1. Business Communication
Lecturer: Gareth Jones
Class 13: Job Interviews

2. Before Employment messages CVs Cover Letters
Business Communication (BUS-100)
12/09/2018

3. Interviews What are interviewers looking for? How to prepare
How to act during
Verbal
Non-verbal
How to finish and follow up
Business Communication (BUS-100)
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4. Interviews
When applying for a job or scholarship, if you get an interview, it means you have a good chance
Business Communication (BUS-100)
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5. Interviews It is your chance to show your personality
It is their chance to see how well you will fit in at their school/job
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6. Interviews Many schools and jobs are difficult.
The purpose of the interview is to see how well you can handle the job/scholarship
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7. Interviews
In order to do well in the interview, we must prepare in the following ways:
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8. Preparation
Know yourself!
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9. Preparation Know yourself!
Review CV, cover letter, and anything else you have given to the interviewer
Business Communication (BUS-100)
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10. Preparation Know your goals
Think about long term (5-10 year) life objectives.
Think: “How will this job/scholarship help me reach these goals?”
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11. Preparation Analyse your strengths and weaknesses
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12. Preparation Analyse your strengths and weaknesses
What are you good/bad at? What subjects would you like to spend more/less time talking about
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13. Preparation
Research!
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14. Preparation
Research!
Find out everything you can about the job or school to learn about what kind of people they are looking for
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15. Preparation
Research!
If possible, talk to someone you know at the company/school to get insider information
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16. Preparation
Practice
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17. Preparation
Practice
Conduct a practice interview with a friend/family member
Have them evaluate what you did well and what you did badly
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18. Before the Interview
After you have prepared, do the following things right before your interview to make a good first impression and to make yourself feel comfortable:
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19. Before the Interview Know the exact time and place of the interview
Give yourself plenty of time and show up at least 15 minutes early
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20. Before the Interview Dress for success
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21. Before the Interview Dress for success Formal clothes Neat hairstyle
Trimmed fingernails
Shave (unless you have a stylish beard)
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22. Before the Interview Go alone
If you get a ride from a parent or friend, have them leave you and pick you up once the interview is done
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23. Before the Interview Take: Pens, notebook Copy of your CV/cover letter
Breath mint (for right before)
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24. Before the Interview Mobile phone (turn it off)
iPod (leave it in your bag)
Gum
Cigarettes
Candy
Soda or coffee
Scuffed shoes, messy and/or not-so-clean clothes
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25. How to Act?
The two most important qualities to show during an interview are:
Passion
A positive attitude
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26. Interview Introduction
Interviews may last anywhere from 5 minutes to several hours, but most interviewers have made their decision after the first 5 minutes.
First impressions are critical! Use the following techniques to guarantee you make a good one.
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27. Interview Introduction
Be polite
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28. Interview Introduction
Be polite
Address your interviewer as Mr. _______ or Mrs. until they ask you to do something different
Stand and wait to sit until you are asked to
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29. Interview Introduction
Be polite
Shake your interviewer`s hand in a strong and confident way
A weak (wet) handshake is a big mistake in Western countries
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30. How to Act We will now discuss: Non-verbal (unspoken) Verbal (spoken)
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31. Non-Verbal Strategies
Much of your communication is based not on what you say, but on how you stand, how you look, where you stand, etc.
We call these non-verbal strategies
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32. Non-Verbal Strategies
Eye Contact
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33. Non-Verbal Strategies
Eye Contact
Maintain strong eye contact when listening and when speaking
This shows you are both interested and confident
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34. Non-Verbal Strategies
Facial expressions
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35. Non-Verbal Strategies
Facial expressions
Smile!
Keep a neutral or positive facial expression.
Practice in the mirror or on a video tape to see how you can improve your natural expression
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36. Non-Verbal Strategies
Posture
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37. Non-Verbal Strategies
Posture
Stand tall, walk tall, and sit tall.
Shows the interviewer are confident
You may lean forward at times to show you are interested
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38. Non-Verbal Strategies
Limit gestures/body language
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39. Non-Verbal Strategies
Limit gestures/body language
Using too many gestures will make you seem like a cartoon character
Keep gestures to a minimum
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40. Non-Verbal Strategies
Personal Space
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41. Non-Verbal Strategies
Personal Space
Be aware of your own and others’ personal space.
Stand your ground, but don’t invade other people’s space
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42. Verbal Strategies
The way you speak and what you say is equally important
These are called:
Verbal strategies
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43. Verbal Strategies Take your time Business Communication (BUS-100)
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44. Verbal Strategies Take your time
If you do not understand the question, ask the interviewer to repeat it.
If you are not sure about the answer, take a moment to think about it- remember our stalling tactics?
Business Communication (BUS-100)
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45. Verbal Strategies Be specific Business Communication (BUS-100)
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46. Verbal Strategies Be specific
One of the worst mistakes is being too general
Answer interviewers questions with specific stories and examples
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47. Verbal Strategies
When asked a question, include the following information in your answer:
A specific situation
The tasks that needed to be done
The action you took
The results i.e. what happened
Business Communication (BUS-100)
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48. Verbal Strategies Be confident
"To be a great champion, you must believe you are the best. If you’re not, pretend you are.“
- Muhammad Ali
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49. Verbal Strategies Be confident
There is no right or wrong answer to a question, only how the answer is received by the interviewer
Answer in a confident way and the interviewer will believe you
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50. Closing the Interview
At the end of the interview, you will want to do some things to ensure that you are prepared for the rest of the job/scholarship process
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51. Closing the Interview Repeat your interest in the position.
Ask about the next step in the process. It's important for you to know the next step so you can follow up.
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52. Closing the Interview
Find out how to contact them. If you don't hear back, you will need to know who to contact.
Leave with a good handshake
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53. Closing the Interview Thank the interviewer for their time
Leave right away! Don’t hang around the office/school/etc.
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54. Following Up Send a short thank you note to everyone you spoke with
Call 2-3 days later to see how you are doing in the application process
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55. Interviews A typical interview question is open ended
This means that the response is entirely up to you
This means there are no right and wrong answers, only good and bad ones
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56. Interviews
When choosing your response, be sure to target it for the specific job/school
To be able to tell a good answer from a bad one, we must look at some qualities that interviewers are looking for
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57. Interviews
We will talk about the qualities, what question the interviewer is asking, and some examples we could use to show these qualities:
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58. Interviews Leadership How good of a leader is this person? Examples:
During a school project
During an out of school activity
During family problems
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59. Interviews Teamwork Can this person be a good team member? Examples:
During a school project
On a sports team
On a out of school project
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60. Interviews Adaptability Can this person handle new situations?
Examples:
Moving to a new town
Starting a new job
Starting school
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61. Interviews Learning How fast can this person learn new skills?
Examples:
New computer skill at school
New instrument/sport
New language
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62. Interviews Risk taking Is this person willing to try something new?
Examples:
Try a new activity
Move to a new place
Learn a new language
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63. Interviews Creativity Does this person have original ideas? Examples:
School projects
Movies/websites/music you made
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64. Interviews Strengths What is this person’s best quality? Examples:
Team work
Leadership
Language, etc.
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65. Interviews Weaknesses Where can this person improve? Examples:
Teamwork
Organisation
Not being able to say no
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66. Interviews Morals Does this person make good and moral choices?
Examples:
Difficult decision at school
Difficult decision with family
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67. Interviews Ambition What are this person’s dreams/goals? Examples:
Goals you set and reached
Goals you set and have not reached yet
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68. Interviews Education Did this person receive a strong education?
Examples
Class work
Teachers
Class Projects
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69. Interviews Communication Skills How well can this person communicate?
Examples
Class discussions
Class work
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70. Interviews
Prepare for the interview by thinking of times and situations, where you showed each of these qualities
Be ready to tell these stories to your interviewer
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71. Interviews
Remember to be specific and remember to try and do the following things with your answer
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72. Interviews A specific situation The tasks that needed to be done
The action you took
The results i.e. what happened
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73. Interviews
Also, remember the difference between targeted and general answers
Target your answers for the specific job/school/scholarship
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74. Interviews
We will now look at some typical interview questions and some good answers
These answers are not to be copied, they are merely examples
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75. Interviews “Tell me a little bit about yourself”
Talk about your current school or work situation.
Mention one or two strengths and/or activities
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76. Interviews
“I am a second year business student at HAUT, have been studying English for 10 years and feel more confident about my language skills now than I ever have. I enjoy my school life and in my free time I like to play basketball and read contemporary literature.” - GOOD
Business Communication (BUS-100)
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77. Interviews
“I am Chinese student. I like smoking and playing poker.” – BAD
“I am … I like …” – BAD
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78. Interviews “What has been your greatest accomplishment at school?”
Use this question to show:
Leadership
Teamwork
Creativity
Risk taking
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79. Interviews
“In my business communications class, we had to give oral presentations in English. I was very nervous about speaking in public in English. I think I practiced my speech over 100 times. I delivered a professional presentation in the end and our lecturer loved it. Now I have no trouble speaking in public.”
Business Communication (BUS-100)
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80. Interviews “What is your greatest strength?”
Don’t pick just one. Mention three or four of your best qualities.
Try to include ones from the list mentioned before.
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81. Interviews
“I’m a good leader and I’m also great at being a member of a team. I’m also a risk taker and I would say that my greatest strength is my ability to adapt to new situations.”
Business Communication (BUS-100)
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82. Interviews “What is your greatest weakness?”
Don’t lie! “I am awesome, I have none”
Say a weakness you have or had, and say how you worked to fix it or how it can be turned into an advantage
Business Communication (BUS-100)
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83. Interviews
“I used to have problems being organised, but to fix this, I utilised my iPhone. I now make to-do lists every day and write all my plans on my phone. This has helped me to keep track of all of my responsibilities.”
Business Communication (BUS-100)
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84. Interviews
“How was the transition from High School to University? What troubles did you face?”
Use this question to show:
Adaptability
Risk taking
Learning
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85. Interviews
“I had a difficult time adapting to living with roommates. We had some different personalities, and sometimes it was hard for me to concentrate. By talking to my roommates about what problems I had with them, we were able to learn to adapt to each other’s schedules and lifestyle.”
Business Communication (BUS-100)
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86. Interviews “How do you handle difficult situations?”
Use this question to show:
Communication skills
Adaptability
Learning
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87. Interviews
“When I started learning from an English teacher, I was having lots of trouble understanding. I was not receiving good grades, so I met with my teacher several times for extra help. This taught me the benefits of handling situations in this way and the importance of getting to know my teachers.”
Business Communication (BUS-100)
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88. Interviews
“If I were to ask your professors to describe you, what would they say?”
To answer this question, it will be useful to talk to a professor before your interview
Be honest! Say what they would say.
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89. Interviews
“My professors would say that I’m a very hard worker and a natural leader. They would probably also say something about my sense of humor and my ability to work in any kind of situation.”
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90. Interviews
“Give me an example of a time you had to make an important decision. How did you make the decision? How does it affect you today? “
Use this question to show:
Adaptability
Risk taking
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91. Interviews
“One of the most difficult decisions I had to make was going to school far from home. My parents wanted me to stay near them, but I am glad that I left because I now feel more independent and prepared for life after university.”
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92. Interviews “Why do you want this job/scholarship?”
Use this question to show:
Goals
Education
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93. Interviews
“I want to study at your school because I feel I need to spend time in an English speaking country to achieve my goal of becoming completely fluent. Thus enabling me to work effectively in an English speaking job. Your program is one that interests me for many reasons...”
Business Communication (BUS-100)
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94. Interviews “Why are you the best person for this job/scholarship?”
Use this question to show:
Leadership Adaptability
Strengths Education
Goals
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95. Interviews
“I am the best person because I can handle new situations. My education has prepared me well for the UK school system, and I think I will be a positive addition to the students at your school.”
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96. Interviews Remember, a good answer will have: A specific situation
The tasks that needed to be done
The action you took
The results i.e. what happened
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97. Interviews
These are just examples. The interviewer will ask many similar questions.
Be prepared for anything!
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98. Interviews
Knowing what questions to expect is necessary to be well prepared
Being able to adapt your stories to whatever question is being asked is the most important thing!
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99. Interviews
se/college_student_behavioral_questions.html
Interview/Fifty-Standard-Interview-Questions/
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100. Interviews More interview questions:
se/college_student_behavioral_questions.html
stions.cfm
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101. Tomorrow Last class!  We will review this course
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