16 HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ARRESTED, OTHER THAN FOR TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS? Possible employer concern: New York State allows questions about convictions, but not arrests. Be prepared to deal with any negative reactions to your background. Show that you are a trustworthy person and a strong candidate for the job. Accept responsibility for any past convictions, but do not discuss them more than necessary. Be brief and truthful. Then move on. Focus on what you have done to rehabilitate yourself and discuss how your skills will make a positive contribution to the business. WHAT HOBBIES DO YOU HAVE? Possible employer concern: There’s no reason not to give a direct answer, although you’re looking for a job based on your professional skills, not your hobbies. The interviewer may simply be curious or may use this question as a transition to discuss extracurricular company events, such as a softball team. QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT ASK AN INTERVIEWER Toward the end of the interview, employers often ask, “Do you have any other questions?” This is another opportunity to demonstrate your enthusiasm for the job. You can show that you are knowledgeable about the job if you mention details the interviewer shared with you. EXAMPLES OF QUESTIONS YOU CAN ASK THE INTERVIEWER • What are some of the biggest challenges to your organization? • If I am selected for this position, what do you hope I will accomplish within the first year? • What are you looking for in an ideal job candidate? • What might a typical day look like in this position? • When do you anticipate making a hiring decision? When should I follow up? QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD NOT ASK THE INTERVIEWER • Don’t ask questions you can find answers to on the company’s website; this shows you didn’t do your research • Don’t ask questions about vacation and personal days until you’re offered the job; then you can discuss compensation PREPARE YOUR INTERVIEW ANSWERS Once you have determined the personal traits and skills you possess that best match the company and position description, you will need to organize your thoughts and main points so that your answers flow naturally. Experienced interviewers ask clever and potentially difficult questions. They usually have a short amount of time and are skilled at getting to the point. Preparing in advance allows you to deal with any pre-interview anxiety, demonstrate good communication skills and express yourself in a well-organized, professional manner. • Write down and memorize your major accomplishments ahead of time • For each accomplishment, follow the answer with a specific example; if you’re a student, use relevant coursework • For a technical interview, show that you are a logical thinker and explain your thinking • Practice your responses, preparation and practice will help you handle difficult questions • Do not get discouraged by difficult questions, you cannot think of all the questions that may be asked • Manage your body language during the interview to portray confidence and show how you interact with people DEVELOP YOUR STORIES Create a short story for each detail about your work history. Be sure to use examples from your resume, cover letter and skills that reflect the job posting you plan to highlight during the interview. Each story should be about 2-3 minutes long. People remember stories. Keep in mind that a good story can help you make your point more effectively. For example, if on your resume you say that you are able to create a budget, write a brief story about it. Include details such as why you were asked to create the budget, what your supervisor thought of the budget and how your work helped your employer. Practice saying what you wrote down. One way is to build stories in the CAR framework. CAR stands for Challenge/Context, Action and Result.
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