Goof proof interviews

goof-proof

INTERVIEWS

g

oof-proof

INTERVIEWS

Felice Primeau Devine

N E W Y ORK

®

Copyright © 2003 Learning Express, LLC.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright

Conventions.

Published in the United States by Learning Express, LLC, New York.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Devine, Felice Primeau.

Goof-proof interviews / Felice Primeau Devine. —1st ed.

p. cm.

ISBN 1-57685-463-9 (paperback : alk. paper)

1. Employment interviewing. 2. Job hunting. I. Title.

HF5549.5.I6D48 2003

650.14—dc21

2002156255

Printed in the United States of America

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

First Edition

ISBN 1-57685-463-9

For more information or to place an order, contact Learning Express at:

55 Broadway

8th Floor

New York, NY 10006

Or visit us at:

www.learnatest.com

Felice Primeau Devine is a writer from Albany, New York. She

has worked in publishing for more than ten years as an editor, pub￾licist, and brand director. She is the author of U.S. Citizenship: A

Step-by-Step Guide, and Pharmacy Technician Career Starter. She

has also authored three other books in the Goof-Proof Series: Goof￾Proof Grammar, Goof-Proof Spelling, and Goof-Proof Resumes and

Cover Letters. Ms. Devine is also the coauthor of Cosmetology

Career Starter, Second Edition.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Introduction xi

SECTION ONE

The Goof-Up: Starting Off On the Wrong Foot 1

Rule #1: Be Easy to Schedule 2

Rule #2: Keep All the Scheduling Details Organized 3

Rule #3: Don’t Forget Your Manners 5

Rule #4: Schedule Your Interview with

Plenty of Time to Prepare 6

SECTION TWO

The Goof-Up: Being Unprepared 9

Rule #5: Research the Company 11

Rule #6: Use Your Network as You Research the Company 13

Rule #7: Practice Before Each and Every Interview 15

Rule #8: Choose the Right Thing to Wear 17

CONTENTS

viii goof-proof INTERVIEWS

Rule #9: Make the 12 Hours before the Interview Count 20

Rule #10: First Impressions Are Important 22

Rule #11: Show up on Time 23

SECTION THREE

The Goof-Up: Right Information,

Wrong Interview Format 25

Rule #12: The Informational or Networking Interview 27

Rule #13: The Human Resources Screening Interview 31

Rule #14: The One-on-One Interview 33

Rule #15: The Repeat Performance Interview 36

Rule #16: The Group Interview 38

Rule #17: The Campus or Job Fair Interview 41

Rule #18: The Panel Interview 43

Rule #19: The Second Interview 45

Rule #20: The Off-Site Interview 46

Rule #21: The Phone Interview 48

SECTION FOUR

The Top Ten Interview Goof-Ups . . .

And How to Avoid Them 51

Rule #22: Be Prepared to Describe Your

Experiences in a Compelling Manner 52

Rule #23: Control Your Nervous Habits 54

Rule #24: Tell the Truth 56

Rule #25: Answer Every Question Asked 58

Rule #26: Sell Yourself as You Answer Questions 59

Rule #27: Don’t Speak Ill of, or Belittle

Past Job Experiences 62

Rule #28: Ask Questions about the Company 64

Rule #29: Prepare a List of References 66

Rule #30: Know Your Interview Etiquette 68

Rule #31: Avoid Engaging in Inappropriate Behavior 70

SECTION FIVE

The Ten Most Common Interview Questions. . .

And How to Give a Goof-Proof Answer 71

Rule #32: Tell Me about Yourself 73

Rule #33: How Would the Company Benefit

by Hiring You? 75

Rule #34: What Are You Looking to Achieve

in Your Next Position? 77

Rule #35: Tell Me about a Failure in Your Career 79

Rule #36: What Is the Most Difficult Thing

You Have Ever Accomplished? 81

Rule #37: What Are Your Strengths? 83

Rule #38: What Are Your Weaknesses? 85

Rule #39: Why Have You Chosen This Career Path? 87

Rule #40: Where Do You See Yourself

Five Years from Now? 89

Rule #41: Being Idealistic: What Is the Ideal Company

for You? The Ideal Job? The Ideal Boss? 93

SECTION SIX

The Goof-Up: Failing to Follow Through 97

Rule #42: Always Send a Thank-You Letter 99

Rule #43: Carefully Evaluate the Job Offer 101

Rule #44: Negotiating Tips 104

Rule #45: When and How to Say Yes to the Job Offer 107

Rule #46: Get All the Answers before

Signing on the Dotted Line 109

Rule #47: How to Say No to a Job Offer 111

contents ix

SECTION SEVEN: RESOURCES 113

Appendix A

Salary and Benefits Considerations 113

Appendix B

Effective Action Words and Power Phrases 116

Appendix C

Online and Print Resources 118

x goof-proof INTERVIEWS

You have got your foot in the door by composing

the perfect resume and cover letter—now what? You must begin

to prepare for a goof-proof interview experience. Adequate inter￾view preparation begins long before the day of the interview.

Goof-Proof Interviews will show you all the pieces that make up

the perfect interview, which will help you secure the job you are

reaching for.

Excellent interview techniques, tips, and strategies are tackled

one by one in Goof-Proof Interviews. In this book, you will uncover

the Goof-Proof Rules that will lead you to goof-free interview

experiences. Understanding precisely how to answer questions to

impress your interviewer as well as the logic behind the question

is key to your success. In addition, you will learn how to spin your

experiences into the right words to get the right reaction.

● HOW THE GOOF-PROOF METHOD WORKS ●

The 47 Goof-Proof Rules are presented in Goof-Up form. You

will read about a common mistake, then learn how to Goof-Proof

INTRODUCTION

yourself, or avoid the mistake. Goof-Proof Interviews covers all the

essential areas for successful interview situation, such as:

• preparing for your job interview.

• conducting yourself professionally during any interview situ￾ation.

• taking the necessary steps before, during, and after each and

every interview.

• becoming the candidate they want to hire.

• evaluating a job offer and determining whether to accept or

reject it, based on your personal criteria.

In addition to the skills needed to fill a specific position, most

employers look for positive character traits, such as honesty,

enthusiasm, leadership ability, and the ability to communicate

well verbally and in writing. It will be during the interview that

the employer will be looking for you to demonstrate these and

other qualities. The Goof-Proof method will instruct you on how

to highlight these traits along with your job-related skills.

The book is divided into seven sections, each with a different

interview perspective:

• Section One: Explains the do’s and don’ts as you gather the

necessary information up to your initial scheduling contact.

• Section Two: Teaches you the importance of preparation,

covers researching the company, using your network as a

researching tool, practicing your responses and questions,

choosing your outfit, grooming concerns, and more.

• Section Three: Explains the different interview types, goes

over the most common interview scenarios and how to con￾duct yourself in each: Human Resources (HR) screening, one￾on-one format, second, group, campus, job fair, panel, lunch,

and phone interviews.

• Section Four: Takes you through the conventional steps in

the actual interview situation, from casual conversation to

questions, responses, etiquette, common mistakes to avoid,

xii goof-proof INTERVIEWS