High Stakes Communication Interviews and Job Talks Prepared

High Stakes Communication: Interviews and Job Talks Prepared by The Cain Project in Engineering and Professional Communication

Successful Candidates § Analyze situation & audience § Organize knowledge and experience § Convey confidence and professionalism § Give great job talks § Handle questions 2

Research Your Employer § Mission § Organizational structure and culture § Faculty, Deans, students § Research foci, G/UG programs, facilities § Ranking § Funding § Size and location 3

Sources of Information § Web sites § Advisors, peers § Conferences and meetings § Journals § Career services § Promotional materials 4

Know Yourself § Assess strengths and weaknesses § List life & career goals § Create table of key job satisfaction factors § Stay aware of current events 5

Know Your Work § Assemble and review job portfolio − − CV Research stmt Teaching philosophy Papers and grants § Technical skills § Supervising or mentoring § Service 6

Get Organized § Review notes on employer § Match your qualifications to needs their § Formulate questions to ask 7

Show What You Know! § Greeting − Small talk − Confident, Can-Do stmt § Road Map − Deliver topic sentences − Provide concrete examples − Organize for clarity − Adapt to audience § Closing (memorize) − Summarize qualifications − Reinforce interest in position 8

Time to Practice Work in pairs. For the next three minutes Person A will be the interviewer, and Person B will be the candidate. Switch roles for the second instruction.

Tell me a little bit about yourself.

Describe your research.

Convey Confidence and Professionalism § Posture § Gestures § Eye contact § Voice quality § Attire 12

Listen Actively § Be attentive − Eye contact − Body position § Focus on main points § Use paraphrasing and reflection § Filter emotions and distractions § Ask questions 13

Agendas Driving Questions § Obtain additional information § Request clarification § Seek recommendation § Demonstrate how smart they are § Embarrass or intimidate 14

Time to Practice Work in pairs. For the next three minutes Person A will be the interviewer, and Person B will be the candidate. Switch roles for the second instruction.

What are your most significant accomplishments?

Tell me about your teaching experience. What’s your philosophy and/or style of teaching?

Success without Stress § Breathe § Loosen up § Eat § Sleep § Avoid caffeine § Eliminate negativity 18

Negative Talk Positive Talk --- I’m freaking out! I’m going to blow this. ++ I’m prepared. This could lead to a great opportunity. --- He/she thinks I’m an idiot. ++ The interviewer is on my side. He/she needs me to fill important role in the dept. 19

Practice! § Rehearse out loud § Mock interview w/ different people § Get videotaped § Keep a journal 20

Preparing a Job Talk

High Impact Presenters § Size up the situation § Organize an argument § Convey confidence § Integrate visuals § Handle questions 22

Size up the Situation: Audience § Who is your audience? — Why are they interested? — How much do they know? — — What criteria do they use to make decisions? What do they value? 23

Tailor Message to Audience Make it interesting § Provide background § Define terms § Distinguish between fact and opinion § Use examples, analogies, visuals § State how and why § Present limited background info § Use language of discipline § State inferences and conclusions § Cite references § Non-Experts From: Barrett, Deborah (2006). Leadership Communication. 24

Technical Content § § § § § The problem/question (what you want to know) Significance (why it matters) Work that led up to/relates to your work Specific aims Method/approach Results (what you observed) Interpretation (what it means) Novelty (how it contributes to the field) Future work (what challenges remain) 25

Typical but Difficult § Excruciating detail § Fragments of information 26

Fragmented Information Nano-Medicine Nanoshells Hydrogel Polymer Results Conclusions Nanoshells Hydrogel Polymer

Start Strong & End Strong Introduction Conclusion § Motivate interest § Send cue § State key points § Restate & summarize § Preview topics § Spell out implications § Establish credibility § No apologies § No new info § No “Today I’m gonna talk about. . . ” § No “That’s it. ” § No ? s slide 28

Keep Audience with You § Create coherence § Make intuitive connections explicit § Weak verbal cues − “And another thing” − “So” − “Next” § Strong verbal cues − Sequence u − “First” Contrast u “However” u “On − the other hand” Causality u “Therefore” u “Consequently” 29

Make Them Feel Smart about Your Data § Relevant results that support key points § 4 -step explanation − question − describe − report result − interpret result 30

Handle Questions § Anticipate questions § LISTEN § Repeat or rephrase § Watch body language § Don’t bluff § Wrap up well 31

Getting Grilled § Keep your cool § Pause to think § Restate question in neutral terms § Make direct eye contact § Look for common ground § Respond with specific facts and figures 32 § Break away

References 1. Barrett, Deborah. Leadership Communication. Mc. Graw-Hill/Irwin, 2006. 2. D’Arcy, Jan. Technically Speaking. Columbus: Battelle Press, 1998. 33

Image References www. city. pittsburgh. pa. us/ed/jobs. html http: //www. toastofchicago. org/sc-image. gif http: //www. uni-koblenz. de/~vladimir/breviary/dilbert-powerpoint. gif www. owlnet. rice. edu/~cainproj/ news/october 99/october. html http: //www. resumetapebook. com/i/tn_interview_jpeg. jpg www. nebhworker. org/images/organize. gif http: //www. resumetapebook. com/i/tn_interview_jpeg. jpg http: //a. abcnews. com/media/US/images/pd_job_interview_030812_nv. jpg http: //www. tesl. iastate. edu/projects/onlineunits/kawaler/img/listening. gif http: //www. openp 2 p. com/pub/a/p 2 p/2001/11/06/tuesday_photos. html http: //www. openp 2 p. com/pub/a/p 2 p/2001/11/05/monday_photos. html math. rice. edu/~lanius/ Algebra/stress. html http: //www. uaex. edu/Other_Areas/news/_archives/April 2003/Stacy 15. gif 34

Contact: The Cain Project Tracy Volz, Ph. D. Abercrombie B 107 Ext. 6192 tmvolz@rice. edu Mary Purugganan, Ph. D. Anderson 215 Ext. 6128 maryp@rice. edu Linda Driskill, Ph. D. Anderson 211 C Ext. 6195 driskila@rice. edu 35