employers only evaluate

Job Interviewby Jennifer H. Hsiang [email protected]

Job Interview Introduction The function of interview Preparation Dress smartly Body language Important tips Interviewed by a foreign enterprise

Job Interview Get yourselves prepared for these questions Questions for you to ask How to impress the company ? Follow-ups What kind of company is right for you ?

Introduction 95% of the jobs require an interview.

Dont think the employers only evaluate you by the answer you give to their questions. If they do, reading your CV is good enough to make that decision.

Most of the supervisors believe that they can know a lot more about job applicants through an interview.

The Function of Interview To evaluate your future potentials, possible advancement.

To know if the job applicants can work well with their co-workers.

To observe job applicants non-verbal communication skills.

The Function of Interview Remember, no matter what questions are asked in an interview, the purpose of these questions is for the interviewer to evaluate -

if you have the skill, experience, training and interest necessary to fulfill the requirements of the position.

if you fit the job and their corporate culture (company personality)

if you are hired, are you going to remain with the employer for at least several years ?

Preparation After you have made contact with an employer and scheduled an interview, you will need to do some preparation.

Interview is not only a conversation, the purpose of questions asked by interviewer are for employers to judge if youre the best candidate for the position.

Preparation To prepare your answers to the questions most likely to be asked, you will need to know more about the company before the interview

Surf the internet to find and go through the website of the company. (company history, products, market)

Read the recruitment advertisement again to find out what qualifications are the most wanted for this position.

Preparation An interview may include:

IQ Test Aptitude test Written examination Oral examination

Preparation First, purchase a presentation folder (twin-pocket portfolio folder).

Place in the folder a copy of your resume, autobiography, certificates, reference, samples of your work.

Be prepared to leave the folder with the employer.

By preparing this folder, you demonstrate outstanding planning, organizing, and presentation skills.

Preparation You should also purchase a small notebook to take notes during the interview.

You should take notes when interviewer - 1. mentions about the responsibilities of the position 2. tells you about the companys background 3. asks you to provide some additional information. (ex. University transcript) When you make a note of above mentioned matters, it again emphasizes your organizational ability.

Preparation Would you please tell me about yourself? is one of the most feared questions asked in an interview. Prepare a three-minute self-introduction including your - working experience - skills - educational background.

Next slide will help you prepare for the introduction.

Preparation Do you really understand yourself ? Do you have an answer for the following questions ?

What are the strengths in my working experience, educational background and skills directly related to this job ?

What qualification and skills I have will impress the interviewer ?

What qualification and skills I have can demonstrate my future potentials ?

Preparation To simulate an interview

Prepare and memorize the answer for possible questions asked in an interview. Record your answer with a recording device. (audio recorder / digital camera / camcorder) Ask opinion from a friend. practice, practice and practice. Attend all the interviews you can.

Dress smartly A growing number of firms realize that their employees appearance is important. Therefore, many companies are introducing dress codes for their staff.

Your potential employer gets the first impression by the way you dress, so dont overlook the importance of it.

Your dress also tells the company if you know how to dress properly in a business situation.

Dress smartly Appropriate clothing need not be expensive.

Often the person interviewing you will be older and more conservative than you. It is usually best to dress a bit more conservative.

Some of the dress or jewelry items that your friends think are cool may not be viewed the same way by the interviewer.

The rule of appropriate dress in an interview is to dress as you would if you were employed in the position for which you are applying

Dress smartly For a female interview applicant -

Business dress modest in length, color and style. Business suit or a skirt and a blouse are suggested.

Stockings should complement your outfit if the interviewers attention is drawn to them, they are not appropriate.

Shoes should be clean, polished, and in good repair usually a low heel is appropriate. Do not wear slippers*.


Nails should be modest in length and natural in color.

Tattoos on the arms should be covered by wearing long sleeves.

Minimal jewelry such as a watch, ring, plain necklace, or pin are in good taste. Do not wear more than two earrings per ear, nor should earrings be too large or long. Avoid noisy jewelry, such as clanging bracelets.


Undergarments should never be seen through or below ones outer clothing.

Clothing that is normally worn to parties, weddings is not appropriate for an interview.

Perfume / cologne that has a slight scent and cannot be noticed more than three feet away is appropriate.


Makeup should be modestly applied.

Hair should be styled conservatively, and long, straight hair should be styled in such a way that is not constantly being brushed back from the applicants face.

If you have bad breath or an armpit odor, consider using deodorant.

Dress smartly For a male interview applicant -

Clean, pressed pants in a conservative color are appropriate.

A shirt with a collar, pressed, tucked in, and in a color that matches or coordinates with the pants is in good taste.

More formal business dress is required if those on the job wear coats or suits and ties.

Dress smartly For a male interview applicant -

Any tattoos on the arms should be covered by wearing long-sleeved shirts.

Socks that are nearly the same color as the pants should be worn. (not white athletic socks)

Casual shoes, leather, low-top, clean and shines are appropriate.

Dress smartly For a male interview applicant

Nails should be cleaned and trimmed.

You should be freshly shaven with hair, beard, and / or facial hair styles similar to those worn by the majority of workers in the department of the company where you are applying.

Use a deodorant, and if you wish, a mildly scented aftershave lotion (no strong colognes).

Dress smartly For a male interview applicant

Wear minimal jewelry a watch and one ring are OK and modest earrings only if commonly worn on the job by other employees.

Its OK to wear a colorful / patterned tie.

Body Language Your potential employer will observe your personality, your communication skills and if you are a responsible person in this interview.

Your body language is the answer to above question.

Body Language Knock before opening interviewers door.

Close the door with caution w/o banging the door.

Wear a smile when you walk in.

Handshaking is a very important manner in business. 1. the bone crusher handshake 2. the dead fish handshake 3. the upper hand handshake 4. the two-handed handshake 5. the firm handshake

Body Language Handshaking is a very important manner in business.

1. Women should offer to shake hands only if the interviewer extends his/ her hand.2. Men should extend a firm handshake to another man.3. Men should wait to have a hand extended by a woman interviewer.

Body Language Wait to be asked to be seated.

Dont look down.

Look straight. Maintain eye contact with the interviewer. (very important)

Dont fold your arms.

Dont cross your legs.

Body Language Sit up straight in the chair. Lean forward in your chair.

Dont lean back in your chair.

Keep your hands still.

Dont open your mouth until youre ready to say something.

Smile frequently during the interview.

Body Language Be positive in your comments, outlook, and attitude.

Avoid chewing gum or eat candies.

Dont smoke or even smell of smoke during the interview the majority of employers dont smoke.

Body Language Six things you dont suppose to do in an interview -

Dont put your bag on the desk. Dont start a topic. Normally interviewers will decide what topics to talk about. Dont interrupt or argue with interviewer. Dont complain or criticize previous employers. Dont make suggestions unless youre asked to.

Important Tips 1. Plan on arriving 10 minutes before it is scheduled.

2. Be sure you know the exact location (building and office) where the interview is to be held.

3. Consider traffic conditions at the time the interview is planned.

Important Tips4. Be careful, you may take the same route your co-workers, the interviewer, even your future boss take. Watch your manner.

5. Go to the restroom and make yourself presentable Male Comb your hair if you ride a motorcycle to an interview,. Female Check your makeup. Dont look at yourself during an interview.

Important Tips6. When you arrive for the interview, give the receptionist your name and tell him/her the name of the person who is expecting you (which you have memorized) and the scheduled time for your interview.

7. Anticipate a wait longer than 10 minutes. Interviews that go well often last longer than originally expected, and so the interviewer runs past the appointed time.

8. While waiting in the reception area before being interviewed, review your answer against anticipated questions.

Important Tips9. If you dont understand a question, ask the interviewer to say it again or ask a question to clarify your doubts. Dont pretend you understand it.

10. Answer questions at a proper speed not too fast or too slow. Your voice should be loud enough for interviewer to hear it.

11. Answer questions with clear, concise and logical sentences (listing, cause and effects, time sequence).

Interviewed by Foreign EnterpriseFirst impressions are important. Make sure your telephone message is professional in its entirety.

The message you leave on your answering device / voice mail should be concise, contain correct grammar, be easily understood.

Here is an example for your reference - Hello, you have reached (telephone number). Im not available to take your call right now. Please leave your name, number, and the time you call. Ill return your call as soon as possible.

Interviewed by Foreign Enterprise A way to check is to have someone you respect and who is familiar with good business practices perhaps a family member or neighbor who is in business call your number and see if they think your message is appropriate.

When youre called into the office to be interviewed, address the interviewer by name using Ms. / Mr. and smile.

Interviewed by Foreign Enterprise To start an interview

Hi ! My name is Barbara Chen. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be interviewed.

* Optional: Do you mind if I ask your English name ?

Get yourselves prepared for these questions Im going to introduce some frequently asked questions and suggested answer for you to prepare for your interviews.

However your responses should be personalized to you and your qualifications.

Get yourselves prepared for these questions Warm-up type of questions

How do you do ? How do you get to our company ? Where were you born ? Where are you from ? Where do you live ? Could you tell me a bit about your family ?

Get yourselves prepared for these questions Warm-up type of questions

So, tell me about your family ? How many people are there in your family ? Please tell me about yourself. Please give me a brief introduction about yourself in 3 minutes.

Get yourselves prepared for these questions Regarding your qualifications:

What are your strongest skills ? Possible answer: I believe my strongest skills are

Why should we hire you ? Possible answer: By hiring me you will be getting

Will you please tell me about any training that relates to this job ?

Get yourselves prepared for these questions Regarding your qualifications

Please describe your work experience. Tell me about your previous jobs ? What sort of companies did you work for ? What was your position ? Are you interested in your job ? How do you like your job ?

Get yourselves prepared for these questions Regarding your previous jobs How long have you been with that company ? Why did you quit ? What made you decide to change jobs ? Have you applied for a similar post to any other companies ? * Why do you want to join us ?

Get yourselves prepared for these questions Regarding your previous jobs:

Describe your best and worst bosses ?

Suggested response: Ive not had any really bad bosses. The best bosses give clear instructions, let me use my initiative, are always available for questions. I think I would like to be a supervisor some day.

Get yourselves prepared for these questions Have you down any research about this job ?

What do you know about this job ? suggested response: I downloaded . from the internet

Why do you want to work for this company ? suggested response: I found that you are one of the fastest growing xxx firm according to the xxxx, I see long-term opportunities and possible promotions in this job)

Get yourselves prepared for these questions Regarding your educational background

To a candidate with several years working experience: 1. What was your major in college ? 2. What did you study in college ?

To a newly graduate: 1. Were you a member of any student club in school ? 2. Were you ever involved in any student organization ? 3. Did you ever do any part-time job ? 4. What was your favorite part-time job ?

Get yourselves prepared for these questions Regarding your career objectives:

What do you want to be doing in 15 years ? What kind of work interest you the most ? What are your salary expectations for the future, say 5 years ? What motivates you ? Do you consider yourself a leader or a follower ? Do you plan to continue your education ? *

Get yourselves prepared for these questions Regarding your character:

What kind of personality do you have ?What types of things irritate you about co-workers ?If you had to choose one word to describe your personality, what would it be ?Whats most important to you ?Are you OK working for a younger supervisor ?Can you work under pressure ?What have you learned from your mistakes ?What type of things do friends or family criticize you about ?

Get yourselves prepared for these questions Regarding your character

What do you think your strengths and weaknesses ? suggested response: My strengths are to work as a team member, take instruction, learn, quickly and constantly look for better ways to complete assignments. Perhaps a weakness might by that I sometimes work on a project until its perfect. Im beginning to realize that this is not always practical from a time management point of view and it may give my co-workers too much pressure.

Get yourselves prepared for these questions Regarding your outlook

What do you think influenced you the most when you were growing up ? Did you have any role models ? What do you think is the most important thing for you to be happy ? What attitude do you take towards life ?

Get yourselves prepared for these questions Regarding your interests

What are your interests ? Do you have any special interests ? What are your hobbies ? What do you do with your free time ?

Get yourselves prepared for these questions Regarding your expectation about salary

What salary would you expect ? How much do you hope to get a month ? What starting salary would you expect here ?

Get yourselves prepared for these questions Difficult questions

If another employee asked you to sign him in/out, how would you handle this ?

If your boss asks you to do some birthday shopping for his son on your lunch hour, what would your response be ?

Get yourselves prepared for these questions Difficult questions

What are your greatest weaknesses ? suggested response: Sometimes I become impatient with coworkers when they are late on schedule, but usually I try to find out whats going on . My writing skills are not quite as good as they should be.

Get yourselves prepared for these questionsStart a sentence

As you can see from my CV, I After I obtained my diploma in 200-As a sales assistant, I was responsible for the .Recently I The results of my .. Have been excellent. ..

Questions for You to Ask You should ask some questions during the interview and at the end. (The best time to ask questions formally is at the end of the interview.)

Dont ask more than three questions.

You can gain some valuable information about the job, company and supervisor from the answer to the questions.

Questions for You to Ask Doing this will let the interviewer know that you are sincerely interested in the position.

This will assist you in deciding whether you want to work for this company when a job offer is made.

Questions for You to Ask Ask questions politely

Could you tell me - - this is a new position or did someone leave ? - what skills are most critical in this job ? - what type of person would be most successful in this position ?Could you describe in more detail the responsibilities of the job ?

Questions for You to Ask The appropriate questions

How is someone evaluated on their performance in this position.I would like to know whether you think I am suitable to this job ?What is the future prospects of this job ?When might I expect to learn of your decision about filling this position ?

How to impress the company ?Thank the interviewer again when the interview is concluded.Express an interest in the position.Ask when you might learn of the decision about filling it.Shake hands, if appropriate and leave.Smile and say goodbye to the receptionist on the way out.

Follow-ups Write a thank-you e-mail/ express letter to the interviewer within 24 hours.

Most applicants dont follow up the interview. This thank-you note will make you stand out.

The principles of the letter are stated in next slide.

Follow-ups The principles of the letter are

1. to demonstrate courtesy 2. to express continued interest in the position 3. to provide additional information regarding your qualifications that you might have forgotten to state during the interview. 4. to make up any mistakes you made in the interview.

Follow-ups example of the follow-up e-mail / letter (with correct format*) I enjoyed the opportunity to meet with you regarding the xxx position.

One of the things that I failed to mention to you during the interview is that In addition

It is exciting to be considered for the position at xxx. I do hope that you will call me if you have any additional questions.

To: Ms Julia Roberts / Position / ABC CompanyFrom: Jennifer Hsiang

Re: follow-up on my interview dated Mar. 1st

Dear Ms Roberts,(CONTENTS)

Sincerely yours,Jennifer H. HsiangHome: (02)25551212 Cellphone: 0912-345678Date: Mar. 2nd

Follow-ups A second interview and/ or a third interview

The higher position you apply, the more interviews you may need to attend in order to get the job.

Normally the first interview is down by HR people. The second interview may be down by your supervisor. If you apply for a very important or managerial position, the owner of the company will do the final interview.

What kind of company is right for you ? The future prospect of this industry The companys current situation Salary Position Possible promotion /Future advancement Working hours Company location

Reference Handshake by Peter Viney & Karen Viney

Market leader by David Cotton

International Express Liz Taylor

Resumes, cover letters & Interviewing by Clifford W. Eischen & Lynn A. Eischen

THE END !