The interview may be described as a mutual exchange of information; a meeting of people face-to-face for evaluating or questioning a job applicant. The personal interview is used almost universally by employers as the process for identifying and selecting competent employees. Successful interviews are the result of preparation, which focuses on developing the confidence and ability to articulate personal attributes, goals, and interests. While the resume is a written presentation of an applicant's qualifications, the interview is a verbal communication of the candidate's assets and ambitions.

Recruiters are interested in probing major activities listed on the resume for appraising such qualities as: what motivates applicants, what are their values and personalities, have they considered long-range career plans, what can they offer, and, in general, do they appear to have the capability of becoming a member of an organizational team. Candidates strive to determine whether the position meets their job expectations, what opportunities exist for lateral or promotional moves, what are the areas of responsibility and support, and whether the position is compatible with professional and personal values.

There are several types of interviews depending upon the employment situation and the recruiter.

The First Interview is usually with a personnel representative, of short duration (usually one half-hour), and is the initial screening device. Creating a good impression is the key to further interviews. There is not enough time in the first interview to go into depth about the position, the employer, or about you, and the decision to proceed is based on your presentation, appearance, and style.

The Second Interview is the result of a favorable response to the first interview. Sometime after the first contact, you may be invited to have a second interview. This session is much longer duration (usually one day), and within the employer's facility. The personnel representative will introduce you to people within the organization who will make the final decision about hiring.

The second interview can take several forms. The most common format is a separate interview with each of the supervisors, a tour of the facility, and perhaps lunch, or an evening meal. The decision to extend an offer is not made until after all the candidates have completed second interviews. There are exceptions, however, occasionally someone will be so impressive that the position will be offered on the spot.

The hiring processes of some organizations consist of a series of 4-6 interviews per candidate. Business and industrial firms will generally pay the expenses incurred in all interviews beyond the first one. Non-profit organizations and government will not.

By the second interview your qualifications are generally already known, i.e. they know your educational background, and your work experience; they have reviewed your resume and/or your credentials. What had to be determined in the second interview is whether or not you'll fit in with their philosophy of management, and with other workers. They are interested in ascertaining your ambitions, motivations, and career goals. You will have the opportunity to elaborate on your skills as they relate to the position.

The Group Interview is a situation where people involved in the decision to hire will meet with you in a group setting.  This is different from the individual interview since it requires getting to know people in the group and being comfortable with them.  Occasionally, an employer will interview a group of candidates at one time to relay information about the organization and the position.  It is more difficult to evaluate the qualifications of individual candidates.  Caution should be exercised in participation in this type of group interview.  It appears to be more casual, however, the employer is already making some conclusions about candidates by their appearance, questions, and attentiveness as a member of the group.

High Tension Interviews.  Some positions demand that candidates be able to react well under stress, and employers may conduct a high tension interview to evaluate a person's reactions under stress.  High-tension interviews may take several forms.  Perhaps in the initial part of the interview things are said or done to put you in the defensive, for example, raising controversial issues, talking about your weaknesses, asking you questions that require you to apologize, etc.  Other times questions are shot at you very quickly not allowing you enough time to respond to them in an adequate way.  There is no adequate way to prepare for a high-tension interview and no neat advice available about how to handle them.  Each interview is different and the appropriate response depends on the personality of the interviewer.  Fortunately, this type of interview occurs very seldom.

The Introductory Phase.  The purpose of the introductory phase is to put the candidate at ease. The interviewer will make small talk about the weather, the weekend's football games, or anything to help the candidate relax.  When the candidate is at ease, it is possible to make a more valid evaluation of his/her qualifications.  This part of the interview may last from 2-5 minutes.

The Organizational Information Phase.  The purpose of this phase is to relay information about the employer and the position to the candidate, and may take 15 to 20 minutes.

Qualification Assessment.  In this phase, your strengths and weaknesses are evaluated as they relate to the position.  You will be asked questions about your goals and assets.  Depending on the circumstances, the assessment phase will probably last 10-20 minutes.

Termination Phase.  The purpose of this phase is to inform you of how and when to expect a response from the organization, to answer any of your remaining questions, and to close off the interview gracefully.  Usually this only lasts from one to two minutes.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE PRESENTATION

The key to successful interviewing is a sound presentation.  All successful salespeople develop personal presentations.  A successful recruiter has been training to probe until an appreciation of both strong and weak qualities of the applicant has been established. Applicants who do their own self-assessment know conclusions interviewers will likely make.  Knowing what the interviewer is likely to find, it becomes relatively easy to direct the interview towards one's strengths rather than one's weaknesses.  Instead of offering explanations and apologies for weak points, the initiative should be taken and assets presented.

Many employers will not be expert interviewers.  In this situation, a well-prepared presentation is most important because some recruiters emphasize reasons why not to hire.  Applicants should plan to support reasons why they should be hired in order to be effective.

Of the 100 people an employer may interview for a given job, why hire a particular applicant?  If this question cannot be answered the applicant is not the person for the job.  Regardless of background, one can make a strong verbal presentation for a given assignment if advance preparation is done.

Experience a Practice Interview.  You can arrange to have a staff member at the Boise State Career Center interview you.  You may choose a videotaped or a non-videotaped practice interview.  Choosing the video interview allows for a play-back period where you and the staff member can see and critique the actual interview.  Suggestions will be given to assist you in presenting yourself at your professional best.  If you choose not to be videotaped the staff member will provide an oral critique of your responses.  The videotaped, practice interview provides the best opportunity for a complete critique of all aspects of you as an interviewee.  

Review Anticipated Questions.  Look over the questions contained in this handout the night before the interview and answer them to your satisfaction.  You may want to sit down with a friend who will read you those questions plus some other questions that the friend has made up.  Answer them in all seriousness.  Sit before a mirror and see how you answer the questions.  Not only is it important that you know the appropriate answers but that you relate them in a convincing manner.  You must be careful about what your body expressions and eyes are communicating as well as what your words are saying.

Psych Yourself Up. Before the interview, sit down by yourself for 1/2 hour in your room or wherever you can be alone. Convince yourself that you would be the best person the employer could possibly hire for that position. Go over your strengths and your accomplishments. If you're not convinced that you would be an asset to the employer's organization, they probably won't be either.

Listen to Videotapes. The Boise State Career Center has available for student use videotapes to help you prepare for an interview. It is possible then to see the differences that posture, the handshake, and expressions make during an interview.

Read Articles or Books about Interviewing. The Boise State Career Center has several books and resources available on interviewing skills for student use. It may be to your advantage to review some of these before interviewing.

Get a Good Night's Sleep. Probably one of the most important preparations is to get a good night's sleep and try to relax before the interview. It is much like studying for a test. Educators recommend that in preparing for a test, you should study well in advance. The night before the actual exam, get a good night's sleep so that you will perform at your mental peak.

Preparation involves homework about the employer. Annual reports, investment services, faculty, friends, employment brochures, and present employees can all help. If it is known what the firm is seeking, the presentation should focus on all the strong points that are relevant. Following is a list that identifies some of the information one should have regarding the employer before going to the interview. Where it is impossible (after great searching) to obtain this type of information, the applicant should request some of it in the interview. Applicants having this information in advance of the interview can spend an hour or two developing a presentation that will interweave their background and interests into what the employer has to offer. Being knowledgeable about the employer before the interview leaves the applicant free to explore other possibilities in the interview. If the employer is providing information that should already have been obtained, little is being done about why the applicant should be considered further. Interest can be shown by asking relevant and pertinent questions, so it is necessary to develop a presentation that includes questions requiring specific answers about the employer.

Things to Know. Relative size of firm in the industry; Potential growth for the industry; Percent of annual growth the last 5 years; Array of product line of services; Various price points in product or service line; Who is the competition?; Age of top management; Organization structure - by product line, function, etc.; Geographical locations; Number of plants, stores, or sales outlets; Short-term profit picture; Structured or unstructured training; Average time in non-management; Recent items in the news; Structure of assets; Relocation policies; Percent of annual growth in earnings per share; Present price of stock; People you know in the firm; Formal versus on-the-job training; Typical career path in your field; Name of recruiter; Location of home office.

After learning about a company, you should write out what you believe to be the requirements of the job for which you are to be interviewed. In every job you wear many hats; that is, while a job may have one title, it usually involves other functions. Frequently you will find aspects of a previous seemingly unrelated position to qualify you for a job you are seeking. For example, an assistant manager of a hotel is involved in employee supervision, correspondence, meetings, accounting, maintenance review, and promotional work; and much of this experience would transfer to any management position. In the same respect, classes you have taken may not at first appear to be applicable to a job, but when you analyze what the functions of the job are, you often can see direct applications from what you have learned.

In recalling experiences that qualify you for a position, forget about irrelevant experiences. Assume you are a clerk applying for a position of bookkeeper in an accounting department. As a clerk you now make the coffee, distribute the mail, make out the payroll, and handle the accounts receivable. The other duties are irrelevant to the bookkeeping position. Stressing qualifications that are unimportant to the job you are seeking detracts from qualifications that are meaningful to the position.

You would not be going to an interview if you didn't feel you could perform the job. Therefore, think positively about how your personal traits, experience, and education make you the person the employer will want.

What are the qualities that will allow a person to be invited for a second interview. The National Association of Colleges and Employers posed these questions to a group of 500 employers in various sectors of the economy of various sizes and institutional styles. The results were fairly consistent across types of employers and size of institution.

Ambition and motivation; Ability to communicate; "Good" personality (Executive style); Fit with company and its goals; Creativity and intelligence; Specific college course taken; Dress and appearance; Grades, experience, initiative, and responsibility; Potential to adapt; and Teamwork capability.

Communication skills and self-confidence seem to be of overall importance, however, also critical is the candidate's appearance. A decision may be made within the first 2-3 minutes of an interview to screen someone out based solely on appearance. A person should dress for the interview as if they were going to the first day on the job. The basic attire for men who are interviewing for a professional position is a dark suit and tie; for women, a dark skirted suit is recommended. Of course it is necessary to be well groomed. The handshake is also very important. It should be strong and firm, not wishy-washy or over powering. Look the employer in the eyes, don't sulk, walk tall.

Interviewing Packet --For some positions, it is very appropriate to bring along to the interview an interviewing packet. The packet may contain such items as resume, transcript, and copies of research reports that you have done in the past. If you are applying for a position that requires writing skills, you should bring along examples of your writing. If you are applying for a position that requires art ability, you should definitely have along a portfolio of your artwork.

Use your imagination in designing the interview packet. Include within it visible, concrete examples of your skills. Be careful, however, not to use an interview packet for some employers who might not think it is appropriate. These could be banking institutions, accounting firms, investment corporations, etc. Use your own discretion in the use of an interviewing packet or ask the Boise State Career Center staff for suggestions and assistance.

Follow-up Letter -- The follow up letter is a good idea after every interview. Immediately after the interview you should send a short letter, not more than a paragraph or two, thanking the employer for the interview, reaffirming your interest, and defining the skills that you could bring to the position. The follow-up letter allows you to clear up some issues that possibly you didn't get a chance to discuss in the interview. If you left the interview feeling you were unable to sell yourself, the follow-up letter allows you the opportunity to do so. Make sure that the letter is addressed to the recruiter with whom you interviewed.

Preparatory Letter -- The preparatory letter is sent prior to the interview. If you interview on campus, send it a week before the campus interview. If it is an interview that has been arranged over the telephone, send the letter a couple of days prior to the interview. The letter contains a brief description of what position you are looking for and why you are qualified. Express that you are looking forward to meeting with the employer and to discussing career possibilities with them. Very few job hunters use the preparatory letter; it can be a valuable tool in indicating to the employer that you are highly motivated, interested, and well organized.

• Tell me about yourself. Expand on your resume.

• For what position are you applying?

• What are your long-term career goals? Where in ten years?

• Why do you feel that you will be successful in...?

• What supervisory or leadership roles have you held?

• How do you spend your spare time?

• What are your strongest (weakest) personal qualities?

• Give me some examples that support your stated interest in...(field, industry, position, or firm).

• What course did you like best? Least? Why?

• What did you gain or learn from your part-time and summer job experiences?

• Which geographic location do you prefer? Why?

• Would you prefer on-the-job training or a formal program?

• What can you do for us now? What can I do for you?

• What are your plans for graduate study?

• Why did you choose your major?

• Why are your grades low?

• Tell me about your extra-curricular activities and interests.

• Why did you quit your various jobs?

Never ask a question which is answered in the materials supplied by the employer. To do so would indicate that you have not read the information. Some general areas for consideration are:

• Where are people who formerly held the position for which you are applying?

• Questions concerning the product or services of the organization.

• Frequency and necessity of travel and relocation.

• Training programs. Opportunities for continuing personal and professional growth.

• What are the normal avenues for advancement within the organization?

• Make sure you understand what will be expected of you in the job.

• Evaluation procedure: What form and how often?

• How much contact will you have with supervisors and others in the upper levels of management?

Don't ask about salary or monetary fringe benefits in the first interview. Even in the second and third interview discretion should be used. Well phrased intelligent questions reveal to an employer a great deal about your interests, motivation, communication skills, and your thought processes. Quite frankly, sometimes an employer's materials and presentation are so complete it is difficult to think of questions that haven't already been answered. In this case it is better to ask no questions and state why you have none than to ask irrelevant and redundant questions.

NEGATIVE INTERVIEW FACTORS WHICH CAN LEAD TO REJECTION

Poor personal appearance; Overbearing, over aggressive, "Know-It-All"; Inability to express self clearly--poor grammar, diction; Lack of planning for career; No purpose and goals; Lack of interest and enthusiasm; Passive, indifferent; Lack of confidence and poise; Nervousness, ill at ease; Failure to participate in activities; Overemphasis on money; Interest only in best dollar offer; Unwilling to start at bottom; Expects too much too soon; Makes excuses; Hedges at unfavorable factors in record; Lack of tact; Lack of maturity; Lack of courtesy; Condemnation of past employers; Lack of social understanding; Late without good reason; Fails to look interviewer in the eye; Limp, fishy handshake; Indecision; Lazy, loafs during vacations; Sloppy application; Merely shopping around, no interest in company; Wants job only for short time; Little sense of humor; Lack of knowledge of field of specialization; Emphasis on whom he/she knows; Unwillingness to go where we send him/her; Cynical, intolerant, strong prejudices; Low moral standard; Narrow interest; No interest in community activities; Inability to take criticism; Lack of appreciation of the value of experience; Failure to express appreciation for the interviewer's time; Asks no questions about the job; Indefinite response to questions; Radical ideas.

Boise State Career Center 1173 University Drive (208) 426-1747 E-mail: career@boisestate.edu Web site: career.boisestate.edu Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. M-F