1. Slides By Rana Usman Sattar
Student Of BBA(Hons)
PMAS Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi
Gmail: ranaa.usman@gmail
Facebook: usman.shan86@yahoo.com

2. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE GOALS OF A JOB
INTERVIEW?
to get a job
to figure out if a position is right for you
to provide potential employers with a stronger sense of why they should
hire you, your skills, how you stand out
to provide further articulation and illustration of the skills listed and
experiences provided in your resume

3. SOME GOALS OF A JOB INTERVIEW
Employer evaluates candidate
 skills applicable to the job
 competence to do the job
 potential to contribute to the team/organization
 ability to mesh with team’s/organization’s mission, philosophy, and
environment
Candidate evaluates employer
 match between interests and job tasks/work
 degree of responsibility and challenge
 potential for growth and further education
 ability to mesh with team’s/organization’s mission, philosophy, and
environment

4. HOW CAN YOU BEST PREPARE FOR A JOB INTERVIEW?
dress appropriately  depends upon business; “dress for the job you
want”; better to overdress
back up documents; e.g., writing samples, copy of resume, transcripts,
other docs, references; letters of recommendation (dossier or
portfolio)
research the company google the company, talk to people about what
they know, BBB, Chamber of Commerce
make sure you know how to get there

5. FOUR KEYS TO SUCCESS
understanding what to expect
preparing and researching
anticipating questions
following up

6. UNDERSTANDING WHAT TO EXPECT
Types of Interviews
conversational
behavioral
case or situational
stress situation
all four of these interview types can be
one-on-one or might be a panel
conversation

7. Types of Interviews: Conversational (Traditional)
typically a question-and-answer discussion
usually a relatively short interview (e.g., 1 hour)
interviewer’s main goals are to:
 assess whether or not the job-seeker has the skills and
abilities to perform the job
 evaluate whether or not the job-seeker possesses the
enthusiasm and work ethic that the employer expects
 analyze whether or not the job-seeker is a team player and
will fit into the organization

8. Types of Interviews: Behavioral
typically an assessment of past performance
interviewers will expect to hear about specific situations
and/or scenarios
initial questions are typically followed by follow-up
questions
specific, key details related to situations/scenarios are
expected
interviewer’s main goals are to:
 assess candidate’s behaviors and approaches by exploring
specific situations
 analyze past behavior to try to predict future performance

9. Types of Interviews: Case or Situational
primarily used by management and consulting firms
to determine how well a candidate fits in a field
or job
typically interviewee is provided a problem or a
scenario and asked to work through it
interviewer’s main goals are to:
 analyze how well interviewee can identify and work through
a problem
 assess problem-solving skills
 evaluate tolerance for ambiguity and ability to start on tasks
 analyze communication skills

10. Types of Interviews: Stress Situation
typically used for jobs where high degrees of stress
will be encountered regularly
interviewers sometimes rely upon rudeness,
sarcasm, or outright hostility to provoke a
response
interviewer’s main goals are to:
 assess how well interviewee deals with unexpected and/or
stressful situations
 evaluate how well interviewee can work and communicate
under pressure

11. PREPARING AND RESEARCHING
research the field
research the employer
research the job, team, and context

12. Preparing and Researching
explore different branches
Research the Field
review trade journals/magazines
assess various career paths
know the major players
be familiar with current trends
goals are to:
 be informed about who you are professionally (and what
professional community you are entering)
 be able to talk widely and wisely about trends, techniques, and
tasks performed by professionals within different facets of your
field

13. Preparing and Researching
review annual reports
Research the Employer
read the organization’s mission statement and philosophy
documents
research the organization history
familiarize yourself with the organizational scheme
look for recent performance markers or success indicators
goals are to:
 familiarize yourself with what the organization does
 familiarize yourself with what workers in the organization do, write, produce,
create, etc.
 assess how the particular job for which you’re interviewing fits into the bigger
organizational picture
 get a sense of the key players in and key outcomes of the organization
 develop a strong sense of what they might seek in an employee

14. Preparing and Researching
Research the Job, Team, and Context
review the original job post/call
research the “jobs” or “employment” area of the
organization’s web site
make contact and try to get a stronger sense of the
specific job responsibilities
analyze your possible role in relation to the team,
unit, or division you would work in
find out who you would report to
analyze how success is evaluated and rewarded

15. goals are to:
 answer the questions you should be asking yourself (e.g., is
this really a job I want? what will I gain by getting this job?
what do I bring that this organization needs?
 become knowledgeable so that you can speak specifically as
to how you fit in the job, team, and context
 have a strong sense of what you will be expected to perform,
and how that performance will be measured and evaluated
 address questions like:
 what might I be asked to answer?
 how will they expect me to answer?
 how might I be expected to demonstrate what I know and
what I can do?

16. BEFORE THE INTERVIEW
sleep
eat
choose your clothes the night before
prepare the materials you want to bring with you—ideally, this is
done long before the interview

17. WHAT TYPES OF MATERIALS WOULD
YOU WANT TO BRING TO A JOB
INTERVIEW?
Letter of Introduction
Resume
Work Samples
References
Letter of Recommendations

18. GETTING INTRODUCED
prepare and practice a two-minute introduction: “I am… I am interested
in…”
prepare to
 demonstrate knowledge about the employer
 express enthusiasm and interest
 relate your background to the company’s needs

19. ANTICIPATING QUESTIONS
“Tell me about yourself.”
Hint: They’re not asking for your life story, and
it’s not a trick question…
interviewer is looking for:
 a brief statement of your professional status and career objective
 some detail about your progression to this point

20. A HEURISTIC FOR ANSWERING
QUESTIONS
identify the skill sought by the question so that you can best focus your
answer
give a STAR answer:
S ituation—what was the context?
T ask—what was the specific problem or need?
A ction—what did you do? (produce, write, create, etc.)
R esults/resolution—what did you learn? what skills did you develop?

21. STAR EXAMPLE
Can you tell me about a time from your work
experience when your manager or supervisor was
unavailable and a problem arose?
 Situation
 quickly explain the situation—what happened? who was
involved (e.g., clients, coworkers, customers)?
 Task
 what was the particular problem that needed to be
resolved?
 Action
 what specific action did you take to resolve the problem?
what did you do or produce?
 Results/resolution
 what were the results of your action? what did you take
from this experience?

22. AT THE END OF THE INTERVIEW
review what you’ve heard and state why you’re interested in the
position
consider asking:
 is there anything else I can provide—specific references or example materials?
 what’s the next step in the process? when is your decision date?
 how can I contact you to check my status?

23. AFTER THE INTERVIEW
send a thank you email or letter after being interviewed
tailor the letter to the organization and to the interview
itself
individualize a letter slightly if you’re sending it to more
than one person in the organization
send it within 24–48 hours of the interview
goals:
 shows you’re courteous
 differentiates you from other candidates and keeps your name in
front of the potential employer
 proves that you’re interested in the job

24. 10 INTERVIEW BLOOPERS
1. poor handshake (limp hand, tips of fingers, arm pump)
2. talking too much (talking too long, but not answering direct
questions; nervous talking)
3. talking negatively about current or past teams, coworkers,
employers/managers
4. showing up late or way too early
5. treating the receptionist rudely

25. 6. asking about benefits, vacation time, or salary in an initial
interview
7. not preparing for the interview
8. verbal ticks (uhmmmm, like, you know)
9. not enough/too much eye contact
10. failure to match communication styles (e.g., too informal, too
businesslike)

26. HINTS:
be yourself (not who you think they want you to be)
be ready to talk about why you want the job (and
think about how they might respond to your
answer)
ask ahead of time the format of the interview (e.g.,
panel/one-on one? expected to perform a task?)
ask about the function of your job in the larger
organization
ask about how the specific position you are
interviewing for fits in the larger
unit/team/department and within the larger
organization.company
be prepared to actually do/perform/write a task
during the interview process (e.g., writing
documentation, marking up a document for
editing)
ask the interview what their favorite aspect of the job
is (and, perhaps, what their least favorite is)

27. carefully consider who you ask which questions
take notes with you (with your ideas, goals, questions); take
notes during the interview
learning opportunities and experiences not, never
“problems”
ask if the organization has a policy toward
funding/supporting employee professional development
opportunities (e.g., STC membership and conferences,
further education)
stay focused (even if it’s a long interview); take notes to
help stay focused
get comfortable with pauses and strategies for giving
yourself a bit of time to prepare an answer
stay upbeat! (there will be painful moments—learn from
them and move on)
don’t get flustered (if you can at all avoid it—and practicing
really, really helps)
recognize the gatekeepers! (e.g., initial phone interview with
seemingly unrelated person)
draw upon good sources of info: Business Library resources
(e.g., looking up companies, looking up company news,

28. know that there are things beyond your control that will affect
the interview, interview situation, and what happens
afterwards… (e.g., funding cut for a position; in-group
dynamics; turf battles; already have a person chosen for the
position but, legally, have to openly search and interview)

29. JOB INTERVIEWING POWER POINT
CREDITS
this presentation originally written by
Kelly Bishop
modified 9/19/2007 by Bob Reedy