Job Interview Prep

Table Talks w/ Jocelyn & Alyssa

Jocelyn just started hearing back from jobs so Alyssa and her dive into talking about how to get prepared for an interview. They cover how to cope with nerves, job interview questions, and share personal stories about their previous experience with interviewing for jobs.

Time stamps

3:43 to 17:18 - How to Cope with Nerves

17:18 to 22: 20 - Dress Code

22:21 to 23:55 - Swearing and Inappropriate Language

24:00 to 42:19 - Tips to Do Well Within the Interview

45:00 to 1:11:09 - Interview Questions

1:11:10 to 1:20:31 - Questions for the Interviewer

How to Cope with the Nerves of a Job Interview

1. Prepare for the interview - Practicing questions - Play out worse case scenario
2. Eat a light, but sturdy meal
3. Take a walk or jam out
4. Detailed notes - such as time and location of your interview, the interviewer's name, questions you may have, know the position and review the job description you are interviewing for, and plan your route and look at directions before you go or do a drive by if the place is within a short distance, bring your resume with you,
5. STOP -
   1. S. Stop what you're doing and focus on your thoughts
   2. T. Take a few deep breaths
   3. O. Observe what is going on in your body, emotions and mind and why you’re feeling them.
   4. P. Proceed with an intention to incorporate what you observe in your actions.
6. Smile and remember that this is just a conversation.

Dress Code

1. Business casual
   1. Power Suit, Pant Suit
   2. Jeans/ Dress Pants and a nice shirt
   3. Neutral colors if you have no idea or need to buy new clothes
   4. Ask in the initial phone call what the dress code is

Swearing and Inappropriate Language

1. Read the room
2. Avoid swearing or inappropriate language or topics

Tips to Do Well Within the Interview

1. Make sure you research what the company is about and thoroughly read the job description
2. Clarify your selling points
3. Anticipate the interviewers concerns and reservations
   1. Add years experience to your resume instead of a time frame Ex. Marketing Manager - 3 years
4. Go over common questions
5. Line up questions you want to ask gathered employer
6. Practice. Practice. Practice. Mock it up
7. Score success in the first 5 minutes
8. Be ready for illegal and inappropriate questions
9. Think positive no one likes a complainer
10. Bring a copy of your resume
11. Don’t worry about sounding canned / polished / articulate. Integrate a more personal aspect into it.
12. Make the most about the tell me about yourself section.
13. Speak the right body language
14. Personal thank you notes or firm handshake at the end and thank them for their time then

Interview Questions

1 - What interests you most about this job? / why did you apply?

• Speak on a few notes that you liked on the listing or culture.
• Touch on your work goals
• Touch job interests or style

29 - Tell me about yourself

• Do: Top 3 selling points
• Don’t: Just run through your resume and talk about irrelevant information

40 - What are your strengths & weaknesses?

• This is your selling points
• 3 strengths, 2 minor weaknesses, 1 strength, change subject (compliment sandwich)
• Mentioned weakness and follow up how your overcome it/plan to overcome

3 - What did you like most and least in your last job?

• Highlight the good
• Glaze over the bad in professional manner
• Start w/ least and end with most

65 - Why did you leave/let go from your last job?

• Couldn’t match my professional objectives or goals

53 - What is your biggest failure and what did you learn / how did you overcome it?

• Provide situation from job or life and how you overcame
• Avoid emotions
• Devote time to explaining what you learned

45 - How do you define success?

• Moving towards your goals and commitments
• Success is a journey and changes over time
• Success is about having a positive attitude. I think positive people have positive things happen to them.
• Take this question and flip it back to the employer and ask them what they define success in this role as?

46 - What is your leadership style?

• Be honest
• Hands on / off
• Coaching
• Motivational / encouraging
• Take a test to find the key points not just the title

49 - What is your work style?

• Collaborative
• Go getter
• Methodical/organized
• Independent
• Goal oriented
• What kind of work style does your company need?

99 - How important is your salary to you? What are your salary expectations?

• I would love to negotiate salary
• If you are looking for a number I would like between x and y - give yourself a big range so you don’t shoot yourself in the foot
• Don’t let self - doubt get in the way
• 30k-50k range

Questions for the Interviewer

1. What type of employee tends to succeed here, and what qualities are the most important for succeeding here?
2. What are the next steps in your recruitment process before you can make an offer?
3. What would you expect me to have achieved after 6 or 12 months in this role?
4. What does a typical day - to - day look like in this role?
5. What is the culture within your company/ department?

Links:

Book - 101 Toughest Interview Questions by Daniel Porot and Frances Bolles Haynes

https://www.experis.com/en/insights/articles/2021/05/25/20-tips-for-great-job-interviews

https://www.themuse.com/amp/advice/12-different-ways-to-calm-your-interview-nerves-because-youve-got-this

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