematic. What were the strengths of your responses? What could you improve in your responses? How did your responses compare to the "Alternate Response"? What did you learn from the "Coach?"
ReplyDeleteThe practice interviews where pretty good, as I have heard most of those questions (or some just like it) in previous interviews. Questions about you as a worker can sometimes make you seem egotistical in my opinion. Some people may be able to spout off all of their strengths and weaknesses with no qualms, but I feel a little bit uncomfortable explaining how "awesome" I am.
One of the questions I found to be problematic was "If your previous employer were sitting here right now, what would you say to him/her?" Though I'm not planning on leaving my job on bad terms, it's a very strange question to ask. Should I say "I would say thank you for a great opportunity?" It just seems a little odd to me.
Callie Gaines
What are some key points for participating in a phone interview and panel interview?
ReplyDeleteOne of the big key points for participating in a phone interview is to make sure you are in a quiet place with no distractions. I can only imagine a prospective employer trying to decipher your answers through the sounds of the TV, other people talking, or you playing on the computer.
By jotting down key points during the interview, and ensuring that you sound prepared through the phone, you can convey confidence to your interviewer.
Callie Gaines
When should you discuss salary and how would you go about it?
ReplyDeleteAccording to the UCF career services website, you should avoid discussing salary in an interview. Salary should only be discussed after a position has been offered.
Callie Gaines
At the end of the reflection give one question about interviewing or a piece of advice that you've gained in your interviewing experiences.
ReplyDeleteOne experience I had was at my current job. Due to the heavy amount of public speaking involved, they had me give a short 1 minute presentation about an animal of my choice. One minute goes extremely quickly, and I remember going over time by about 2 minutes. Apparently, they liked the extra talking though, because I was offered the job later that day. :)
http://www.perfectinterview.com/online/review_gateway.asp?id=3027224&type=standard
http://www.perfectinterview.com/online/review_gateway.asp?id=3027225&type=standard
Callie Gaines
Linda,
ReplyDeleteGreat examples of interviews! They both highlighted the simple thought of using common sense. In today’s market you really have to understand that someone is always watching. Whether you are driving your car, posting a Facebook response, or just out in the public, there are people watching creating a perception of you and your character.
Have you had a chance to do the perfect interview yet? I did not see the links with your response.
Thank you for adding those great real world examples.
Kevin Edmondson
Linda, those stories are too funny!! But it's even funnier that people parade around on their public facebooks with wild pictures and comments thinking that an employer wouldn't look to a social networking site for information on them. In reality, something as small as noting your political party can deter an employer. What's personal needs to be kept that way. Kevin made a great point about people constantly 'watching creating a perception of you and your character'. Since facebook seems to have gained a momentum that myspace could only dream about, and an audience that spans throughout the age pendulum, it's important that we are all aware that the same people we expect to hire us, are likely our future facebook friends.
ReplyDeleteHope Diehl
Callie "Questions about you as a worker can sometimes make you seem egotistical in my opinion. Some people may be able to spout off all of their strengths and weaknesses with no qualms, but I feel a little bit uncomfortable explaining how "awesome" I am."
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree with you more. It is awkward; and I've always considered myself a great interviewee. Somewhere, you have to find a balance. You have to be able to be humble yet confident. After all, you're the salesman in the situation. You've got to make them see what they will be missing if they don't have you.
Being able to type my responses may have painted a better picture of my interview abilities, since I'm far more a fan of written word than verbal.
I was also a little confused: were we supposed to imagine a mock business in our mind, or keep it general to match whichever possible business it could be? I don't think my answers were specific enough because of this.
Hope Diehl
Draft a reflection of at least a paragraph about your practice interview, commenting on the questions asked and your responses to the questions. You might comment on what questions were problematic. What were the strengths of your responses? What could you improve in your responses? How did your responses compare to the "Alternate Response"? What did you learn from the "Coach?"
ReplyDeleteI thought the practice of a “perfect interview” showed great examples of what to look for when interviewing. I haven’t had that many extensive interviews yet. I have only had about five minute interviews because it was for a bartending job or I already knew the employer personally. I have a lot of work to do. I will be practicing questions similar to these in a mirror several times before an interview.
One of the questions I found to be problematic was “Is there anything about yourself you would like to change?” I know there are always things that you can change to make yourself better, but I have a hard time talking about my weaknesses. I rather not talk about them at all. I feel like I have to sound perfect in an interview, even though that sounds completely unrealistic.
When I took the interview, I listened to what the alternative responses said and the coach said after the fact. I was not very specific in answering the questions in my interview and sounded a little all over the place. After listening to the examples and the coach’ advice, I feel more confident in answering the same questions with better examples to explain my responses.
Christina Hope
Callie,
ReplyDeleteI often have the same problem with telling someone how “awesome I am”. Lol It is hard to sound humble and confident at the same time. I usually just try to sound positive and say a few things, but let them see my true personality as they are interviewing me. It doesn’t take long for someone to see if you will fit their establishment or not.
and I like what Hope said... “You’ve got to make them see what they will be missing if they don’t hire you”. If you are all these wonderful things, why wouldn’t they want you as an addition to their company? I love this!
Christina Hope
What are some key points for participating in a phone interview and panel interview?
ReplyDeleteParticipating in a phone interview needs to be treated as a face-to-face interview. Remembering to smile even though they don’t see you will get you in the right mood and give out positive energy they are looking for. Make sure you are listening to their every word and taking notes so you can answer all the questions they are looking for. Being in a quiet area with no distractions is extremely important. If they don’t think your serious enough to take time out of your day to have complete focus, how in the world do you think they would want to hire you?
When participating in a panel interview, there will be several people in the room while you are answering questions. Be sure to talk to all of them and not just focus on the one person asking the question. They are all in the room for a reason. Convince all of them you are confident that you will do great if you are hired for this job!
Christina Hope
When should you discuss salary and how would you go about it?
ReplyDeleteAccording to the UCF Career Services Website, you should only discuss salary after obtaining the position. I don’t feel comfortable talking about salary, but that has backfired on me in previous jobs. How do you go about discussing salary without sounding rude? Or do you just take the job and discuss it like UCF Career Services suggests?
Christina Hope
At the end of the reflection give one question about interviewing or a piece of advice that you've gained in your interviewing experiences.
ReplyDeleteI have learned to be myself and to be honest through my interviews. I have a bubbly personality, which usually breaks the ice. I go in with a positive outlook and know what I’m talking about. Since I am a bartender, I can usually talk about all the contacts I have gained over the last 8 years. I have almost 5,000 contacts with emails and detailed descriptions of these people. Some come in town certain months of the year, some come out 3 times a week. I have a variety of people that follow me wherever I go, which is comforting and something I can talk about and feel comfortable talking about. I am constantly networking wherever I go and handing out flyers or my business card. I have some big spenders that only want service from me that gives me value to the employer. That means money in their pocket too. I self-promote, which not everyone at my work does. That makes me a valuable employee. I feel like networking is so important. You never know who you might meet that will get you to the next step in your career.
Christina Hope
Click on "Review Saved Interviews." Click on the "Share" button. E-mail yourself your interview and include the links in your posting.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.perfectinterview.com/online/review_gateway.asp?id=3027251&type=standard
Christina Hope
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ReplyDeleteHope,
ReplyDeleteI couldn’t agree with you more with your thoughts on highlighting your successes in an interview. You nailed it with, “Somewhere, you have to find a balance. You have to be able to be humble yet confident. An interview is a sales pitch, a branding of you. You have to be able to be successful at selling your brand to employers. They have to feel confident you are the right person for the role.
Did you film yourself on the interviews? I thought about it when I did it last semester, but I just went with the written form. You can also pick a fictional company if it will help, or even your dream job. I look forward to seeing your responses.
Kevin Edmondson
Callie,
ReplyDeleteI like in your response about phone interviews you mentioned taking notes. Usually a phone interview is one of the first interviews in a series. If the phone interview goes well, it’s more than likely will lead to a face to face. One of the advantages of the phone interview is being able to prep and have some material ready to reference if needed. Another advantage is the notes themselves. If you are able to get another interview, you can reference the note on the questions you were asked and how you responded to better prepare yourself.
I love your answer for questions # 8 when asked about if your previous employer were in the room, what would you say. Your response was great! You said, “I would say that they have given me the best experience of my life, and they have truly helped me get where I am today. They taught me about public speaking, customer service, animal care, and project management.” Great way to compliment a previous employer and transition skills to a new experience.
When you are ready to become a teacher, do you plan to stay in Florida or move out of state?
Good work!
Kevin Edmondson
Christina,
ReplyDeleteYou comment about being yourself and being honest yourself is truly the secret. Too many people try to be the person they think the employers are looking for, instead of being themselves. This misrepresentation will come back to, for lack of better words, bite you in the end and be a bad fit for you, your perception, and the company.
You also mention that you are a bartender, do you find that your contacts are willing to assist you in your future career goals?
Thank you,
Kevin Edmondson
Did everyone enjoy the perfect interview? Did you find it useful?
ReplyDeleteKevin Edmondson
No, Kevin, I didn't go the video route.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.perfectinterview.com/online/review_gateway.asp?id=3027261&type=standard
Should salary be discussed in the interview, or after? What is the correct answer to this question? I feel like it must be discussed during the interview, but in the event that there are several interviews, I don't think it should be the initial one. Pay rate is too important to be afraid to discuss.
I didn't feel too stumped about any of the questions I was asked in the interview. But one I did get, and always get, is "So what would you say is a weakness of yours, something you need to work on in terms of your job performance." It's hard because you can't pretend you have none or even admit it if you think you don't, but at the same time you have to say something that isn't a "big" deal to the person interviewing you. Here's what I said:
Response:
I don't think I give myself enough credit sometimes, that's the only weakness I can think of. Even when everyone else has commended me for excellent work, I can find tiny fault in it. I'm a perfectionist, and want my work to reflect that.
I'm actually not a perfectionist at all; I don't know why I said that. It just sounded like it would fit the aforementioned bullets.
Hope Diehl
What are some key points for participating in a phone interview and panel interview?
ReplyDeleteI think some good key points for a phone interview are: being in a quiet room(this could mean stepping outside, leaving the TV room where there could be a lot of noise, or going into your car if necessary). Another good idea is to have your resume handy. Try keeping a copy on the desktop of your computer or a printed out copy tacked up to the wall. If you've put your resume out to multiple people, you could be getting a call at any point in time. You need to be prepared!
Carly Frost
When should you discuss salary and how would you go about it?
ReplyDeleteHmm...this is a tricky one that I have often wondered about. The few retail jobs that I have had just told me what I was going to get paid AFTER I received the job-I wasn't supporting myself then, though. Now I babysit to get myself through school and I have a set hourly wage. I know this is going to be different once I try to get a teaching position. Baby sitting jobs are great because most people have a high rate and parents will pay it. I think the appropriate time to discuss that is after you are offered a job or during the interview if you are ASKED. I don't really see an in between though. Is that what most people do?
Carly Frost
Callie and Hope-
ReplyDeleteIt does get difficult to try and stay humble when you know you are qualified or possibly over qualified for a job. You definitely need a "sales pitch" and a reason to stick out. Maybe this is sharing what you see happening while you're working in that position. What YOU would do to make the place or institution better for EVERYONE. Employers like to know you want to make a difference and it isn't just about money, it's your passion.
Carly Frost
Overall, I believe my interviews went well. I was somewhat slow answering a few of the questions, and this is certainly an area I need to work on, thinking on my feet, that is. I was somewhat confused by the 'previous employer" questions--although I was able to answer them alright, they seemed like curious queries. My responses were more or less in line with the example responses and the coach.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.perfectinterview.com/online/review_gateway.asp?id=3027276&type=standard
http://www.perfectinterview.com/online/review_gateway.asp?id=3027275&type=standard
Kyle Larimer
Kevin,
ReplyDeleteI thought the Perfect Interview was an extremely useful tool. The site puts you into realistic interview scenarios and allows you to gauge your abilities and preparedness. The coach and example responses are great when you are confused about what an employer might be looking for in certain answers. Also, the ability to choose different kinds of questions is helpful in working out the kinks in one's interviewing skills.
Kyle Larimer
Kyle
An important aspect of the interview process is being able to provide concrete examples of past experiences, which are relevant to the questions posed. For example, employers do not simply want you to tell them that you are resourceful; rather, they would like to be able to draw that conclusion from an exemplary experience you provide. The ability to provide detailed experiences seems essential to acquiring competitive positions.
ReplyDeleteKyle Larimer
The practice interview was quite helpful. From the many options available, I was able to gather a few helpful tips for future interviews. Many of the questions asked, I was able to relate to as I have been asked those very same questions. One question/request often used by recruiters in Sales is to sell something as simple as an ordinary pen. My very first job, I was asked to sell a simple blue BIC pen. Luckily, I’ve found myself to be quite persuasive and did great! I got the Job. From the Coach’s suggestion, I have been able to create more appropriate responses. I actually didn’t find any questions to be too problematic. All of the questions asked were comparable to many of the questions I have been asked in prior interviews. Most of my responses were on par with the alternates which made me happy to know that my responses weren’t too far from the norm.
ReplyDeleteShawnee Bailey
Some key points for participating in a phone interview is that it is pertinent to treat it with the same respect as you would a face to face interview. It is important that you are away from all possible distractions, preferably an isolated room. Career services suggest that you should laugh and smile during such an interview just as you would when the time is right in any other interview. Having a note pad to take notes down is also a key point for a successful phone interview.
ReplyDeleteSome key points for participating in a panel interview is to engage each member of the panel, making sure eye contact is kept with all committee members shows that you are a good communicator.
Shawnee Bailey
It is often considered rude or disrespectful to discuss salary before the position has been offered. My one question is actually about salary. What is the polite way to suggest that the offer being made is not sufficient without sounding covetous?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.perfectinterview.com/online/review_gateway.asp?id=3027284&type=standard
http://www.perfectinterview.com/online/review_gateway.asp?id=3027285&type=standard
Shawnee Bailey
I found this Interview excercise to be great. I was very suprised to see such an effective method of demonstrating a professional interview interactively over the internet.
ReplyDeleteI found that a lot of my initial responses greatly mirrored the "Alternate Responses" however I believe that their presentation and ability to express themselves in just a matter of a few sentences is something that I need to work on personally.
The "Coach" was a great tool for me to use when I was a little unsure about how my initial response might be received. It offered great guidance in shaping responses when I wasn't necessarily confident in my own words.
- Matthew Schaller
When choosing my own interview topics, I chose to focus on my three weakest variables: The Intro, my Qualifications, as well as my Management Skills. Perhaps my biggest problem was the question asking me how "my previous experience relates to this position." Although good work ethic is universal concept, my employment history does not really pertain to the career field that I wish to be hired into. I found that describing myself and my strengths proved to be easier than I initially thought when beginning the exercise. However, I had to reflect on the "Alternative Answers" during this portion. In the future, what I believe I need to work on is my ability to deliver my thoughts clearly and keep my delivery crisp.
ReplyDelete- Matthew Schaller
I understand I am a little late in the week to pose a question regarding the subject but perhaps the most important thing I've learned from interview experiences is to just be honest about yourself and show self-confidence.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.perfectinterview.com/online/review_gateway.asp?id=3027310&type=standard
http://www.perfectinterview.com/online/review_gateway.asp?id=3027311&type=standard
- Matthew Schaller