Interviews and Offers

Preparation

• Know the position for which you are interviewing
• Research the history of the company prior to the interview
• Relate your career goals to the position for which you are interviewing
• Be ready to articulate the skills you offer the company as they pertain to the job
• Prepare 3-6 questions to ask the interviewer about his/her company, the position, or their industry
• Attend a Career Center workshop, or do a practice interview with a career coach. Book an appointment with a career coach on Handshake.

Appearance/Body Language

• Dress appropriately; wear a well-fitted, neatly pressed suit.
• Shake the interviewer's hand with confidence
• Avoid excessive make-up or cologne
• Maintain good eye contact
• Never eat, drink, smoke, or chew gum during the interview
• Have fresh breath
• Turn off your cell phone

Communication Style

• Avoid speaking negatively about other people
• Speak clearly and concisely and use correct grammar
• Exhibit confidence
• Let the interviewer lead the interview and ask questions first
• Never appear to be desperate or beg for a job
• Be enthusiastic and smile

• Answer questions completely and succinctly; don't ramble
• Provide examples to back up general statements
• Avoid bringing up salary and fringe benefits (those are 2nd or 3rd interview topics)
• Express qualifications: Know three good reasons why you are an outstanding candidate and work them into your responses
• Find a balance between listening and speaking
• Be positive about past experiences; if you are enthusiastic about past experiences, you are likely to be positive about future employers
• People hire, not organizations. Make a connection with the interviewer; they are asking themselves, "Do I see myself working with this person?"
• Point out why you like the organization
• Ask questions: Reflect your self-esteem by asking questions about the organization and the job. This is another place to demonstrate that you researched the organization.
• At the end of the interview, express your continued interest in the position and thank the interviewer for his/her time.
• Learn what happens next: Is your file complete? Is additional information needed? Are your references complete? What are the next stages in the employment process and when might they occur? Ask them.

• Send a thank you letter (see below) to your interviewer(s) reiterating your interest in the position.
• Evaluate and assess your interview. How did you do? What questions did you have trouble with and how could you answer them in the future? A career coach in the Career Center can help you with this process.

Common Interview Questions

• How does your past work experience relate to this position?
• How does your education relate?
• What are your strengths and weaknesses?
• What are your short-term and long-term career goals?
• Why should we hire you?
• Why do you want to work here?
• Do you have any questions for me?

Behavioral Interview Questions

With a behavioral interview question, the interviewer asks about how you dealt with a past situation that would be similar to one you would encounter in the target position.

• Teamwork: Tell me about a time when you were on a team, and a team member was not pulling his weight.
• Decision-Making: Give an example of a time when you had to make a difficult decision.
• Problem solving skills: Give an example of how you identified a small problem and fixed it before it became a major one.
• Supervision abilities: Describe a time when you had to discipline some one you were supervising.

Sample Questions You Could Ask

• How would you describe the ideal candidate?
• What are the main problems/challenges facing the person in this position?
• What are the performance criteria? How will I be evaluated? How often? By whom?
• What is the department's environment/culture like?
• When will you make the hiring decision?

• Arriving late
• Going off on tangents/not answering the question
• Answers that are too long or too brief (answering "yes" or "no" is too brief an answer! Two minute responses are a good average.)
• Lack of research on the position, the organization, and your fit
• Inability to relate career goals to the position
• Dressing too casually
• Lack of enthusiasm/energy
• A limp handshake
• Forgetting to smile and having a pleasant attitude (people skills count!)

2913 Baxter Rd.
La Mirada, CA 90709

January 25, 2018

Mr. Foster Walker
Senior Auditor
L.A. County Auditor - Controller Division
1220 Warwick Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90601

Dear Mr. Walker:

I want to thank you very much for interviewing me yesterday for the accounting position at the L.A. County Auditor - Controller's Office. I enjoyed meeting you and learning more about your research and design work.

My enthusiasm for the position and my interest in working for were strengthened as a result of the interview. I think my education and internship experiences fit nicely with the job requirements, and I am sure that I could make a significant contribution to the agency over time.

I want to reiterate my strong interest in the position and in working with you and your staff. You provide the kind of opportunity I seek. Please feel free to contact me at (818) 685-5555 or nigel.tufnel@gmail.com if I can provide you with any additional information.

Again, thank you for the interview and your consideration.

Sincerely,

Nigel Tufnel