Download Interview Strategy workshop for international students

Dawn Williams
Career Development & Education
[email protected]
253.692.4835
MAT 106
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Prepare

Perform
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Pursue (follow-up)
Recruiter makes the decision to hire or not to
hire within the first 30 seconds.
True?
False?
Research/Analyze:
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

Yourself
Organization
Position
Research Yourself:
Why did you apply for the position in the first place?
Research the Organization/Position:
What do they do?
How are they organized?
Who are their clients/constituents?
What challenges do they face?
Job Responsibilities? Skill Set?
Were they in the news? Why?
What are their products/brands/services?
www.quintcareers.com/researching_companies_guide.html
www.glassdoor.com
Avenues for Research:
Internet
Informational
Interviews
Employer Information Sessions/Job Fairs
Networking
Preparation tested by the following questions:
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

Tell us about yourself.
Why are you interested in working for us?
Why should we hire you?

Know the setting
◦
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◦
◦
◦
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One-on-one
Panel
Group
Series
Phone
Job Fair
Meal
Practice:
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Mock interview at the Career Center
Use family and friends
Appearance
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Make a good impression before you arrive
Arrive early
Professional attire
Neatly groomed
Clean & polished
Understated
Image from https://www.themuse.com/advice/looks-that-land-the-job-the-guys-guide-to-interview-attire
Image from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/33003009744851835/
Greeting
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Smile
Be friendly and polite to everyone in the office
Enthusiastic & interested
Firm handshake – practice!
Be confident, not arrogant
Non-Verbal Communication
 Appropriate eye contact
 Sit on the front 2/3 of your seat
 Smile
 Be conscious of “habits”.
 Open posture
 Follow the interviewer’s lead
Verbal Communication
Take your time, understand the question
 2-3 minutes per answer
 Watch your “fillers”: um, ah, like
 Focus on positives
 Highlight skills, accomplishments
 Recognize that all interviewers may not be
trained to conduct effective interviews. You
should be prepared to find ways to interject
important information about yourself

Type of Interview:
 Traditional/Behavioral
◦ Past experiences, general work ethic, interpersonal
skills, basic qualifications

Case/Technical
◦ applicant is given a
question/situation/problem/challenge and asked to
resolve the situation specific to the industry

Testing
Verbal Communication
Behavior Based Interviews
Potential employees’ future success
based on their past behavior.
 Focus of questions is how you behaved in
a given past situation.

Verbal Communication
Behavior Based Interviews
Examples:
 Talk about a time when you have
worked on a project and your supervisor
failed to provide much direction.
 Give me an example of your ability to
work with a client in a clinical setting.
Verbal Communication
Behavior Based
Answer:
S
T
A
R
Interviews
Situation
Task
Action
Result
Verbal Communication
Your Questions:
1.
2.
3.
Show knowledge of the organization
Your turn to interview the organization
What happens next?
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Why should I hire you?
Tell me about yourself?
What are you major strengths?
What are your major weaknesses?
How does your previous experience relate to the
jobs we have here?
What are your plans for the future?
Why are you looking for this type of position, and
why here?
•
•
•
1.
2.
3.
4.
Ask employer for a business card
Take some time to reflect
Write a thank you note that makes it clear that:
You
You
You
You
understand the job
paid attention to what was being said
are excited
are qualified
Be persistent but not pushy. The key is convey
interest, not desperation.
•
Same rules for preparation & performance
apply
Plus:
 Find a landline to use
 Find a quiet place
 Be even more aware of your language and
intonation
 Have your resume in front of you
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

You
You
You
You
You
You
dress inappropriately
bad-mouth your boss or colleagues
appear disinterested
appear arrogant
do not give sufficient responses
don’t ask good questions

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
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You are late
You forgot your resume or other materials
You have a wardrobe malfunction
You forget the name of the person who is
interviewing you
The interviewer is distracted
The interviewer asks an illegal question
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About your religion
About your personal life
Marital Status and Children
Disability
Age
Country of origin/Nationality
Immigration status
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Answer – it is not illegal to answer an illegal
question
Refuse to answer
Tactfully sidestep
◦ Ex: Disability
 If you are concerned that I won’t be able to perform
the duties of the job, let me assure you that I would be
able to perform them well.
◦ Country of origin
 You are probably wondering whether I am authorized
to work in the US. I am.
◦ Although it is illegal for employers to ask about your
immigration status, they are able to ask if you have work
authorization to work in the US and if you will need visa
sponsorship now or in the future.
◦ Ensure that you fully understand your work authorization
options under your international student status and
respond accurately.
◦ It is important to be able to articulate your work
authorization options to the employer since not all
employers may be familiar with them. You want to facilitate
the hiring process for the employer so be prepared to
explain it and clarify the employer’s role in the process.
◦ For bilingual international students, your
language skills and cross-cultural communication
skills can be an asset especially as more
companies are increasing their global presence.
◦ Studying abroad takes initiative, resourcefulness,
persistence, ability to interact with diverse
individuals and adaptability to new environments
– all skills employers value and look for in
candidates.
◦ During the interview, remember to emphasize
these skills as strengths.