Job Interview Presentation

  Check for Plagiarism.

you need to go online and find a posting for a job that you would be a good candidate for once you graduate from Brooklyn College. In other words, you should look for job postings that require a college degree. You can find such postings on CareerBuilder, Indeed, ZipRecruiter and many other online job search sites.

Once you have found a suitable job posting, you should create the manuscript for a 12-15 minutes long job interview between you (the applicant) and an interviewer. In other words, we assume that you just graduated from College, applied for the position, and were invited for an interview. You are required to submit a copy of the original job posting and your resume with the completed assignment. A 12-15 minutes long job interview corresponds to a manuscript of approximately 1,200-1,500 words.

Assignment#1: Job Interview Presentation

For the purpose of this assignment, you need to go online and find a posting for a job that you would be a good candidate for once you graduate from Brooklyn College. In other words, you should look for job postings that require a college degree. You can find such postings on CareerBuilder, Indeed, ZipRecruiter and many other online job search sites.

Once you have found a suitable job posting, you should create the manuscript for a 12-15 minutes long job interview between you (the applicant) and an interviewer. In other words, we assume that you just graduated from College, applied for the position, and were invited for an interview. You are required to submit a copy of the original job posting and your resume with the completed assignment. A 12-15 minutes long job interview corresponds to a manuscript of approximately 1,200-1,500 words.

By manuscript, I mean a complete transcript of the interview from the moment you enter the interviewer’s office until the moment you say goodbye to each other.

Here is the correct format for the manuscript (you shouldn’t have this exact beginning to your interview. I just want to show you what it should look like on the page):

Interviewer: “Come on in and have a seat.”

Applicant: “Thank you very much.”

Interviewer: “Before we start, let me tell you a little about myself and our company.”

There is no pre-determined structure for the interview. You get to decide on that structure for yourself. Instead, you have to follow certain guidelines. These guidelines are as follows:

1) The interview should have a logical flow. Remember that a job interview is a coherent conversation between two people and not simply a collection of questions and answers.

2) There should be questions that assess whether the applicant can fulfill the job responsibilities associated with the position.

3) There should be questions that assess whether the applicant has the potential to be promoted within the organization (e.g., does s(he) have the requisite leadership experience, skills, and/or potential)

4) There should be questions that assess whether the applicant fits in within the organization’s culture (e.g., does the applicant prefer to work alone, in teams, etc.)

5) More generally, there should be questions that assess whether the applicant is a good fit for the position and the organization.

The following two questions have to be a part of the interview:

1) At some point during the interview, the interviewer has to ask the applicant to recount a challenging, professional situation from the past and how s(he) dealt with it.

2) At some point during the interview, the interviewer should pose a difficult, hypothetical question to the applicant (e.g., “imagine you are hired, and one day you face the following situation (elaborate on that situation). What would you do and why?”)

Finally, it is important that the applicant answers questions by offering concrete evidence for his/her experiences, skills, and potential. One great way to do that is to tell lots of stories about yourself: what you have done, what you are currently doing, and what you hope to do in the future. Put differently: in a job interview, the stories you tell about yourself count as evidence for your qualifications.

To help you create a good job interview, I have attached links to relevant documents. You can also find copies of these documents under “Course Documents” on Blackboard. But remember to follow my specific guidelines for the assignment.

https://www.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-binaries/40591_15

https://miamioh.edu/student-life//_files/documents/career-services/pdfs/interviewing

https://www.dvc.edu/enrollment/career-employment/employment-services/pdfs/50-Common-Interview-Questions

https://www.gvsu.edu/cms4/asset/A5A7D4FD-936E-4562-8EC79EFCECAC7F3B/biginterview-top-10-questions

https://www.hws.edu/academics/career/pdfs/intvq

https://www.successpeople.com.br/wp-content/uploads/sites/145/2019/02/questionsandanswers

https://www.robertwalters.co.nz/content/dam/robert-walters/global/files/complete-interview-guide/Interview-guide-web

https://soulsearch.files.wordpress.com/2007/05/64interviewquestions1 https://soulsearch.files.wordpress.com/2007/05/64interviewquestions1

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/top-interview-questions-and-answers

Cover Letters and Résumés As mentioned at the beginning of the chapter, you will not be invited to an employment interview without a quality cover letter and résumé. Accordingly, we now address some key elements in the construction of these essential items. We begin by discussing the cover letter, which is the tool used to get a potential employer to actually review your résumé. Cover Letters A cover letter has four purposes: (1) declare interest in the position, (2) provide a summary of qualifications, (3) compel the person to read your résumé, and (4) request an interview. Employers often receive numerous applications for a single position, and 398 THE BASICS OF COMMUNICATION quite often application materials are given only slight attention. Therefore, hopeful employees should do everything possible to ensure that their materials stand out from the rest and receive adequate attention. In what follows, we present the key elements of effective cover letters. Address Letter to Specific Person Many applicants do not take the time to confirm who will be reading their materials and consequently do not address their cover letter to a specific person. Simply addressing the letter “To Whom It May Concern” will not make your cover letter stand out from the rest and will elicit little concern from the receiver. A quick phone call to the organization will likely provide you with the name of the person to whom the letter should be addressed, if it is unavailable in the job announcement/advertisement. Be certain to use the person’s last name only and to address the person using his or her proper title. Identify the Position Identify the position for which you are applying in the first paragraph of the letter. An organization may have multiple positions available, and you want to ensure that you are being considered for the one you intend. You should also indicate how you discovered the position’s availability. Finally, you should display knowledge about and positive regard for the organization. Including this information shows that you have taken the time to learn about the organization and that you view it favorably. Some applicants—especially those applying for hundreds of positions—use form cover letters and change nothing but the name and address of the company. Such form letters will generate less interest than letters in which the applicant appears clearly knowledgeable about the organization and interested in working there. Summarize Qualifications and Promote Résumé Summarize the qualifications that make you an ideal fit for the position in the second paragraph. You may discuss such items as your education and training, experiences, special skills, and activities that have prepared you for the position and that will enable you to successfully fulfill the duties of the position. Be sure to emphasize what you can provide for the organization. At the end of this paragraph, you should encourage the reader to refer to your résumé. You can do this by mentioning specific information that can be discovered there or by simply mentioning the additional information that can be discovered through its examination. Case in Point Evaluate your most recent cover letter and résumé using the guidelines and suggestions offered in this chapter. In what ways could they be improved? If you have never written a cover letter and résumé, prepare them for a fictional position in your career field or for an actual position you wish to obtain. Even if you are not currently seeking employment, it is never too early to develop or update these important career tools. Chapter 15 n Interviewing 399 Reaffirm Interest and Request an Interview Reaffirm your interest in the position and request an interview in the final paragraph of the cover letter. You may want to indicate your intention to contact this person in the future (“I will contact you in two weeks to see if you require additional information about my credentials or desire any additional materials”). Another option in the final paragraph is to request a date to meet with the employer. This might be especially appropriate if you are presently located in an area other than the organization and will happen to be visiting that area (“I will be in the Keynsham area June 30–July 5 and would appreciate the opportunity to meet with you during that time to discuss my qualifications in more detail”). Sign Off With Respect and Professionalism When ending the letter, you should use the term Sincerely or Respectfully or Cordially rather than Yours Truly or Yours Faithfully, which is too personal when corresponding with someone you likely do not know, and rather than Best Wishes or Cheers, which is too informal for a professional letter. Use your full name and do not use a nickname. Sign the letter using dark ink in a legible and professional manner, avoiding unnecessary flourish (i.e., no swirly lines at the end or hearts/smiley faces dotting an i). You should end the letter properly to ensure the quality of the letter established thus far is maintained. Résumés The purpose of a résumé is to present your credentials for a position in a clear and concise manner. Employers may spend less than a minute looking at your résumé, so the information included should be not only clear and concise but also positive and obviously appropriate to the position for which you are applying. In what follows, we discuss the key elements of effective résumés. Name and Contact Information As with your cover letter, you should use your full name when constructing a résumé and avoid using nicknames. Include the following contact information: (1) address, (2) telephone number, and (3) e-mail address. Include a personal website address only if it is solely professional or academic. If you are a student, you may have both a campus address and telephone number and a permanent address and telephone number. If this is the case, include both your campus contact information and your permanent contact information. As mentioned in Chapter 9, make sure that your e-mail Cover letters and résumés should be easy for the employer to read. They should be sent flat rather than folded and printed on lightcolored paper rather than dark-colored paper. Of course, some employers prefer to receive application material digitally (Schullery, Ickes, & Schullery, 2009). Furthermore, many career networking sites enable applicants to post video résumés. Be sure to read position announcements carefully to determine an employer’s preferred method of delivery. 400 THE BASICS OF COMMUNICATION address adheres to professional standards. Someone whose e-mail address begins Lazydrunk93 will not receive many interview offers! Career Objective Next, you must include your career objective. This objective should be one sentence and never over two sentences. It should also be explicitly tailored to meet the needs of the organization and the position for which you are applying. The employer will be asking himself or herself what you can do for the organization, not what the organization can do for you. A vague statement of interests and a lack of commitment to the organization will not suffice. Education and Training Education and training should follow your career objective. List your degrees or training in reverse chronological order so that your most recent (and likely most relevant) information appears first. Listing your high school degree is not necessary if you are presently enrolled in or have completed college. This section should include the following information: (1) degree completion (or expected completion) date along with all majors or minors, (2) college name and location, and (3) awards, honors, or certificates. Use your own best judgment as to whether you should include your grade point average. Some fields may place more importance on this number than others. Experiences The experiences section of your résumé will include your employment history and other endeavors such as volunteer work if they happen to be relevant to the position for which you are applying. As with your education history, list your experiences in reverse chronological order. This section should include the following information: (1) position, (2) name of the organization along with location (city and state), (3) dates of employment or service (month and year), and (4) responsibilities and accomplishments. Your responsibilities and accomplishments are especially important in this section, and you should emphasize those that are most applicable to the position you are hoping to receive. These responsibilities and accomplishments are usually not written in complete sentences. Instead, begin each phrase with a verb that implies action (e.g., spearheaded, updated, developed, increased). Skills Next, include the skills that are most relevant to the position for which you are applying. These skills could include abilities in such areas as computer programs, It has traditionally been suggested that résumés be confined to one page. However, two pages are acceptable if warranted by your credentials. Place the most important information on the front page, because many employers will still not read beyond the first one. Staple the pages together but include your name and a page number on the second page in case they get separated. Even people with many years of experience should be able to synthesize their credentials into two pages, so we suggest never going beyond a two-page limit. Chapter 15 n Interviewing 401 languages, laboratory protocol, machinery, tools, or whatever areas most fit the position. If you possess multiple skills within a particular category, you may wish to use that category as a heading. For instance, you may possess skills in multiple computer programs and include these under a header titled Computer Skills. Activities When listing activities on your résumé, you should include those most relevant to the position first. However, in this case, feel free to also list activities that are not necessarily related to the position. Of course, you should only include those activities that reflect favorably on you, but listing activities can indicate a well-rounded person with many life experiences from which to draw when dealing with people and participating in organizational life. FOCUS QUESTIONS REVISITED 1. What are the characteristics of an interview? Interviews are goal-driven, structured, controlled, and unbalanced and feature questions and answers. 2. What are the types of interviews? The following are the most common types of interviews: (1) employment interviews, (2) performance interviews, (3) exit interviews, (4) information-gaining interviews, (5) persuasive interviews, (6) problem-solving interviews, and (7) helping interviews. 3. What are the preinterview responsibilities of interviewers and interviewees? Prior to an interview, an interviewer must review application material, prepare questions and an interview outline, gather material, and ensure the interview begins on time. An interviewee must gather information, prepare questions, practice, bring materials, form a professional personal appearance, and arrive on time. 4. How should a person begin an employment interview? During the beginning of an interview, participants must greet one another and establish proxemics, begin to negotiate the desired relational connection and tone of the interview, and establish the purpose and agenda of the interview. 5. What types of questions and questioning styles may an interviewer use? The different types of questions that an interviewer may ask include the following: (1) primary and secondary, (2) open and closed, and (3) neutral and leading. The interviewer may not ask questions that are potentially discriminatory. The type of control exerted by the interview can be either directive or nondirective. 402 THE BASICS OF COMMUNICATION bipolar questions 381 closed questions 381 cover letter 398 directive interviews 382 employment interviews 369 exit interviews 370 helping interviews 371 information-gaining interviews 370 interview 367 leading questions 381 mirror questions 380 neutral questions 381 6. How should interviewees respond to questions during an interview? When answering the questions, interviewees should attempt to adjust the interview frame in order to view the interview as an opportunity, a learning experience, and a dialogue rather than a test, a demonstration, or a monologue. They should also learn from successful interviewees, who articulate clear goals; identify with employers; provide support for arguments; participate in the development of the interview; use active, concrete words; and display dynamic nonverbal communication. Interviewees should be prepared to answer common questions asked during employment interviews and also be prepared should they be asked an illegal question. 7. How should a person conclude an employment interview? When concluding an employment interview as an interviewer, you should provide a wrap-up signal, summarize the interview, ask for questions, preview future actions and schedule, extend thanks, and offer farewells. When concluding an employment interview as an interviewee, you should ask questions, reinforce qualifications and enthusiasm, inquire about the schedule if it has not been offered, extend thanks, and offer farewells. 8. What are the postinterview responsibilities of interviewers and interviewees? Following an interview, an interviewer must review the job candidate, assess his or her performance, and contact the interviewee with a final decision about the position. An interviewee must assess the interview, develop a follow-up letter, and avoid irritating the interviewer. 9. What are a cover letter and résumé? A cover letter declares interest in a position, summarizes qualification, focuses attention on the résumé, and requests an interview. The key features of a cover letter include (1) a focus on a specific person, (2) identification of the position, (3) a summary of qualifications and the promotion of the résumé, (4) a reaffirmation of interest and a request for an interview, and (5) a professional and respectful sign-off. The purpose of a résumé is to present your credentials for a position in a clear and concise manner. The key elements of a résumé include (1) name and contact information, (2) career objective, (3) education and training, (4) experiences, (5) skills, and (6) activities. KEY CONCEPTS Chapter 15 n Interviewing 403 nondirective interviews 382 open questions 380 performance interviews 370 persuasive interviews 371 primary questions 380 probing questions 380 problem-solving interviews 371 résumé 399 secondary questions 380 self-fulfilling prophecy 385 wrap-up signal 391 QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR FRIENDS 1. Ask a friend to describe his or her most recent employment interview. What aspects of the interview went well? What aspects of the interview needed improvement? Having read this chapter, provide your friend with advice about how to improve his or her performance during interviews. 2. Ask a friend to participate in mock interviews with you. You should alternate between being an interviewer and being an interviewee. Evaluate your performances and pinpoint areas for improvement and development. 3. Ask a friend to review your cover letter and résumé. What suggestions for improvement does he or she make? MEDIA LINKS 1. Watch an interview conducted on television or available online. What open and closed questions are included? Are the questions mostly neutral or mostly leading? Are secondary questions included? Is this a directive or a nondirective interview? 2. Watch an interview conducted on television or available online with the sound muted. What does the nonverbal communication of the interviewer and interviewee suggest in terms of their relational connection and the tone of the interview? Next, watch the interview with the sound turned on. Does the verbal communication of the interviewer and interviewee match your perceptions of their relational connection and the tone of the interview conveyed nonverbally? 3. Find a clip from Law & Order or another fictional program featuring a lawyer questioning a witness. Next, find a clip from a television news program in which someone is being interviewed. Finally, find a clip from a late-night talk show in which a celebrity is being interviewed about his or her latest project. How would you rank these examples in terms of being directive or nondirective? What features caused you to rank them in that order? 404 THE BASICS OF COMMUNICATION ETHICAL ISSUES 1. If an interviewee is not interested in a position and simply desires interview experience, is it ethical for him or her to take part in an interview? If an interviewer already has a job candidate selected for the position, is it ethical for him or her to interview other candidates for the position in order to simply fulfill legal or other requirements? 2. Is it ethical for an interviewee to embellish his or her accomplishments during an interview? Where is the line drawn between describing accomplishments in a positive manner and fabricating these accomplishments? 3. If an interviewer inadvertently asks an illegal question, should he or she be reported to the proper authorities? Is it possible to distinguish purposeful and inadvertent behavior in such situations? Should the consequences be different? ANSWERS TO PHOTO CAPTIONS Photo 15.1 n Information-gaining interviews are those through which an interviewer gains information from an interviewee, whereas persuasive interviews are those through which an interviewer attempts to influence the interviewee. The differences between them are not always obvious to the individual being interviewed. Photo 15.2 n In addition to reviewing a job candidate’s application material prior to an interview, an interviewer must also prepare questions and an interview outline, gather materials, and ensure that the interview begins on time—so the person in the photo had better hurry up and finish that coffee! Photo 15.3 n No. It would not be a good idea for an interviewee to close his or her eyes and nap. Hopefully, you got this one correct. If not, we are glad you now know, and you may want to read closely the Strategic Communication box about interviewees always being evaluated. Photo 15.4 n Keeping her hands clasped during the interview will likely hinder this interviewee’s chances of being offered the position. Successful interviewees tend to incorporate meaningful gestures, whereas unsuccessful interviewees tend to use few gestures, or they engage in distracting mannerisms such as rubbing hands or playing with watches and jewelry. Photo 15.5 n It is the responsibility of the interviewer to bring a formal end to the interview.