Informational Interviews
This week we’re going to focus on skills that will help you land your dream job. These skills will help boost your confidence when the time comes for that all-important interview. To get some practice, we’ll start with an interactive simulation called the “perfect interview.” It’s a video model of a prospective employer that will ask you questions and record your responses. This will help you get comfortable answering the types of questions that you will encounter in an “informational interview” and allow you to become aware of issues that you might not realize you have, (like saying “ummm” too many times).
You’ll have to create a username and password and then choose from several options that are presented. For our assignment, you’ll choose the "short" interview where the selections are chosen for you. When you complete that, go back and complete the "short" interview where you make the selections. When you make your own selections, choose at least three areas you'd like to work on the most.
You’ll have the option of either typing in your answers or recording your answers as a video response through your computer’s web camera. It’s much easier to use the video response and it helps you to hear how you would truly respond in an interview. Your camera may not record the video, but as long as sound gets recorded it can be very valuable for crafting your interview technique.
You will hear your response played back to you immediately when you stop recording. Then, instead of advancing to the next question right away, be sure to click on the button that says “View Example Answer.” You’ll get a short video response from a student actor who gives brief, confident answers. You can review your interview responses at the end, when you save the completed interview, but the opportunity to review example answers will disappear.
If you have no idea how to respond, you’re in luck…. There is a “coach” that will give you advice on how to answer the type of question that has been presented. You don’t have to use the coach every time, but access the coach at least once in each of the short interviews. The coach gives insights on how to deal with questions that can be stumbling blocks in an interview.
One technique that is helpful in an actual interview situation is to listen to the question and not feel that you always have to answer immediately. It’s acceptable to take some time to think about your answer rather than say the first thing that rolls off your tongue. It lets the interviewer know that you care enough to give a relevant response rather than just a quick one. You can tell them, “Let me reflect on that for a moment,” and then compose yourself - rather than answering half of a question and then stopping mid-sentence searching for the right thing to say.
The interviews are short, just 5 or 6 questions each, so this part of the assignment can be completed in less than 15 minutes.
When you have completed this portion of the assignment, please do the following:
• Draft a reflection about your practice interview, commenting on the questions asked and your responses to the questions. You might comment on what questions were problematic. What were the strengths of your responses? What could you improve in your responses? How did you responses compare to the "Alternate Response"? What did you learn from the "Coach?"
• Give one question about interviewing or a piece of advice that you've gained in your interviewing experiences.
• Click on "Review Saved Interviews." Click on the "Share" button. E-mail yourself your interview and include the links in your posting.
For further reference, please see the following resources:
Information from UCF’s Career Services: http://www.career.ucf.edu/UserFiles/File/Plan%20for%20the%20Interview/player.html
Further information about informational interviews: http://www.bls.gov/opub/ooq/2002/summer/art03.pdf
The questions that were asked in the practice interview caught me off guard. I realized that I am not good at answering question on the spot. I need time and preparation before I am able to come up with a good response. The most problematic question that arose was “tell me something about yourself that I cannot find on your resume.” This question was hard for me because I could not think of something to say that wasn’t already on my resume. This assignment was a bit awkward for me because I felt uncomfortable being recorded, but I did not know how to go back and change the setting. My responses were not as serious as I normally would have answered. From this experience though I could say that I need to work on answering questions on the spot.
ReplyDeleteMy interview links:
http://www.perfectinterview.com/online/review_gateway.asp?id=3041051&type=standard
http://www.perfectinterview.com/online/review_gateway.asp?id=3041053&type=standard
Kasey-Marie Pike
Well Casey, I thought that you did an "ok" job on taking the interviews. The only thing that I would suggest, is for you to be confident about what you are saying. If you find yourself taken off balance and you do not seem to find the right answer but you say something to get out of the spot, it will matter a lot less if you say it as if you were confident about what you were saying.
DeleteKasey,
DeleteConsidering the situation, you actually did pretty well. Interviews can catch us off-guard, and you never know what kind of questions they will ask. I get it; they are trying to be more creative, as far as the questions in the interview. So that means we need to hone in on that.
I experienced a strange interview for a beauty care line one time. For me it was very awkward, and I can tell you I wanted to run away, lol. I was not prepared for such an unorthodox interview.
The beginning of it was fine, and then we had to rub lotion on each other through a demonstration, this was not for me and it was way too awkward. This is just one of those random interviews that I will never have to go through again. Thank goodness!
Anyways, I am sure you will not have to endure that. Going back to the interview, we have to be prepared and be ready for what they ask us. So confidence can make you sound good no matter what, usually. I suggest practicing with a friend; have your friend interview you of course.
I think I will try that myself this week, as I am graduating soon and I need to be prepared. Having a confident tone in your voice, and don’t answer in a questionable tone as well is key to coming off confident.
Kasey-Marie,
DeleteWhile it was a GREAT move to say that you wish there wasn't as much downtime on your last job, you should avoid telling them that you wish you could do something not related to the job (homework in this case) during that down time. I realize that working in a school environment may make your answer more understandable but most jobs will not be thinking within that context.
Aside from that:
Be careful about where your eyes go when answering. Avoid rolling them back or looking up at the sky.
As fitofez mentioned, be confident.
Most interview questions are universal (with the exception of certain job specific questions). I suggest that you research on what the most common questions are and plan ahead. This should get rid of your "on the spot" jitters.
On the positive side, the further you got into your interview, the more confident your answers got. Towards the end, your answers became perfect. :D Good job!
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThank you everyone for the advice! The most important thing that I have learned so far is to be confident in my answers. One attribute I am working on is speaking with authoritative figures. This activity and all your responses are giving me insight on how I can go about working on this attribute.
DeleteSuzanne, I commend you on going through with that interview. I probably would have felt so awkward that I would not be able to continue. I never even knew such interviews existed.
Kasey-Marie Pike
Kasey,
DeleteIt's good that you've had this experience now. It give you the opportunity to have a trial interview and see where you may need to focus on when applying yourself during an interview. Many interviews that I have gone through over the past two years have been very informal and some have been quite serious. I have learned to be myself which it seems like you are doing and just pay attention to the questions without getting nervous and I'm sure you'll do great on your real interview.
Casey,
DeleteConfience is something that everyone sometimes needs a little extra of during the interview process. I know that I am a nervous interviewee and have had some awful interviews in the past because of it. One thing that I have learned that I can pass on is a confidant and good/firm hand shack. One manager taught me a long time ago that a good and firm hand shack showed confidence and was a good sign for a potentially good interview.
Lisette Cintron
Kasey,
DeleteThank you so much :). Yes I think that it was a good story I can tell people. When I look back on it I can laugh about it now, although I was a bit traumatized, lol. So I can say if I could handle that interview , than anything else is a piece of cake! Good luck to you I know you're going to be great! :)
-Suzanne S.
When asked to tell them something about yourself that isn't on your resume, think about your hobbies and skills you've learned outside of school or work. That is actually the easiest question for me to answer as I'm studying engineering and I do a lot of mechanical work in my spare time. I realize it may be harder for people without hobbies that relate to the job position they're applying for, but if you're going into a field you're truly interested in I'm sure you have some knowledge or experience you've acquired along the way.
DeleteKasey, the ability to recognize that you didn't answer the questions to the best of you ability creates for a developing process to improve. I recently had an interview where I was asked questions about my resume where I felt confused because I didn't want to restate my resume so I had to get creative and explain details of my job such as a story that relates to the position I was interviewing for. I think you have a tight grasp on what you need to improve on, which will help you to develop better answers on the spot.
Delete1.Draft a reflection about your practice interview, commenting on the questions asked and your responses to the questions. You might comment on what questions were problematic. What were the strengths of your responses? What could you improve in your responses? How did you responses compare to the "Alternate Response"? What did you learn from the "Coach?"
ReplyDeleteThe questions that gave me trouble were “There seem to be a few gaps in your employment history. Could you explain that?” and “Is there anything about yourself that you would like to change?.” These two questions were hard for me and I know I did not give good responses compared to the example. These questions I have never really thought about and I have been thinking about how I would respond and how to correct my responses so if I am asked these questions I will be able to answer. I have been through interviews for teaching positions in the past and these questions were more directed to the business world so I think that was part of my problem. Overall I think the interview is a good tool, and I now know of possible questions that I need to work on and think about in case they come up in a future interview.
2.Give one question about interviewing or a piece of advice that you've gained in your interviewing experiences.
One piece of advice I have gained during my interview experiences is to always smile. The interviewer knows you are nervous, but they do not want you to look so serious. If you are smiling you are more welcoming and pleasant.
3.Click on "Review Saved Interviews." Click on the "Share" button. E-mail yourself your interview and include the links in your posting.
http://www.perfectinterview.com/online/review_gateway.asp?id=3041128&type=standard
Ashley, I think the piece of advice that you have gained will be very helpful. Employers are looking for someone who can show that they are enthusiastic about their profession and people who are inviting. Smiling helps put on this persona. My problem is that I smile so much that my cheeks hurt. I think that its not good to always smile, instead, smile as much as possible while still maintaing somewhat serious.
DeleteKasey-Marie Pike
Ashely,
DeleteNo one ever said interviews were fun and easy, they take preparation for and confidence. I've had my fair share but every time there has been a question that I wasn't prepared for and my honest advice to you is to BS it. I'm a straight shooter in life and honesty is the best policy so if you truly have a good answer or an honest answer that may make you look better, then go for it but it not embellish yourself a little bit if the story sounds good, go with it and stick to having a good interview.
Ashley,
DeleteI agree with you that honestly is the best policy some people believe that busting up the resume can give them a better chance at an opportunity, but in the end you are only doing harm to yourself. I recently had the opportunity to interview some potential employees for a position that I have been covering and the manager felt since I knew the position that I would be a great person to help with the process. I was scared for myself and the interviewees, but I had an experience with one of the girls that interviewed who did really well. The thing was that when the references were checked she lied. Let's just say she did not get the job.
Lisette Cintron
Ashley,
DeleteFor the question "Is there anything about yourself that you would like to change?" something I would say is "Oh, I've never actually thought of this before but now that you mention it... and think of something as you are saying this", it's been my experience that when you are on the stop like that you can usually come up with a pretty truthful and generic answer. I have actually asked people this question before and the tricky thing with it is that if people answer it right away if feels like they rehearsed the question and are telling me what they think I want to hear, so you just want to be as natural as possible.
-Karem
Karem,
DeleteThank you for the advice on how to answer the question. I go by "honesty is the best policy" but sometimes an employer does not want to hear that, but with your response I can work my way to answer that I would be confident in and would be able to confidently respond to the interviewer.
Ashley
A year ago I had to help my parents interview people for a position in their company, and it was definitely an eye-opening experience. The first two people were so nervous that they didn't even smile and were very robotic in their answers to the questions asked. So it is definitely important to smile and try to appear relaxed in an interview, and try to let your responses come out naturally and easily. And being polite is important as well! Being relaxed is also important, but you don't want to be too relaxed because that can send off a bad vibe to the interviewer.
DeleteBrianna Gonzalez
Ashley, I think this practice exercise is great. Some questions took me off guard and I realized how unprepared I would look if I was taking this interview for real (cringe!). Well, now you have time to give some thought to the answers that gave you trouble. Your advice about smiling is good, and true. I am not a smiley person, not that i am mad or sad, it is just my natural expression so it is very hard for me to smile but it does influence people and seems like such simple advice.
ReplyDeleteWhen I get nervous, I do not smile, and become very serious, so I have to make a conscious effort to smile, otherwise I am always smiling. Funny how nerves take over and you become another person.
DeleteUnfortunately, I think the only way to get over being nervous in an interview is by gaining interview experience and making mistakes. That's why this is a great exercise, because it allows you to make mistakes without compromising a potential job opportunity. It took a lot of previous interviews for me to realize what impresses employers. I'm still learning of course, but I realized that a positive attitude, assertiveness, and of course confidence are major players in a successful interview. Just relax and don't put pressure on yourself. Don't think of the consequences if you bomb the interview, but convince yourself that you're perfect for the job (even if you lack skills and/or experience). As funny as it sounds, treat it like a conversation on a first date and if you do bomb it then there are plenty of other opportunities out there.
DeleteAshley,
ReplyDeleteI used this tool in Capstone too and just did it again for this assignment. It's amazing how much more confident my answers were this time. Someone once told me that any interview opportunity is good practice and I've always believed that to be true. I think that the best part of this tool is just that it prompts you to respond to questions you're not prepared for and gives you practice at improvising an answer. As far as smiling, it is great advice. My problem is that I always smile when I'm nervous, so I have to be careful not to smile so much that I look like a crazy Cheshire!
Tamara,
DeleteThe interviews I have been on have been great practice. I can look back and I now where my faults were and correct them the next time around. Like I said in an earlier comment, when I am nervous I do not smile, so I need to remember to smile, or at least not look upset.
Ashley
Honestly Ashley, when I was younger I didn't smile either, especially if I was nervous. I taught myself to smile when I was nervous but have used it a bit too much as a crutch. The one good thing to know is that people can understand if you're nervous on a job interview, which is natural and everyone who has a job has felt that nervousness before. I've had interviews where I've gotten tongue-tied from being nervous, which is embarrassing, but I just explain that I'm nervous and the person usually understands which helps me feel less nervous. When you're nervous maybe you could picture the bright smiling faces of the students in your future class.
DeleteI like the picturing idea. I used to do that when I was younger in dance, my mom always told me to picture everyone in the audience is in their underwear. LOL!!! But picturing my future students would bring me joy and make me happy. Thank You!!!
DeleteThe interview definitely catches one off guard. It's not just this interview though. I feel like there has been an aspect of every interview I have ever had that has caught me off guard. Is this a tool interviewers use? Is this to see how we conduct ourselves under pressure? I'm not sure. I once interviewed for a front desk/concierge position. I was approved for the front desk position. However, I was so nervous during my interview, that the recruiter could not approve me for concierge. He informed me that my confidence level was not where he needed it to be. He said that the next step for concierge was to interview a panel of managers, and he was afraid they would tear me apart for being nervous. Fortunately, I have been offered a front desk position, and I will be able to work my way, rather than interview my way into the position. This tool will be very helpful for me. Interviewing is something I really need to work on, or else I will be overlooked for positions I am qualified for merely because my nerves got the best of me.
DeleteElizabeth Elder
Doing this exercise made me realize how unprepared I am for any future interviews. I think that I have been in the same company for seven years and have become used to what I do and feel that although it is not what I want to do for my career. I have become comfortable in where I am currently employed. (Not Good) One question that I found rather difficult is the question "A number of different career paths are available in our organization. Which ones seem most interesting to you?" I found it a bit difficult because my future career goal is to become a teacher I felt that there was not other career paths that I can choose. I felt my strengths were in the question referring to "working without supervision". I am confident in what I currently do and my skills that so I felt that I was most comfortable with that question. Although I was confident in some questions I feel that I needed a lot of working on arranging and verbalizing my skills and what I have to offer. I was glad to have the alternate answers available as well as the coach and I felt that most of the tips given were very helpful.
ReplyDeleteLisette Cintron
Link:
http://www.perfectinterview.com/online/text_viewer.asp?id=C3BF395B-C1AA-4D39-BC0D-75643CF7B60C&mediatype=flv
And that is the goal of this exercise. Although inside of us we know what is it that we are capable off, we need to be able to bring it out in a cohesive manner in order for us to communicate it confidently with our fellows, in this case being our future employer. It is a great exercise that gives one clue about how we should communicate our aptitudes and the desire to give something of value in exchange of a job.
DeleteI can relate to you. I have been in my current job (not my company, just this particular job) for over a year and a half. My company provides a variety of options for me to move up or move aside. I never attempted to go anywhere because I just got too comfortable in my role. I knew, "I'm good at this...enough said." The thought of moving somewhere else absolutely terrified me. The thought of being new, the thought of having to prove myself. Well, recently, I buckled down and interviewed for another position. I got it. In two weeks, I will no longer work for Tomorrowland Attractions at the Magic Kingdom, and I will be working front desk at the Yacht and Beach Club Resort. I've cried three times already. However, I know that leaving is the right thing to do because I need to keep learning. I need to keep working on myself. If I am terrified to work anywhere else, than it's time for me to do so.
DeleteElizabeth Elder
Elizabeth Elder
Lisette,
ReplyDeleteI can completely empathize with you. It has been awhile since I have been interviewed, so this topic is really something that I need to work on myself as well.
Things are changing so we have to try to stay ahead of the game. I am seeing all of this as I am coming close to graduation. I have been in the music industry for awhile now, so I can say that is a different kind of professionalism.
Yes, I can concur on the question, "A number of different career paths are available in our organization. Which ones seem most interesting to you?" Your primary focus is teaching, so next time maybe say your heart is in teaching, however I am open to other possibilities or opportunities. Anyways, just practice and it will be so much easier when you really have an interview. I am going to practice also, I know I need it lol. :)
Suzanne Sanchez
Lisette,
ReplyDeleteI understand how some questions like this can catch you of guard. A good way to perhaps look at this question in relation to teaching would be, do you plan on someday taking a educational leadership position like a Principal or Vice-Principal. If your goal is to only teach do you see yourself getting certifications in autism, ESOL, or gifted. Perhaps you want to be in charge of a student club after school like Future Educators or America or the Law Club.
The wording in these questions was very generic but it good that it got you thinking. I have a good friend who double majored in Art and Education, she wanted to be an Elementary Art Teacher but when she interviewed there were no open Art position so she interviewed for a regular Elementary position. If she had been asked a question like this she could have then spoken about her Art background and future interest in following that path within teaching.
I know how you feel being comfortable in a job although it is not what you want to do. I recently just got accepted to grad school and soon I will have to leave my job where I am comfortable for 3 years of school. However, hopefully by the time we interview again it will be for a comfortable position within our careers.
-Karem
I felt that the interview exercise was actually pretty helpful and reflected real life interviews very well. I always have issues with questions that require me to describe things I didn't like about my past jobs or things that I would change about myself. I tend to make my responses too negative and need to focus on answering the question honestly but putting a positive spin on it as well.
ReplyDeleteThe most important piece of advice I can give when interviewing for a job is to assert yourself with confidence. Even if your resume is lacking skills or experience that pertain to the position, the employer may be willing to take a chance hiring you if they believe you have the drive and confidence in your abilities to accomplish what they are looking for. Avoid being overly confident or cocky, but try not to be nervous. Also, dressing appropriately is extremely important. Its better in my experience to be over dressed than under dressed as it shows respect for the company and interviewer.
Interview Link:
http://www.perfectinterview.com/online/review_gateway.asp?id=3041260&type=standard
I completely agree with your advice about attire. I made the mistake of attending an internship interview at a radio station dressed the way the talk radio personalities at the station were dressed in their online photos, jeans and a T-shirt. Other candidates were dressed in suits. I could have probably still gotten the position but the show's host asked if I was in a sorority, and being in my 30's I thought it was a ridiculous question. Unfortunately, my response reflected that. I got to hear about how the intern interviews went the next day on the radio and how the show's host did not like fiery redheads. I knew the jab was directed at me. Needless to say, I did not get the position. It was a humbling experience.
DeleteI agree with what you said about not being cocky or overly confident. You MUST be confident but be truthful and don't come off as someone who thinks they know it all. In some jobs, like my own, that can make the difference between being hired because they think you have the drive and are a team player who is willing to learn the skills they lack, and not being hired because they think you claim to know more than you really do and/or will rub the rest of your team members the wrong way.
DeleteYes you are right it is difficult not to go into detail of the negatives of our last job. I know from my experience, I worked in a restaurant which had a revolving door for management, and this was not good for moral as well as the functioning of the restaurant and staff. It was a mess, and it is hard to forget. In the interviews we must convey positivity, but it is hard if they keep asking us about our previous job. I understand why they are asking these questions in the interview; however I would prefer that they focus on their company, and focus on our skills and qualifications.
DeleteAnother key point of interviews are the first impression. Sometimes it is hard to decipher, depending on the job we are applying for and the location. But yes, it smarter to over dress than not. I also agree with what you said about being humble, there is nothing worse than an overly arrogant person, that leaves such a bad impression and turns people off.
Good post :)
I definitely agree about dressing appropriately to an interview. In one of my classes that I took at community college, the teacher had us dress up like we were going to an actual interview, and she was going to interview us. I came dressed appropriately, but I was completely surprised at how many of my classmates were completely underdressed. Many of my female classmates were wearing skirts too short (or even shorts), and some of my male classmates were wearing sneakers and black jeans. The teacher was not a happy camper when she saw this, and they barely passed the interview. Needless to say, dressing appropriately is very important!
DeleteBrianna Gonzalez
bstrauss : I am glad this exercise made you feel more comfortable. Conducting interviews can sometimes be extremely intimidating and you have to get over that fear. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. Maybe you will not hit that perfect stage but you can come close and allow yourself to get a lot of jobs you thought that you would not. Try interviewing for practice at home or with friends see how it goes and prepare yourself for any potential questions. My best regards.
ReplyDeletePauline Pearlman
Kcpike: You stated in your response that "The questions that were asked in the practice interview caught me off guard", they usually do , employers are usually looking to see what your response may be and do not expect you to have time to prepare, they want it to be a more natural thing. I myself, personally have conducted over 300 interviews, don't let this scare you it it natural. Most employers want to know you as a person, so get to know yourself better and think what someone may find interesting and always keep that in mind. Overall, be patient with yourself, interviews, especially for big companies can be challenging but you can do it with practice!
ReplyDelete• Draft a reflection about your practice interview, commenting on the questions asked and your responses to the questions. You might comment on what questions were problematic. What were the strengths of your responses? What could you improve in your responses? How did you responses compare to the "Alternate Response"? What did you learn from the "Coach?" The questions that were most problematic are the questions about my last employer since I was laid off it kind of caught me off guard and allowed me to see that I needed to think deeper into that situation. I do feel that I had an alternate response to all of these questions.
ReplyDelete• Give one question about interviewing or a piece of advice that you've gained in your interviewing experiences.
"Tell me what your last boss said about you" & "Tell me one thing about your goals" , I think that one should go ahead and think about their goals as well as questions that may be asked, my best advice is to prepare very well because you never know what one may ask, remain calm, and be honest, it will lead you to success.
• Click on "Review Saved Interviews." Click on the "Share" button. E-mail yourself your interview and include the links in your posting.
http://www.perfectinterview.com/online/review_gateway.asp?id=3041276&type=standard
Pauline, the answers you came up with create for such great advice. It is true, you never know what the interviewer will ask, but being honest about every answer is a must. There is a certain amount of prep work that should be done before an interview, however, the key is to remain calm, take a minute and be honest.
DeleteAshley,
ReplyDeleteyou have the right concept when it comes to resumes, do not lie. Many people think they can make themselves look like an executive on a resume and that no one will find out, but it can turn around to be your enemy. Say you get a job somewhere and you lied about past work history, this will make you fail and your boss will know that your resume did not have the correct prior work or school history, just be honest, a career is a learning process and by lying you are only cheating yourself.
Best regards
Pauline Pearlman
I recently just experienced this process, which included very similar interview questions. This tool is great because it allows you to record and then play back so you can view yourself answering the questions the way the interviewer views you. I think the most problematic question would be what qualifications do you have regarding the position because each position will be different thus requiring different qualifications.
ReplyDeleteI gained the advice of actually understanding and developing a response to the question regarding my long term career goals. This practice allowed me to think and create a valid, concise response that will benefit me in the interviewing process.
link: http://www.perfectinterview.com/online/review_gateway.asp?id=3041278&type=standard
DeleteMy interview link is:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.perfectinterview.com/online/complete_flv_interview.asp?id=EF13C104-E19B-4CF4-AF62-1EBE6B15A014&mode=save&name=Elizabeth%20Elder&type=T&seqnum=6&complete=Y
Interviews make me extremely nervous. For my last official interview, I met with two of my current managers to adjust my resume. I met with one manager to prepare for my interview. I also scheduled to meet with a gentlemen who was currently working in the position I was interested in. I asked him about the interview he underwent. I was beyond prepared. Then, the interview did not go according to plan at all. On a positive note, the feedback I received from my Leadership team about the questions I was asked and the answers I provided was good. The interviewer informed me that the interview would last for 20 minutes. We spoke for 50 minutes.
For this particular interview that was assigned to us, the question that made me the most uncomfortable was "if your former managers had to rate you on a scale of 1 to 10, how would they rate you?" What are they looking for? Do I play the modest card? Do I give them an honest answer? My managers would give me a high rating. That's why they promoted me the first time. But do I actually say that? Do I say "8.5-9?" That question freaked me out. Also, what is my mission statement? My underlying goal is to get the position I am interviewing for. However, there's etiquette that I have to abide by, and I don't want to seem to forward. I certainly don't want to appear cocky. I'm not. It just confuses me beyond belief that during an interview, there are honest answers, and there are right answers, and I have to know which one to provide.
Elizabeth Elder
I always get stumped on the same situations as you! You definitely don't want to come off as cocky and arrogant, but being too modest may not be beneficial either. What I like to do in such situations is try to make a light joke just to ease the mood a bit- I hate being too serious. But I also keep in mind that this is a formal interview, and you don't want to make it seem like you think the whole interview is a joke. I keep it light and airy by smiling and laughing appropriately, and I try to be a bit modest, but not too modest. I think that always helps in those situations where you don't really know what to do!
DeleteBrianna Gonzalez
Somehow, Pauline has been given the role of contributor rather than member so her posts get "written" to the blog as a new topic. I just deleted that post and am copying the contents here:
ReplyDeleteeveryone should complete the above interview process, as many times as needed, it can relieve some stress and get you off edge.
Discuss the results of your interview practice
The questions that were most problematic are the questions about my last employer since I was laid off it kind of caught me off guard and allowed me to see that I needed to think deeper into that situation. I do feel that I had an alternate response to all of these question. Although I did find the way to answer questions such as what are my goals and answered to stick with a company for a minimum of 5 years and give it my all, an employer looking at that would be happy to see that as a goal.
Discuss the best way to answer some of the standard and non-standard interview questions
The best way to answer the questions is to be completely honest and forthright and not lie. Inform your employer that you are a fast learner if that is the case and you don't have a certain skill and even though you have no experience you can learn very quickly.
How to deal with phone interview and panel interviews
The same way as regular interviews, don't lie, don't cheat, be polite, calm and allow all questions to flow in a slow manner.
When is the time to talk about salary?
I feel the best time to talk about salary is when you know that you have got the job. Salary means nothing if you are not hired, but when you are hired if you had experience then you can always explain your past pay and see if that can be matched, and also ask about raises if applicable.