To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.
— Jose N. Harris142
How Much Are Interviews Worth?
Did you know that during an average round of golf, the actual amount of time the golf ball is in contact with the club face is a fraction of a second per swing?143 Playing eighteen holes of golf results in a very short amount of ball contact overall. Remarkable! The same ratio of contact to length of an athletic contest likely holds true with other sports where there is an instrument striking an object (hockey, baseball, and tennis immediately come to mind). Now think of all the time these professional athletes spent over the course of their lives practicing, staying fit, being coached for hours, and so on to perfect, as much as possible, the technique and muscle memory to execute a swing that results in such a sliver of contact time. This analogy represents the small amount of time you spend interviewing relative to the total amount of work hours over the course of your career.
Let’s do some math: Assume you work forty hours a week for fifty weeks a year (two weeks a year for vacation and personal time off). This totals two thousand hours of work time a year. Assume that you will work for fifty years—as a society we are choosing to work longer into our lives.144 Therefore, your total number of career working hours is one hundred thousand hours. A little staggering when you think about it.
Statistically speaking, the average professional could have as many as ten jobs over the course of their career145 (for some it could be more, or less, but ten is representative in today’s free-agent market, and it makes the math easier). Assume that it takes twenty-five hours of total interview time to secure a new position. This includes the interview process for the job you’re hired for, as well as all of the positions you interviewed for that did not work out. Recently, interview processes have been lengthened for a variety of reasons.146 So, ten jobs that took twenty-five hours of interviewing per job equals 250 hours of interview time over the course of your career. The ratio of 250 interview hours for one hundred thousand hours of career work time gets you .25 percent. When viewed this way, those interview hours take on more importance. (And we’re not done!)
Consider the financial impact an outstanding interview can have on your career and personal life. Assume that you were, on average, able to improve your compensation by $10,000 every time you changed jobs. (It is recognized that there is a plethora of circumstances that affect this generalization. There could be times when it is less or more, but on average, assume an improvement of $10,000 per job change. Play along here; it’s to prove a point.). So, ten jobs over the course of your career, with an increase of $10,000 per position, equals $100,000. Multiply that over a career of fifty years and that gets you $5,000,000. And that does not include the investment value of that money over time!
Okay, if you find yourself thinking about these numbers, the analogy, and the ways you could shoot more holes in it than a block of Swiss cheese, you’ve missed the point! Don’t over-think it. The numbers and the analogy are not perfect! The point of the illustration is to impress upon you that interviews are critically important to your career enjoyment and financial well-being. Approaching interviews with a cavalier attitude or flying by the seat of your pants is foolish. There’s simply too much at stake. When it comes to interviewing for a job, prepare! Interviews are worth a lot of money and they can mean a lot to your career, you, your family, and the lifestyle you live.
Let’s review for a moment. Remember from Understanding the Employer’s Mindset, an employer in the business world hires with two main goals in mind: to make money or save money.147 In the non-commerce world it is achievement of the organization’s mission. An interview is the platform that addresses those ultimate goals, through information exchange.
How an Employer Views an Interview
Employers want to answer five major questions as a result of the interviewing process:
1. Can you do the job? (skills, experience, character traits needed to perform the job)
2. Will you do the job? (motivated to actually perform the job functions)
3. Will your performance have a positive impact on company goals? (subjective prediction of future performance . . . will you be any good at it?)
4. Do you fit in? (cultural fit)
And, if those four questions are answered yes, then . . .
5. Can we offer fair compensation? (for a recent college graduate)
When the first four questions are answered affirmatively and the compensation fits, you have a shot at the position. Other college graduates may pass the criteria, too. Failing to pass any one of these hurdles will result in the employer pursuing others for the opportunity. Let’s look at how you can give yourself the best chance to succeed.
Can You Do the Job?
Questions in this portion of the interview will be about your education, ability, knowledge, as well as your transferrable skills and character traits. It is an evaluation of your qualifications for the job and a determination of whether you can actually perform the functions of the position. Emphasize your education, skills, abilities and character traits and match the basic elements needed to perform the job functions.
Motivation is pivotal to success in any job position (or job search), and is a professional quality all hiring executives want to see in a college graduate. The hiring executive needs to know whether you will be motivated to actually perform the job functions.
As a recent college graduate, you must convince the hiring executive that you have the required abilities and character traits, and are motivated to use them! This is achieved by educating the hiring executive about your passion for the job, work ethic, internal drive, and examples of taking the initiative and going the extra mile. Revealing that you have researched the company, position, and perhaps the hiring executive’s background can also be a reflection of your motivation.
If the hiring decision comes down to two equally qualified candidates, the one that has demonstrated motivation and enthusiasm frequently wins.
Will Your Performance Have a Positive Impact on Goal Achievement?
Here, the hiring executive will attempt to predict your future performance on the job, and compare you to other college graduates. You may have the necessary skills and be willing to use them, but will your performance significantly and positively impact and advance company or organizational goals, be an improvement from the last person in the position, and so on? This is where competition for the position takes place in the mind of the hiring executive. It’s about persuading the hiring executive that you can make things better.
It is imperative during the interview to stress education, character traits, recommendations, accomplishments, your internships and work history, and so on. Ask about how you will be measured in the position, position goals, and projects.
Generally, in today’s environment (business or non-commercial), many employers are very sensitive about short-term goal achievement. They have a problem, and they want it solved yesterday. The lead-time to get quantifiable results in a position is getting shorter. Therefore, in interviews, focus your responses the best you can on providing value and results to the employer in a short period of time. (Just be careful not to over-promise and under-deliver.) Portray yourself as a quick learner, hard worker, and someone that will come up-to-speed quickly, leading to quicker ROI (return on investment) from hiring you.
Do You Fit In?
Cultural fit with the organization and personal chemistry with those you will work with is a big deal. Statistically, 60 percent of hires are based on personal chemistry.148 Employers tend to hire who they like even though more qualified candidates may be available.
Cultural and personal chemistry questions explore likeability, connection, communication, values, interests outside of work, and dress/appearance. When the hiring executive shifts gears into more personal topics, they are assessing your cultural fit and personal chemistry.149
Can We Offer Fair Compensation?
Most employers that hire recent college graduates have a salary range established for their entry-level positions. If you happen to have strong credentials and do well during the interview process, you could receive an offer on the upper side of that range. Since most employers have established salary ranges for entry-level positions and you likely do not have a lot of previous experience, “fair compensation” to the employer is their predetermined salary for the position. You probably do not have a lot of negotiation leverage on compensation. See Negotiating a Job Offer later in this book.
Strategy for a Successful Interview
A successful interview involves four basic elements:
1. Uncovering the employer’s need. You achieve this through research, reading job descriptions, listening, and asking probing questions.
2. Communicating to the employer that you can satisfy that need. You achieve this by matching and relating education, skills, character traits, and experience to the needs of the employer.
3. Persuading the employer to hire you. You achieve this by differentiating yourself by emphasizing your education, activities, past accomplishments and relating all of these to the employer’s need.
4. Showing enthusiasm for the position. It has been repeatedly shown that top qualified candidates that show enthusiasm for the position are more successful in receiving job offers.150 Simply put, everyone wants to be wanted and the more you convince an employer you want the job, the more likely you are to get it.
As you read through the rest of this chapter, keep these four strategies in mind as their themes are woven into many of the substantive interviewing topics and techniques that follow. The concept behind this strategy is very similar to “Solution Selling,” a sales methodology where the salesperson focuses on the customer’s pain(s) and addresses those pains by introducing his or her product and services.151 As it applies to your job search, you must position yourself as the solution to the hiring need.
Strategy for Opening the Interview
This is an interviewing strategy that can be very effective if the interview opens in a way that gives you the opportunity to use it. If the interview does not open in such a way to use this strategy, don’t push it.
After pleasantries are exchanged, ask the interviewer verbally to describe what he or she is looking for in the open position. Listen very carefully. You are about to hear the answers to the test! Then, by reference to your education, college activities, accomplishments, and character traits (whatever might be the emphasis of the description), fulfill the employer’s needs or wants.
Here is a possible opening to start your thinking when using this approach:
“Ms. Webb, thank you for meeting me today. Let me ask you, what qualifications, character traits, and results are you looking for in someone filling this role?”
This proactive approach can put you in a strategic advantage. Whatever the interviewer provides as what he or she is looking for (plus information you gathered from your research) are the “target” qualifications, character traits, needs and issues the interviewer wants or needs in the open position. You need to fulfill these targeted needs or wants by reference of your education, college activities, and so on. Successfully doing so can remove questions the interviewer may have about your qualifications for the position. After you listen and acknowledge what was said, your initial response may start something like this . . .
“I think I understand. You need someone that [re-state what you heard]. Let me tell you about my collegiate background and how I fit much of what you are looking for (or, meet the requirements of this position). [Then match the employer’s stated needs with your background, qualifications, and character traits the best you can.]”
After you give your response, the tone of the interview may relax. The interview may become more conversational.
Research has repeatedly shown that talent acquisition professionals and hiring executives heavily base their evaluations on their initial impressions of a job seeker.152 Therefore, the first thirty to sixty seconds of an interview are crucial to your success. The hiring executive creates first impressions of you, positive or negative, in that quick snippet of time.153
If the hiring executive draws a negative first impression, there is a tendency to ask tougher questions to validate the initial negative impression. Or, the hiring executive could elect to minimize the engagement and make the interview very short.
On the other hand, if the hiring executive has a positive first impression, there is a tendency to ask easier questions and even overlook deficiencies in qualifications.
Create an initial positive impression by dressing conservatively (over 50 percent of a person’s impression of you is determined by physical appearance),154 smiling, having a firm handshake, eye contact, and by making opening remarks that demonstrate your sincere interest in meeting the talent acquisition professional or hiring executive.
Be aware of your countenance (your facial expressions) during the interview. Try to keep it positive even when you hear less favorable information about the opportunity. Gather information and be slow to judge. The executive will be watching and your unintended facial impressions could portray your negative thoughts (even though you may not yet have full information). This could have a bearing on the lasting impression the talent acquisition professional or hiring executive has of you.
Creating an initial positive impression means you won’t be playing catch up during your interview.
If you believe that the first impression is not positive, you have some heavy lifting to do, but it can be done.155 Here are a couple of things you can do: First, ask questions about the job and answer using your success stories. By showcasing your use of your education, skills, and positive character traits you might be able to move the needle back in your direction. Even if your performance is superior, you may not overcome an initial negative impression or rough interview start. Do the best you can to get off to a good start.
What the Coaches Say:
First impressions are very important when interviewing. What advice would you give to help graduates to make that positive first impression?
Key factors in making a positive first impression are professional dress, a smile, eye contact, and a handshake. Many employers place a lot of weight on a candidate’s handshake. I have had employers tell me they would never hire someone who did not have a professional handshake.
A good handshake requires the web between your thumb and first finger touch the web between the thumb and first finger of the interviewer, followed by a squeeze equal to the person you are shaking hands with. Sounds easy—but practice with several people to make sure you can respond to the firmness of someone else’s handshake.
Lorraine Beaman, MA, CEIC, ACRW, CARW, NCRW, MCD
Top five ideas for making a great first impression:
1. Dress to the culture of the company.
2. Have a prepared and captivating 30-second pitch prepared which highlights at the end of it why the company you’re applying to interests you so much.
3. Prepare thoughtful questions that are specific to every one of the interviewers if you have access to their background.
4. Research the mission and values of the organization and infuse them into your answers.
5. Non-verbal communication is important to the process. Have a strong handshake, have a confident sitting posture, and remember to smile and have engaging eye contact.
Jered Lish M.S., Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, GCDF
Most interviewing processes have three distinct phases: Screening, Evaluation, and Consensus (Final Decision).
Screening. Screening interviews can be conducted in person or over the phone with the primary focus of determining whether you have the requisite education, qualifications, and character traits for the job. Your goal for this interview is to make the cut and move forward in the interviewing process.
Evaluation. In this phase, the hiring executive(s) will dig deep into your background by asking specific and pointed questions about your education, knowledge, leadership ability, and activities. You’ll get into the nitty-gritty of your collegiate experience. In addition, cultural fit and personal chemistry are also being evaluated.
Occasionally, you will encounter an “approval” interview as part of the evaluation stage. It is with a member of senior management and can either be traditional in length or very brief. First impressions are huge here. This is an opportunity for the individual to meet you and give approval. With a certain degree of frequency, you may encounter one favorite interview question from this person, because many interviewers have one that they ask everybody. This is usually when the interview is going to be brief and the executive has limited time. Be on your “A” game—it matters.
Consensus (Final Decision). This is when the decision about who to hire is made. This meeting may not happen for a few days or even a week after all the interviews of other college job seekers are complete. It is a total assessment of your candidacy for the position, including overall qualifications and fit, compared to the others that were interviewed.
The interviewing process starts before you engage the employer in conversation. Here is a list of things you should do when preparing for an interview.
Research the company. Learn as much as you can. Get on the company’s website and LinkedIn. At a minimum you must know the following:
1. The products and services offered by the company.
2. Who the buyers/consumers of these products and services are.
3. How these products and services are valued or needed by the buyer/consumer (the company’s “value proposition”).
4. Who a few of the company’s market competitors are.
5. News, recent events, and any announcements regarding the company (often the website will have a “News” tab).
6. In the non-commercial world, knowing the goals and mission of the organization is a must.
Check out the websites Glassdoor (www.glassdoor.com) and Vault (www.vault.com). These are websites where employees of companies can post comments about the company, both positive and negative. Be aware that these websites can be used by disgruntled (former) employees to vent the frustrations and try to harm the company’s reputation.
Research the position. Read the job description, if there is one. If there is not a job description, try to find a comparable one.
Research the hiring executive(s). Get on LinkedIn and research the background of the talent acquisition professional and hiring executive(s). Understand their career history and look for any common ground. Having something in common, either professionally or personally, creates personal chemistry—a principle of persuasion and an integral part of hiring. It’s been shown that employers hire those they “most like being around,” so establishing personal chemistry can significantly increase your odds of advancing in the interviewing process and getting hired.156
Research the industry. Research trends—these are the hot topics that are shaping and impacting the industry. What is the future outlook for the industry? Familiarize yourself with the companies in the industry. Determine the best you can, who the industry leaders are and who are up-and-comers. Get educated.
★ Script answers. Take the time to script the answers to known or reasonably anticipated questions you will be asked. Put yourself in the employer’s chair and think of the likely questions you would ask and script your answers. Then, if those questions are asked, you will be prepared and will be able to succinctly provide a response.
Prepare questions. Prepare questions to ask based on your research about the company, position, the hiring executive, and the executive’s area of responsibility.
The interview is a two-way street. The hiring executive is evaluating you for the position, but you are evaluating the company, position, culture, and opportunity to figure out if this job at this company matches you. It is common for hiring executives to evaluate you based on these questions you ask. So, have good questions to ask!
Here are some powerful questions college graduate job seekers have asked that sparked engaging conversation:
• Why is this position available? (Is the company growing? If so, that’s good.)
• What do you see as the most important task or challenge facing this position?
• Looking back on this job and how it’s been done in the past, what would you change?
• Who would you point to as a top performer in this job? What traits made him/her so good? What actions made him/her successful?
• What obstacles do you foresee the selected candidate encountering that would hamper success in this position?
• What performance standards will define success in this position?
• What does success look like in the first ninety days?
• Why do you work for this company?
Take some time to do this research and prepare. It will help you in your evaluation of opportunities. An interview is an exploration of many things, but ultimately you and the employer are both looking for the best possible fit.
The following types of interviews occur during the screening and evaluation stages of the interviewing process:
• Telephone - conducted either by the hiring executive or talent acquisition professional
• One-on-One - just the hiring executive or talent acquisition professional and you
• Skype/Webcam - can be used at any stage
• Succession - usually used as a second or home-office interview, this type is multiple one-on-one interviews, typically with people from different departments—tailor your questions to the area the interviewer works. For example, asking an operations executive about efficiency and cost savings
• Group - likely a group of managers from different departments; direct your response to the person asking the question
• Meal - can be over breakfast, lunch, or dinner
• Behavioral and Performance-Based - questions here will focus on specific examples of your past behavior as indications of your future performance
One of the best things you can do to prepare for interviews is to conduct practice or mock interviews. Interviews can be stressful, and practicing reduces that anxiety, boosts confidence, and leads to better performance. Prepare for all interviews thoroughly. Do not treat the first real interview as your “practice interview.” It’s entirely possible you could get into that interview, realize the position is more intriguing than you thought, be unprepared, and regret your performance.
To conduct a practice interview, ask a professional in your career placement office for assistance (or any other professional contact you know). Provide this person with the job description (or one very similar) and seven or eight questions you believe may be asked. In addition, ask your mock interviewer to come up with four or five questions on their own. This will make you think on your feet and be good preparation.
When conducting the mock interview, try to stay “in character” as much as possible. You can come out of character as you need to discuss responses, but just remember the more realistic you make it, the better prepared you will be.
Evaluate your performance and responses with your mock interviewer. Be open-minded to their critique and suggestions. Make necessary adjustments. Having more than one practice interview (instituting any changes in approach and responses) is encouraged.
What the Coaches Say:
Would you recommend practice (mock) interviews? If so, what would you recommend to graduates so they can get the most from the practice interview?
It is great if you can practice interviewing skills with a career counselor or people who interview candidates as part of their job. If you cannot do that, pair up with another student who is preparing for the job search. Here are some of the strategies I recommend:
• Think like an employer. Use job descriptions for positions in your field to identify the skills and experience employers are seeking. For each of these requirements, ask the question, “Tell me about a time when you (insert skill/experience).” In addition to these questions, use the following generic questions as part of your interview preparation.
• What would you like me to know about you?
• What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses?
• What do you know about our company/organization?
• Why are you interested in this position/what are your career goals?
• When are you available to start?
• Do you have any questions for me?
At the end of the mock interview, give honest feedback on these key points. Were the responses to the “tell me about a time” questions well organized? Were all of the answers given clear and easy to understand? Did the person being interviewed smile, seem enthusiastic, make eye contact, seem relaxed, and ask questions?
Lorraine Beaman, MA, CEIC, ACRW, CARW, NCRW, MCD
Answering Traditional Interview Questions: The UPAC Method ™
As you can well imagine, you will be asked many questions in the interviewing process. The UPAC Method is a very intuitive approach to answer these questions. Its effectiveness comes from the accomplishment component. When asked a substantive question, try to mention an accomplishment that supports your answer. Here’s the methodology:
U Understand the question, (ask for clarification if necessary).
P Provide the employer with your (concise) answer.
A Add an Accomplishment that supports your answer. This can be a success story or a mini-story of your skills and character traits in action.
C Confirm that you answered the hiring executive’s question satisfactorily, redirecting the question if needed.
Here is an example of this technique:
Question: “As you know, we are in the car rental business. We are looking for an entry-level management trainee to work with our current branch managers. Why do you believe you would be qualified and effective in that role?”
U You understand the question and what the employer is asking. Proceed with a response.
P Over the last three summers, I worked full-time at Waterspray Gas & Wash. There are several locations around town. If you’ve seen them, you know each location is “quite an operation.”
A I started there as a car attendant, wiping down cars, cleaning and vacuuming. I was promoted to sales consultant where I greeted customers at the gas pumps and informed them about our services and special pricing. I was the #1 sales consultant several times. I was later asked to be an assistant manager and fill in when the actual managers went on vacations. In these positions at Waterspray, I demonstrated my work ethic. I was in constant motion to insure our customers were satisfied. I used my sales ability as reflected by my sales achievement as well as leadership and managerial skills by being asked to be the interim manager when others were on vacation.
C Did I answer your question? [You can bypass this if you are confident your answer is responsive to the question]
By pre-writing your success stories you will have accomplishments at the ready when you use this methodology in answering interview questions.
Some screening interviews are conducted over the phone. In this format, you must rely on verbal communication only. Slow your rate of speech and enunciate.
The advantage of a phone interview is the employer can focus on the substance of your answers without distractions. You can have information in front of you to refer to as needed. Taking notes is very useful during the interview and for follow-up communications. Here are some tips to improve your odds of a superior performance during a telephone interview:
Prior to the Call
1. Prepare. Research the company and position with the same due diligence as you would for a face-to-face interview. This preparation will shine through, especially if you’re asked, “What do you know about our company?”
2. Phone Zone. Create the identical quiet place just as you did when you made your proactive marketing calls. Remove unnecessary paperwork and items from your work space and keep your resume, company information, job description (if you have one), success stories, questions to ask based on your research, water, pen, paper, and other necessary materials nearby.
As a matter of human practicality, go to the bathroom before the call. Some telephone interviews are reasonably short (twenty to thirty minutes) while others can last over an hour.
Use a landline or make sure your cell phone is fully charged and you take the call in a place where you know you have good reception.
Strategy During the Call
You have done your homework for the call and created your Phone Zone. Here are some strategic suggestions that will prove helpful during the call:
1. After exchanging pleasantries, ask the employer what he or she is looking for. This is the same strategy for opening an interview previously discussed.
2. Smile and stand up. Doing both of these things will have a positive impact on your tone of voice and portray a positive attitude. Standing will improve energy during a longer call.
3. Dress the part. Consider dressing for the telephone interview as you would a faceto-face interview. This will put you in an interviewing frame of mind.
4. Remember your questions. Use the ones you created during your interview preparation. Questions from you are a sign of interest. The quality of your questions is often evaluated as a part of the interviewing process.
5. Be careful not to over-answer. Most telephone interviews are screening calls. The employer is frequently seeking information about qualifications. Answer questions completely, but don’t get mired in minutia unless asked for more information.
6. Listen. Don’t formulate what to say while you should be listening to the employer. Be active and engaged. Take notes but do not worry about complete thoughts. Fill in the details after the call is complete.
7. Ask about the next steps. Do this at the end of the call. Indicate interest in proceeding to the next step. Consider asking whether you will be advancing in the interviewing process, which appeals to the persuasion principle of consistency and commitment (provided you’ve had a successful interview thus far).
8. Follow up. You must send a follow-up thank-you communication. The most time-efficient way is through email. Refer to the Cover Letters and Other Written Communications portion of this book.
The Unannounced Telephone Interview
There will be rare occasions when a call will come unannounced. Usually the un-announced call is a result of a scheduling mix-up. If this happens, simply tell the employer that you are in the middle of something. You can reschedule the call or simply delay it by fifteen minutes. Give yourself time to gather your thoughts to make the call productive. It is recommended not to proceed with an unannounced telephone interview.
Many employers use these to help speed up the interview process. In fact, it has been referenced that as many as six out of ten companies use webcam or video interviews in their hiring process.157
Here are key strategies to help you succeed during a Skype interview:
1. Get comfortable with the technology. Be sure it’s set up correctly on your computer. Adjust the webcam to pick up your face, shoulders, and maybe down to the middle of your torso. Practice with the webcam and chat with friends or family prior to your interview. Make sure everything looks good. When the time comes to answer interview questions, look into the webcam’s lens to give the impression of eye contact. Good posture is also important here. Do your best to remain still (on camera, movement can be delayed and therefore distracting). Be natural, and relax.158 Technical issues may still come up. Take them in stride.
2. Control the scene. Similar in concept to the Phone Zone, set up a clean, professional background for the interview. Be aware of what is behind you.159
3. Wear professional attire. Dress like this is a face-to-face interview. There are a few special considerations. Don’t wear clothes with busy patterns, as they tend to distract others. And dress completely, not just from the waist up.160
4. Have the hiring executive’s telephone number. If the technology simply fails, you’ll want to schedule a telephone interview as a fallback.
Screening Interview Conducted by a Talent Acquisition Professional
Part of your job search strategy is reaching out to and having interviews with talent acquisition professionals. However, there is an inherit hazard with these interviews. More often than not, the talent acquisition professional likely has little or no influence on the ultimate decision to hire you (unless you are pursuing a position in HR), but has the power to eliminate you as a candidate for the job. Your goal for this interview is to survive it and move forward in the process.
Understand that talent acquisition professionals who conduct screening interviews are frequently evaluated based on the number and quality of candidates they pass along to the hiring executive. The last thing they want to hear from the hiring executive is, “This candidate is weak.” Or, worse yet, “What in heaven’s name were you thinking?” So, study the job description and match your qualifications to it. Work to put the talent acquisition professionals at ease that you are qualified and will make them look good.
Most times these interviews can be a bit scripted. The talent acquisition professional frequently has a set number of questions or topics to cover with each candidate. The key, and the tricky part, is to provide the correct or acceptable answer. Too often, the talent acquisition professional looks for elimination factors rather than the totality of your collegiate qualifications.
With some exceptions, the questions you will likely encounter will be the general kinds of interviewing questions or statements:
• Tell me about yourself.
• Why do you believe you are qualified for this position?
• What are your strengths?
• What are your weaknesses?
• Why are you interested in this position?
• What do you know about our company?
• Why are you interested in our company?
• A general evaluation of your qualifications and character traits.
These are questions that you should script responses. You will encounter them (repeatedly). If you need examples to spark your thinking when scripting your responses, a quick Internet search of these questions should give you an ample number of examples to get you started.
What the Coaches Say:
In your experience, what are common interview questions a college graduate must prepare in advance to answer?
Tell me about yourself.
What have you done that makes you qualified for this position?
What are your strengths?
What are your weaknesses?
What is your greatest accomplishment and why are you proud of it?
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Why should we hire you?
What are your salary expectations?
How do you like to be managed/supervised?
When are you available to start work?
What do you know about our company (organization)?
Give us an example of when you (refers to skills/experience required for the job).
Do you have any questions for us?
Lorraine Beaman, MA, CEIC, ACRW, CARW, NCRW, MCD
Toward the end of the interview, you will undoubtedly hear, “Do you have any questions?” Ask a few questions, especially ones you come up with based on your company research. Here are a few:
• What do you like about the company?
• What has made the company successful?
• What are the company’s future goals and vision?
Close the interview professionally. See Closing the Interview topic later in this chapter.
Remember to be respectful, polite, and friendly. Endear yourself. The reality is that the talent acquisition professional holds the future of your candidacy in their hands.
This interview could be the most difficult type—it can happen at any step in the interviewing process, with any meal (breakfast, lunch, or dinner), and can trip up even the most confident of tenured job seekers. Making this type of interview successful involves navigating a host of variables.
There are several reasons why employers conduct meal interviews:
1. Convenience. The hiring executive can multitask by conducting an interview during a meal.
2. Information gathering. This includes your collegiate background and qualifications, just in a social setting.
3. Evaluation of personal factors. These would include social skills (useful for gauging how you would conduct yourself with clients, vendors, suppliers, key business partners, co-workers, and so on), and your table manners. If you are the leading candidate, an added bonus of a meal interview could be to impress you.
The reasons for a meal interview don’t really matter. What does is that hiring executives believe they can tell a lot about you by the way you eat, your table manners, and how you interact in a social setting. Occasionally, these interviews can go longer than traditional in-office interviews. Part of the key to success during a meal interview is not to be lulled into a sense of casualness. Make no mistake—this is an interview—you are being evaluated. It’s not friends getting together just to catch up.
A meal interview is typically more conversational than a traditional face-to-face interview. It is fine if the conversation veers into personal topics. Remember, personal chemistry plays a significant role (up to 60 percent) in who the employer hires.161 Follow the employer’s lead. However, listen closely for when the conversation turns into questions or dialogue regarding your qualifications.
Here are some helpful things to remember about meal interviews:
1. Research the restaurant. Get the GPS out and know how to get there. Review the menu. Get some ideas on what to order.
2. Do not order messy foods like barbecue, pasta with lots of sauce, or any food that you would need to eat with your hands.
3. Order food that can be easily eaten with a fork and that can be cut into smaller pieces (that will help if you need to answer a question after taking a bite). Consciously cut your food into smaller bites.
4. Avoid speaking with your mouth full. Pause, indicate you are chewing, and then answer.
5. Do not order expensive entrees. Stay within the restaurant’s mid-price range (you could make price part of your restaurant research).
6. Turn off your cell phone. Give the hiring executive your complete, undivided attention.
7. Be polite. Use “please” and “thank you.” Be courteous to the servers.
8. Do not order alcohol, even if the hiring executive does. Being under the influence of alcohol during an interview shows poor judgment, impacts your answers, and takes you off your game.
9. Brush up on your etiquette and table manners! Know how, which, and when to use the utensils. Good table manners will give you an edge over other collegiate job seekers.
10. Allow the hiring executive to lead the conversation. The interview questions may not occur until the meal is finished.
11. After the meal, show your appreciation to the hiring executive. Remember, the restaurant was likely chosen because he/she likes it. Compliment the choice of restaurants.
After the meal, do not worry about the check. The hiring executive will pay the tab. Make sure to ask about next steps. Write a thank-you note and send it within twenty-four hours of the meal interview. (Note: You should write a thank-you for every interview and especially meal interviews. The hiring executive did pay the bill.)
If you handle it professionally, a meal interview can give you a distinct advantage over other college graduates. It is an opportunity to build personal chemistry, display your social skills and table manners, and convey your abilities and accomplishments in a social setting.
Behavioral interviewing is a very effective interviewing technique. The rationale for this interviewing technique is based on the premise that past behavior is a predictor of future performance. Although you have not been in a professional level position from which you can describe past experiences using on-the-job skills, you must still be prepared to answer these kinds of questions for more generic experiences and for your professional character traits. Being prepared for behavioral interview questions will impress the interviewer and make you stand out compared to others.
Behavioral interviewing questions require you to describe situations or past experiences where you have demonstrated certain skills, character traits, or behaviors. These questions are designed so you have to describe a situation, what you did, and the results of your actions. How did you use your skills and character traits to achieve success in your past?
Most behavioral interviewing questions begin with “Tell me about a time when . . . ” or “Describe a situation where . . . ” Theoretically, behavior-based questions help hiring executives avoid making hiring decisions based on emotions or gut feelings. Instead, the hiring executive is able to gather objective information that assesses your job aptitude, abilities, character traits, and so on.
These questions can be unnerving. They require you to quickly think of specific situations in your past where you used specific skills or traits. We generally don’t remember things in this way . . . we just handle the situation. It is due to the unpredictable nature of these questions along with the nervousness associated with an interview that can stump any job seeker.
Although there is a myriad of topics or competencies an employer can inquire about, some of the most common are:
• Technical ability
• Analytical thinking
• Communication skills
• Time management, prioritizing
• Leadership
• Problem solving, innovation
• Collaboration
• Ability to learn, adapt
Notice that many of these competencies are the sought-after skills, transferable skills, and professional traits previously listed in this book.
Preparing for and Answering Behavioral Interview Questions
The first thing to do in preparation for these questions is to review (or write) your success stories. You should have five or six success stories describing your use of different skills and character traits (See the list above plus those listed in the topic on Professional Qualities and Character Traits). Reviewing or writing these success stories gets your mind thinking in terms of telling stories. It tends to awaken your memory about situations when you have used your various skills and character traits during your internship(s), part-time jobs, campus activities, and so on. As you remember situations or use of a character trait, write a success story.
The next thing you can do to prepare for these questions is to “sit on the other side of the desk.” Put yourself in the shoes of the hiring executive and think about behavior-based questions you might ask if you were hiring for the position you are pursuing (A quick review of the topics on Understanding the Employer’s Mindset and Knowing What an Employer Wants in an Open Position is a good starting point as you prepare.). One technique that occasionally helps is to actually think or speak the beginning of a behavior-based question. That is, “Tell me about a time when . . . [then you finish the question].” This will occasionally make you think of questions that you had not previously thought of and you can now prepare for.
Read the job description which has the important skills or character traits being sought. Those are often the areas that behavior-based questions will be directed toward.
Answering behavioral interview questions successfully involves being able to describe an experience directly related to the competency being asked about. Here’s the framework on how to answer effectively:
1. Understand the question. Listen very carefully and be sure you understand what is being asked. If you do not, ask the hiring executive for clarification. It is permissible for you to reframe the question and repeat it back to the employer.
2. Determine the professional competency being asked about. Then think of a situation in your collegiate experience, activities, summer jobs or internships that illustrates the competency being addressed. Thinking in terms of identifying the competency makes it easier to recall a situation in response to the question. Take a moment. Don’t panic if something doesn’t come to mind right away. Ask the executive for more time if you need it. (Hopefully you will have prepared a success story that answers the question or is close enough to qualify as responsive to the question.)
3. Tell a brief success story that describes a situation illustrating your skill, competency or character trait. Highlight how your skill and character traits influenced the end result.
4. Confirm that your response answers the question (if necessary). Responses such as “Does that answer your question?” or “Does that example give you the information you were asking about?” work well.
Remember this shorthand, five-prong formula for answering behavioral interview questions:
Understand
Determine the competency
Think
Tell a story
Confirm
If the behavior-based question happens to be an experience you have dealt with, terrific! Tell your success story.
If the behavior-based question is not something you have dealt with directly, but you have an analogous situation, tell the hiring executive that you have not handled that situation directly, but you have handled a similar situation and tell your success story.
If the behavior-based question is not something you have dealt with directly and you do not have a similar situation, has a friend or summer job colleague handled that situation or one like it? If so, indicate to the hiring executive that you have not handled that situation but a friend or colleague has. Tell the story, and then indicate whether you agreed or disagreed with the way your friend or colleague handled the situation. If you disagreed with the way it was handled, explain how you would have done things differently.
Finally, if the behavior-based question is not something you have dealt with directly, you do not have a similar situation, and you are unaware of whether a colleague has handled the situation, then indicate that you have not handled the situation described and offer to answer it in the hypothetical—describe what you would do. This form of an answer is not ideal, since the hiring executive believes it’s an important question, but it is better than no answer at all.
It is hard to predict whether you will encounter behavior-based interview questions as a recent college graduate. However, it is best to be prepared. And, by being prepared you will perform better in all interviews because you will be ready to tell stories about your abilities and character traits.
As a newly minted professional, one word sums up your attire for an interview: Conservative. Wearing traditional, professional business attire instantly communicates to the employer that you are confident. It also gives you an advantage over other college graduate job seekers, using the persuasion principle of authority.
Looking sharp also has the added advantage of making you feel in control and sets the stage for a superior interviewing performance (especially when you are well-prepared). As a result, the hiring executive and others will respond to your image of professionalism in a positive way.
When it comes to the specific do’s and don’ts on what to wear, if you find yourself questioning whether or not to wear something to an interview . . . don’t. Use conservative judgment and always err on the side of traditional, conservative corporate attire.
What the Coaches Say:
What advice would you give about a graduate’s wardrobe for interviews?
There is a lot of psychology behind determining what to wear to an interview. Hiring managers tend to hire people who dress like they do. The best advice I can offer is to dress like a supervisor in the company with which you are interviewing. If your network cannot offer advice on what that looks like, it is okay to ask the person who is scheduling your interview about the appropriate attire for job applicants. If you are not able to gain insights into what to wear, the default is to wear a blue suit, white/pastel shirt/blouse, complimentary tie/scarf, black socks/nylons, and black shoes. Also carry a portfolio.
Lorraine Beaman, MA, CEIC, ACRW, CARW, NCRW, MCD
Lack of money can have an impact on wardrobe. Now is not the time to skimp. Reach out for help if needed. You can find inexpensive yet professional looking clothes in every community. You want to be neat, clean, and unwrinkled . . . .you want to show you made every effort because you want the job!
Ellen Steverson, NCRW, GCDF, CEIC
Closing an interview persuasively can be amongst the most important moments in an interview. It can differentiate you from other recent graduates. If done well, you can advance in the interviewing process and move closer to a job offer.
Provide a Summary Statement of your Qualifications.
Analogous to the closing argument of an attorney to a judge or jury, try to close the interview with a brief summary of how your college background, experience, and character traits match the position and how being hired will benefit the company. Here’s a script on how to close an interview with a summation of your qualifications:
“Ms. Burke, I want to thank you for meeting with me today. As we have discussed, you are looking for a junior analyst to [re-state general responsibilities of the position]. Someone successful in the role will need to have a [state job qualifications and character traits]. I can fulfill and be successful in this role based on my [match your collegiate background and character traits to the position].”
Ask to Proceed or Ask for the Job.
If you have a sincere and earnest interest in the position and the company, make sure to express your interest in the proceeding in the interviewing process.
Should your interview be the final step in the process, and you want the job, ask for the job! Doing so removes the mystery for the hiring executive and could be exactly what he or she wants to hear. Don’t be coy. If you want the job, say so!
Ask about Timing
Make sure you get some commitment on the timing of a decision (Persuasion Principle of Consistency and Commitment). This could be a decision for the next step or the final hiring decision. Then, to control your own expectations, add one week. Discussions like these just seem to take longer than anticipated.
Some general suggestions to remember about interviews:162
• Arrive ten to fifteen minutes early. Being late is never excusable. If you are going to be late, call the employer.
• Smile. Maintain good eye contact with the hiring executive. If you don’t, the hiring executive may draw a conclusion that you are being dishonest, have something to hide, or lack confidence.
• Get the hiring executive to describe on-the-job responsibilities early so you’re able to match your education, achievements, character traits, and collegiate experiences to those requirements. This is an effective interview tactic.
• Try to avoid answering questions with a simple yes or no. Whenever possible, mention a success story when asked a substantive question regarding the position.
• Take extra copies of your resume. You may meet with others you did not know about. Don’t be caught unprepared.
• Do not exaggerate (or lie). Answer questions truthfully.
• Do not over-answer or give long-winded responses. Give appropriate and responsive answers, but keep them on-point. There is anecdotal evidence that more job seekers advance in the interview process and receive more offers when the hiring executive talks more in the interview than the job seeker.163 Answer questions, but be sure to listen.
• Do not ask about “perks” (paid time off, compensation, performance increases, and so on) in any first interview(s) unless the hiring executive does first.
• Ask questions throughout the interview—without interrupting the hiring executive—not just when the hiring executive is finished. An interview should be a mutual exchange of information, not a one-sided conversation. Frequently, you will be evaluated based on the quality of questions you ask.
• If you feel the interview is going badly or realize you’ve been passed over, do not let your discouragement show.
After every interview, take a few minutes to reflect upon how it went. This self-debriefing is designed to help you collect your thoughts on what you liked or disliked about the company, opportunity, people, office environment, products, services, and so on. It is also an opportunity for you to reflect upon your interview performance and make necessary changes.
Ask yourself these questions:
1. How long did the interview last? As a general rule, the longer an interview lasts, the better. Remember that approximately 60 percent of all successful hires are based on personal chemistry.164 The longer the interview, the more rapport is built.
2. What things did I do well? Praise yourself for those things you did well in the interview(s). Write them down.
3. Was I unprepared for any questions? Write them down and craft an answer. There’s always the chance you’ll be asked that question (or one similar) again.
4. What important issues were mentioned in the interview? You may use these issues as part of your thank-you letter.
5. What did I learn during my research and interview that appeals to me? List the positive things about the company, opportunity, people, and so on.
6. Identify any concerns and negatives. This is different from identifying unanswered questions. Items that go here are red flag areas (e.g., the company is about to file for bankruptcy).
7. Rate the opportunity on a scale of one to ten. This is an emotional, gut feeling. How do you feel about it? You are looking for an opportunity that not only seems right, but feels right, too.
8. Was compensation discussed? You will not bring up the topic of compensation, especially during initial interviews. However, if the hiring executive broaches the topic, it could be a sign of interest. Write down what was said.
9. How was it left? Were the parting comments simply a description of the interview process or was there a definite indication that you would be asked back for more interviews? Obviously, you want an expression of continued interest.
10. How do I rank this opportunity against others I am pursuing? Keep track of the opportunities and how they compare to each other. If an opportunity is not for you, notify the company and release yourself from the interview process.
11. Was there anything I could have done better or differently? Honestly assess your performance. Make note of those things you would do differently or better.
You need to thank the hiring executive for their time. See Cover Letters and Other Written Communications.
• Immediately following the interview, debrief yourself. Think of the qualifications and character traits the employer is looking for and match your background and strengths to those.
• Send the letter (email or US mail, either is acceptable) no later than twenty-four hours following the interview.
• If there’s no communication in one week’s time, call and let the employer know you are still interested and want to move forward in the process.
Second and Home Office Interview Strategies
Second interviews (as well as home-office interviews) are conducted to clarify information. Questions tend to dig more deeply into your background, skills, and collegiate experience, secure additional input from others, and ensure you are a fit with company culture and personality. Planning and preparation are keys to a successful second interview.
The following tactics will help you achieve success at a second interview—hopefully leading to a job offer:
1. Get an agenda that identifies your interviewer(s). Once you have it, research their backgrounds, tenure with the company, promotions, previous employers, schools, and so on.165 Look for something you share in common with them, and before the interview mention that you’ve read about them. Most executives will be impressed you took the time to research them (especially if you offer a sincere compliment). All of this taps into the persuasion principle of liking and personal chemistry.
2. Review your notes from the first interview. Try to decipher what about your collegiate experience and character traits scored enough points to earn you a second interview. Also, determine where you might be weak. Emphasize your strengths, and compensate with assets to offset weaknesses.166
3. Prepare questions. Focus on the company, position, and each of the hiring executives you will meet. Make sure your questions are focused on their area of responsibility. A good general question is, “What is the number one issue or challenge you are facing in the (Name of Department)?”
There is a high probability that hiring you will not solve the issue or challenge facing this department (if it is a department that you will not be working). However, a good response could sound something like this:
“Hiring me may or may not have a direct effect on the challenge you are facing, but having another set of hands-on-deck helping where I can, might.”
4. Be ready for in-depth conversations. Fully engage every hiring executive in deep discussions about your education, activities, traits, etc. Remember the UPAC formula for answering general interviewing questions.
5. Close (and, when appropriate, ask for the job). As the second round of interviews winds down, close by telling the hiring executives how you can benefit the company and that you want the job, and ask for an offer. This is especially true if this is a final interview.
6. One final thought: Get a good night’s sleep. Second or home-office interviews can be long, especially if your day is comprised of a series of interviews.167
There are a plethora of mistakes that can be made during an interview. Many are common sense, such as don’t chew gum in an interview. However, lesser known are verbal and nonverbal mistakes. This is a big deal. Research indicates that over 98 percent of hiring executives base much of their hiring decisions on both verbal and nonverbal communication skills.168 Below is a list of the most notable verbal and nonverbal communication mistakes:
• Not listening.169 This includes interrupting the hiring executive.
• Not making eye contact.170
• Poor posture. Slouching.
• Being careless about appearance and hygiene. Wearing unprofessional attire (including accessories). Wearing too much perfume or cologne. Having bad breath.
• Failure to provide a coherent and organized response to the question asked.171 Failing to articulate.
• Giving rambling responses. Providing needless information. Boring the hiring executive. Not staying on topic.172 Being long-winded.
• Lacking enthusiasm about the position or company.
Not Getting the Job: Handling the Disappointment
Accept this fact: You will be rejected. For some, this can be one of the most emotionally difficult things to endure is the disappointment after progressing through the interviewing process for a job. It can come verbally, by email, or by written letter. It can be disheartening . . . all of your time and effort for nothing. Well, not exactly. Take some time to review and analyze the interviewing experience with this employer. After you receive the news, decompress for a while, process your feelings, and then evaluate the entire interviewing process with that employer. Think through it step by step. What did you do well that got you into the process? What did you do well during the process? What did you learn about the interviewing process? Now, what could you have done better? Take it apart and perhaps write it down. Reinforce in yourself what you do well and keep doing that. Learn from any possible mistakes and make adjustments. You don’t want to make the same mistake again. Call and ask the hiring executive (or someone in the process) for candid feedback. Many employers resist doing this for fear of possible litigation—some even have company policies prohibiting the giving of feedback. If you get feedback, learn from it.
Finally, after sending a thank-you letter, move on. Your future (for now) is not with that company, but some other employer. It’s up to you to persevere and move forward. Your next career position is out there waiting for you!173
What the Coaches Say:
Rejection is an inescapable fact of a job search. What advice would you give graduates to handle job search rejection?
It is never easy to hear you will not get an offer for a job after you put time and effort into writing a resume and cover letter, preparing for an interview, and sending a thank you note. There are a few ways to lessen the blow, though. Never stop applying for jobs until you have accepted an offer. If you get a rejection the same week you have two interviews scheduled, you will be less devastated than if you had no other job prospects.
A truth that you discover after you complete your job search, though it is often hard to believe it when you are in the middle of it, many employers do you a favor when they do not offer you a job. They are the experts on knowing who will be a good fit for their organization and who will not.
Lorraine Beaman, MA, CEIC, ACRW, CARW, NCRW, MCD
Understand that there are so many factors that go into NOT receiving the job that you are unaware of, so understand it’s not a personal attack and keep applying . . . You will land a job!
Ellen Steverson, NCRW, GCDF, CEIC
Life can hit hard at times. Author JK Rowling (Harry Potter) was rejected 12 times by publishers, and never gave up. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team sophomore year, pushed forward and never gave up. Rejection is like a GPS unit simply redirecting you to go another way. Have a moment, sit in the rejection, but don’t unpack and live there. Refocus and move on—often rejection is a blessing in disguise.
Dr. Cheryl Minnick, NCRW, CCMC, CHJMC, CAA
_______________
142 “Jose N. Harris Quotable Quote.” Goodreads. http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/415120-to-get-something-you-never-had-you-have-to-do (accessed June 22, 2015).
143 “Ball at Impact.” Golfswing.com. http://www.golfswing.com.au/139 (accessed February 15, 2016).
144 Woods, Jennifer. “Working Longer—Whether You Want to or Not.” CNBC.com. December 23, 2014, http://cached.newslookup.com/cached.php?ref_id=105&siteid=2098&id=10359558&t=1419339600 (accessed June 9, 2015).
145 Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Number of Jobs Held, Labor Market Activity, and Earnings Growth Among the Youngest Baby Boomers: Results from a Longitudinal Survey.” News release. March 31, 2015. http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/nlsoy.pdf (accessed May 29, 2015).
146 Joyce, Susan P. “After the Interview, What is Taking Them SO Long?” Work Coach Café. September 17, 2012. http://www.workcoachcafe.com/2012/09/17/after-the-interview-what-is-taking-them-so-long/ (accessed February 15, 2016); “2015 Candidate Behavior Study.” CareerBuilder. http://careerbuildercommunications.com/candidatebehavior/ (accessed February 15, 2016); McGregor, Jena. “Interviewing for a Job is Taking Longer Than Ever.” On Leadership. Washington Post. June 18, 2015. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/on-leadership/wp/2015/06/18/interviewing-for-a-job-is-taking-longer-than-ever/ (accessed February 15, 2016).
147 Whitcomb, Job Search Magic, p. 274.
148 DiResta. interview by Canters. “How to Blitz.”
149 “Jobvite Recruiter Nation Report 2016.” Jobvite. http://www.jobvite.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/RecruiterNation2016.pdf (Accessed March 15, 2017).
150 U.S. Department of Labor. “Soft Skill #2: Enthusiasm and Attitude.” Skills to Pay the Bills. http://www.dol.gov/odep/topics/youth/softskills/Enthusiasm.pdf (accessed June 19, 2015); Adams, Susan. “How to Ace Your Job Interview.” Forbes. March 1, 2013, http://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2013/03/01/how-to-ace-your-job-interview-2/ (accessed June 15, 2015).
151 “What is Solution Selling?” Sales Performance International. http://solutionselling.learn.com/learncenter.asp?id=178455 (accessed June 8, 2015).
152 Zolfagharifard, Ellie. “First Impressions Really DO Count: Employers Make Decisions About Job Applicants in Under Seven Minutes.” Daily Mail. June 18, 2014. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2661474/First-impressions-really-DO-count-Employers-make-decisions-job-applicants-sevenminutes.html (accessed June 5, 2015).
153 Regis University Career Services. “Interviewing Strategies for CPS Students and Alumni.” Regis University. http://www.regis.edu/About-Regis-University/University-Offices-and-Services/Career-Services/Student-and-Alumni/Interviewing-Strategies.aspx (accessed June 19, 2015).
154 Jamal, Nina, and Judith Lindenberger. “How to Make a Great First Impression.” Business Know-How. http://www.businessknowhow.com/growth/dress-impression.htm (accessed June 2, 2015).
155 “Cognitive scientists say it can take up to two hundred times the amount of information to undo a first impression as it takes to make one.” Zack, Devora. “10 Tips for People Who Hate Networking.” Careerealism. May 4, 2015. http://www.careerealism.com/hate-networking-tips/ (accessed July 17, 2015).
156 Sutton, Robert I., PhD. The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn’t. New York: Warner Business Books, 2007. quoted in Kurtzberg and Naquin, Essentials, p. 18.
157 OfficeTeam. “Survey: Six in 10 Companies Conduct Video Job Interviews.” news release. August 30, 2012. http://officeteam.rhi.mediaroom.com/videointerviews (accessed June 5, 2015).
158 Bricker, Eric. “How to Ace Your Video Interview.” On Careers Blog. U.S. News & World Report. July 11, 2013. http://money.usnews.com/money/careers/articles/2013/07/11/how-to-ace-your-video-interview (accessed December 1, 2015).
159 Ibid.
160 Ibid.
161 DiResta, interview by Canters, “How to Blitz.”
162 Portions adapted from Claycomb and Dinse, Career Pathways, Part 8.
163 “Understanding the Employer’s Perspective.” Internships.com. http://www.internships.com/student/resources/interview/prep/getting-ready/understand-employer (accessed July 10, 2015).
164 DiResta, interview by Canters, “How to Blitz.”
165 Hansen, Katharine. PhD. “Do’s and Don’ts for Second (and Subsequent) Job Interviews.” Quintessential Careers. http://www.quintcareers.com/second-interviewing-dos-donts/ (accessed February 16, 2016).
166 Ibid.
167 Ibid.
168 Peterson, Marshalita Sims. “Personnel Interviewers’ Perceptions of the Importance and Adequacy of Applicants’ Communication Skills.” Communication Education. 46, no. 4 (1997): 287–291. Quoted in Kurtzberg and Naquin, Essentials, p. 31.
169 Kurtzberg and Naquin, Essentials, p. 31.
170 Ibid.
171 Ibid.
172 Ibid.
173 Simpson, Cheryl. “10 Healthy Ways to Cope with Job Search Rejection.” LinkedIn. March 27, 2017 https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/10-healthy-ways-cope-job-search-rejection-chery. (accessed March 29, 2017).