Teaching-You Job Interview Skills User Guide © Peter Brown and Jose Ros 2004

Teaching-You Job Interview Skills User Guide Peter Brown and Jose Ros 2004
Contents
How to install the programme To remove the programme from your system How to start the programme Moving around - Programme menus File menu Documents menu Interviewers menu My jobs menu Options menu Saved interviews menu Help menu On-screen instructions How to use the programme Interview practice Voice recording Technical support Contact details
System requirements
To run the program, your computer must meet the following minimum specification: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Pentium III 500 processor 10x speed CD ROM drive 128 mb of RAM 60mb of free hard disc space Monitor with 16 or 24 bit colour 16 bit audio card Microphone (optional for voice recording) QuickTime 6 (supplied) Acrobat Reader 5 (for Windows 98) or Acrobat 6 (supplied).
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How to install the programme
User Guide
1. Insert the CD ROM in your computers CD drive. The set-up program should start automatically. Simply follow the on-screen instructions. You can also set-up the programme manually. From 'My Computer' right click on your CD drive, select 'Open' and the contents of the CD will be displayed. Double-click on the file Setup.exe and follow the on-screen instructions.
2. The installer will put a shortcut (called Teaching-you Job Interview Skills) on your desktop which you can double-click to start the program.
3. Installing QuickTime. You need QuickTime on your system in order to play the video sequences in the program. If you dont have QuickTime installed on your computer, open the folder QuickTime on the CD ROM, then double-click on the file QuickTimeFullInstaller, and follow the on-screen instructions. Alternatively, you can get the latest version of QuickTime from Apples Web site at the following address: http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download and choose the option to download the QuickTime player.
To remove the programme from your system

Go to the 'Start' menu, select the 'Focus Multimedia' group, then 'Job Interview Skills' and select 'Uninstall' from the menu. Alternatively, you can choose 'Control panel' from the 'Start' menu, then choose 'Add or Remove Programs' and then 'Teaching-you Job Interview Skills'. As the programme creates files, to completely remove the programme you should go to your 'Program files' folder (usually on your C drive from 'My Computer'), open the 'Focus Multimedia Folder' and delete the 'Job Interview Skills' folder.
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User Guide
4. Installing Adobe Acrobat Reader. You need Acrobat Reader on your system in order to view some of the documents which we have supplied for you. Many modern computer systems already have Acrobat Reader installed. However, if your system does not have Acrobat Reader, you can install it by opening the folder Acrobat on our CD ROM and choosing the installer for your system. For Windows 98, you should install Acrobat 5, for Windows ME, 2000, NT and XP you should install Acrobat 6. If you have an internet connection, you can get the latest version of Acrobat from the Adobe Acrobat web site at the following address: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
How to start the programme

Make sure the Teaching-you Job Interview Skills CD ROM is in your CD drive, then you can start the programme in one of two ways:
1. Double-click the Teaching-you Job Interview Skills icon on your desktop. Or Go to the Start menu and select Teaching-you Job Interview Skills from the Focus Multimedia programme group.
When the programme starts, it will first check that the CD ROM is in the CD drive.
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When the checks have been completed, you will be taken to the Tip for today screen.
User Guide
Click Continue on this screen and youll go to the Interview Practice screen, or, if youre a first time user, youll be taken to the About the programme screen for information about how the programme works.
First time user
Experienced user
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Moving around the programme
User Guide
Use the main menu along the top of the screen to move around the programme and access other features.
The main menu works in the same way as most other Windows programmes click on a word in the main menu to see its own menu.
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File menu
User Guide
The File menu lets you open, save and print files. Heres a list of the menu items with a short description of each: Choose your job applications folder: lets you choose where you keep files and copies of letters etc connected with your job applications and interviews. Connect to web site: lets you connect directly to the Focus Multimedia web site. Delete current job application: to delete your current job application folder and files. Delete interview: use this option to delete the current saved interview (if you dont have a saved interview selected, go to the Saved Interviews menu and select one first). New interview: to play a new interview, type your answers and record your voice while answering the questions. Open a file: lets you open any file with its associated application (for example a text document). Open email application: opens your default email application so you can contact an employer. Print My CV: lets you select a CV which will then be printed automatically for you. Print letter of application: use this option to print the letter of application you sent when you applied for a job. Save interview: lets you save an interview which youve recorded so you can play it back later with a friend or coach. Save new job application: use this option to create a folder for a new job interview inside your job applications folder. The programme will then copy all the templates you need into your new job application folder. Technical support: lets you connect to our web site to get help with any problems you have in running the programme. Quit: choose this option when you want to end your session using the programme.
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Documents menu
User Guide
This menu lets you open the documents and templates which weve provided to help you prepare for interviews. Acceptance letter: use this template to confirm that you will be able to attend an interview. Career history: this template lets you list details about your career to date so that you can prepare answers to questions about it. Category list: this document lists and explains the categories of questions weve used in the programme. Dictionary: opens our employment dictionary so you can check the meaning of words or phrases. Edit your templates: this option lets you personalise the templates weve provided. Job targets: this document lets you list the salary and benefits youre hoping to get from a job to help you when negotiating with the employer. Question list: this is a list of all the questions in the programme. Theyre listed in categories so you can identify them easily. The list includes our Top 25 and Top 100 interview questions. Research log: to succeed in an interview, its essential to find out as much as you can about the employer. In the log, write down all the information you discover so you can review it before the interview. The log has clear headings to help you find the most useful information. Thank you letter: use this template to write a thank you letter after youve been to the interview. Tips: when you start the programme, youll see our Tip for today. Weve also included all our tips in a document so you can review them all and print them out. To do list: for each job interview, you should have a To Do list which will make sure that you complete all the tasks you need to do before and after the interview.
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Interviewers menu
User Guide
This menu allows you to choose an interviewer or a type of interview, eg random interviewer. Individual interviewers (Alan, Bona, Christine etc): choose a named interviewer to ask you questions. Select questions from list: this option allows you to view over 500 interview questions by choosing from different categories. Use this option to select questions you think you might be asked in your job interview. Top 25 questions: this option lets you try a typical interview with the most common types of interview questions. Top 100 questions: try this option to see the most commonly-asked interview questions.
My Jobs menu
This menu shows your current jobs. When you have a new job interview, type a name for it in the Job application box and then choose New Job application from the File menu. When you do this, the programme will copy template files (acceptance letter, thank you letter, job targets, To Do list and research log) into a new folder with the name you gave your new job. Your job folders will be saved in a folder called My Job Applications unless you choose a new location for them using the Choose your job application folder from the file menu.
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Options menu
User Guide
This menu lets you set the way some of the programme features work. Audio cues on/off: choose to hear audio prompts when you make selections. Auto play on/off: lets you choose whether saved interviews play automatically or stop after each question so you can record your answer again (remember if you re-record an answer to a question you will need to save the interview again from the File menu). Clear text answer box: use this option to clear the box where you type your answer to a question. Clear your selection list: when youre using the Select questions from list interview type, you can clear your selection box by choosing this option. Number of questions: use this menu item to choose the number of questions you want to be asked by an interviewer. Recording information: this option opens a new window which shows the size of files youve recorded and where files are being saved. Subtitles on/off: lets you choose whether subtitles are shown during an interview.
Saved interviews menu
When youve recorded an interview and saved it (by selecting Save interview from the File menu), your saved interview will be added to the list in this menu. Each time you open the menu, the programme will check to see how many saved interviews you have.
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User Guide
To open a saved interview, just click on one of the names in the list and it will become your current interview. The main picture on the screen will have Saved on it, to show that it is a saved interview. To delete a saved interview, select it in the Saved interviews menu, then choose Delete interview from the File menu.
Help menu
This menu enables you to get help with any aspect of the programme. About the programme: shows you the programme credits. Documents: for information about the Documents menu. Files: for information about the File menu. Interviewers: for information about the Interviewers menu. Introduction: for information about the programme Interview practice: for information about the Interview practice screen. Options: for information about the Options menu. Readme: opens a text file with details about how to use the programme but without any pictures. User Guide: to open this User Guide on-screen.
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On-screen instructions:
User Guide
To help you throughout the programme, on-screen instructions are provided. At the bottom of the screen youll see an Instructions box. Text instructions appear here when you move over an object on the screen.
How to use the programme

The programme will help you
understand what job interviews are all about know the tasks you need to do to prepare thoroughly for each interview practice answering job interview questions build your confidence to be prepared and organised.
To make the most of the programme, we recommend you use it like this: 1. Set your job application folder: your Job Applications folder is the folder where you keep all the information about your job applications. It helps you to keep all your documents organised. When you install the programme, it will create a folder called My Job Applications inside the Teaching-you Job Interview Skills folder (in the Program files\Focus Multimedia folder on your computer). However, you can choose to set a different location if you wish. But we recommend that you keep all applications together in one folder, wherever you decide to store them. 2. Complete your career history: your Career history is everything youve done in your career so far. It includes details about each of the jobs youve had - your duties, responsibilities, achievements etc. You only need to do one copy of your career history - but remember to keep it up-to-date. 3. Set-up a new job application: when you get an interview, type a name for the job in the Job application box, and then choose Save new job application from the file menu. This will copy all the template files into the new folder so they are all kept together. Save the CV and letter of application you sent to the employer in this folder too. 4. Plan your timetable: if you have more than one interview (or are likely to have in the future), youll need to plan your timetable or schedule very carefully to make sure you complete all the tasks for each interview. Use the To Do list to organize your time, and check the tasks you need to do. Open the To Do list for each of your jobs from the Documents menu. 5. List your targets: its important that you know what your targets are for each job application. For example, what salary youre aiming for as well as any benefits such as pension, commission etc. 6. Check your To Do list regularly: so you dont overlook any tasks. Find your To Do list for your current interview in the Documents menu tick off the tasks as you complete them. 7. Send an interview acceptance letter: always confirm you can attend an interview by sending an acceptance letter. Use our template which youll find in the Documents menu. 8. Conduct your research: dont go to an interview without finding out as much as possible about the employer. Use the research log to guide you about what to find out and then record what you discover. Find the Research log in the Documents menu. 9. Practice answering questions: if you havent been to an interview before, or for a while, try answering some questions by selecting some of the individual interviewers from the Interviewers menu. This will give you ideas of the kinds of questions you might be asked. If you havent got an interview lined-up yet, doing some general practice in this way will help you get up-to-speed and used to answering similar questions. Also, try answering our Top 25 and Top 100 questions because these cover the most frequently asked questions. Type your answers and print them out with the questions, and save your recordings so you can discuss your practice sessions with a friend or coach.
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User Guide
10. Select the questions you think youll be asked in the interview: when youve been invited to an interview, you need to try to work-out which questions you might be asked. Choose the Select questions from list option from the Interviewers menu and choose different categories to see the full list of over 500 questions. Use your career history, the job description, the person specification and the job advert to work-out which questions you might be asked. Discuss your selections with your coach or a friend. 11. Send a thank you letter: always thank the employer after the interview. Use our template which youll find in the Documents menu. You can customise the template for each job application. 12. Prepare for negotiating: if youre still interested in the job after the interview, make sure you prepare for negotiating your salary and benefits package by checking and amending your job targets.
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Interview practice
User Guide
If youve used the programme before, youll be taken to the interview practice screen when you click Continue on the Tip for today screen. When you get to the interview practice screen your previous position will be restored the interviewer or interview type you were last using will be the current interviewer. Or, if you were playing a saved interview, it will be restored for you so you can continue where you left off. You can always get back to the Interview practice screen wherever you are in the programme by choosing an option from the Interviewers menu. The Interview Practice screen looks like this:
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1. Job application type a new job title here and then choose Save new job application from the file menu. 2. Interview title type a name for your new interview here and then choose Save interview from the File menu when youve recorded your new interview. Once its been saved, your new interview appears in the Saved interviews menu. 3. Current interviewer is shown here when its a saved interview, the word saved will appear on the picture. 4. Number of questions chose the number of questions you want to be asked. Note: you cant change the number of questions for the Top 25 or Top 100 questions. 5. Play click when youre ready to start the interview.
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User Guide
Thank you for inviting me for an interview. No, I didnt have any problems getting here. The directions were very clear and Id planned the journery carefully to make sure I didnt get stuck in traffic. And last week, I did a trial run just to make sure I didnt get lost.
6. Font size click the arrows here to change the font size for the area where you type your answers. 7. Hint click to see our tips for this question (what you should and shouldnt say, and our sample answers). Note: hints are only available with our Top 25 and Top 100 interview questions. 8. Print click to print the question and your answer. 9. End click to end the interview. 10. Record click to record your voice. 11. Stop recording click when youve finished recording your voice. 12. Playback click to play back your recording. 13. Next click for the next question. 14. Back click for the previous question. 15. Clock the clock shows you how long youve been speaking. Try to keep most of your answers between about 30 seconds and 2 minutes long.
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Voice recording
User Guide
The programme lets you practice speaking your answers to questions and allows you to save your recordings so you can discuss them later with a friend, colleague or coach. To record your voice, make sure you have a microphone attached to your computer and that the microphone is activated. Click on the small volume icon in the taskbar at the bottom of your desktop. Make sure the microphone is not set to mute. Click Options and then select Properties and make sure the microphone is selected for both recording and playback. USB microphones will produce good results with our programme.
Sound recordings can take up a lot of space on your hard disc. For example, 1 minute of audio recording will take about 1.2mb of disc space. So, you are advised to save only a small number of interviews unless you have a lot of hard disc space free. You can delete saved interviews whenever you need to, and the programme will remove recorded audio which you havent saved when you quit the programme. To help you keep track of your audio recordings, you can choose Recording information from the Options menu and a small window will appear. It shows how much space your saved interviews are using on your computer, whether you are recording or playing back a sound file, and the file size of the current recording.
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Technical support
User Guide
Thank you for purchasing this Focus Multimedia Product. Should you encounter any difficulties in loading or using the application we offer a comprehensive technical support service. There are five ways to obtain technical support: 1. Technical Support Helpline: 01889 570589 You can speak to someone in person between the hours of 9.30 am to 5.00 pm GMT, Monday to Friday excluding Bank Holidays. 2. FAX Service: 01889 583571 Fax us with your problem. Please be sure to state a telephone number and times we can contact you, together with as much information you can supply to aid a speedy response. 3. e-mail Autoresponder: ESS546@focusmm.co.uk Send a blank e-mail to ESS546@focusmm.co.uk and the most up to date technical information will be automatically e-mailed back to you. 4. e-mail: support@focusmm.co.uk e-mail us with your problem, together with as much information as you can supply to aid a speedy response. 5. World Wide Web: http://www.focusmm.co.uk/support Visit our Web site Technical Pages for the latest support information.
Contact details
Published by: Focus Multimedia Ltd The Studios Lea Hall Enterprise Park Wheelhouse Road Rugeley WS15 1LH UK Tel: +44 (0) 1889 570156 Enquiries: general@focusmm.co.uk Technical support: support@focusmm.co.uk Web site: http://www.focusmm.co.uk
Acknowledgements
Windows is a registered trade mark of Microsoft Corporation. QuickTime is a registered trade mark of Apple Computer Inc. All rights acknowledged. Acrobat is a trademark of Adobe Inc.

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To remove the programme from your system

How to start the programme

First time user

Saved interviews menu

How to use the programme

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