Actions to Change Your Life

Job Interviews

Job Interviews

Prepare for Job interviews. Learn what they need. Sell yourself. Find out if you want to work or volunteer there.

Job Interview
  • Follow these Tips in Job Interviews
  • The employer wants to know
  • Sample Interview Questions
  • Ask the Interviewer these Questions
  • Practice Interviewing with a Small Group
  • After the Job Interview
  • Behavioral Based Interviewing
  • Sample Behavioral Interview Questions
  • How did you do in your interview?
follow tHESE wise practices when doing Job Interviews

from What Color is Your Parachute?

  • Research the organization before you go in, using the Internet
  • Specify the time you need  
  • Understand the employers’ concerns
  • Observe the 50-50 Rule. Each speak roughly half the time.
  • Observe the Twenty-Second to Two-Minute Rule. Answer not too short or too long.
  • Be seen as part of the solution, not as part of the problem
  • Be seen as a resource person, not as a job beggar
  • The way you are doing your Job-Hunt is the way you will do your job
  • Bring evidence of your skills  
  • Don’t bad mouth your previous employer
  • Ask, “What are the next steps?”
  • Thank the interviewer and ask her for her business card
EXPERT TIPS FOR 26 QUESTIONS INTERVIEWERS are likely to ASK AND WHY

Go to linkedin.com/interview-prep/ to view 26 questions interviewers are likely to ask and why. For one month free, or if you have LinkedIn Premium, you can also view sample answers and get expert tips.

The employer wants to know

The employer may not care that much about your past. She asks about it mainly to predict your future. Whatever question she asks, she wants to know, “Why should I hire you?” These are five questions she might ask:

  • Why are you here”?
  • “What can you do for us”?
  • “What kind of person are you”?
  • “How are you different from nineteen other people applying for this job”?
  • “Can I afford you”?
Sample General Interview Questions

Exercise 8.4 – Sample General Interview Questions (You Might Be Asked)– Write your answer to each question.

  1. What do you know about this company or ministry?
  2. Tell me about yourself.
  3. Why are you applying for this job (or would like to volunteer here)?
  4. How would you describe yourself?
  5. Your major strengths?
  6. Your greatest weakness (or areas requiring further development)?
  7. The type of work do you like to do best?
  8. Your interests outside of work?
  9. An accomplishment gave you the greatest satisfaction?
  10. Why did you leave your last job?
  11. Why were you fired (if you were)?
  12. Where do you see yourself five years from now?
  13. What are your goals in life?
  14. Are there any questions you would like to ask me? (Be sure to have some!)
  15. How much did you make at your last job?
Ask the Interviewer THESE QUESTIONS

In many cases, toward the end of the interview the interviewer will ask you what questions you have for him/her.  You need to be prepared to ask very thoughtful questions.  Prioritize in advance since you may only have a short period of time to ask questions.

HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES:
  1. What does this job or ministry involve?
  2. I’d be interested to know the needs that you have.
  3. What are the skills a top employee or volunteer in this job should have?
  4. Based on everything we’ve discussed, can you offer me this job or would you like me to volunteer?
  5. If Yes, When may I expect to hear from you?
  6. Can you confirm your offer in writing?
  7. If No, Can you think of anyone else who might be interested in hiring me?
WHAT ELSE YOU WANT TO LEARN
  1. Are these the kinds of people I’d like to work or volunteer with?
  2. What skills and evidence from my past experience would convince them I’m different from other applicants?
  3. Can I convince them to hire me?

PRACTICE INTERVIEWING WITH A SMALL GROUP

Exercise 8.5 – Practice Interviewing With Your Small Group                                  

BEFORE STARTING THE PRACTICE INTERVIEWS, FIRST MENTION TO YOUR GROUP:
  • The field you want to be in (the type of business, industry or ministry I’m targeting)
  • The occupation you want in that field: ­­­­
  • The company or ministry within that field you are targeting:
  • The title of the person who would have the authority to hire you:

Your Interviewer can select a few questions from Exercise 8.3 – Sample Behavioral Interview Questions and from Exercise 8.4 – General Interview Questions and “role play” with each member of the small group.  You, the person being interviewed, will not be acting. You must be totally truthful in presenting yourself and answering questions!

Knock on the office door of your Interviewer and introduce yourself.

INTERVIEW

After your practice interview, tell your group how you think you did and ask them for any helpful suggestions they might have.

Best Practices for Interviewing
  • Know where you’re going
  • Dress to impress (understand how employees in the company dress)
  • Get to the interview early
  • Breathe and de-stress
  • Be calm and confident
  • Turn off your cell phone
  • Turn on the smile
  • Walk in with Jesus
  • Speak loud and clear
  • No gum chewing
  • No smoking
  • Give a firm handshake
  • Look eye to eye
  • Don’t fidget or squirm
  • Be a straight-up participant
  • Listen carefully, answer directly, ask questions or for clarification (as needed)
  • Quantify accomplishment (your personal impact)
  • Sound enthusiastic
  • Finish strong, nice and neat
  • Ask for the interviewer’s business card
  • Say thank you, on your feet (standing up)
  • Give a final handshake
  • Smile as you walk away
  • Take a breather
  • Write a thank you and email it that same day!
Useful Tip, mention work&Learn

You might have an opportunity to mention in your interview, “I’m being thorough and organized in my job search. I’m also taking a series of actions to Change-My-Life℠.” Companies want people who are thorough and organized and how you job hunt gives them evidence.

After the Job Interview

Write a short, one page thank you note to thank each person who interviewed you. Mention that you are interested in the position. Briefly summarize your skills. Mention anything not covered in the interview. Check for errors, ask someone to proofread it, and mail or email it).

Behavioral Based Interviewing

Many employers use Behavioral Based Interviewing to discover how you acted in specific employment-related situations.  The logic is that how you behaved in the past will predict how you will behave in the future.  Stated another way – “past behavior is a fairly reliable predictor of future behavior”.

The STAR method is a structured manner of responding to a behavioral-based interview question by discussing the:

  • Situation or Task you faced or were given
  • Action you took to address the situation or task
  • Result achieved based on the action you took

One other point to keep in mind is that interview questions are structured based on the skills and experience required to perform the job. 

HOW TO PREPARE FOR A BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEW?
  • Do your homework on the company and job. 
  • Identify the critical skills, traits and experience needed to perform the job using the description of the job ad and your own research on the job in general.
  • Write a list of the skills and traits you have that align with the job requirements.
  • Under each skill, write several examples of your past experiences using the STAR format.
  • Practice your STAR responses.
  • Practice your responses to additional questions that may be asked (see sample questions on the following pages).
Sample Behavioral Interview Questions

Exercise 8.3 – Sample Behavioral Interview Questions (You Might Be Asked) – Write your answer to each question using the STAR format. Can you tell me a time when you:

  1. handled a challenging situation.
  2. made a mistake.
  3. were in conflict with a peer and how the situation was resolved.
  4. you worked under pressure.
  5. were able to motivate a co-worker.
  6. you set a goal and reached and how you achieved it.
  7. you disagreed with a supervisor.
  8. had a meaningful moment in your career or previous job.
  9. prioritized certain tasks over others.
  10. had to be creative to solve a problem.

How did you do in your interview?

Job hunter follow Up
Check these off:
  • Introduced myself in a friendly manner
  • Learned what needs they have
  • I know what the job entails
  • Learned what skills a top employee or volunteer would have to have
  • I wrote these down
  • Presented myself as part of the solution
  • Presented evidence from my past experience
  • Explained my major strengths
  • Explained the type of work or ministry I like to do
  • Observed the 50-50 rule. We each spoke about half the time.
  • Observed the 20-second to two-minute rule. My answers were not too short and not too long.
  • The employer wants to help me.
  • Got the interviewer’s business card or learned how to get back in touch with her
  • Learned who else I might speak with
  • Gave a copy of my resume
  • Asked for the job or volunteer position
  • I’ll write an e-mail and letter thanking the people I met.
  • Got another interview
  • Got a job offer
  • Other positive outcome

Develop alternatives. Go after several target employers.

Do a practice mock interview.

Please comment. Contact Us