How to Prepare for an Interview

Elena González, Ed. D.Friday, October 10 2014

Objectives

• Assess how prepared you are for your interview

• Be aware of Paralinguistics

• Practice identifying your strengths

• Practice the One Minute Speech

• Observe a simulated interview

• Review Additional Materials at home • Observe an interview video• Examine a case study of a research internship interview

Introduction

What is an interviewing?

What is interVIEWING?

• It is a complex skill

• It improves with preparation and practice• Use different strategies to improve your interviewing skills

• It is carried out in different stages

Source: Louise Giordano in The Ultimate Guide to Job Interview Preparation found online at:http://www.quintcareers.com/job_interview_preparation.html

Note: Louise Giordano is a career consultant at Brown University since 1992 and solely staffs the Providence College Alumni Career Advising Program

Stages in the Interview Process

• Before the interview

• During the Interview

• After the Interview

Sources:

Louise Giordano from Brown University

Mary Ellen Guffey in Business Communication: Process and Product published 2010

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases: Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Research http://www.niaid.nih.gov/LabsAndResources/labs/training/summerInternships/Pages/phone.aspx

Steps in the Stages of the Interview Process

• Before the Interview• Do a self assessment• Update your resume• Research the institution and interviewer• Use your alumni network to the best advantage• Practice typical and targeted interview questions• Prepare questions to ask

• During the Interview• Select appropriate attire• Know the location of your interview• Bring extra copies of your resume or portfolio • Collect business cards from interviewers

• After the interview• Send a thank-you note within 24-48 hours of your interview

Source: Louise Giordano and Mary Ellen Guffey

Self-Assessment

• Assess how ready you are right now to be interviewed

• Complete “Self-Assessment: How Ready Are You?

Paralinguistics

• “Paralinguistics are the aspects of spoken communication that do not involve words. These may add emphasis or shades of meaning to what people say. Some definitions limit this to verbal communication that is not words”.

• Example : “Body language, gestures, facial expressions, tone and pitch of voice are all examples of paralinguistic features.”

• Reference: The British Councilhttp://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/knowledge-database/paralinguistics

Paralinguistics

• Hand shake

• Eye contact

• How you sit and stand

• Where you place your arms and fingers

• What you do with your phone

Before the Interview

Self-Assessment (handout1)A. reassess current skills, talents, abilities,

strengths, weaknesses, interests, and work values

B. re-examine accomplishments and achievements

C. keep an on-going accomplishments file or portfolio

Source: Louise Giordano

Before Interviewing

Updating Your Resume 1. The accomplishments file or portfolio serves as a springboard to

reassessing your resume.

2. The file/portfolio serves to jog one's memory about recent notable activities.

3. Bare-bone the resume by removing all superfluous and/or irrelevant material, all articles (a, an, the), and work at getting it onto one page.

4. Use functional headings in the resume to help focus the reader on what you have done or what you can do for the prospective employer.

5. Be absolutely sure it is error-free.

Source: Louise Giordano

Before Interviewing

Plan to Sell Yourself – One Strength

(handout 2)1. Identify 3 to 5 selling points about

a. Skills

b. Training or abilities

c. Personal characteristics

d. Specialized experience (research)

2. Memorize them

3. Find a place in the interview to insert them

Source: Mary Ellen Guffey

Before Interviewing

Research, Research, Research 1. Learn all you can about the institution and the

program sponsoring the internship

2. Access books, journals, magazines, newspapers and Web pages as reference materials

3. Checkout the research interests of your interviewer

Source: Louise Giordano

Before Interviewing

Use Your Alumni Network 1. Get in touch with our RISE alumni who have worked or are

working with the sponsoring institution

2. They can get you in contact with people who can help you understand:

Institutional culture

Institutional history

Expectation

3. All alumni contacts are valuable for their insights as well as their connections.

4. Always come away from any networking meeting with at least two additional contacts.

Source: Louise Giordano

Before Interviewing

Typical Questions – Do the elevator interview or the one minute speech

• Tell me about yourself? (Elevator interview)

• What are your interests in science?

• What are your future goals? 

• What type of research are you interested in?

• Why are you interested in this field of research?

• What research experience do you have? (One minute discourse)

• Why are you interested in the internship? 

• What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses?

• What related experiences do you have?

• What leadership experiences have you had?

Before Interviewing

Prepare Questions to Ask

1. These questions should reflect your research on the company and position.

2. Never include questions to answers that are readily available in company literature or Web site.

3. Do NOT ask about salary or benefits!

Source: Louise Giordano

During The Interview

What is an interview designed to assess?

During the Interview

The interview is designed to assess

• Professionalism• Demonstrate professionalism by

• Selecting appropriate attire• Knowing the location of your interview & arriving on time• Bringing extra copies of your resume or portfolio • Collecting business cards from interviewers and giving

them your business cards

• Interest in the job

• Fit for the job including applicable skills

• Personality

During the Interview

• Establish the relationship *****

• Act confident and natural ******

• Don’t criticize

• Stay focuses on your strengths

• Find out about your responsibilities in the internship

• Be ready for inappropriate questions

• Ask your own questions

• Conclude positively

Source: Mary Ellen Guffey

After the Interview

• Take notes on the interview

• Write a thank-you letter

Observe a Simulated Interview

• Let’s have 4 groups simulate an interview situation

• One group will volunteer to make their interview public

•Materials to Be Review at Home

Videos of Interviews

Let’s watch an interview video on do’s and don’ts.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1ucmfPOBV8

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MLW-joUNbY

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wjn_rOTgRTo&feature=related

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAY4TKIvSZE

The Internship Interview“Attire: Dress professionally.

Notes: You've researched the company and know quite a bit about it, but not all you’d like to know. Take notes about the unanswered questions with you to the interview and be sure to ask them. Talk about what you do know regarding the company and what you see as the opportunities it offers its people, especially in relation to your goals. Also ask clarifying questions and make certain that your interpretation of the internship objective is correct.

Quality of Work: Make certain there's an understanding about the type of work to be done, the challenges it will offer and discuss how the challenges will escalate as time passes and you prove yourself worthy.

Guidance: Discuss how the company’s mentoring program works and how you might meet others within the company/industry to round out your industry perspective.

Attitude: A winning attitude is everything -full of confidence and self assuredness. You're certain of your facts and the knowledge that you gained in school and previous work experience. You're willing to demonstrate that knowledge by using critical thinking and listening skills, analysis, and proper argumentation.”

Rutgers University Biomedical Engineering Industrial Internship Program Page 13 The Internship Interview

Case 1

How to prepare well for a research interview

How to prepare well for a research interview? | LinkedIn Answers …

“I have an interview on Tuesday the 16th with a research professor at SUNY-Upstate. She does research on retina development in fruit flies and mice. I have done many "normal job" interviews before and know the general protocol and types of questions that will be asked. I'm wondering if anyone has other questions that are specific to research positions, or things that I might want to do to prepare. I have already begun reading her papers. Is there anything else I should do?”

(posted June 5, 2009 in Biotech, Job Search by Kim M.Research Assistant at The Ohio State University)

Let Your Personality Shine Through

“This is probably the hardest thing to do, but relaxing will help. I think others on here said this before me, but since the person has already seen your credentials a large part of what they are interested in is your personality. Also, since it is a research interview at a university, the position is probably in a casual environment and the interview will likely be relatively casual as well- remember, interviewing is not a normal part of this person's job.” (posted June 5, 2009 in Biotech, Job Search by Kim M. Research Assistant at The Ohio State University)

Talk about Your Lab Work

• “The interview is not all about personality though- I've been told by professors that they see lots of people that look good on paper but are completely incompetent in the lab. That doesn't mean they expect you to know how to do everything, but be able to demonstrate that you can learn, preferably with examples of hands-on work. If you've worked in a lab before, be able to talk about the research you did and the techniques you used- I've found it especially helpful to prepare for that part beforehand because I get very flustered talking about my own work to people who are experts in my field.”

(posted June 5, 2009 in Biotech, Job Search by Kim M.Research Assistant at The Ohio State University)

Focus on Your Work and Education

“So, rather than focus on knowing the person's work, I'd suggest focusing on your own work and educational history. Show that you are smart, competent, and eager to learn. Know enough about her work to express why you are interested in the lab's research. And don't get so caught up in nerves and preparation that you don't seem genuine in the interview. Good luck!” (posted June 5, 2009 in Biotech, Job Search by Kim M.Research Assistant at The Ohio State University)

Be Familiar with the Research of Your Interviewer

“While it is probably good to be familiar with her work so you can express interest in it, I highly doubt that she is going to quiz you about it or expect that you know much detail. In fact, she'll probably really enjoy explaining it to you. Don't spend too much time trying to read everything she's ever published- just reading abstracts may be more than enough- and be ready to ask some intelligent questions.” (posted June 5, 2009 in Biotech, Job Search by Kim M.Research Assistant at The Ohio State University)

Anticipating Questions and Answers

Review the job description

Make a list of questions on

• job responsibilities requirements

• expectations

Think about tough questions that might be asked, and how you will answer them

give examples of what you have already done and/or learned. The examples will justify your claims of specific experience and skills.

Try to engage her in conversation Ask her questions about herself - take sincere interest, and it will not only relax her, but engage her in the conversation with you.

Stuart F. Career Coach, Speaker, Networking and LinkedIn Expert, and Mortgage Banker

In Conclusion

• Plan, research, and sell yourself effectively.

• You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.