1. ACE THE INTERVIEW: TELL YOUR STORY EFFECTIVELY

2. Agenda  How to prepare for the interview  What to expect during the interview  How to follow up after the interview

3. What not to do…

4. Agenda  How to prepare for the interview  What to expect during the interview  How to follow up after the interview

5. Preparing for the interview  Complete a self-assessment  Research the company  Conduct a mock interview at the Business Communication Center

6. What employers want you to have:  Communication skills  Honesty and integrity  Interpersonal skills  Motivation and initiative  Strong work ethic  Teamwork and leadership skills  Analytical skills  Self-confidence

7. Assess your…  Academic background and performance  Work and volunteer experience  Special skills  Activities  Personal attributes  Career goals

8. Matching up your skills What you want to demonstrateWhere you might find a good example CommunicationClass presentation Honesty and integrityPersonal relationship Interpersonal skillsVolunteer work Teamwork skillsStudy group LeadershipStudent-run organization Analytical skillsStatistics class

9. Company research  Why should you bother?

10. Company research  Why should you bother?  Demonstrate interest and knowledge  Gives you something to ask the interviewer  Find out if you’re a good fit for the company

11. What should you research?  Recent current events affecting the firm  Products and services  Size of firm and industry  Organizational structure  Geographic locations  Stock price  Sales revenue

12. Where can you find this info?  Company website  Annual reports  Letter to shareholders  SWOT section (strengths, opportunities, threats, weaknesses)  Vault and WetFeet Guides (on UCS website)  Google news search Spend 2 – 3 hours researching your top company.

13. Dealing with anxiety  Take a break from interview prep  Walk up and down a flight of stairs  Take deep breaths

14. Agenda  How to prepare for the interview  What to expect during the interview  How to follow up after the interview

15. During the interview  Do:  Arrive early  Use a firm handshake  Smile!  Make direct eye contact  Sit up straight  Use the interviewer’s name when introduced

16. During the interview  Don’t:  Say negative things about your former employers, professors, or classmates Tell me about the worst boss you’ve ever had. Tell about a time you were frustrated by a classmate.  Interrupt  Let your cell phone ring. (Turn it off!)

17. Typical interview structure  Greeting  Small talk  Opening questions  More specific questions  Your questions  Close

18. Types of interview questions  Education oriented  Why did you choose Carolina? The BSBA program?  Goal-related  Where do you see yourself in five years?  Results-oriented  What is the biggest risk you have ever taken?  Behavioral  Tell me about a time you received criticism.  Character-related  Describe your role within a group.

19. Resume walk  Also known as “Tell me about yourself.”  Less than 2 minutes  Results-oriented overview of experience  Reverse chronological story leading up to present  Upshot: why are you interested in this industry? What experiences have you led to this point?

20. Other opening questions  Why did you apply for this job?  Give an answer that is specific to the company Challenging projects Opportunities for mentorship  Where do you see yourself in 5 years?  What are your strengths?  Also known as: What would you bring to this organization?  What are your weaknesses?  Should not be relevant to the job

21. Behavioral questions  Tell me about a time when you demonstrated leadership skills.  Describe a time when you faced a moral dilemma. What was your decision-making process?  Tell me about a time when you learned something from someone else’s mistake.  Describe a time when you came up with a new idea and implemented it.

22. STAR method  Situation: Background or problem  Task: Your role, what you were charged with doing  Action: What you did to solve the problem  Result: Outcome Pull experiences from all aspects of your life!

23. Your questions  Questions based on research, industry trends, annual report – goals, opportunities, etc  How would you describe the career paths available to someone in this position?  What are the next steps in the interview process?  NOT: When will I hear back from you?  Should be your last question, if you want to ask it

24. Don’t ask about these. Please.  Salary  Benefits  Sick leave and vacation time  Other perks None are appropriate topics of discussion in an initial interview.

25. Agenda  How to prepare for the interview  What to expect during the interview  How to follow up after the interview

26. After the interview…  Send a thank-you note to the interviewer(s) by end of next business day.  Email preferred for on-campus interviews  Personal letter (via U.S. mail) may be sent to follow up  Consider your performance:  What did you do well?  What might you do differently the next time?