Strategies for a successful interview Business Communications

Strategies for a successful
interview
Business Communications


Overview
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Preparing for interview
Answering questions
Traditional
Behavioral
Questions to ask Employers
Next steps


What do employers look for?


Skills Employers Look for:
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Communications Skills
Teamwork
Leadership
Energy
Flexibility
Creativity


Purpose of Interview
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Purpose: assessment of your attitude and
character as well as how well you would
work
Doing well is about following rules or "right"
answers: No right answers.
Leave a positive impression


What tips would you give
someone when preparing for an
interview?


Preparing for the Interview
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Research the company
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Prepare questions to ask employers
Know your resume, cover letter etc
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Always keep one copy for yourself and bring it to the
interview.

Practice interview techniques and sample
questions
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Eye contact, clear answers


Before Interview Day
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Map out location
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Presentation

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Arrive early 15 minutes early
dress as if you worked there every day

Have a good attitude
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Positive, enthusiasm, confidence


What are some questions that interviewers
ask?


Traditional Questions
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Purpose: Assess your knowledge of yourself and
position

Example:
●Tell me about yourself
●What are your strengths and weaknesses
●Why should we hire you?
●Why do you want to work here

Strategies for answering
questions


Answering Questions (1/2)
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Know the job description
Research the company
conversation, not interrogation.
Use questions as an opportunity to talk
about yourself and your experiences.
Be your BEST self


Answering Questions (2/2)
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Take your time, do Not Rush.
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Smile relax

Not knowing an answer is OK
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okay to pause, and stop when you think you have
finished the answer

If the questions concerns resume- answer accurately

Buy time before answering a question - rephrase
or describe the question
Ask questions at the end of the interview - shows
confidence.


Tell me about yourself
How would you answer this?


Traditional Questions
Question: “Tell me about yourself”
Answer 1: I was born in Seoul and then moved to
the United States when I was 13 to continue my
education in English. For university, I returned to
Korea to attend CAU. There, I double majored in
Business administration and English Literature.
With my degree, I thought it would be best to

apply to **** company.
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Do not tell your life story
Unfocused


Tell me about yourself: PAWS
Personal:.
Your first sentence should be an introduction to who you are
professionally, an overview statement that shows off your strengths
and gives a little sense of your personality too
Academic: Your academic interests and how your
education/training relates to the position
Work: Previous relevant work or volunteer experiences you have,
and what you accomplished or gained from these experiences
Skills: Skills you developed or demonstrated in previous
experiences and how they relate to the position you’re applying for
now


Question: “Tell me about yourself”
Personal: I am passionate about marketing products and services for
kids.
Academic : And have recently graduated with a degree in Business
Administration specializing in marketing at CAU.
I have taken all the marketing classes offered by our school including
consumer behavior, and marketing strategy
Work: While taking Marketing Strategy class, I had an opportunity to

develop a customized marketing strategy for a local coffee shop.
Skills: I developed a 3 point plan to help market and promote a new
drink by using Kakao talk and Facebook. The shop decided to
implement the strategy and ended up increasing sales by 20% in a
month!....
● Relate your skills and experiences to the position you are
applying for
● Be brief and focus on more recent events


Why should we hire you?


Question: Why should we hire you?

Skill: What is a skill/experience that the
company needs?
Advantage: What is the result of this skill?
What is the action?
Benefit: How can this skill benefit the
company? How can it make a difference?
SAB


Question: Why should we hire you?
Skill: I am a great communicator and can speak 3 languages
fluently
Advantage: By speaking English, Korean and Chinese
fluently and having lived in the LA, Seoul and Shanghai, I
understand the 3 different cultures. In addition, I have

presented and written marketing plans and strategies in all
3 languages.
Benefit: As a result, my marketing plan for Kia K5 was
selected as the best presentation by 150 students in
marketing strategy class. In addition, my professor is using
the presentation as a model for a creative marketing plan.


Why do you want to work here?


Why do you want to work here?
Research the company!
Website, Annual report, press release
Talk to employees
Values?
Opportunities, training
Feature
Evidence!
Benefit


Why do you want to work here?
I believe that this company has great growth
potential and I am willing to work hard. The
company has a strong brand and was voted as
the best company to work for.


Why do you want to work here?

(Feature) One of the values that I most admire about the
company is its Fair Trade program.
(Evidence) After talking to several of your employees that
your company plans to expand the Fair Trade program to
include other products. I am also a firm believer that business
has the responsibility to be fair to their suppliers.
(Benefit) As part of the *** school program, our project
involved in creating a cooperative so that locals can learn
skills so that they can be provided with fair wages…
Therefore, I would like to work in a company where fair trade
is a priority.


What are your strengths