1.
Interview Skills
1

2.
Interview
 A structured meeting of minimum two
people arranged to examine the
suitability of the candidate
 The candidate is tested for subject
knowledge, skills and desired behaviour
in a very limited time

3.
Interviewing is a two-way street
- Employers are
attempting to
determine if you are
an appropriate fit
for the job and their
culture
- You decide if the
environment and
the profile is right
for you.

4.
Types of Interviews
 Telephonic: An initial screening of candidates or
to narrow the pool of applicants or the final step
 One-on-One: Most common interview style used
by potential employers
 Panel : allows many individuals to interview you at
once
 Meal: used to see how you interact or function in a
social setting
 On-site Interview: this allows one to get a tour of
the facility, meet the staff, and additional
questioning from different employees and/or
administration

5.
 Structured interview
 Stress interview
 In-Depth Interview
 Group Interview
5
Types of Interviews

6.
Pre-Interview Preparation
 Know yourself and be able to articulate
skills, strengths, accomplishments, and
career goals
 Research position, company, & industry
 Prepare necessary materials
 Ask for directions and where to park

7.
Interview preparation
 Interviewers assess:
- Clarity
- Depth
- Personality
- Application of concepts to real-life situations
- Communication skills
- Attitude

8.
Arriving
 Be sure to allow yourself plenty of time to arrive at
your destination (you may want to conduct a dry run
prior to your interview day)
 Try to arrive 10-15 minutes early at the site to allow you
to park, walk to the interview, use the restroom, or just
gather yourself

9.
Greeting & Introduction
Only 1 chance to make a good 1st impression
 Dress appropriately
 Perfumes
 Smile
 Maintain eye contact
 Firm handshake
 Remain poised and confident
 Tone

10.
Body Language:
Positive Signals
 Leaning forward = interest
 Smiling = friendly
 Nodding = attentive and
alert
 Eye contact = curious and
focused
Negative Signals
 Crossed arms = defensive
 Fidgeting hands or tapping
feet = nervous or bored
 Lack of eye contact =
untrustworthy
 Leaning back= discomfort

11.
Types of Interview Questions
Standard or
traditional-
targeting your
education, work
experiences, and
career goals
Tell me about yourself?
 What are your
strengths? Weakness?
 Why did you choose to
interview with us?
 What did you like most
about your last job?
Least?
 What are your short
and long term career

12.
Types of Interview Questions
Behavioral Questions
-These focus on your
actions and/or
behaviors in a
previous setting.
- Past behavior
provides clues to
future behavior
Sample Questions
 Describe a time you had
to make a difficult
decision?
 Tell me about a time you
worked under a
deadline?
 What do you do when a
team member is not
pulling his/her weight?
 Think about a time you
made a mistake. What

13.
Types of Interview Questions
Inappropriate or
unethical questions
- Questions which probe
into your private life or
personal background
- Questions about your
ethnicity, religion,
sexual orientation,
disabilities, marital
status
Sample Questions
 How old are you?
 Do you have children?
 Do you have a
disability?
 What religion do you
practice?

14.
Types of Interview Questions
Questions asked by
the interviewee
To determine if you
are an appropriate
fit for the company
and position,
prepare a list of
questions for the
interviewer
Sample Questions
 What type of assignments
can I expect within the first
year?
 What do you like most
about this company?
 What is the biggest
challenge facing this
department right now?
 What skills are you looking
for in this position?
 What is the next course of
action?

15.
Do’s
 If provided a form, fill out neatly.
 Do greet the interviewer & do shake hands
firmly.
 Do make good eye contact with your
interviewer(s)
 Remain calm, relaxed, and be yourself
 Do show enthusiasm
 Do make sure that your good points come
across to the interviewer in a factual sincere
manner
 Do stress your achievements

16.
Don’ts
 Don’t ever lie. Answer questions truthfully,
frankly and to the point.
 Don’t answer questions with a simple ‘yes’
or ‘no’. Explain whenever possible. Give
examples.
 Avoid negative statements or complaining.
 Don’t leave unfinished sentences.
 Avoid indecisive phrases like: “I think,” “I
guess,” “probably”.
 Avoid answering a question if you are not
clear.

17.
 Confidence
 Interest
 Initiative
 Sincerity
 Result Orientation
 Positive Attitude
 Aptitude
 Team Player
 General Ability
Interview Evaluation

18.
General Interview Strategies
-Be prepared to talk about yourself and your
experiences
-Provide specific and concrete examples of
your results/accomplishments
-Remain positive, enthusiastic, poised, and
confident throughout the interview process

19.
General Interview Strategies
 Remember an interview is a formal conversation--avoid filler
words like “Um”, “Ah”, & “You know”
 Avoid indecisive phrases like: “I think,” “I guess,” “probably,” or
“pretty good”
 Think before speaking
 Avoid long verbose answers--limit your response to 1-2 minutes
 If you do not hear or understand a question, ask them to repeat
or clarify it for you

20.
General Interview Strategies
 Remain calm, relaxed, and be yourself
 Try to focus on the message you are
trying to convey-NOT how well you are
doing!

21.
Suggestions
 Conduct a test run the day before the interview
 Practice! Practice! Practice!
 Obtain a list of practice interview questions and
jot down short answers
 Stand in front of a mirror and rehearse your
answers
 Schedule an appointment for a mock interview
 Get a good night’s sleep-be well rested and alert for
the interview
 Be relaxed and be yourself!

22.
 Ask good questions
 Thank the interviewer
 Inquire about next steps in the process
Suggestions

23.
FOLLOW-UP
 Send a thank you note
within 24 hours
 Letter may be
handwritten or typed;
e-mail is also
acceptable
 Tailor each one to the
individual.

24.
Final Thoughts
 Remember that only 15% of the success of an interview
is out of your control
 Take some time to reflect
- Overall, how well did I do?
- What went well?
- What steps can I take next time to
improve?

25.
Why I got Rejected?
 Vague and irrelevant answers to the
questions
 Very fidgety: little eye contact; nervous
mannerism, such as playing with hair, nail
biting etc.
 Utter superficial remarks to impress the
interviewer – project work