Job Interview Skills Understanding Job Postings and Interviews

Job Interview Skills

Understanding Job Postings and Interviews What is an interview? What is it? When does it happen? Knowing what an employer wants and thinking about why you are qualified for the job is one of the first steps to planning for an interview.

Where can you look for jobs? School Counselor Local Newspaper Job search websites Websites of businesses Word of mouth Others?

Looking at Classifieds Go to the classified section of KSL Go under the “Jobs” section Type in key words such as “Food Service”, “Hotels/Restaurants”, “Manufacturing” What kinds of jobs are in these categories What are some keys words that tell what the employer is looking for? (i. e. responsible, attention to detail, etc. ) Use that information when filling out a job application and in the interview

How to present yourself in an interview: Things to avoid: timid handshake, saying “hello in a timid voice”; chewing gum; being too casual; using your cell in ANY way! Why does an employer someone who is reliable? Neat and careful? Cooperative? Hardworking? Responsibile? Trustworthy? Why is important to make eye contact with the interviewer? What kind of body language is best during an interview? How can an interviewer tell if someone is reliable? Detailoriented? List qualities to show during an interview: friendly, attentive, respectful, thoughtful, good listener, clear speaker.

Dressing for the interview First impressions: First thing interviewer notices is how you are dressed. If you had an interview after school, would your clothes be appropriate? What is the difference between casual clothes and business attire? Find an outfit on the internet that would be appropriate for an interview. Make a list of what would be good to wear to an interview. Go home and see what you need to add to your wardrobe to be ready for an interview. Wear clothes that are clean, neat, free of wrinkles and rips.

Getting ready to go to the interview: checklist Day before: decide what clothes to wear Make sure clothes are clean and wrinkle free Have copies of your resume Make a copy of your references Be sure you know where you are going Know something about the company Get a good night’s sleep

Interview Checklist Day of the interview Give yourself enough time to reach the interview location (be at least 10 minutes early) Make sure you appear well groomed Bring your resume and reference with you Bring notes: Name and address of co. ; who set up the interview; who is interviewing you; job titles; duties Arrive early Wait patiently

Preparing to answer interview questions Make a good impression by answering questions completely and confidently. Sample questions: How did you learn about the company? What jobs have you had before? What are you special skills and abilities? Are you interested in part time/full time?

Practicing for an interview Role play the interview Answer these questions: Was I calm and composed? Was I positive with the interview? Did I stick to the topic of the questions? Did I speak clearly? Did I use complete sentences? Did I make eye contact? Was my body language friendly and confident? Did I thank the interviewer at the end?

Writing a thank you card Need to write a thank you note at the end because it shows 2 things: 1. politeness and 2. interest Things to include: Thank the person for the interview Recap why you want to work there Remind the person why you are the best person for the job

Using employer info in an interview Find out about the company you are interviewing for Use that info when interviewing Employers will ask questions such as: What would you like to know about our company? Do you have questions for me? (YES YOU DO!!)