Job Interview: Akper Book

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Unit 16

AKPER Book

Job Interview
You learned from the previous unit that an application letter is often treated as the first test,
which is intended to evaluate the candidates' written communication skill, in the recruitment test.
Getting an invitation to an interview, therefore, indicates that you have passed the written
communication skill test, and you are going to the next “round” of the recruitment process.

You will usually have at least a couple of days notice before the interview. It means that you
time to prepare yourself for the test. The question is what you should do to prepare for your interview.

Questions in a job interview are often simple and sound very easy. Yet, it does not mean that it
will be easy to answer the questions because some of them are quite tricky and therefore, they
potentially slump you to a disappointing failure. To help you dealing with such questions, the following
are brief discussion on the tips and tricks of how to handle some of the most frequently asked tricky
questions in a job interview.

A. How to handle tricky questions in a job interview.


1. Tell Me about Yourself
· Don't give the story of your life. The interviewer doesn't want to listen to your
autobiography since s/he has already had one in your CV.
· Give a very brief rundown including education, previous job titles targeted very
specifically, toward how your experience and/or education will be useful in the position
for which you're applying.
· Use your Elevator Speech. Elevator Speech is a fairly well-known tool, not only for job-
seekers but for organizations and individuals with products and services to sell. The
Elevator Speech is an exceptionally useful and versatile tool in job interviews, where the
it can provide the answer to at least two common interview queries: "Tell me about
yourself" At its most basic level, the structure is:

Hi, my name is ___________. I'm in the _______________ field, and I'm looking
to_____________________.

The last blank would be filled in with your current career aspiration, whether it is to stay
within your field and move up or move into a different career.

A college student or new graduate might add the following to the basic structure.

Hi, my name is ___________. I will be graduating/I just graduated from


____________________with a degree in _____________________. I'm looking
to_____________________.

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Good elevator speech inspires the listener to ask and know more. To make it so, you should
add an element of intrigue by incorporating your Unique Selling Proposition. Let's look, for
example, at how a conversation might go that starts with an intriguing elevator speech:

Candidate : “Hi, my name is Carmen Southwick. I make dreams come true.”


Interviewer : “How do you do that?”
Candidate : “I'm a wedding planner. I plan dream weddings for couples. I've been
working for myself, but I'd like to get in with one of the big resorts that
hosts weddings.”

2. What are Your Strengths?


· Talk about strengths that are very specific to the job you're interviewing for.

3. What are Your Weaknesses?


· Choices for responding to weakness question:

Ø Give a negative that's really a positive:


· "I am sometimes impatient, which drives me to work excessively."
· "If I start on a project, I sometimes forget to go to lunch."
· "Since I'm such a perfectionist, I sometimes find it hard to delegate because I'm
concerned others won't do the job as well as I can."

Caution: The perfectionist response is overused.

Ø Give a negative that is really inconsequential and has little to do with how well you would
perform the job:
· "I am not a good speller, so I keep a dictionary handy.”

4. Where do you want to be in 5 (or 10 or 15) years? What do you want to do with your life?

· Your answer should cover balance information about honesty / ambition / your desire to
be working at this company.
· Avoid responses like starting your own business, running for Congress.
· Not very inappropriate to mention the personal (marriage or family), but the focus should
be on professional goals.
· The response could be:

"I do believe that I am the best person for the job. If in the future you feel I would be a
candidate for a higher level position, I know I wouldn't be passed up."

"I hope to stay at the company and expect that in five years, I'll make a significant advance
in the organization."

"I would like to become the very best ______________ your company has."

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5. Have you ever had a conflict with a boss or professor?


Employer may want to see whether you will trash a professor or former employer. Don't fall
into the trap. In addition, if you truly have NOT had a conflict, tell how you would handle it if
you did.

6. Why should we hire you?


· Present your brief Unique Selling Proportion (USP). Your USP covers the answer to the
questions, (a) what is the one thing that makes you unique? (b) What makes you better
than other candidates applying for a similar position with this company? (c) What can
you offer that no other applicant can? (d) What is the one reason the employer should
want to hire you above all other candidates? Keep in mind that your USP should be
specific about how your qualities match the employer's needs.

"I do believe that I am the best person for the job. If in the future you feel I would be a
candidate for a higher level position, I know I wouldn't be passed up."

"I hope to stay at the company and expect that in five years, I'll make a significant advance in
the organization."

"I would like to become the very best ______________ your company has."

7. How would you describe your ideal job?


· Your description of your ideal job should sound like the job you're interviewing for.

8. Would your rather work with information or with people?


· Ideally, both, but tailor response to job and describe strengths in each area.

· Don't make yourself sound weak in either area.

9. What qualities do you feel a successful manager should have?


The question has a two-fold purpose:
· How you will get along with management.
· How you see yourself as a manager.

10. How has your education prepared you for your career?

· Describe your educational preparation as very specific to the job. Provide concrete
examples, when possible.

11. How much training do you think you'll need to become a productive employee?
· Key word is productive. Your answer should show that you are a productive employee.
Make sure you express confidence in your ability to make an impact immediately.

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12. Why is your GPA not higher?


Be careful, it is a trap! Don't whine or make excuses. Your response should enhance your
value as employee. You may use either of the following facts to respond;

(a) You were very involved with sports, social organization, and extracurricular that may
have hurt your grades, but made you more well-rounded,

(b) You held a job while in school, which hurt your grades but gave you great experience,

(c) You made some mistakes early on, but you've worked hard to improve and have
learned from the experience.

13. YES or NO Questions


· The interviewer may ask you Yes or No questions, such as Are you a team player? Are
you a goal-oriented person? Do you handle conflict well? Do you handle pressure well?

· Never respond with just "yes" or "no."


Ø Always elaborate and be prepared to give specific examples.
Ø Use the most current examples. Examples from high school is probably too old.
Ø Use a variety of examples. Not all from sports, or being an RA, or fraternity/sorority.

14. Questions that require knowledge of the company:


· It is better for you to conduct a small research to get the detailed information about the
company because the interviewer may ask questions requiring your knowledge of the
company. The following are the examples of the questions:
Ø What do you think it takes to be successful in this career?
Ø Do you enjoy doing independent research?
Ø Do you have any plans for further education?
Ø Why do you want to work in the _____________ industry?
Ø What do you know about our company?
Ø Why are you interested in our company?

15. Money questions


· The interviewer often ask question about money, for example, (a) Is money important to
you? (b) How much money do you need to make to be happy? (c) What kind of salary are
you looking for?

· Answering money questions:


Ø Strike a balance. Money's important, but so are other things, such as job satisfaction
and the total compensation package.
Ø Don't talk about needs such as student loans. They are not the employer's problem,
and you should be paid based on what you're worth, not what you need.
Ø Delay salary talk as long as possible and try not to give specifics until after an offer is
made.

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16. Questions that target your decision-making skills:


· Interviewer may also ask question intended to measure your decision – making skills,
such as, (a) Why did you choose this career? and (b) How do you plan to achieve your
goals? In responding to the type of questions, be sure your responses demonstrate
sound decision-making processes.

17. Answering "off-the-wall" questions:


· Sometimes the interviewer addresses awkward questions, such as (a) If you had to live
your life over again, and what would you change? (b) If you were a color, what color
would you be -- and why? (c) If they were making a movie of your life, who should be
hired to play you in it? These are what so called "Off-the-wall" questions or Wild Card
questions. Interviewer asks the questions to see how well you think on your feet,
whether you will get flustered. The trick is to keep your cool and your sense of humor.
Generally speaking, there are no wrong answers.

18. Why did you choose to attend this college?


When dealing with educational background, the interviewer may ask questions about your
college. Most candidates tend to respond it inadequately. When having such a question, you
have to:
· Tell what makes your college experience worthwhile from the employer's point of view?
· How will the employer benefit from your specific education at your college?
· Show thoughtful decision-making skills.

19. Do you have any actual work experience -- in this field?

· Discuss the key skills you have gained from your work experiences and how these skills
will help the employer. This question also gives a good opportunity to talk about your
transferable skills if you have minimal experience.

· Transferable skills are skills you have acquired during any activity in your life —- jobs,
classes, projects, parenting, hobbies, sports, virtually anything -— that are transferable
and applicable to what you want to do in your next job.

· To know what skills to emphasize, you will probably have to do some research on the
company at which you seek employment and the particular job you are applying. If
you're responding to an ad, it's easy to find clues right in the ad to the most important
skills. You can also scarcely go wrong by emphasizing the skills that virtually all
employers are looking for, such as teamwork, communications, interpersonal, and
leadership skills. The following is the key words you can use when exploring your
transferable skills:

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Transferable skills Key words


Communication: · Speaking effectively
The skillful expression, transmission and interpretation of · Writing concisely
knowledge and ideas. · Listening attentively
· Expressing ideas
· Facilitating group discussion
· Providing appropriate feedback
· Negotiating
· Perceiving nonverbal messages
· Persuading
· Reporting information
· Describing feelings
· Interviewing
· Editing
Research and Planning · Forecasting, predicting
The search for specific knowledge and the ability to · Creating ideas
conceptualize future needs and solutions for meeting those · Identifying problems
needs. · Imagining alternatives
· Identifying resources
· Gathering information
· Solving problems
· Setting goals
· Extracting important information
· Defining needs
· Analyzing
· Developing evaluation strategies
Human Relations · Developing rapport
The use of interpersonal skills for resolving conflict, relating · Being Sensitive
to and helping people. · Listening
· Conveying feelings
· Providing support for others
· Motivating
· Sharing credit
· Counseling
· Cooperating
· Delegating with respect
· Representing others
· Perceiving feelings, situations
· Asserting
Organization, Management, and Leadership · Initiating new ideas

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Organization, Management, and Leadership · Initiating new ideas


The ability to supervise, direct and guide individuals and · Handling details
groups in the completion of tasks and fulfillment of goals. · Coordinating tasks
· Managing groups
· Delegating responsibility
· Teaching
· Coaching
· Counseling
· Promoting change
· Selling ideas or products
· Decision making with others
· Managing conflict
Work Survival · Implementing decisions
The day-to-day skills that assist in promoting effective · Cooperating
production and work satisfaction. · Enforcing policies
· Being punctual
· Managing time
· Attending to detail
· Meeting goals
· Enlisting help
· Accepting responsibility
· Setting and meeting deadlines
· Organizing
· Making decision

20. How should you respond if you are asked about technical expertise that you lack?
· Just answer the question,

"With my experience and background, I feel certain I'll have no problems getting up to
speed."

21. Do you have any questions?

· Toward the end of most job interviews, the interviewer will give you the opportunity to
ask questions. You must ask a least one question; no question is often interpreted
as the signal that you are not seriously interested in the job or the company.
However, do not ask questions where the answer is obvious or readily available -- or
when the topic has already been discussed in the interview. Never ask about salary
and benefit issues until the employer raise those subjects.

· Here is a list of some questions you can ask your prospective employer.
Ø What are the day-to-day expectations and responsibilities of this job?
Ø How will my leadership responsibilities and performance be measured? And by
whom? How often?
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Ø Can you describe the company's management style?


Ø What is the organization's policy on transfers to other divisions or other offices?
Ø Are lateral or rotational job moves available?
Ø Does the organization support ongoing training and education for employees to
stay current in their fields?
Ø What are the traits and skills of people who are the most successful within the
organization?

B. Completing Candidate's Recruitment Forms


When you go to the interview test, someone from the HRD department, or anyone who
is responsible for handling the recruitment test, may ask you to fill out the candidate's
recruitment forms either before or after the interview test. The form is often long so it takes
quite sometimes to complete it. The following is the example of the form. Discuss with your
partner on how to complete the form. You may ask your teacher to clarify points that you do not
understand.

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Full name Code number Photograph


Nick name
Recent address Date of completion

Office phone number Home phone number

Place/date of birth

Religion Sex Marital status

Blood type ID / driving license number

Hobby / interest

Wife's / husband's name Job

Place / date of birth Phone number

Name of children (in order) Education Age M/F

Parents' names Age Education Job Address

Name of siblings (in order) M/F Age Education Job

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Home Vehicle

Own property Penting Type / Brand


Own property Parents’
Parents’ Others Year Office property Others

Educational Study period Graduate /


Name of school City not graduate
background From Until

Course / Seminar / Workshop

Time The certificate


Type / Field Organizer City
From Until issued in

Organization (student, social, or professional organizations)

Name of
Period of service
organization City Rank / Position
From Until

Achievement

Type / Field Time (year) Organizer City Certificate / trophy

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Working experience

Month Name, address and


Year Rank / Position
the phone number of the company

From

Until

Job description

Reason to quit

Working experience

Month Name, address and


Year Rank / Position
the phone number of the company

From

Until

Job description

Reason to quit

Draw the organizational structure and show your position in the structure.

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Questions Answer
yes no
Have you ever apply for a post in this company? If your
answer is yes, when and what position did you apply for?
Beside this company, where have you sent your
application letter recently? What position do you apply for?

Are you working under contract with other institution /


company right now?

Do you have a part time job? Where is it? what do you do?

Do you have any relatives working in this company?

Have you ever suffered from a severe illness, had an


accident, or undergone a surgery? If your answer is yes,
when and what was it? Explain briefly!
Have you ever join a psycho test? When and what kind
of psycho test was it? Explain briefly!

Have you ever violated legal rules or conducted a crime?

Do you have any dependents you have to support?

What kind of job and position do you actually expect?

Do you possess sufficient skills and knowledge to reach


your dream?
What kind of job do you dislike?

What motivates you to apply for a job in the company?

What do you know about the company?

If accepted, how much do you expect to earn from the


company?
If accepted, mention the facilities you expect to get from
the company!

If accepted, when are you going to be able to start


working?

Do you agree to work in shifts?

If accepted, do you agree to work under contract?

Write your reference covering name, address, and


phone number of your supervisor from the last company
you worked for

I hereby state that all information I provide is in accordance to


the real situation. Should there be false information, I am the
one who will be responsible for the consequences.

(.................................................)

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C. A Job Interview Simulation


Find a partner and make a job interview simulation with him/her. Take turn the role and use the
following forms to give your partner comment and feedback on his/her performance.

Questions Comments / Feedback

1. Tell me about yourself 1. …………………………………………………


…………………………………………………
2. What are your strengths and weaknesses? 2. …………………………………………………
…………………………………………………
3. Why are you interested in working in our 3. …………………………………………………
hospital? …………………………………………………
4. How would you describe your ideal job? 4. …………………………………………………
…………………………………………………
5. What qualities do you think a successful nurse 5. …………………………………………………
in an international hospital should have? …………………………………………………
6. How do you plan to one of the successful 6. …………………………………………………
professional nurse in this hospital? …………………………………………………
7. Why should we hire you? 7. …………………………………………………
…………………………………………………
8. Where do you want to be in the next 5 or 10 8. …………………………………………………
years? …………………………………………………
9. Where did you graduate? Why did you choose 9. …………………………………………………
to attend this college? …………………………………………………
10. How has your education prepared you for your 10. …………………………………………………
career? …………………………………………………
11. Why is your GPA not higher? 11. …………………………………………………
…………………………………………………
12. Do you have any actual work experience -- in 12. …………………………………………………
this field? …………………………………………………
13. Have you ever had a conflict with your boss or 13. …………………………………………………
anyone who’s in charge to supervise you, like …………………………………………………
your professor?
14. What kind of salary are you looking for? How 14. …………………………………………………
much do you expect to earn? …………………………………………………
15. Do you have any questions? 15. …………………………………………………
…………………………………………………

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