The Ins and Outs of Interviewing

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Interviewing-What is it?
- A structured meeting between you and an employer

- Interviewing is a skill- like riding your bike - PRACTICE makes PERFECT Saint Louis University
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Interviewing is a two-way street

- Employers are attempting to determine if you are an appropriate fit for the job and their culture - You decide if the environment is Saint Louis University Career Services

Types of Interviews
Phone: used as an initial screen of candidates or to narrow the pool of applicants One-on-One: most common interview style and incorporates you with the potential employer Panel or Group: allows many individuals to interview you at once Meal: used to see how you interact or function in a social setting Second or On-site Interview: this allows one to get a tour of the facility, meet the staff, and additional questioningUniversity different employees from Saint Louis Career Services

Pre-Interview Preparation
Research position, company, & industry Know yourself and be able to articulate skills, strengths, accomplishments, and career goals Prepare necessary materials (Copies of resume, references, portfolio/pen, palm pilot or organizer, breath mints) Ask for directions and where to park
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Arriving
Be sure to allow yourself plenty of time to arrive at your destination (you may want to conduct a dry run prior to your interview day) Try to arrive 10-15 minutes early at the site to allow you to park, walk to the interview, use the restroom, or just gatherSaint Louis University Career Services yourself

Greeting & Introduction

Only 1 chance to make a good 1st impression Dress appropriately Smile Maintain eye contact Firm handshake Remain poised and confident
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Body Language: What signals are you sending?

Positive Signals

Negative Signals
Crossed arms = defensive Fidgeting hands or tapping feet = nervous or bored Lack of eye contact = untrustworthy

Leaning forward = interest Smiling = friendly Nodding = attentive and alert Eye contact = curious and focused

Leaning back= Saint Louis University discomfort Career Services

Types of Interview Questions

Standard or traditional

Sample Questions

Tell me about yourself? What is your greatest strength? Weakness? Why did you choose to interview with us? What did you like most about your last job? Least? What are your short and long term career goals?
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targeting your education, work experiences, and career goals

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Types of Interview Questions

Behavioral Questions

Sample Questions

-These focus on your actions and/or behaviors in a previous setting.

Describe a time you had to make a difficult decision? Tell me about a time you worked under a deadline? What do you do when a team member is not pulling his/her weight? Think about a time you made a mistake. What did you learn from it?
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- Past behavior provides clues to future behavior

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Types of Interview Questions

Inappropriate or unethical questions

Sample Questions How old are you? Do you have children? Do you have a disability? What religion do you practice?
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- Questions which probe into your private life or personal background - Questions about your ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, disabilities, marital status

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Types of Interview Questions

What type of assignments can I expect within the first year? To determine if you What do you like most about are an appropriate this company? What is the biggest fit for the company challenge facing this and position, department right now? prepare a list of What skills are you looking for in this position? questions for the What is the next course of interviewer Saint Louis University action? Services Career

Questions asked by the interviewee

Sample Questions

General Interview Strategies

-Be prepared to talk about yourself and your experiences -Master the art of storytelling -Provide specific and concrete examples of your results/accomplishments -Remain positive, enthusiastic, poised, and confident throughout the interview process
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General Interview Strategies

Remember an interview is a formal conversation--avoid filler words like Um, Ah, & You know Avoid indecisive phrases like: I think, I guess, probably, or pretty good Think before speaking Avoid long verbose answers--limit your response to 1-2 minutes If you do not hear or understand a question, Saint Louis University Career Services ask them to repeat or clarify it for you

General Interview Strategies

Remain calm, relaxed, and be yourself Try to focus on the message you are trying to convey-NOT how well you are doing!
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Dressing for Success-Men

Suit-Single or double breasted Polished shoes Solid white shirt Conservative tie Neatly groomed hair, beard, and mustache Avoid strong colognes, earrings, and body piercing Saint Louis University

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Dressing for Success-Women

Pant or skirt suit Pumps with small to medium heels Light makeup, perfume, and jewelry Wear neutral color hosiery
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FOLLOW-UP
Ask good questions Thank the interviewer Request a business card Inquire about next steps in the process
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FOLLOW-UP CONT
Send a thank you note within 24 hours Letter may be handwritten or typed; e-mail is also acceptable Tailor each one to the individual. Louis University Saint
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Final Thoughts
Remember that only 15% of the success of an interview is out of your control Take some time to reflect - Overall, how well did I do? - What went well? - What steps can I take next time to improve?Saint Louis University Career Services

Suggestions
Conduct a test run the day before the interview Practice! Practice! Practice! Obtain a list of practice interview questions and jot down short answers Stand in front of a mirror and rehearse your answers Schedule an appointment for a mock interview with Career Services Get a good nights sleep-be well rested and alert for the interview Saint Louis University Career Services Be relaxed and be yourself!

Need additional help?

Call (314) 977-2828 or email careers@slu.edu to schedule a mock interview Stop by during our walk-in hours to meet with a peer advisor if you have a quick question Schedule an appointment with a career counselor if you have a concern about Saint Louis University Career Services your career or job search

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Why did you join the hotel and tourism sector? There are two things that you can touch upon as an answer to this question. The first relates to the statistics regarding the sector. Tell your interviewers that it is a dynamic sector that is growing at a rapid pace and you want to be in the middle of the boom, the excitement and the energy.
However, before saying so, make sure that you have the required data to support your claims. What is the growth rate of the industry? What is the size of the industry? When did the boom start? Who says there is a boom? Basically, doing your homework well is advised in case you want to wax eloquent on the hotel and tourism industry The other aspect that you should always touch upon as an answer to this question is how you and your personality are well suited to this sector.

Convince the interviewers that you are made for the industry and the industry is made for you. Talking about basic traits like people skills, patience, ability to work under pressure etcetera, which are prerequisites to succeeding in the hospitality and tourism sector and how you excel at all these, should constitute a good answer.

What are the various sectors in the hotel industry? Why are they important? Knowing your text books Saint Louis University when you are faced with questions like well always helps, especially Career Services

Talk about the different sectors like house keeping, accounting, maintenance, public relations, security, sales, food and beverages, front office and accounting and give brief descriptions if asked. Say something about how each one is important for the proper functioning of a hotel. We get a lot of irate and angry customers. How do plan to deal with them? Any hotel or tourism institute worth its salt spends a lot of time teaching its students about dealing with tough customers. Checking your textbooks for answers is a good idea, but please manage to do so before the interview takes place. If you know somebody in the industry, then it would be a good idea to speak to him or her and ask about how such situations are handled real time, in the real world. If you can base your answer on these inputs, then nothing to beat it. If you have time, then give an example or two about how you dealt with an angry or bad customer in the past with tact, politeness and firmness.

Suppose you have to plan a business meeting or a party for some clients. How will you go about the task? This seems like a simple enough question, but it is more like a trick question. Many interviewees, either due to anxiety, or because of the overconfidence that comes from being asked such a simple question, mess this up by missing out an important step of the process. Think this out carefully, remember everything that you have been taught or have done and then answer this question slowly and methodically, convincing your interviewers that you can handle a situation under pressure well.

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