9.

Speaking: Job Interview Preparations

Subjects
1. The Job
2. Potential Interview Questions
3. Interview Answers
4. Inappropriate Questions
5. Interview Day Preparation
6. Interview Game Plan
7. Interview Wrap
8. How to Dress for Job Interview
9. Interview Question Bank

Goals
By understanding a-z steps of job interview preparations, students can be able to
express their English spoken language well by answering some questions faced in future job
interview.

1. Job Description
Each job announcement or job advertisement may include any combination of a description
of the job, job applicant qualifications and desired qualities. And these are the keys to
preparing for the interview.
On a job announcement or job advertisement, these keys may be found under headings such
as:
 Position
 Qualifications
 The Duties
 The Requirements
 The Job

Here's a description for a supervisory job:

"The ideal candidate will possess excellent leadership, managerial, communications and inter-
personal skills. The candidate should be a self-starter, team player, as well as promote
teamwork among others, have a strong customer orientation, is approachable, and effective
and creative problem solver, and establishes and maintains effective working relationships .
. ."
The underlined words above are the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's)identified for this
job.
 Knowledge - information applied directly to the performance of a function. For
example, supervision is a knowledge.
 Skills - learned acts. In the example above, we have managerial skills. Other
examples include operating a personal computer, using a firearm or operating a
backhoe.
 Abilities - performance of behavior that you can see. In the description above,
communications is an ability.

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2. Potential Interview Questions
1. Think about the knowledge, skills and abilities specific to the job that you are interviewing
for. Write possible questions for the specific requirements and "hot topics".
2. Study the KSA questions and create mock or practice interviews.
3. Ask your friend, roommate, significant other, spouse, or coworker to help you. You'll
benefit from having somebody else help you because: 1) you'll have to think on your feet,
because you won't know what the questions are; and 2) you can receive feedback on
your body language (posture, the pitch of your voice, hand movements), content, and
the clarity of your answers.
4. Practice, practice, practice. One practice interview is not enough. If you have somebody
help you, have at least three practice interviews. You'll be able to use their feedback to
correct mistakes, strengthen weaknesses, and build upon strengths.
5. Use your experience from previous interviews to help you on this interview.

3. Interview Answers
The interview focuses on "what you say" and "how you say it". In this step, we focus on
"what to say".
You're going to be asked about:
 What you know - about your work experience, education, training, goals, character,
personal qualities, the job that you're seeking, the company that you're interviewing
for, and the knowledges required to perform the job that you're seeking.
 Identify a problem or issue - given a situation, find the problem or issue. The
question may focus on a situation that you've handled in the past or how you would
handle a hypothetical situation.
 Identify a solution - given the problem or issue, how do you proceed? The question
may focus on a problem or issue that you've handled in the past or how you would
proceed in a hypothetical situation.

Key success points to remember:

 The most qualified person to do a job is someone who has already done the job. As
you answer the interview questions, cite your work and life experiences in examples
to reinforce to the interviewers that you've already done what they're looking for, and
you've done it successfully.
 The interview will typically focus on the KSA's you've identified. If the interviewers
start the interview with a description of the job, you may learn more about the job.

 Try to use the same wording as the KSA's.

If you use different wording, then you are depending on the interviewers to make the
connection between the words you use and the KSA's. For example, if the job requires
someone to supervise, use the word "supervise" and not the word "manage".
 Do you know the company and the job that you're interviewing for? Check financial
sources, annual reports, and news media for information on the company, their culture
and current events. If possible, visit the company, their stores or offices to get a sense
of the culture and dress code.
 What salary are you seeking? What's the appropriate salary for the job that you're
seeking, for your geographic area and for your industry. Check Salary.com for free
salary information. Don't guess. A guess or inaccurate information can cost you real
money. To go a step further, find out what you're worth with a report based on your
experience and qualifications.
 Be concise, logical and to the point. Use short sentences.

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  Don't use limiting words, such as only or just. For example, I "only" supervise five
employees. You're making an assumption that five employees is a small number. The
fact is that you don't know what the interviewers consider as a small number and what
is a large number.
 Use appropriate wording. You won’t receive extra points for every word that has more
than 10 letters. Use technical terms only when appropriate to the question.

4. Inappropriate Questions
State and Federal laws govern the interview process and inappropriate questions. These
policies are usually available from the personnel or human resources department.
Interviews should be based on "job-related" criteria and questions based on those criteria. If
you've been asked an illegal question, talk to the personnel or human resources department
or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/age.html

Here are examples of inappropriate topics and questions:

 Age: What’s your age?
 Conditions of work: Does your family approve of your travel?
 Criminal Record: When was the last time you were arrested?
 Ethnic origin of last name: Is your last name Japanese?
 Gender: Are you female?
 Language: Do you speak English at home?
 Marital Status: Are you divorced?
 Name/Title: Is that Ms. or Mrs.?
 National origin: Are you Chinese or Japanese?
 Race: What race are you?
 Relatives: Is your husband employed?
 Religion: Are you Catholic?
 Residence: How can you handle the long commute?
 Sexual preference: Are you gay?

5. Interview Day Preparation

 You should be ready by the day before the interview. Complete your preparation the
day before the interview.
 Get your rest.
 Don’t get distracted or excited by little things, don’t schedule meetings over
controversial issues, or do anything that might break your concentration.
 Taking into account the time of your interview and traffic, go early to find parking and
make sure that you have money for parking meters.
 Dress appropriately. If you're applying for a job where you haven't worked before,
visit the offices of facilities. See what other employees in positions similar to the one
that you're seeking are wearing. Dress at least at that level or higher. Don't visit on
a Friday, you may find yourself dressing for casual Friday.
 Be early. If the interviewers are ahead of schedule, they'll appreciate the opportunity
to get an early start.

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6. Interview Game Plan
Here are the top tips:
 Don’t smoke, chew gum, tobacco, or anything else.
 Make a positive and professional first impression by being assertive and giving a firm
handshake to each interviewer and addressing each interviewer as they are
introduced.
 Reinforce your professionalism and your ability to communicate effectively by speaking
clearly and avoiding "uhs", "you knows", and slang.
 Use appropriate wording. You won’t receive extra points for every word that has more
than 10 letters. Use technical terms only when appropriate to the question.
 Use positive words. Instead of "if", "I think", "I feel" and "I wish" use "when", "I am"
and "I would"
 Establish rapport by relating to each interviewer. Note the wording that is used by
each interviewer and when appropriate use similar words. Maintain eye contact with
each of the interviewers throughout the interview.
 Sit comfortably. Sit erectly, but don’t sit stiffly or sprawl over the chair.
 Project confidence and a positive attitude. Maintain awareness of your voice, posture,
energy level, and enthusiasm. Make hand gestures to emphasize important points, but
avoid distracting gestures or making too many hand gestures.
 Smile confidently, but not to the point where you would appear to be too
casual. Smiling will also help you relax and establish a rapport with the interviewers.
 Emphasize your strengths and qualifications that make a compelling reason that you
are the ideal person for the job.
 Don’t dominate the interview. Time does not equal quality.
 Manage weaknesses or barriers so that they appear to be indications of your strengths.
 Be attentive. Listen to each question carefully and don’t interrupt. If you aren't sure
of what is being asked, politely request that the question be repeated.
 Close the interview with a strong closing statement of your qualifications for the job.
 Thank the interviewers. Shake their hands individually and thank each interviewer by
name.

7. Interview Wrap
The Interview Wrap captures the important points of your interview.
This probably wasn't your first interview and it probably won't be your last interview.
If you want to improve, learn from this interview and use what you learn on future interviews.

 Write down the questions.

 Review your responses. What would you have worded or answered differently? Why
would you have answered differently? And what would be a more appropriate answer?
 Review your own behavior during the interview. Did you fidget? Use any "uh's" or
"you know's"? Did you smile? Did you use hand gestures to emphasize important
points?
 Did you establish a rapport with the interviewers? How did they act during the
interview?
 Did you carry out the "Interview Game Plan"?

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8. How to Dress for Job Interview
There are many things in life that we have no control over. One thing you can take charge
of is your image; you actually have a monopoly on it. Avoid the pitfalls of a harried image
with these tips:

 Attract, don't distract. Look businesslike, yet stylish, not boring like a corporate filing
cabinet. Wear a fashionable suit or dressy tailored separates that appear as a well-
coordinated outfit. A tailored jacket, one that fits you well, is the essential power
garment to any separates outfit, even a casual one.
 Warrior-ize your wardrobe. Win the time war, organize your closet so that your
business clothing is separated from your social apparel. At all times, have at least
three complete outfits (business casual or traditional business) pressed and ready to
wear - outfits that empower you, making you feel like a million.
 Wear Winning Armor. Long sleeves are essential to a take-me-serious look. We've
already discussed the power of a tailored jacket. It's your armor. But if dealing with
a more casual situation, wear long sleeves. Bare arms target you for sharks or cause
you to be discounted. Sleeveless garments worn in the workplace mark a woman as
a socialite, not a serious businesswoman. Short-sleeve shirts worn for business
relegate a man to the second string.
 Get a Leg Up. Wearing socks or hosiery is non-negotiable. Naked feet (and/or bare
legs) do not command respect in a business environment. Save that look for your
social time.
 Put Your Best Foot Forward. Shoes tell your secrets; they are the strongest indicators
of your socioeconomic status. For business wear, shoe styles must be closed-toe and
closed-heel and they must be in mint condition. Nicked heels, scruffy toes, or
unpolished footwear scream failure.
 Successful. A successful image attracts greater success. And success leaves clues in
your physical image. Buy the best quality garments and accessories that you can
afford. Have goals to get ahead and work them by dressing for the job you want, not
the one you have.
 Have perfect timing. Wear a metal watch; it adds enduring strength and power to any
business image - male and female.
 Exude Confidence. Stand tall, with your shoulders back. To be perceived as confident,
women must wear tastefully applied makeup. In our society, well-applied makeup
conveys high self-esteem and confidence. It says that you pay attention to
details. Women who consistently wear tastefully applied makeup earn 20 to 30%
higher incomes. For both men and women, be sure to finish your face with a smile.
 Get A-head. A stylish haircut is essential to a professional image. A great hair cut
saves you time; it's far easier to style. Hair is a readable barometer. Avoid becoming
freeze dried in the past with an out-dated style.
 Breathe powerfully. Accumulated stress shows in your body via your breathing. The
more stressed you are, the more you tend to breathe shallowly. Take several time
outs each day to do power breathing exercises. Let your mind go, and breathe in and
out - from your lower abdomen - for three full minutes at a time. Then watch your
energy be revitalized. Your skin and eyes will look refreshed. And your posture will
return to a power position.

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9. Interview Question Bank

The Interview Question Bank lists possible interview questions by key job skills, knowledges
and abilities, so interview questions for each interview are based on the skills, knowledges,
and abilities required to perform the job.
The examples are as follows:

First Job
 How has your education prepared you for this position?
 Which courses that you took will contribute the most to your effective performance in
this job?
 What was the single most important lesson that you have learned in school?
 What do you like the most about the career that you're seeking?
 What do you like the least about the career that you're seeking?
 Why did you choose the college that you attended?
 Why did you select the major that you selected?
 Tell us about your extra-curricular activities in school?
 What aspects of your education will assist you in the job that you are seeking?
 How will your degree help you succeed in the job that you are interviewing for?
 If we were to ask your professors what single quality that you possess is the most
outstanding, what would they say?

Accuracy
 How accurate are you when you are performing your work?
 Give us an example of your accuracy.
 What is the secret to your ability to do your work accurately?

Analytical Skills
 Are you analytical? Give us one example of your analytical abilities.
 Tell us about your analytical skills.
 Interview Question Bank
 Tell us about a particularly difficult problem that you analyzed and what was your
recommendation.
 What steps do you take when analyzing complex problems?

 How would you rate your analytical ability? Why?

 How would your manager rate your analytical ability?
 Tell us about a situation where the analysis that you performed was incorrect. What
would you have done differently?

Career Goals
 Where do you want to be 5 years from now in your career?
 What are your long term career goals?
 What prompted you to take your current job?
 Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
 Why did you make a career change?
 Why do you want to leave your current position?
 Five years ago, where did you see yourself today?
 What is your career goal?

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Confidence
 How confident are you that you can successfully perform the duties of this position
and why?
 Tell us about a situation that would demonstrate the level of confidence that you have
in yourself.
 Tell us about a situation that would demonstrate the level of confidence your manager
has in you.
 Tell us about a situation that would show the confidence your coworkers have in you.

Creativity
 Are you creative?
 Give us an example of your creativity.
 Describe a situation where you came up with a creative solution to a problem.

Detail
 How well do your work with detail information?
 Give us an example of how detail-oriented you are.
 Do you prefer to work with detail or with general information?

Discipline
 Have you ever terminated or suspended an employee?
 Tell us about your most recent experience in disciplining an employee.
 What do you find difficult in disciplining employees?
 Name the steps involved in disciplining an employee.
 Tell us about an employee that you've terminated.
 What is progressive discipline?
 What are the steps involved in progressive discipline?
 What is the purpose of discipline?
 To what extent, if any, should an employee’s good performance be considered in a
discipline?
 In order to properly document a discipline, what facts should be included in the
documentation?
 What role does documentation serve in the disciplinary process?
 What factors should be considered when applying discipline?
 Under what circumstances might a disciplinary action be overturned?
 Have you ever had a discipline overturned? Why?

Education
 How does your experience and education qualify you for this job?
 How does your education qualify you for this job?
 Why did you choose to attend the college that you are attending?
 What aspect of your education applies to this position?
 What training have you received that qualifies you for this job?
 What have you done outside of formal education to improve yourself?
 What training opportunities have you taken advantage of and why?
 What additional training will we have to provide for you if we hire you?

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Experience
 Tell us about yourself.
Focus on the aspects of your experience that apply specifically to the position that
you're applying for.
 How are you qualified for this job?
 How does your current job qualify you for this position?
 How does your experience qualify you for this job?
 Describe a typical day at your present position.
 What were your three greatest accomplishments on your last job?
 What are some of the things on your current job you have done well?
 What is the most difficult assignment you have had?
 What accomplishment on the job are you the most proud of?
 What steps have you taken to improve your job skills?
 What significant contributions have you made to the operation of your work group?
 How has your current position prepared you to take on greater responsibilities?
 What makes you more qualified than the other candidates?
 Why do you want to leave your current job?
 How has your job prepared you to take on greater responsibility?
 Tell us about your qualifications for this position.
 What actions have you taken in the past 10 years to prepare you for this position?
 What steps have you taken in the past two years to improve your qualifications?
 In the areas where your experience falls short for this job, what steps will you take to
make up for this shortfall?
 What skills and abilities do you have?
 Recall an incident where you made a major mistake. What did you do after the mistake
was made? What did you learn from this mistake?
 What is the greatest failure you've had? What would you have done differently?
 What action on the job are you the least proud of?
 Tell us about a difficult situation that you encountered and how you resolved it.

Leadership
 Define leadership?
 What personal qualities should a leader have?
 What is your strongest leadership skill and how will it assist you for this job?
 Provide us with an example of your leadership ability.
 Discuss the different styles of leadership.
 What is the importance of leadership in the organization?
 What role does leadership play for a supervisor or manager?

Interview Closing
 Do you have anything to add?
Summarize by emphasizing your qualifications as they apply to this job. Also, cover
anything that you missed from your opening.
 Is there anything you’d like to address?
 Have we missed something that you’d like to add?
 Is there anything else?
 Is there anything you would like to add?
 Do you have any questions?
 Do you have any closing comments?

LESTA-English Subjects and Exercises for Geophysical Engineering 8

Exercises

 Learn the a-z steps and tips of job interview categories.

 Learn the Interview Question Bank and prepare the answers well according to your
Knowledge, Skill, and Ability.
 Practice answering the job interview.

References

Allen, Jeffrey G. 2004. The Complete Q & A Job Interview Book. UK: John Wiley and Sons,
Inc.

Beatty, Richard H. 2006. The Ultimate Job Search: Intelligent Strategies to Get the Right
Job Fast. Indianapolis: JIST Works.

Bennie, Michael. 2009. A Guide to Good Business Communication: How to Write and Speak
English Well in Every Business Situation. UK: How to Books, Ltd.

Corfield, Rebecca. 2009. Successful Interview Skills: How to Prepare, Answer Tough
Questions and Get Your Ideal Job. London: Kogan Page.

Vennapoosa, Candra. 2009. A Guide to Good Business Communication: How to Write and
Speak English Well in Every Business Situation. UK: How to Books, Ltd.

Thank You

DON’T BE OVERJOYED BEFORE YOU ARE ENTIRELY OUT OF DIFFICULTY.

LESTA-English Subjects and Exercises for Geophysical Engineering 9