JOBTALKS Advanced Interviewing Skills An Exercise in Human

JOBTALKS Advanced Interviewing Skills: An Exercise in Human Relations Indiana University Kelley School of Business C. Randall Powell, Ph. D

The Secret of Success 2 3 L Success = [A(Rx. C )/E + P(B) + G] + W Key: A = Ambition B = Buzzword Proficiency C = Chutzpah E = Excessive Education (MBA) G = Golf Handicap L = Luck P = Power Accessories R = Resume Expansion W = Work

Advanced Interviewing Skills: Title: Interviewing Techniques

Interviews Changes in perception –From that which we have been taught traditionally: Interviews determine if you have the skills to do the job. –To: an exercise in human relations.

Oh! What a Feeling. . . Selling is an emotional process; make the buyer feel good about the decision he or she makes. Buyers make a purchase for the feeling they get using it.

Sell Yourself Buyers make a purchase decision on emotion first, then justify it afterwards.

Good Selling – Aimed at showing the customer how your product or service can help him or her achieve his or her goals. – Is a partnership, you become a consultant to your customer. – Sells the benefits of the product, not its features. – Features don't do anything by themselves. – Identifies the buyer's needs rather than concentrating on what I have to offer. "Businesses exist because there is a need. "

The Successful Interview – You must be a student of human relations. – Take a flexible situation and adapt to it on the spot. – Be prepared to adjust your plan. – Convince your customer you are the best person for the job. – Create an impact in the interview. – Be aware that the majority of the message you send is non-verbal.

Gestures Many gestures come to us naturally during a conversation. Do you end up paying more attention to the gestures than the person?

Appropriate Gestures – Add clarity. – Add impact. – Add enthusiasm. Use gestures that add impact and meaning to your answers.

Facial Expressions "The eyes are the mirror of the soul. " The entire face is really a mirror of your true feelings.

Facial Expressions – You are constantly sending messages through your face. – It is the most visible part of your body. – If the expression doesn't match your words, the listener will probably believe what he or she sees rather than what he or she hears. – Usually what you say will coincide with your facial expression.

Smile ! Smiling during interviews is the key. – Find something you like and concentrate on it. – Smiling says I'm enjoying this. A serious look says I'm serious about everything; this isn't much fun.

Relax – Body language can make the interview more comfortable. – Help gain rapport. – Notice what makes the interviewer comfortable. – Put the attention on the customer.

During the Interview. . . Make your interviewer feel comfortable, match your body position to theirs.

Activity: Matching Posture – Match your body positions. – Mismatch your posture. – Does the conversation change? – How did they react?

Cross Matching Some people are difficult to match. Use the technique of cross matching.

Be Subtle Everything should be subtle, otherwise interviewers may feel you are mocking them. Wait about 30 seconds and then match.

Rate of Speech Another component of rapport is your rate of speech. For example, Northerners speak faster than Southerners. So don't only tell the interviewers what they want to hear, but tell them in the way they want to hear it. People prefer to listen at the same rate they speak.

Test for Verbal Rapport – Test for verbal rapport by speeding up or slowing down your conversation. – If your interviewer follows you after a minute or so, you probably have rapport.

Match the Rate of Speech Match verbal speed initially Lead up to a rate that demonstrates enthusiasm Enthusiasm is contagious!

Rapport: Tone of Voice Your voice sends many more messages than just the verbal mode. – It represents you. – It carries your message.

Interpreting the Voice People interpret what someone means by listening to their voice. For example, a monotonous voice is interpreted as a dull, tedious person. Your voice should work for you and send the message you want to be delivered.

Key to Good Voice: Relaxation The key to good voice production is relaxation. Tension anywhere in the body can interfere with the voice. The most common tension points involve the muscles surrounding the speech center: neck, jaw, shoulders, throat, upper back.

Relaxation Exercises Relaxation will get out the voice you want heard. One way to inconspicuously relax: – constant practice – participation in speaking clubs or courses

Articulation is how we shape the sounds that come out of our mouths into words. Clear articulation is critical to show confidence. If you really want to sell your product, it is not likely you will misarticulate.

Improve Articulation To improve articulation, breathe properly. Be aware of your articulators: lips, tongue, teeth, jaw, palate. Exaggerate their movement.

Get Ready for the Questions can be anticipated Prepare answers ahead of time ? ?

You Know Your Weaknesses: Get a Tactical Plan Interviewers will dwell on your limitations Will try to eliminate you quickly and move on You need a tactical plan!

The Tieback Method In answering questions, use the tieback method. Show your skills relate to the position being filled. Positio n Open

Highlight Analytical Skills Highlight analytical skills without being too obvious. Talk about how I could help the company. Didn't talk about how I could benefit.

Another Example Question. . . "Where do you want to be in ten years? "

The Answer. . . The answer tells the company what they want to hear.

The Art of Interviewing is an art. Don't spend so much time on exactly how to answer. Concentrate on the components of a good answer.

Additional Reading. . . For answering interview questions, try reading Martin Yate's Knock 'em dead with great answers to tough interview questions.

Question # 1 Question: "Do you prefer working alone or with others? " Answer: "I 've had good experiences working in either situation. I've really enjoyed working in teams as we can share experiences and abilities. There are drawbacks to working in teams as you have to balance the personalities of a lot of people, but as long as everyone can get along, it should work out okay. I really enjoy the camaraderie of the team environment. "

Question # 2 Question: "Tell me about the toughest situation you had to face in your last job. " Answer: "The toughest thing I faced in my last job was a time when our biggest customer was upset that his shipment didn't arrive on time. It was critical to his operation and he needed it right away. I managed to calm him down and explained that the delivery truck had probably gotten stuck in traffic. I called my boss and we worked out a solution. I jumped in my car, tracked down the delivery people (the truck had broken down), and got the delivery to the customer. The customer was especially pleased when we didn't charge him for the shipment. "

Closing the Interview t Don't let interview end with a whimper instead of a bang! t Leave a strong last impression

Typical Ways to Close. . . The Enthusiastic Close: "This interview has gotten me even more excited about Chemco Industries than I was before. " The What's Next Close: "Where do we go from here? " or "When can I expect to hear from you? " The Aggressive Close: "I want to re-emphasize to you - I want this job!" The Confident Close: "I am really looking forward to working for Chemco Industries. " The Personable Close: "You really made me feel comfortable. This was a very enjoyable interview. " The Highlight Close: "I want to re-emphasize that my experience. . . " You could also use this as an opportunity to hit any selling points you may have neglected during the interview.

Apply These Skills Improving Verbal Delivery n Matching Body Language n Using Voice as a Selling Point n Non-verbal Techniques n Visual Responses n Find Yourself One Step Closer to that Dream Job!

End Slide

If you would like to learn more, Career Planning Strategies textbook will supply additional information on this topic.