Inspire, Summer 2011

Ace Your Interview With These Tips 1. Talk about your accomplishments Most people tend to list job duties or responsibilities. However, interviewers really want to know the scope and level of these responsibilities. If the interview is merely a listing of all your job duties, you’ll be missing an opportunity to shine. Instead, talk about what you have accomplished in your previous work roles. Think about what you are most proud of from each of your previous positions and be prepared to share the details of these accomplishments. In addition, be prepared to answer behavior-based questions. Some interviewers still use general, broad-based questions such as “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” Some interviewers still like hypothetical questions such as “How would you handle an angry customer or team member?” However, you should also be prepared to answer questions that focus on a specific past behavior. For example, the interviewer might say, “Tell me about a time when you faced an impossible deadline. What steps did you take? What was the result?” or “Tell me about the most challenging decision you have faced at work. What did you do? What were the results?” All of these questions focus on learning more about how you handled a specific situation in the past so that the interviewer can gauge how well you might handle a similar situation in the future. 2. Distinguish between “I” and “we” During an interview, some candidates have a tendency to talk in terms of “we” for everything — “We designed a new training program” or “We forged a new product line.” This makes it difficult for the interviewer to determine what role you actually played in the process or decision. Research suggests that women tend to communicate from this type of relational perspective and want to be inclusive of co-workers when talking about accomplishments. If you have this tendency, you may be selling yourself short in interviews. It is important — and appropriate — to talk about your specific role and what you have accomplished, along with your team. 3. Determine the line between confidence and arrogance It is important to approach an interview with the right attitude, enthusiasm, and positive perspective. Interviewers want to see confidence and energy, but there is a fine line between artfully exuding confidence and appearing arrogant. There is no need to overly convince the interviewer that you can do the job. Approach the interview with confidence, but don’t be afraid to learn something new as well. Dress For Success It seems obvious, but even mid-career job seekers may not understand how truly important your appearance is. When you go to an interview, dress up! Suits are still considered the most appropriate attire for men and women. Also, be sure to hold off on any cologne or fragrance — it may be offensive to the interviewer or cause allergic reactions. Dedicated alums like Lynn are just one of the many resources available to job searchers in the Cedarville family. For more tips on résumés and interviewing, visit cedarville.edu/career/alumni . Lynn (Robinson) Geist ’91 is a professional in human resources, a Certified Diversity Trainer, and a Certified Facilitator. She lives in Springfield, Ohio, with her husband, Alan ’83, and their two sons, Will and Ryan. You may contact her at geistl@clarkstate.edu . Sarah (Bartlett) Borich ’02 is a freelance writer and editor. She lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Benjamin ’03, and their daughter, Bennett. You may contact her at sarahborich@gmail.com. Lynn (Robinson) Geist ’91 shares her wealth of knowledge in human resources for those seeking careers. • Treat any contact with a potential employer as an interview. • Have your “elevator speech” ready — a brief statement of your skills, experiences, and career aspirations. • Remember the person reviewing your résumé may have anywhere from 50–300 others to review. The first look will only be one or two minutes to see if the needed experience is listed, so space your résumé for easy reading. • Customize your résumé or create multiple résumés for different purposes. • The best résumés are often the most simple and to the point. Wordiness and fancy fonts do not make the résumé stronger. • You don’t have to adhere to the one-page rule for résumés. The rule of thumb is to cover up to at least 10 years’ worth of jobs. • When preparing for an interview, use the job posting as your guide. Write down the skills, knowledge, and experience listed. Then review your work history to come up with two examples of each item. Take this with you to the interview to use as a thought-starter. • Infuse your conversation with illustrations of your character. Ensure that your decisions and behavior in the interview process also display positive character traits. • Speak about your accomplishments. Reveal details about your positive influence at your previous place of employment. • Interviewers want to know that you can ask intelligent questions as well as answer them. Have some questions “in your pocket,” and be prepared to ask questions on the fly as well. Thank you to our alumni human resources experts for their advice. Eric Sorensen ’97 Regional Human Resources Manager Covidien Greenwood, South Carolina Lara (Gyurik) Marciano ’99 Permanent Placement Consultant Experis-Manpower Group Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Rhonda (Trueman) Allen ’87, SPHR Human Resources Business Partner Coca-Cola Refreshments Columbus, Ohio ❝ More Bright Ideas ❝ CEDARVILLE UNIVERSITY 15