You re Hired! Interview Skills that Make a Difference

Transcription

1 You re Hired! Interview Skills that Make a Difference Snježana Linkeš, Career Counsellor M.Ed. (Counselling Psychology), CCC, CCC-S slinkes2@uwo.ca January 9 th 2015

2 Your expectations from the workshop? What do you know about interview?

3 Presentation Overview Interview skills Interview formats Non-verbal communication Interview questions

4 Your Personal Experience What is your biggest concern and fear regarding self-promotion?

5 The Interview is the most important stage in the selection process Confirm the impression gathered from resume, cover letter, references Showing : If you have skills and competencies of doing the job? Showing : Are you motivated to do the job and do it well? Showing : Are you the person with whom they will like working; do you make good addition to the team?

6 Developing Interview Skills Interview skills must be learned and practised Interviews are challenging, and often stressful situations First impressions are critical: you will make or break your opportunities within the first few minutes of the interview There is no substitution for being prepared

7 Standard of Practice for the Teaching Profession Framework of principles that describes the knowledge, skills and values inherent in Ontario s Teaching Profession: Commitment to students and student learning Professional knowledge Professional practice Leadership in learning communities Ongoing professional learning

8 Interview Formats Screening Interview Panel Interview One-to-One Interview

9 Teaching pool as the first phase of selection Screening Interview Eligibility to be hired Pool for contract and occasional teaching position Interviewer is often done by 3-6 principals Identifies candidates who have the minimum qualifications stablished for a position Shorter interview (15-20 minutes) First impression

10 Panel Interview Also known as Board Interview (30 minutes long) Interview conducted by 2 or more interviewers at the same time (principal, vice principal, department head) Meant to reduce individual bias in the final selection One member may ask all questions OR panel members will take turns Maintain eye contact with the person asking the question

11 One-to-One Interview Often conducted by a direct supervisor (principal) Be thoroughly prepared for this interview Know the job and know yourself This one person may be the only one deciding whether or not you have what it takes to be successful in the position or role

12 Strategies for Interview Success

13 Know yourself (personal, experience, skills, qualifications, curriculum, teaching strategies, classroom management) Research the position Before the Interview Research the school (reputation, location, size, number of employees, number of students) Choose the professional interview outfit Arrive early (5-10 minutes)

14 Non-Verbal Behaviour Practice: Hand shake, eye contact, introduction, posture Eye Contact Facial Expressions Posture Gestures Indicates interest, confidence and sincerity Smiling indicates warmth and friendliness Good posture shows confidence and power potential Should be minimal, natural and meaningful Space Interviewers become uncomfortable if their personal space is invaded A meter is a common social zone for more extraverted people while more space may be required for others

15 Messages Implied by Body Language Openness and Warmth open-lipped smile, open hands with palms visible, unbuttoning jacket upon being seated Confidence leaning forward, chin up, upright posture, eye contact Nervousness whistling, pinching skin, fidgeting, jiggling pocket contents, running tongue along front of teeth, clearing throat, running fingers through hair, wringing hands, biting fingernails or other objects Untrustworthy/Defensive frowning, squinting, tight-lipped grin, arms crossed in front of chest, backing away, chin down, darting eyes, looking down when speaking, clenched hands, gestures with fist, etc.

16 Preparing for a stressful situation Exercise in moderate and regular amounts, Eat well, Establish regular sleeping patterns if you can, Positive Self Talk, Breathing exercises abdominal breathing (practice) Relaxation, Meditation, Visualization, Some anxiety is helpful it gives me an edge

17 Dress for Success Know what is appropriate Your outfit should be more conservative and formal than the outfit you will wear if you secure the position Usually, business casual or business formal is appropriate Include: Clean, polished shoes (no running shoes) Well-groomed hair and nails No fragrance (may be disallowed at the workplace) Rule of 3 for jewellery No gum, or distracting items (e.g. change in pockets)

18 Dress for Success Women: Dark, conservative suit or pantsuit; Avoid bold patterns; Use makeup conservatively Rule of 3 = Jewelry

19 Men: dark, conservative suit, keep tie conservative, plain shirt with contrasting tie, solid colour suit (gray, black, navy), polished shoes; cologne-minimal/none

20 During the Interview Greet with firm handshake, eye contact Think positively and interact with confidence If you don t understand a question ask Before you answer, organize thoughts (pause) Story telling STARS Near the end of interview, reinforce your interest Ask appropriate questions Thank the interviewer at the end of interview

21 Types of Interviews Structured the most reliable for comparing candidates (same set of questions in the same order Semi-structured plan set of questions +additional questions Unstructured-rare no planned sequence of questions

22 Structured Employment Interview Techniques Behaviour Description Interview Situational Interview Comprehensive Structured Interview

23 Behavioural Interview Interviewer asks for specific example from past experience to determine if you can provide evidence of your skill in a certain area Past behaviour is a powerful predictor of future behaviour The more recent the behaviour, the better its predictive power The more long lasting the behaviour, the better its predictive power The interviewer will probably be taking descriptive notes throughout the interview Research probable skill areas that the employer will be interested in and will therefore be likely to ask about in the interview

24 Behavioural Interview (cont d) 1. Describe your most successful team experience. Examples: 2. What was your most difficult situation in a class and how did you handle it? 3. Give me an example of a student from whom you learned the most. 4. How did you handle a student who refused to work in your class or do what you asked? 5. Describe a teaching strategy you used to maximize the learning potential of all students. 6. Define cooperative learning and give an example of how you have used it.

25 Story telling Tell stories based upon your: Practicum experience Volunteer work Participation in activities (school/community) Part-time/summer jobs Study/work/travel Internships School projects

26 Storytelling Technique When telling your story use the STARS method: S Situation Where you were T Task You were facing A Action What action you took R Result The outcome of your action S Summary Remind interviewer of the skill, strength, lesson

27 Situational Interview A highly structured interview in which hypothetical situations are described and applicants are asked what they would do Interviewers use a scoring guide consisting of sample answers to evaluate and score each applicant s answers Interview is geared to solving problems on the spot Designed to assess logical thought processes, general knowledge, creativity and communication skills

28 Situational Interview Examples: 1. What will you do if a parent of your student approached you with concern that his son was bullied on the school bus on his way home? 2. What will you do if you haven t seen your student s parents and you have been unable to reach the parents during the first 3 months of school? 3. Some students always finish their assignments early. How would you deal with the free time that they have? 4. How do you accommodate a student with special needs? 5. How do you challenge a gifted student?

29 Comprehensive Structured Interview Examples: Philosophy of teaching Variety of teaching methods that you use How do you prepare lesson plan? How do you track student progress? How do you collaborate with parents to improve student learning? Your approach to school discipline How do you individualize your teaching? Combines situational interview, job knowledge, job simulation and worker characteristic questions Answers are compared to a scoring guide and candidate is rated accordingly

30 Tell me something about yourself. Questions: Basic Ones Why have you chosen a teaching career? What are your goals? Where would you like to be in 5 years? Why should we hire you? What is unique about you? What are your experiences working with children? What are your strengths? Weaknesses?

31 Questions: Tough Ones How has your personal background influenced what you are today/your career progression or your interpersonal style? How do you define success? How successful have you been? What mistakes have you made during your career? What is the most adverse situation you have had to deal with in your personal/professional life? How did you deal with it? What was the outcome? What is the difference between a good teaching position and an excellent one?

32 Do you have any question for us? By asking questions you show interest in: - the students backgrounds, -the school and its staff, - the community, - district policies and - Resources Questions to ask an Interviewer: _to_ask_an_interviewer.html

33 Make comprehensive notes After the Interview Overall assessment of the interview Questions you answered effectively Questions with which you had difficulty; prepare a good answer for next time Name of the interviewer Notes for future interviews Consider sending a thank you letter/ to each person with whom you had contact during the interview process

34 What else do I need to bring? References Usually requested at the end of the interview 2-3 are ideal (e.g. 2 work-related, 1 academic) Supply full name, title, company name, business address, contact information (phone, ) Tip: contact your references prior to the interview to keep them up to date with your plans Portfolios An additional support which includes work samples representing your skills, accomplishments and past experiences Include: evidence of lesson planning, unit-building, results of practicum experience

35 Be Aware of Your Rights In Canada, employers may NOT ask: Race, colour, ancestry, place of origin Religion/creed Citizenship Sex/gender Sexual orientation Age Marital status Family status Record of offences For more information, visit Ontario Human Rights Commission

36 What are some common reasons for not getting hired? Attitude Motivation Lack of energy No flexibility Not prepared

37 We are here to help you with career decisions and employment Location: 210 UCC :1 Career counselling session WERC Online and print resources (books, InterviewStream Workshops (request own) Mock interviews

38 Additional Resources Interview Preparation Interview question formats and answer strategies Your rights at an interview

39 Take away One thing that you learn from today s workshop!

40 THANK YOU For your interest and participation Snježana Linkeš