1. Interview Skills Training
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Interview Skills Training

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Program Objectives
Gain an understanding of the multiple styles of interviewing
Understand how to best respond to questions asked during the interview
Be prepared for a potential interview
As a professional, it is essential for you to know your strengths, skills and abilities to be able to showcase them during an interview.
The ultimate goal of the Interview Skills Training module is that you gain a comprehensive understanding of:
how an interview selection process seeks specific knowledge regarding your workplace competencies and
how to best prepare your answers to highlight your professional capabilities, skills and talents in those areas

3. The Hiring Manager’s Ultimate Interview Objectives
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The Hiring Manager’s Ultimate Interview Objectives
To get information that answers the following questions about you:
Can you do the job and how well?
Will you do the job?
How well will you get along with others?
The interview is undoubtedly the most important part of your job search. Your resume may help you noticed, but you've got to ace the interview to get the position!
Can you do the job and how well?
Do you have the skills needed to be productive and make a positive contribution quickly?
Have you done this job elsewhere and, if so, how successful were you?
If you haven’t done this job, do you have the potential to be successful in the role?
Will you do the job?
Are you sufficiently motivated, have the self-confidence and possess the energy level to do the job?
Will you stay long enough with the department to make significant contributions?
How well will you get along with others?
Will you fit in and be a team player?
Will you be a positive influence on your fellow colleagues?
Will you fit in and adopt the department’s culture with its vision and style?

4. Your Ultimate Interview Objective
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Your Ultimate Interview Objective
To get a job offer!
By …
Shining over your competition through
Preparation
Practice
Perform!
An interview is an exchange of information. The interviewer provides information about the position and department. You share information about yourself and this is your opportunity to sell yourself and the value you bring to the department.

5. Reasons Why Interviews Derail
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Reasons Why Interviews Derail

6. Top Ten Reasons Why Interviews Derail
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Top Ten Reasons Why Interviews Derail
Being unprepared
Not knowing your resume
Providing rambling answers
Demonstrating poor listening skills
Not coming across as interested or engaged
Poor body language
Coming across as unprofessional
Being inappropriately dressed
Being late to your interview
Not turning off or (even worse) using your cell phone
Ask: Out of these top 10 reasons which do you think is the biggest derailer?

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Interviews Styles

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What Is A Competency?
Competencies include knowledge, skills, attributes and actions which are measurable and observable.
Competencies can focus on either behavioral characteristics or technical skills that an individual must possess and appropriately use for optimum success in performing specified work.
Source: Global Interview Framework Training Materials

9. Technical Competencies Behavioral Competencies
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Types of Competencies
Technical Competencies
Behavioral Competencies
The functional knowledge and skills that are required to perform a particular type or level of work activity.
Examples
Brand & Product Knowledge
Scientific Risk Analysis
Technology Procurement
The underlying traits, attributes and values which directly influence behavior.
Examples
Leadership
Team Work
Attention to Detail
Multi-Tasking
Technical competencies are the specialized primary and highly related knowledge and skills that employees must possess and use in appropriate ways to perform on a specific job. Technical competencies are behaviors directly related to the functional area of the position (i.e., the cluster of knowledge and skills required to perform in a specific occupation such as accounting, HR, clinical research, etc.)
Behavioral competencies are often applicable across employment settings, occupations and industries.
Source: Global Interview Framework Training Materials

10. Competency-based Interview
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Competency-based Interview
What it is
A structured interview process
Designed to elicit information from candidates that will enable evaluation against selected criteria to determine their potential for success in a specific position
Types of competency-based interviews
Behavioral
Situational/Case
Competency-based interviews allow employers to make hiring decisions based on facts. They are structured, job-specific, and focused on relevant,
concrete and tangible qualities.

11. Behavioral Interview What it is
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Behavioral Interview
What it is
An interviewing technique designed to evaluate candidates’ experiences and behaviors against selected competencies in order to determine their potential for success
Aimed at uncovering patterns of behavior and making inferences about how a candidate will behave in the future based on what happened in the past
Elements of a behavioral interview
Open-ended questions that are designed to assess desired competencies by eliciting information on how a candidate behaved given a specific situation
A rating system or guide is developed and used to evaluate candidates’ responses to each question
The interviewer(s) is looking for a behavioral pattern. All questions are based on the past. The assumption is that a "leopard never changes its spots." The interviewer(s) may get an idea of what action the interviewee might take in the future based on what happened in the past.
The interviewer identifies job-related experiences, behaviors, knowledge, skills and abilities (i.e., competencies) that the company has decided are required for a particular position 
The premise behind behavioral interviewing is that the most accurate predictor of future performance is past performance in similar situations.

12. Behavioral Interview Questions
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Behavioral Interview Questions
Main Interview Question
Asks you to recall and describe a time when you were faced with a specific situation or had to perform a specific task.
For Example:
"Tell me about a time when...”
"Describe a situation in which...”
"Give me an example of...“
“Tell me about the toughest problem you have ever solved.”

13. Behavioral Interview Questions
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Behavioral Interview Questions
Learning Probes/Follow-up Probes
Help an interviewer delve deeper into your response to a main interview question.
For example:
“How did you approach solving the problem?”
“Why did you select that approach?”
“What was the impact of the solution?”

14. The STAR Response Format
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The STAR Response Format
The most common and all-encompassing approach to responding to behavioral questions is to follow the STAR format
Situation/Task
Start your "story" by explaining the situation you were in or the task you were trying to achieve
Action
Then you should explain the action(s) that you took. 
Result
Finally, it's important that you explain the outcome or results that you achieved.
Situation/Task: The Situation is basically setting the stage for your response with the relevant background information. This includes where and when you were working (company, role/position held), and maybe a bit of info on the problem you faced. The Task blends slightly with the Situation, and is just as simple. This is something along the lines of "I was assigned to do x." Plain and simple, it may be the most straight forward part of your response. Keep in mind that it also sets up the measuring stick for your results, so be sure that it is actually what you were assigned to do! Action: The Actions portion of your response should be where the meat of your answer is. You need to take this opportunity to say "I performed xyz analysis and used abc tools to do so." or "I led the group by doing abc." You also need to consider how technically savvy your interviewer is. If she/he is a functional expert, then you can feel free to go into a few (but not too many!) details about what you did. If you are interviewing with a non-functional expert, don't get into the details! Result: The Results should also be very easy, but is without question the most important part of your response. As interviewers are looking for candidates who have been extremely effective in their past jobs and experiences, this is where they look to determine if you are someone they want on their team. Use this opportunity to highlight your results, and their impact on the company: awards, cost savings, sales made, production improvement, etc. Don't short change yourself on this section, its critical that you highlight every positive impact that you made!

15. How Can I Best Prepare For My Interview?
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How Can I Best Prepare For My Interview?

16. Before The Interview Research the position and interviewer(s)
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Before The Interview
Research the position and interviewer(s)
Know yourself and your resume
Prepare your “elevator speech”
Prepare questions to ask during your interview
Practice your interview skills
Look the part
Know where you are going
Bring copies of your resume
Arrive early
Turn off your cell phone
“Failing to prepare is preparing to fail!" What you do BEFORE the interview will have a powerful impact on how well you perform DURING the interview.
Do your homework – Hiring Manager’s when asked what they see as the number one problem with job candidates, they often mention lack of preparation. Most candidates are well-prepared to speak about themselves and their accomplishments, but they should have some knowledge about the job and the interviewer(s).
Research Merck and the specific department beforehand so that you can showcase that knowledge during the interview. This will boost your credibility with the interviewer and will help you to formulate intelligent questions to ask him or her. Be very familiar with the information posted on Merck’s website; review any marketing and recruiting collateral or reports you may have access to, and/or talk to people you personally know who work for the company. Focus on the ‘New’ company’s mission, ethics and areas of recent growth.
By carefully reviewing the job description, you can be prepared to mention key skills that the position requires during your interview.
Knowing something about your interviewer(s), by talking to people you know within the organization, looking up the profile in LinkedIn or by googling the interviewer(s) name, will allow you to feel a bit more at ease and find possible commonalities.

17. Preparing for a Behavioral Interview
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Preparing for a Behavioral Interview
Imagine what the ideal candidate for the position you are interviewing for would look like from the decision-maker’s perspective
Thoroughly review the job description and the components of the position
Research the department and its culture
Develop a list of competencies you believe a successful candidate will need to have
Review your resume and look back on your past experience to identify examples where you demonstrated those competencies
Prepare your stories following the STAR format (whenever possible, quantify your results)
Your examples should be mostly positive
Prepare some examples of situations that started out negatively but ended positively or you positively affected the result
How do you prepare for a behavioral interview?
First, you'll want to put yourself in the shoes of the hiring manager and imagine what the ideal candidate for the position you are considering would look like from the hiring manager's perspective. Then, take some time to thoroughly review the job posting or job description. Look for clues about which skills are necessary for the job and which are highly valued by the department.
Then, based on your research, identify the skills the successful candidate would have and the behavioral-based questions that correlate to those skills that might be asked in an interview.
Then look back on your past experiences and develop stories to answer those questions. Your stories should be detailed, yet succinct, and should always follow the STAR format. Use numbers whenever possible - numbers illustrate your level of authority and responsibility.

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Helpful Tips
Try to vary your examples – do not take them all from just one area of life/experience
Select examples that you can easily and quickly tailor to respond to a number of different behavioral questions
Use fairly recent examples (preferably within the last months)
Keep your responses succinct (each story should take between 2 to 5 minutes to share with the interviewer)

19. How Can I Best Navigate The Interview Process?
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How Can I Best Navigate The Interview Process?

20. During The Interview Communicate with confidence and purpose
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During The Interview
Communicate with confidence and purpose
Mind your body language
Ask questions
Ask for the interviewer’s business card
“Roll with the punches”
Communicate with confidence - Your goal is to impart confidence, competence and credibility in what you are saying. Present organized answers with specific examples to support them. Speak clearly and try to put some emotion into your answers. Show how much you’re interested in the job by displaying enthusiasm. Do not mumble or speak in a voice too quiet to be heard. Be clear and concise in your answers and always concentrate on your qualifications.  Focus on the positive at all times – do not speak negatively about any former boss or any former organization - and avoid using slang or jargon.  Be sure to listen carefully, think before answering, and answer the question that is being asked.  Do not be afraid to pause and ask for time to better reflect on the question.  If you are not sure of what the interviewer is asking, it is perfectly acceptable to ask for clarification.  Your job as the candidate is to clearly communicate the unique combination of skills and experiences that qualify you to do the job. So, be honest and assertive - let the interviewer know you are the right person for the job!

21. Document and evaluate the interview Send a “Thank You” note
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After The Interview
Document and evaluate the interview
Send a “Thank You” note
Document and evaluate the interview – Right after the interview, while it is fresh in your mind, jot down key points. Take a moment to think about how it went, jot down a few of the questions you want to remember later and highlights of what was discussed during your interview as well as any follow up questions you would like to have answered.
Send a “Thank You” note to each interviewer - Write a thank-you letter as soon as you get home from the interview. You'll use it for several purposes:
To thank the interviewer for his/her time and consideration, as well as restating your interest and commitment to the position
To provide further explanation of something discussed at the interview or to mention any relevant facts you may have omitted in the interview . For example, if there was some discussion of your leadership skills but you forget to mention a great example from a previous job, put this in your letter.
(3) To say thank you. Show that you appreciate the opportunity you were given to show in person what a wonderful asset to the department you will make!
(4) To take another opportunity to make yourself shine in comparison to the other internal candidates. A short thank-you letter can be written in less than 20 minutes, but only a small percentage of job seekers actually bother doing this.

22. Expecting The Unexpected
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Expecting The Unexpected

23. Dealing With The Unexpected
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Dealing With The Unexpected
What to do if the interview questions are not what you expected
Remain calm
Remain confident
Take notes
Use appropriate body language
Think before you speak
Remember that it may be a test
Go into the interview expecting the unexpected
The majority of questions that you will be asked can be anticipated most of the time. There are always, however, those exceptional ones tailored to throw you off guard.
Remain Calm: Take a deep breath and a minute to compose yourself. Then simply answer the question in a calm manner. The candidate who gets the job goes with the flow, delivers personal opinions backed up with credible arguments and does not feel threatened by the approach
Remain Confident: The more confident you are, the easier it is to think through the tough or unusual question.
Take notes when a challenging question is asked: It will show that you are listening, help you remember important points of what was asked and buy you a few extra moments to think through your response to a probing question.
Use appropriate body language: Relax, focus and breathe! Make good eye contact and sit tall. Let your voice be warm, energetic and similar to the interviewers in pace when responding to the unexpected.

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Final Reminder

25. Remembering your value Conveying your value
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Above All, Remember …
A successful interview depends on you …
Knowing your value
Remembering your value
Conveying your value
Value, above all else, is the key to being confident, calm and centered.

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Q & A