By

Ransom.J
GEMBA School of HR
Purpose of the Interview
Preparing for the Interview
Pre-interview Preparation
Typical Structure of the Interview
Typical Questions
After the Interview
Research - position, company, & industry
Know yourself and be able to articulate skills,
strengths, accomplishments, and career goals
Prepare necessary materials (Copies of
resume, references, portfolio/pen, palm pilot
or organizer, breath mints)
Ask for directions and where to park
Don’t focus on your history; focus on the key
skills and the needs of the organization.
Example: “Tell me about yourself”  “Tell
me about your background in a way that
shows you are right for this position.”
Interviewers want organized, succinct
answers. Situation - Action - Result.
Interviewers often really aren’t that
interested in the whole story.
Product or Service
Sales/Assets
Competition
History
Field Offices
Industry Trends
Chain of Command
Size
The tell-all question: “Tell me about
yourself.”
The surprise question: “What’s your
passion?”
Strengths and weaknesses questions
Questions about the future: “What are
your long-term goals?”
Scenario questions: “What if…?”
Small talk
“Tell me about yourself!”
Discussion of your background and how it
relates to the position
Your opportunity to ask questions Listen
Conclusion
What will my duties entail?
What kind of work can I expect to be doing?
Can you describe a typical day?
Where does this job fit into the
organizational structure of the company?
Who would I report to? Who would I be
working with?
What is the size of the department I would
be working in? What is its structure? How
is it organized? May I see it?
Exhibit quiet
confidence.
Organize your
thoughts and
apply your
knowledge, skills
and abilities.
Think globally!
Relate “outside”
experiences to
demonstrate your
qualifications.
Portfolio
Copies of your Comb or brush
resume Breath mints
List of Professional
References
College transcripts
Federal application
Two quality pens
Notepad
Why do you want to work for the firm?
What can you do for the company?
Your accomplishments/experience
Your strengths/weaknesses
Your initiative, goals and attitudes
Your responses should be unique and
specific
 Be sure to allow yourself plenty of time to
arrive at your destination (you may want to
conduct a dry run prior to your interview day)
 Try to arrive 10-15 minutes early at the site
to allow you to park, walk to the interview,
use the restroom, or just gather yourself
 Only 1 chance to
make a good 1st
impression
Dress appropriately
Smile
Maintain eye contact
Firm handshake
Remain poised and
confident
 Positive Signals
 Leaning forward = interest
 Smiling = friendly
 Nodding = attentive and
alert
 Eye contact = curious and
focused
Negative Signals
 Crossed arms = defensive
 Fidgeting hands or tapping
feet = nervous or bored
 Lack of eye contact =
untrustworthy
 Leaning back= discomfort
 Questions asked by Sample Questions
 What type of assignments can
the interviewee
I expect within the first year?
To determine if you are  What do you like most about
an appropriate fit for this company?
 What is the biggest challenge
the company and facing this department right
position, prepare a list now?
of questions for the  What skills are you looking for
in this position?
interviewer  What is the next course of
action?
-Be prepared to talk about yourself and your
experiences
-Master the art of storytelling
-Provide specific and concrete examples of your
results/accomplishments
-Remain positive, enthusiastic, poised, and
confident throughout the interview process
 Remember an interview is a formal conversation--
avoid filler words like “Um”, “Ah”, & “You know”
 Avoid indecisive phrases like: “I think,” “I guess,”
“probably,” or “pretty good”
 Think before speaking
 Avoid long verbose answers--limit your response
to 1-2 minutes
 If you do not hear or understand a question, ask
them to repeat or clarify it for you
 Remain calm,
relaxed, and be
yourself
 Try to focus on the
message you are
trying to convey--
NOT how well you are
doing!
 Suit-Single or double
breasted
 Polished shoes
 Solid white shirt
 Conservative tie
 Neatly groomed hair,
beard, and mustache
 Avoid strong colognes,
earrings, and body
piercing
 Sari or Salwar Kamiz
 Pant or skirt suit
 Pumps with small to
medium heels
 Light makeup,
perfume, and jewelry
 Wear neutral color
hosiery
 Ask good questions

 Thank the interviewer

 Request a business card

 Inquire about next steps in the process

 Send a thank you
note within 24 hours
 Letter may be
handwritten or typed;
e-mail is also
acceptable
 Tailor each one to the
individual.
Remember that only 15% of the success of an
interview is out of your control
Take some time to reflect
- Overall, how well did I do?
- What went well?
- What steps can I take next time to
improve?
 Conduct a test run the day before the interview
 Practice! Practice! Practice!
•Obtain a list of practice interview questions and jot down short answers
• Stand in front of a mirror and rehearse your answers
•Schedule an appointment for a mock interview with Career Services
 Get a good night’s sleep-be well rested and alert for the interview
 Be relaxed and be yourself!
 Don’t make excuses. Take responsibility for your decisions
and your actions.
 Don’t make negative comments about previous employers or
supervisors (or others).
 Don’t treat the interview casually, as if you are just shopping
around or doing the interview for practice. This is insulting to
the interviewer and the organization.
 Don’t give the impression you are only interested in salary.
 Don’t act as though you would take any job or are desperate
for employment.
 Don’t chew gum or smell like smoke.
 Don’t take cell phone calls during an interview. If you carry a
cell phone, turn it off during the interview.
Courteously thank the interviewer(s) for the
opportunity to interview with the agency.
Extend a handshake and exhibit
enthusiasm about the career opportunity.
Consider following up with a thank you note
or e-mail of appreciation to the
interviewer(s) to further show your interest.
Make one last solid impression.
Let them know that you want the job!
Shake hands, thank them, be positive.
Be confident: show that you believe that this
is a beginning.
Ask for the interviewer’s business card.
Name & Contact • Skills
Information
Objective
• Activities
Education • References
Work Experience
Honors
 • Try to stay on one page
or two.
• Stay consistent
(grammar, punctuation,
style) and on the
conservative side
• Do not use first person
(I, we,
This is a conversation…not my, our,Tell
an interrogation. etc.)
me what
you think….
DO NOT use templates in Word
 Your resume will look like many
other applicants’
 Sometimes difficult to upload on
web or to email
Use good quality paper
Include name, complete address,
phone number and email address
Appropriate email address include
hotmail, yahoo, or gmail
Keep it large—make an impression!
Include both the local and permanent
address if you will be moving elsewhere
after graduation
It helps you to understand a subject more
deeply.
It improves your ability to think critically.
It helps in solving a particular problem.
It helps the group to make a particular
decision.
It gives you the chance to hear other student’s
ideas.
It improves your listening skills.
It increases your confidence in speaking.
It can change your attitudes.
 A GD is a methodology used by
an organization to gauge whether
the candidate has certain
personality traits and skills that it
desires in its members. In this
methodology, the group of
candidates is given a topic or a
situation, given a few minutes to
think about the same, and then
asked to discuss the it among
themselves for 15-20 minutes.
FACTUAL TOPICS
Factual topics are about practical things, which an ordinary
person is aware in his day-to-day life. Typically these are
about socio-economic topics.
E.g. The education policy of India, Tourism in India

CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS
Controversial topics are the ones that are argumentative in
nature. They are meant to generate controversy.
E.g. Reservations should be removed, Women make better
managers
ABSTRACT TOPICS:

 Abstract topics are about intangible things.

These topics are not given often for discussion,
but their possibility cannot be ruled out. These
topics test your lateral thinking and creativity.

E.g. A is an alphabet, The number 10

 Speak pleasantly and politely to the group.
 Respect the contribution of every speaker.
 Remember that a discussion is not an argument.
Learn to disagree politely.
 Think about your contribution before you speak.
 Try to stick to the discussion topic. Don't
introduce irrelevant information.
 Be aware of your body language when you are
speaking.
 Agree with and acknowledge what you find
interesting.
 Lose your temper. A discussion is not an argument.
 Shout. Use a moderate tone and medium pitch.
 Use too many gestures when you speak. Gestures like
finger pointing and table thumping can appear
aggressive.
 Dominate the discussion. Confident speakers should
allow quieter students a chance to contribute.
 Draw too much on personal experience or anecdote.
Although some tutors encourage students to reflect on
their own experience, remember not to generalize too
much.
 Interrupt. Wait for a speaker to finish what they are
saying before you speak. 
Communication Skills
Knowledge and ideas regarding a given
subject
Capability to co-ordinate and lead
Exchange of thoughts
Addressing the group as a whole
Thorough preparations
Avoid raising new points.
Avoid stating only your viewpoint.
Avoid dwelling only on one aspect of the GD.
Keep it brief and concise.
It must incorporate all the important points
that came out during the GD.
If the examiner asks you to summaries a GD, it
means the GD has come to an end.
Do not add anything once the GD has been
summarized.
 Keep your head and your heart in the
right direction and you’ll never have to
worry about your feet...

THANK YOU!
ransomjoseph@gmail.com
urs.bernhard@gmail.com