ELK Solutions’ Interview Prep Turning Good Offers into Great Offers!

YOUR OBJECTIVE TO GET THE OFFER!!!

You are NOT interviewing to: Decide if you would like to work for the company Broaden your knowledge of opportunities Learn what the company can do for you

PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW Prepare a resume for the specific interview Research the company Print some information off their website and take it with you to the interview Be prepared to play by the company’s rules Fill out ALL applications completely! Do NOT put “see resume” on the application Do NOT put your desired salary on the application – put “open or negotiable”

PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW Plan your dress for the interview First impressions can not be changed! Allow sufficient time for the interview Arrive early for the interview Keep yourself in a positive frame of mind After your interview CALL YOUR RECRUITER! Lack of feedback from you will construe non-interest to the employer

ANATOMY OF THE JOB INTERVIEW The Arrival The Initial Contact The Icebreaker The Chronological Interview – “Tell me about yourself…” The Topical Interview The Interview Close – ASK FOR THE JOB! The Exit *Remember you are interviewing from the moment you make contact with the company!

Employer Hot Buttons Dependable Self-starter Loyal Intelligent Friendly Productive Leader/Manager Accurate Work Stable Creative

THE MOST DIFFICULT INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

PERSONAL Tell me about yourself. If hired, how long would you stay with us? How soon are you ready to make a move? What factors are involved in a move for you? Why are you leaving your current job? How do you feel about leaving your benefits? Describe your ideal working environment.

PERSONAL What do your co-workers think of you? Why have you not found a new position by now? Have you thought of leaving your current position before now and if so, what has kept you there until now? Do you believe you might be happier in a different size company? Do you have objections to psychological tests?

PERSONAL What other types of positions are you considering? Have you kept up to date in your field and if so, how? What was the last book you read/movie you saw/sporting event you attended? How would you describe your personality? Give 3 adjectives that describe you. What your goals? What are your short range (5yrs) and long range (10 yrs) objectives?

PERSONAL What are you doing or have you done to reach those objectives? What new goals have you established recently? How do you feel about people from minority groups? How would you feel about working for a man or woman? If you could begin your career again, what would you do differently? According to your definition of success, how successful have you been to this point?

PERSONAL What hours are you used to working? Did you bring a resume? If hired, what do you see in your future? Will you be out to take your boss’ job? Isn’t this a career switch? Do you generally speak to people before they speak to you? What else do you think I should know about you?

SKILLS Why should we hire you? What can you do for us that someone else can’t do? How long would it take you to make a meaningful contribution to our firm? You may be overqualified or too experienced for the position we have to offer. Have you helped increase sales/profits and if so, how? Have you helped reduce costs and if so, how?

SKILLS How much money did you ever account for? Do you like working with figures more than words? What were your most significant accomplishments in your most recent position? Would you describe a few situations in which your work was criticized? Can you work under pressure, deadlines, etc?

SKILLS If I spoke with your current or most recent boss, what would he or she say are your strengths and weaknesses? Are you creative? Are you a leader? Are you analytical? How did you do in school? Describe your leadership/management style.

SUPERVISORY SKILLS Are you or could you become a good supervisor? Why do you feel you have management potential? Did you ever fire an employee? If so, what were the reasons for firing the person and how did you handle it?

INTERVIEWING COMPANY What do you know about our organization? Why do you want to work for our company?

POSITION Please give me your definition of…(the position for which you are interviewing). What position do you expect to have in 2 years and in 5 years? How would you structure this job?

$$$SALARY$$$ Handling the money question What we would suggest – stick to the facts! Why are you not earning a higher salary with your level of experience? What salary do you feel this position should pay? What salary do you think you are worth? What kind of salary are you looking for?

PREVIOUS EMPLOYERS How would you evaluate your present or most recent firm? What features of your most recent position did you like most / least? Which of your previous jobs did you like best? What do you think about your most recent supervisor? In your most recent position, what problems have you identified that had been previously overlooked? How did you obtain your past positions?

QUESTIONS TO ASK THE INTERVIEWER Why is this position open? What do you like the most about your company? Can you give me examples of success stories within your company? What is your background? What would you like done differently by the next person who holds this position? What are some of the objectives you would like accomplished in this job?

QUESTIONS TO ASK THE INTERVIEWER What objectives are most pressing? What would you like accomplished in the next 2 to 3 months? What are some of the long-term objectives you would like accomplished through this position? What freedom would I have in determining my work objectives, deadlines and methods of measurement? What type of support does this position receive in terms of people, finances, etc?

QUESTIONS TO ASK THE INTERVIEWER What are some of the more difficult challenges one would have to face in this position? How do you think these could be best handled? Where could an employee go who is successful in this position and within what time frame? In what ways has this company been most successful in terms of products and services over the years?

QUESTIONS TO ASK THE INTERVIEWER What significant changes do you foresee in the near future? How will the performance of the employee in this position be judged? What accounts for success?

MISCELLANEOUS INTERVIEWING INFORMATION Strengths and Weaknesses Pretend you are your boss! Discuss traits and characteristics in quantitative terms relative to the position you are applying for. Consulting at the Interview

Good luck on your interview! THANK YOU! Good luck on your interview!

“We Engineer Engineering Teams” ELK Solutions, Inc. 29810 FM 1093 Rd. Suite E Fulshear, TX 77441 281-533-0505 www.elkrecruiting.com “We Engineer Engineering Teams”