1. Boost your job seeking skills: prepare for interview
Salla Niittymäki
Pajatso Project / HAMK

2. Career planning themes
JOB HUNTING SKILLS
Documents and interview skills
DECISION MAKING AND ACTION PLANNING
SELF-ASSESSMENT
Skills and knowledge,
areas of interests,
goals, values, personality
OPPORTUNITY AWARENESS
Career life expectations
and requirements, trends, employment and employability

3. Self-assessment
Self-assessment helps you identify and recognize the abilities, skills and special expertise that you have to offer for the right employers
Skills can be divided into categories:
work-specific/technical skills (such as knowing how to use specific computer program or repair a broken engine)
employability/transferable skills (fundamental, personal and teamwork skills you need to succeed in every work situations)
Remember to use all your skills gained in various situations!

4. Self-assessment in connection with career planning:
Values
Things that are important
Interests
Things I like to do
Personality
Things that suit me
Skills
Things I can do

5. Company requirements Can you do the job? Will you do the job?
Skills - Aptitude
Personality - Attitude
Values and Interests - Attitude
Can you do the job?
Will you do the job?
Will you fit in the industry/company culture?

6. Interview process
Interview is about evaluating your skills and your personality in relation to the particular position.
The focus of the interview is to find a suitable match.
Your skills and accomplishments are key aspects that will be focused on during an interview. However, how you present yourself – your appearance, attitude, body language and so on – is also vitally important. You won’t get a second chance to create a good first impression.

7. Interview process
Interview is the most effective way of evaluating your skills and your personality in relation to the particular position.
The focus of the interview is to find a suitable match.
Applicants with polished job interview skills might prevail over candidates with better applications and CV´s.
Your skills and accomplishments are key aspects that will be focused on during an interview. However, how you present yourself – your appearance, attitude, body language and so on – is also vitally important. You won’t get a second chance to create a good first impression.

8. Preparing for an interview in practice
Be yourself, be positive
Be prepared and rehearse interview situations
Be prepared to ask questions from the interviewers
Listen carefully and make sure you understand the question
It is ok to take notes
Body language and appearance: be calm and confident, look professional
Be active. Ask about the procedure and schedule, be prepared to say yes for the further interviews or tests
Express your motivation and plan what you want to say. Only you can decide what kind of image the employer gets.
Focus on your strengths.
Religion, race, political view, sexual orientation, family planning are illegal questions, but prepare to handle these situations
Aikaisemmista työnantajista ei saa sanoa negatiivisia asioita.
Valmistaudu kertomaan omista heikkouksista. Käännä ne mieluummin vahvuuksiksi tai osoita että olet valmis kehittymään tai olet jo ottanut askeleita siihen suuntaan, että kehityt.
Ole valmis kertomaan itsestäsi yleisesti jotain. Aina kysytään ”tell us about yourself”. Kerro jotain persoonallisuudesta, jotain osaamisesta ja taidoista, jotain työskentelytavoista, jotain harrastuksista ja vapaa-ajasta / perheestä. Kerro monipuolisesti positiivisia asioita.
Lopuksi muista kiittää haastattelijoita

9. Example questions for interviews
How would you describe yourself?
What are your strengths? What is your greatest weakness?
Describe how you work under pressure, deadlines etc.
What two or three things are most important to you in the job?
Do you have plans for continued study? An advanced degree?
What motivates you?
What kind of career plans do you have in short-term and in long-term?
What are your goals in life and work? How have you achieved and are going to achieve these goals?
Why are you applying for this particular job?
Why have you chosen this profession/field?
What have you learnt in your previous jobs?
Are you able to lead? How creative a problem solver are you?
What is your greatest accomplishment?
What kinds of problems have you faced and how have you solved them?
Give me an example of when you’ve demonstrated your customer service

10. Example questions for you to ask in an interview
How would you describe the responsibilities of the position?
How would you describe a typical week/day in this position?
Is this a new position? If not, what did the previous employee go on to do?
What is the company's management style?
Who does this position report to? If I am offered the position, can I meet him/her?
How much travel is expected?
What are the prospects for growth and advancement?
How does one advance in the company?
What do you like about working here?
What don't you like about working here and what would you change?
If I am extended a job offer, how soon would you like me to start?
When can I expect to hear from you?

11. Exercise: Elevator Speech
What would you say if you met a person who could lead you to your dream job and you had only 2-3 minutes to state your case?
Prepare to describe briefly:
Who are you? What is your background?
What has been the focus of your studies? (major, minors, key topics)
What other experience do you have (work, volunteer work, hobbies& activities)?
What do you have to offer?
What are you looking for? What are your future goals?

12. Exercise What kind of interview experiences do you have?
What captures your attention when meeting a new person?
Rehearse in pairs: practise the job interview by playing the roles of the interviewer and the interviewee. Use example questions and course material.

13. Source: University of Helsinki

14. Practical tips for preparing for an interview
Prepare to tell about yourself and answer to questions
Prepare to ask questions
Be prepared to be asked about salary expectation
Forget all clichés
Sleep well beforehand
Not too much coffee before the interview…
Take your certificates with you (degree diplomas, testimonials, letters of reference)
Be on time!!
Dress appropriately (smart casual)
Close your mobile phone
Be positive and relax
Remember that the interviewers are nervous too…
Don’t be too modest or too arrogant
Be yourself and trust yourself!

15. Remember also…
Speak positively of former employers and co-workers no matter why you left even if you were fired.
When discussing salary, be flexible – avoid naming a specific salary if not asked. If you're too high, you risk not getting the job. If you're too low, you undersell yourself. Answer questions on salary requirements with responses such as "I'm interested in the job as a career opportunity so I'm negotiable on the starting salary". Negotiate, but don't sell yourself short. Check salary recommendation and salary level data (unions, interest groups, graduate surveys etc.)
Let the employer lead into conversations about benefits. Your focus on these items can be a "turn off." But, don't be afraid to ask questions about things that you really need to know.

16. There can be different kind of job interview methods…

17. Interview cycle / content
Warm up: creating trust, contact and the first impression
Introductions (organization, interviewers)
Applicant’s background (and update for application documents)
Education and experience
Professional/substantial knowledge, other skills
Organizational and professional topics
To the facts: towards more personal topics
Expectation, motivation and understanding of the position
Self-concept = how you see yourself, and how you would fit to the company/organization,
Team, position etc.
Strengths, potentials, risks
Stress management, collaboration skills, leadership skills etc.
Hobbies, personal life
Applicant’s questions
Conclusion:
Possible starting date, salary, proceeding of the recruiting process etc.

19. Little nervousness is ok!
Being nervous is ok when it is not an obstacle for success
It shows that you are serious
Adrenaline can improve your concentration
Avoid nervousness that becomes an obstacle
Prepare for the interview and concentrate
Relax and do imaginary exercises
Check the location before the interview

20. Example questions for interviews
How would you describe yourself?
What are your strengths? What is your greatest weakness?
Describe how you work under pressure, deadlines etc.
What two or three things are most important to you in the job?
Do you have plans for continued study? An advanced degree?
What motivates you?
What kind of career plans do you have in short-term and in long-term?
What are your goals in life and work? How have you achieved and are going to achieve these goals?
Why are you applying for this particular job?
Why have you chosen this profession/field?
What have you learnt in your previous jobs?
Are you able to lead? How creative a problem solver are you?
What is your greatest accomplishment?
What kinds of problems have you faced and how have you solved them?
Give me an example of when you’ve demonstrated your customer service

21. Example questions for you to ask in an interview
How would you describe the responsibilities of the position?
How would you describe a typical week/day in this position?
Is this a new position? If not, what did the previous employee go on to do?
What is the company's management style?
Who does this position report to? If I am offered the position, can I meet him/her?
How much travel is expected?
What are the prospects for growth and advancement?
How does one advance in the company?
What do you like about working here?
What don't you like about working here and what would you change?
If I am extended a job offer, how soon would you like me to start?
When can I expect to hear from you?

23. Exercise: application and job interview
Prepare questions that you would ask as an interviewer
Prepare to be interviewed for the position (use e.g. your elevator speech)
In groups of 3 students: one is interviewing, one is to be interviewed and one is recording the interview
Finally, watch the videos of students in your group (3 videos)
Analyse the process – what was good and what are the things, that need improvement