BRUSH-UP ON YOUR

INTERVIEW SKILLS

Workshop speaker: Ms. Mayssa Souissi

Associate English Language Teacher
Soft Skills Trainer
Direct Poll
 Outcomes

• Prepare
• Practice
• Polish
• Group activity: Mock interview
 Why
interviews
matter?
What is an interviewer looking
for?
Breakdown of your
first interview

25%
To learn more about
the company

75%
To sell yourself to the
employer
PREPARE
What do I know about the company?
Practice
 Credentials: What is your greatest strength?

 Experience: Tell me about your internship at

{organization name}.

 Behavior: Tell me about a time when you

worked with a team to solve a problem.

 Opinion: What do you think about our recent

acquisition of {organization name}?

 Case/Brainteaser: Why are manhole covers

round?
Do you know how to answer?
 Consider why the interviewer is asking this question

 Expand answers, avoid yes and no…give details,

examples, tangible results!

 Tie in strengths to jobs and activities

 Weaknesses - go full circle

 If stumped, buy a minute or say,

“ I am uncertain, but this is what I might do...”
 Answering behavior-based
questions
• Use the STAR technique!

– S-Situation

– T-Task

– A-Action

– R-Result
 Tell me about a time when you…

• … worked with a team to solve a problem.

• Interviewee #1: “I did a lot of group work in
my ‘Contemporary Issues in Education’
class”

• Interviewee #2 uses the STAR technique…

• S-Situation

I was asked to collaborate with other teachers to develop an interdisciplinary

unit

• T-Task

The unit had to be on China

• A-Action

I helped lead the group with a plan to meet once a week to develop our unit.
In the weekly meetings, I took on a leadership role to organize the
meetings. I asked each person in our group to take on a part of the project,
where they could use their expertise. Each week, everyone in the group
contributed.

• R-Result

We developed an extensive Unit that was approved by the school leadership

and then was integrated into the overall curriculum. The students enjoyed
the unit.
 Questions for the interviewer

•Sample questions:

– Tell me about a typical day for a {job title}

– What are you looking for in the ideal

candidate for this position?

– What is your favorite thing about working

for this organization? Least favorite?
POLISH
 Communication style
Tone
Speed of speaking/Clarity

 Body language
Eye contact
Fidgeting
Hand gestures
Posture
 Appearance
Interview dress
Grooming
Accessories

 Overall presentation
Motivation
Confidence
Interest
Preparedness
• Be on time
• Be positive and enthusiastic
• Maintain eye contact and a good posture
(be aware of body language!)
• Do not take notes
• SMILE!
• Make sure the cell phone/blackberry is
OFF
 Have an appropriate e-mail address on your
resume/cover letter – and voicemail message
on your home, cell, room, etc.

 Professional on-line presence: Facebook,

LinkedIn, Twitter?
Make sure your Facebook profile picture is
appropriate, untag yourself in photos, and check your
profile settings