Industry Trends & Tips - Page Two
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KEY BACKGROUND REVIEW
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:
College_______________________________________________
Tech. School __________________________________________
Additional Training: ___________________________________
Certifications/Licenses: _____________________________________
QUESTIONS INTERVIEWERS WILL ASK:
WORK BACKGROUND:
- Briefly review jobs/experiences. Note any gaps in employment. If more than one work experience, explore reasons for leaving each previous place of employment.
- What were your major responsibilities while at your previous position?
- What is your reason for exploring new opportunities at this time?
In each of the following sections, employers/ interviewers will want
a situation, an action, and the result.
WHAT EMPLOYERS WANT TO KNOW:
Leadership/Gaining Commitment: Using appropriate interpersonal styles and techniques to gain acceptance of ideas or plans; modifying one's own behavior to accommodate tasks, situations and individuals involved.
TYPES OF QUESTIONS EMPLOYERS MAY ASK:
1. Can you give me an example of a time when you were recognized for your leadership?
2. Briefly describe your management style? What is your vision of a management structure that is compatible and complimentary to your management style?
3. Provide an example of your internal leadership with personnel throughout your organization.
WHAT EMPLOYERS WANT TO KNOW:
Planning and Organizing/Work Management: Establishing a course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a specific goal, organizing information, keeping track of and preparing for activities, and following up on activities and task requirements. Set priorities; establish objectives and milestones; estimate times and schedule activities; identify and allocate resources.
TYPES OF QUESTIONS EMPLOYERS MAY ASK:
1. What objectives did you set for this year? What steps have you taken to assure you're progressing toward all of them?
2. Describe a major project you had to plan for and how you went about it. (Interviewers will be listening for examples of prioritizing, determining tasks and identifying resources, scheduling, and effective time management.)
3. What tools do you use to help keep track of work, schedules, and deadlines?
4. Give me an example of a time when you were involved in a variety of tasks. How did you maintain your effectiveness?
WHAT EMPLOYERS WANT TO KNOW:
Technical/Professional Knowledge: The level of understanding and ability to use technical information. Keeping abreast of current developments and trends in areas of expertise?
TYPES OF QUESTIONS THEY MAY ASK:
1. How do you keep abreast of new developments and technologies in your industry?
2. What specific skills do you possess that have helped make you successful in your current position?
3. Give me an example of a project that demonstrates your technical expertise.
WHAT EMPLOYERS WANT TO KNOW:
Judgment/Decision Making: Committing to an action after
developing alternative courses of action that are based on logical assumptions
and factual information and that take into consideration resources, constraints,
and organizational values. Generating creative solutions to work situations;
trying different and novel ways to deal with organizational problems and
opportunities.
TYPES OF QUESTIONS EMPLOYERS MAY ASK:
1. Describe the biggest work-related problem you have faced in the last six months and how you handled it.
2. Tell me about a recent decision you made that you feel really good about. What were the pros and cons you considered before making this decision?
3. On occasion, we all make decisions that are met with resistance. Tell me about a time this happened to you. How did you handle the situation?
4. Give me an example of how you improved the productivity/profitability of your organization.
WHAT EMPLOYERS WANT TO KNOW:
Initiative: Asserting one's influence over events to achieve goals; self-starting rather than accepting passively; taking action to achieve goals beyond what is required; being proactive. Individuals need to go beyond the norm and take action beyond specific, explicit job responsibilities.
TYPES OF QUESTIONS EMPLOYERS MAY ASK:
1. Tell me about some ideas/suggestions that you have generated on your own.
2. Have you ever volunteered for an assignment?
3. Give me an example of a time when you feel you went above and beyond the call of duty?
4. Describe some ways you changed your job at ________________. What prompted you to make those changes?
5. What have you done differently from your counterparts in management positions in your industry? Why? Provide an example of what makes your work unique.
WHAT EMPLOYERS WANT TO KNOW:
Customer Service Orientation: Proactively developing customer relationships by making efforts to listen to and understand the customer (both internal and external); anticipating and providing solutions to customer needs; giving high priority to customer satisfaction.
TYPES OF QUESTIONS EMPLOYERS MIGHT ASK:
1. Describe how you've gone about establishing positive customer relationships.
2. Give me an example of a time when you had to address the concerns of a dissatisfied customer. Walk me through the steps you took to resolve the problem to the customer's satisfaction.
3. Give me an example of a recent customer related emergency that required immediate action on your part.
4. How do you monitor the level of customer satisfaction? How do you keep customers informed of pertinent information?
WHAT EMPLOYERS WANT TO KNOW:
Work Standards: Setting high goals or standards of performance for self, direct reports, others, and the organization; being dissatisfied with average performance; self imposing standards of excellence rather than having standards imposed by others.
TYPES OF QUESTIONS EMPLOYERS MIGHT ASK:
1. What has been your most significant accomplishment in your career?
2. Are you satisfied with your department's/ organization's performance? Why or why not? What action have you taken, if any to improve the performance?
3. What goals have you set for yourself?
WHAT EMPLOYERS WANT TO KNOW:
Formal Presentation: Presenting ideas effectively to individuals or groups when given time for preparation (including nonverbal communication and use of visual aids); targeting presentations to the characteristics and needs of the audience.
TYPES OF QUESTIONS EMPLOYERS MIGHT ASK:
1. Have you made presentations before peer groups? If so, on what subject?
2. Have you made presentations before community groups such as service clubs? Give me a specific example and walk me through the steps you took to prepare for this presentation.
3. Describe interactions/involvement you've had with members of the press, if any.
WHAT EMPLOYERS WANT TO KNOW:
Motivational Fit: The extent to which job activities and responsibilities, the organization's mode of operation and values, and the community in which the individual will live and work are consistent with the type of environment that provides personal satisfaction, the degree to which the work itself is personally satisfying.
TYPES OF QUESTIONS EMPLOYERS MIGHT ASK:
1. Why did you choose your particular industry as a career choice/profession?
3. What kind of job will provide you with the most opportunity for personal satisfaction and professional success? Why?
COMMUNICATION SKILLS EMPLOYERS ARE LOOKING FOR:
Oral, Written, Listening
Oral Communication: Expressing ideas effectively in individual
and group situations (including nonverbal communication); adjusting language
or terminology to characteristics and needs of the audience; creating
a good first impression; commanding attention and respect; demonstrating
confidence.
Listening: Demonstrating an understanding of the content of oral communication and an awareness of the feeling behind the content. Listening can be inferred from active efforts to seek clarification or check understanding.
Written: Expressing ideas clearly in documents that have organization, structure, grammar, language, and terminology adjusted to the characteristics and needs of the audience.
| Factors |
Key Behaviors | |
| Clarity |
Using language that is understandable and communicates the thought | |
| Brevity |
Making comments that are concise and to the point | |
| Word Usage |
Using words and phrases appropriate to the audience | |
| Grammar |
Using sentences that are grammatically correct | |
| Organization |
Presenting ideas in a logical fashion; stating a topic, providing supporting arguments, and summarizing | |
| Volume |
Speaking at an appropriate volume | |
| Rate |
Speaking at an appropriate rate | |
| Emotion |
Displaying an appropriate emotional level | |
| Enthusiasm |
Maintaining interest and involvement throughout the discussion | |
| Confidence |
Demonstrating confidence and certainty about one's position | |
| Inflection |
Maintaining appropriate pitch and volume;
properly using pitch Modulation to convey meaning or emphasis |
|
| Nonverbal |
Using gestures effectively without causing confusion or distractions | |
| Eye Contact |
Making eye contact when speaking |
Helpful suggestions for interviews:
- BE ON TIME FOR THE INTERVIEWING APPOINTMENT!
- Do your homework, research the company, study their website. Visit the library to review past history or recent articles on the company.
- Request a copy of their annual report as well as company literature. Learn who their competition is.
- Dress for success - be confident, polished and enthusiastic.
- Be consultative - find out what they want done. Be an attentive listener.
- Be prepared to give examples of past successes and experiences that relate to their needs. Develop a list of career accomplishments.
- You are interviewing them as well so have a set of questions that you are prepared to ask. Be sure to ask for clarification of the scope of the position, and what their expectations are.
- Maintain good eye contact.
- Communicate your level of interest in the opportunity, and ask them what the next step will be.
- Do not bring up salary expectations in the interview.
- ALWAYS follow-up with a handwritten thank you note to each individual you interview with (make sure to receive business cards for name & address information).
- Use the "24 Hour Rule" - if you receive an offer respond within 24 hours, if you accept the offer, resign your present position within 24 hours.
- Beware of counter offers from your present employer they rarely work out. Historically the candidate is searching for a new position within one year.
Information provided through INSTA-COM the membership
newsletter published by IPA.
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