SHPE - Conference 2007 - (Page 12)

CAREERS & EMPLOYMENT T By Frances M. Correa The Top 10 Interview Questions Land the Job by Knowing How to Answer Them A t a career fair, hiring managers and recruiters have to quickly determine if you have the key qualities their companies seek. You’ll be asked a lot of questions, but do you really understand interviewer to hear it. Ask yourself: What do I want the interviewer to remember about me when I leave? You cannot afford to wing this answer, and it is not the time to discuss anything personal. The secret to successfully responding is to focus, script and practice. Use your résumé as a prop to step the interviewer through your experience. Focus on those achievements most relevant to the current position and point out pertinent key strengths. Prepare a script that includes the information you want to convey. Begin by talking about past experiences and proven successes: “I have had three internships. In my most recent experience, I particularly enjoyed the challenges that went with connecting with people and forming significant customer relationships that resulted in more rapid product development improvements.” Next mention your strengths and abilities: “My real strength is my attention to detail. I pride myself on my reputation for following through and meeting deadlines. When I commit to do something, I make sure it gets done, and on time.” Conclude with a statement about your current situation: “I’m looking for a company that values customer relations, where I can join a strong team and have a positive impact on the development of technology.” Practice your script until you feel confident about what you want to emphasize. Your script should help you stay on track, but you shouldn’t memorize it. You don’t want to sound stiff and rehearsed. It should sound natural and conversational. Even if your interview doesn’t begin with this type of question, the preparation will help you focus on what you have to offer. what motivates interviewers to ask a particular question? You will also find that you can use the information in this exercise to assist you in answering other questions. The more you can talk about your product – you – the better chance you will have at selling it. 2. What are your long-term goals? This open-ended question, and others like it (“Where do you see yourself in five years?), throw most candidates off balance. Interviewers ask this question to gain insight into your self-awareness and communication skills. No one can tell you exactly how to answer this question since your response will be based on what is important to you. However, the more focused and employer-centered you can express your goals, the better your chances will be of steering the interview in the right direction. As an example: “I have learned that long-term goals are best achieved when I break them into shorter goals. My short-term goals are to find a position that will put me in a forwardmoving company with solid performance and future projections. As part of a team, I want to add value and continue to grow the company. My long-term goal will depend on where the company goes. My plan is to move into a position of responsibility where I can lead a team.” 3. Tell me about your proudest achievement. This question (often worded as “significant accomplishment”) ranks among the most predictable and important things you’ll be asked. Interviewers want to hear how you tackle something big. It is vital that you give them an organized, articulate story. Set up the story by providing context. Recount the situation and your role in it. Next, discuss what you did, including any analysis or problem solving, any process you set up and obstacles you overcame. Finally, reveal the outcome and what made you proud. SHPE R Conference 2007 Generally, recruiters ask similar questions during most interviews, meaning that your performance is constantly being evaluated in relation to that of other candidates. Nevertheless, there are two main points you need to keep in mind. First, recruiters want to know if you have the necessary skills for the position. By really probing into what you have done in the past, they can tap into your hard skills, but they also look for evidence of soft skills necessary to succeed on the job and in the organization. Secondly, recruiters don’t just want someone skilled to do the job – they want someone genuinely excited about the company’s mission. They want to see that you understand the company and its purpose, because if it fits well with your career aspirations, you’ll naturally be motivated to stay and perform well. Hiring managers seek individuals who want to be challenged and are internally motivated to do well. As a result, they are gauging your possible fit in the company and its corporate culture and whether you’ll complement the talents of your potential coworkers in a certain department. Here are the underlying elements to consider when crafting your response to the top 10 interview questions. 1. Tell me about yourself. This is one of the most frequently asked questions, and your response will set the tone for the rest of the interview. Many feel it is the most challenging question, wondering what the interviewer really wants to know and what information they should include. Consider it a chance to tell your story exactly the way you want the 12

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of SHPE - Conference 2007

SHPE - Conference 2007 Contents President’s Letter From the Vice President Calendar Browser The Top 10 Interview Questions A Federal Case for Education Reform Managing in the Multi-Generational Work Force Ahead of Their Times: An Engineering Progression The Place to Innovate Management Growth Training Executive LeaderSHPE Institute Programs & Services Welcome Letters Highlights Conference Schedule STAR Awards Company of the Year Professional Adelante and Student Chapter Awards Speakers Professional Development Strategy SHPE Academic Olympiad AHETEMS Design Competition Morgan Stanley Web Coding Competition The Ultimate SHPE Challenge Technical Paper Competition Pre-College Symposia Graduate Program Tours Hospitality Suites Advisors Workshop Quick Guide Workshop Descriptions Sponsors and Career Fair Exhibitors Hotel and Convention Center Maps IPC Update Regional Roundup Advertisers Index Inner Circle Employer Profiles

SHPE - Conference 2007

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