Exceptional Interview Tips: X420 Discussion Session #27
Preparation is Key
Planning Practice
preparation
prepare the ground
Job Description: The Candidate ob
Candidates for a position should know the job description, match their skills and experience with what is described Prepare your answers to show how you have experience in each skill area described (STAR/ZAP METHODS!)
? Situation/Task/Action/Result ? Zesty/Anecdotal/Presentation
Job Description: An exercise
OLD NATIONAL BANK-RETAIL BANKCENTER, ASSISTANT MGR: Assist manager in managing sales & daily operations of center including inside sales, financial profiling, teller transactions, customer service, general operations, and personnel. Develop new & enhance existing relationships with customers by offering products & services to meet their financial needs. Requires excellent supervisory, interpersonal, problem solving, communication, and customer service skills. Strong knowledge of operational policies and procedures is required.
STAFF ACCOUNTANT: Full-time Fullcareer opportunity for a Staff Accountant. This position requires a detail-oriented person who enjoys detailperforming a variety of tasks. QuickBooks experience a plus. Duties will include monthly journal entries and reconciliations, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and assistance with month-end close. monthRequires four-year accounting degree fourand 1-2 years experience. 1-
INSTRUCTIONS: 1) Circle required skills, underline desired skills and experience. 2) Prepare at least 6 interview questions.
Job Skills Needed
Technical skills-computer skills, computation skills, physical skills Performance Skills-communication skills, problem solving skills
Interviewer: BASE YOUR QUESTIONS ON FINDING OUT HOW THE CANDIDATE HAS DEMONSTRATED THESE SKILLS IN THE PAST. Candidate: YOUR PROSPECTIVE ANSWERS SHOULD TAKE INTO ACCOUNT DEMOSTRATING HOW YOU USED THE APPROPRIATE SKILLS IN TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE PAST
INSTRUCTIONS: 1) Circle required skills, underline desired skills and experience
STAFF ACCOUNTANT : Full-time career opportunity for a Staff Accountant. This position requires a detail-oriented person who enjoys performing a variety of tasks. QuickBooks experience a plus. Duties will include monthly journal entries and reconciliations, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and assistance with month-end close. Requires four-year accounting degree and 1-2 years experience.
INSTRUCTIONS: 1) Circle required skills, underline desired skills and experience
OLD NATIONAL BANK-RETAIL CENTER, ASSISTANT MGR: Assist manager in managing sales & daily operations of center including inside sales, financial profiling, teller transactions, customer service, general operations, and personnel. Develop new & enhance existing relationships with customers by offering products & services to meet their financial needs. Requires excellent supervisory, interpersonal, problem solving, communication, and customer service skills. Strong knowledge of operational policies and procedures is required.
Use Your Advocate Network ..to review, prepare, practice
People in Key positions People who support you Friends, acquaintances
Review
Profile Skills Skill/Benefit Statements STAR Model Advocate Network Positioning Statement Follow-Up Keep search active
The Interview
Positive first impression Skill/Benefit statement Sprinkle benefits STAR model (more on that later!)
establish rapport
a few minutes of ³small talk´
Interview Questions: The Candidate
Interviewees should prepare for the interview
± writing a list of 10 anticipated questions and answers ± rehearsing answers that highlight their experiences that
match well with the skills needed
INSTRUCTIONS: 2) Prepare at least 6 interview questions.
Possible Questions
Tell me about a time when you had to be very detail-oriented to complete a project well. How did you organize yourself to complete the task? What were the results? What kind of experience do you have working with month-end closes? What techniques do you use to make sure the close goes smoothly? What are the results?
future behavior on the job can be anticipated by previous behavior
interviewers target questions zeroing in on your past actions
ZAP µem with a STAR
«.tell them a story that illuminates transferable skills«.
past behavior = future behavior
specific examples!
there¶s always a crowd of candidates«
«.how can you stand out as the best choice?
Z.A.P. µem«
Zesty Anecdotal Presentation
through a glass darkly
help the interviewer see you clearly
ZAP µem no matter what
Zesty Anecdotal Presentation
silence is golden
use it to your advantage«.
contrarian strategy
interviewers often probe to get a negative view
allude to minor negatives in your answers to avoid this
sometimes they just go negative
Strange Questions?
Be honest Use Skill/Benefit statements Use STAR Model
³Klaatoo, barada niktoe´
The Big Three««
There are three questions that seem to be the most difficult to answer«..
³Tell us about yourself.´ ³Describe your weaknesses.´ ³Tell us about a mistake you have made.´
Tell them about yourself and pre-empt«. preIf you get the generic ³Tell us about yourself´ question early in the interview ± use it to preempt later focus on the negative.
Terminated?
Do not volunteer this information, but if asked -
Explain circumstances Be honest
(but not in too much detail, for example: ³new management took over´) (but circumspect, for example:
³the new supervisor and I did not see eye to eye´)
Never derogate your former employer
(be discreet, for example: ³ I was not a good fit with the new company culture´)
³That which doesn¶t kill us makes us stronger.´
In response to a ³weakness´ or ³mistake´ question, ALWAYS address the lessons or skills you learned«.
current behavior = future behavior
your interview IS you ± will you ³fit´?
Will you be the office fool?...
«.the magician?...
Who are you«you, you, you, you?
they really wanna¶ know«.
if the going gets tough
hang in there«.
FollowFollow-Up
Thank you letter Check with Advocate Network Keep looking for opportunities
the gestalt
professional look and manner real examples of past behavior actions and words in the interview
success
USE: a. Strongly Agree b. Agree c. Disagree d. Strongly Disagree e. Don¶t Know
EVALUATION QUESTIONS Discussion #27
1. I found the presentation material easy to understand. 2. This Advantage session increased my knowledge on the subject presented. 3. I will be able to use some of the information from this Advantage session in the future. 4. The presenter was well prepared for this session. 5. This presentation should be repeated in future semesters.
doc_841121321.ppt
Preparation is Key
Planning Practice
preparation
prepare the ground
Job Description: The Candidate ob
Candidates for a position should know the job description, match their skills and experience with what is described Prepare your answers to show how you have experience in each skill area described (STAR/ZAP METHODS!)
? Situation/Task/Action/Result ? Zesty/Anecdotal/Presentation
Job Description: An exercise
OLD NATIONAL BANK-RETAIL BANKCENTER, ASSISTANT MGR: Assist manager in managing sales & daily operations of center including inside sales, financial profiling, teller transactions, customer service, general operations, and personnel. Develop new & enhance existing relationships with customers by offering products & services to meet their financial needs. Requires excellent supervisory, interpersonal, problem solving, communication, and customer service skills. Strong knowledge of operational policies and procedures is required.
STAFF ACCOUNTANT: Full-time Fullcareer opportunity for a Staff Accountant. This position requires a detail-oriented person who enjoys detailperforming a variety of tasks. QuickBooks experience a plus. Duties will include monthly journal entries and reconciliations, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and assistance with month-end close. monthRequires four-year accounting degree fourand 1-2 years experience. 1-
INSTRUCTIONS: 1) Circle required skills, underline desired skills and experience. 2) Prepare at least 6 interview questions.
Job Skills Needed
Technical skills-computer skills, computation skills, physical skills Performance Skills-communication skills, problem solving skills
Interviewer: BASE YOUR QUESTIONS ON FINDING OUT HOW THE CANDIDATE HAS DEMONSTRATED THESE SKILLS IN THE PAST. Candidate: YOUR PROSPECTIVE ANSWERS SHOULD TAKE INTO ACCOUNT DEMOSTRATING HOW YOU USED THE APPROPRIATE SKILLS IN TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE PAST
INSTRUCTIONS: 1) Circle required skills, underline desired skills and experience
STAFF ACCOUNTANT : Full-time career opportunity for a Staff Accountant. This position requires a detail-oriented person who enjoys performing a variety of tasks. QuickBooks experience a plus. Duties will include monthly journal entries and reconciliations, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and assistance with month-end close. Requires four-year accounting degree and 1-2 years experience.
INSTRUCTIONS: 1) Circle required skills, underline desired skills and experience
OLD NATIONAL BANK-RETAIL CENTER, ASSISTANT MGR: Assist manager in managing sales & daily operations of center including inside sales, financial profiling, teller transactions, customer service, general operations, and personnel. Develop new & enhance existing relationships with customers by offering products & services to meet their financial needs. Requires excellent supervisory, interpersonal, problem solving, communication, and customer service skills. Strong knowledge of operational policies and procedures is required.
Use Your Advocate Network ..to review, prepare, practice
People in Key positions People who support you Friends, acquaintances
Review
Profile Skills Skill/Benefit Statements STAR Model Advocate Network Positioning Statement Follow-Up Keep search active
The Interview
Positive first impression Skill/Benefit statement Sprinkle benefits STAR model (more on that later!)
establish rapport
a few minutes of ³small talk´
Interview Questions: The Candidate
Interviewees should prepare for the interview
± writing a list of 10 anticipated questions and answers ± rehearsing answers that highlight their experiences that
match well with the skills needed
INSTRUCTIONS: 2) Prepare at least 6 interview questions.
Possible Questions
Tell me about a time when you had to be very detail-oriented to complete a project well. How did you organize yourself to complete the task? What were the results? What kind of experience do you have working with month-end closes? What techniques do you use to make sure the close goes smoothly? What are the results?
future behavior on the job can be anticipated by previous behavior
interviewers target questions zeroing in on your past actions
ZAP µem with a STAR
«.tell them a story that illuminates transferable skills«.
past behavior = future behavior
specific examples!
there¶s always a crowd of candidates«
«.how can you stand out as the best choice?
Z.A.P. µem«
Zesty Anecdotal Presentation
through a glass darkly
help the interviewer see you clearly
ZAP µem no matter what
Zesty Anecdotal Presentation
silence is golden
use it to your advantage«.
contrarian strategy
interviewers often probe to get a negative view
allude to minor negatives in your answers to avoid this
sometimes they just go negative
Strange Questions?
Be honest Use Skill/Benefit statements Use STAR Model
³Klaatoo, barada niktoe´
The Big Three««
There are three questions that seem to be the most difficult to answer«..
³Tell us about yourself.´ ³Describe your weaknesses.´ ³Tell us about a mistake you have made.´
Tell them about yourself and pre-empt«. preIf you get the generic ³Tell us about yourself´ question early in the interview ± use it to preempt later focus on the negative.
Terminated?
Do not volunteer this information, but if asked -
Explain circumstances Be honest
(but not in too much detail, for example: ³new management took over´) (but circumspect, for example:
³the new supervisor and I did not see eye to eye´)
Never derogate your former employer
(be discreet, for example: ³ I was not a good fit with the new company culture´)
³That which doesn¶t kill us makes us stronger.´
In response to a ³weakness´ or ³mistake´ question, ALWAYS address the lessons or skills you learned«.
current behavior = future behavior
your interview IS you ± will you ³fit´?
Will you be the office fool?...
«.the magician?...
Who are you«you, you, you, you?
they really wanna¶ know«.
if the going gets tough
hang in there«.
FollowFollow-Up
Thank you letter Check with Advocate Network Keep looking for opportunities
the gestalt
professional look and manner real examples of past behavior actions and words in the interview
success
USE: a. Strongly Agree b. Agree c. Disagree d. Strongly Disagree e. Don¶t Know
EVALUATION QUESTIONS Discussion #27
1. I found the presentation material easy to understand. 2. This Advantage session increased my knowledge on the subject presented. 3. I will be able to use some of the information from this Advantage session in the future. 4. The presenter was well prepared for this session. 5. This presentation should be repeated in future semesters.
doc_841121321.ppt