April 20: Interviewing, Part II-- PLEASE ANSWER AFTER MICHELLE'S MODULE
Now that we've discussed interviewing once, let's do it again WITH Michelle's take. Of Michelle's top 10 tips for successful interviews (available here), which tips stuck out to you? I found myself resonating with #1. Being able to reflect on ourselves in addition to the organization helps us better recognize what we can offer to the organization. By taking a step back, I found myself better able to envision that future. Also, the STAR method (Tip #7) was pretty great, and it helped me conceptualize how to consider offering an answer with that method in mind.
Next, give Big Interview a try (as noted on our assignment portal). You'll have to create an account, which took me all of 15 seconds. Once you're on, you'll note that there's a lot to explore there. I'd recommend at leave clicking on "Practice" and trying a few "General mock interview" questions. It's pretty cool because you have a human asking you the question, and then you can record yourself responding. Then, you can review what you just said, and how you said it. I spent some time going over the top 10 questions ands found myself stumbling more than I ought to! But I also felt empowered and more familiar with potential answers by the time I was done.
Can you tell me what your Big Interview experience was like? Which interview experience did you try, and how did it better prepare you (assuming it did!)?
I thought all of Michelle's tips were very helpful, but the one that stuck out to me the most was #6, "Remember Your Interview Starts in the Parking Lot". I 100% agree! Whenever I interview, whether it's for a job, internship, or volunteer experience, I am careful to act professionally as soon as I step out of my car. I think this tip is really important because it is naive to think (if you get the job) that the only person you would be interacting with is your interviewer. Often, you become coworkers with the receptionist at the desk, or the random person that bumps into you on your way to the interview room, etc. I've never actually heard any professional explain that this is the case, so it was comforting to know I've been doing it right all along!
ReplyDeleteMy experience with Big Interview went well and I feel like I will definitely use this before I interview for my next job or internship, but I did find myself struggling with the question "What are your weaknesses?" I feel like there is never a "right" answer to this question. My go to answer is usually that I am a perfectionist (because oh boy am I a perfectionist), but then I go on to explain how I overcome this weakness and how this weakness actually benefits me. For example, when I interviewed at Target, I explained that although I am a perfectionist and sometimes struggle to move on to the next task if it's not perfect, my perfectionism makes me more detail orientated and drives me to work harder in a fast-paced environment. I think this is a good tactic for anyone who struggles with explaining their weakness. Think about how your weakness can actually make you a better employee.
I love this! Thanks, Julie. #6 is so good, isn't it? When I'm the interviewer (rather than the interviewee), I do find myself observing the interviewee's encounters and interactions with others. We can learn a lot by interactions, can't we?
DeleteTurning your weakness into a strength=fantastic. Not only dos it show that you are aware of a weakness, but it also shows that your heightened awareness makes you all the stronger.
The tips that stuck out to me from Michelle’s video were #1, 3 and 7. All three of these sort of overlap with each other in many aspects as well. I really think that #1 really stood out to me because it is about being prepared and knowing how you want to present yourself. It also relates to the idea that we talked about in class that you need to sell yourself to a future employer. In order to do so, I think it is really important that before an interview, I evaluate myself and the organization. #3 also stood out to me because I often have difficulty answering really difficult interview questions because I often find them very broad. So I do think it is really important that I practice my interview skills and practice answering generic questions or questions that I know the organization will most likely ask. And lastly, I found #7 extremely helpful because I struggle with talking about scenarios/stories. I liked that Michelle specifically pointed out that you need to focus more on just what happened. It is important to express what you did to take action.
ReplyDeleteMy experience with Big Interview went pretty well and I do think it is a very helpful tool as I prepare for interviews in the future. I did the general mock interview top 10 questions. There were a few times when I stumbled because I couldn’t think of exactly what I wanted to say. I think that I tend to overthink a lot and that interferes with how well I do in answering questions. I will definitely use this tool to help me out in the future. It helped me see what kinds of questions may be asked which will help me prepare better answers when it comes time to do the real thing.
Thanks, Alaina. I admit, watching myself saw the answers on Big Interview was....a littler nerve-racking, maybe? I imagine we all come off better than when we watch ourselves talking to ourselves on film. Ha.
DeleteWhat you said about #7 seems spot on, too. Thank you for being so reflective. Must be one of your strengths!
The top tips that stood out for me from Michelle’s video were tip #1 and tip #3. I think these tips are somewhat intertwined on certain fronts—a lot of jobs pre-university level aren’t reliant on professional work experience or having the knowledge of an organization, or at least, these things aren’t necessarily weighed as heavily (i.e. a high school student working at a grocery store won’t be as hard-pressed to research the organization’s mission and background for the interview process). Tip #1 reminded me to do your research on the organization and make sure you have assessed the job you’re going into as much as they’re going to assess you. It’s easy to forget that, given that the period after graduation seems like it’ll bring a bit of difficulty finding jobs—possibly amplified by the present status of the economy—and for the most part the job hunt has always seemed like a process of applying and being interviewed, but I haven’t often given thought to asking questions of the interviewers until this course. Tip #3 sort of ties in here, remembering to practice specific questions that would be associated with the job, i.e. answers that correspond with the description and make sense in the context of the position you’re applying for.
ReplyDeleteUsing Big Interview made me realize I’m not as prepared with answers for the interview process as I thought I was. I used the standard practice modules. I specifically floundered during questions that may seem a bit vague without the context of what job I might be applying for, for example, “What made you apply for this position?” I think this goes back to remembering to prepare these answers with a specific example in mind rather than practicing them without context.
I think you got to the heart of it here, Thomas: personalize, personalize, personalize! When I teach Blugold Seminar, we discus this all the time. By way of our words and actions, we are often trying to create the conditions that rhetorically open us up to a new opportunity. Now how do we use that rhetorically knowledge in the interview context? Nice reflection here!
DeleteFor Michelle's top tips, I think the two the stood out to me the most was #8, #9 and #10. 8 felt like something I had always assumed but never quite taken note of. Saying I don't know can look bad and I appreciated Michelle's solutions such as: asking a follow up question, saying what you do know, and talking about how you will find out. This last one I think is the best advice and something I hadn't thought to use before. 9 was something I have always told residents who were applying for RA, "it looks good to ask question." This was always told to me, but no one ever really explained why. I love the idea that it makes you look more interested in the job and shows your investment in that specific company. #10 (Always send a thank you note) was something I have never heard of?! This one caught me off guard and I am not sure why. I know if I have contact with the person who interviewed me, I always try to include a thank you for your time at the end of an email, however this sounds like more than that. I was wondering exactly what to put in the letter besides "thank you for your interest and time" but I love the idea and I am excited to explore it further.
ReplyDeleteBig Interview is something I am happy to know exists! I was talking to some friends today about the things we wished we would have learned in school. "Practical" skills and "life" skills came up a lot, but when I asked what people meant it mostly revolved around finance, car repair etc. Which, at least at my high school, I know were offered as extra curricular's. However not everyone has the same opportunities or takes them (like me), but one could argue that kids tend to learn what they want to and forcing them to take something doesn't guarantee knowledge. After looking at Big Interview I wanted to go back to that conversation and say "social skills and interviews!" This seems like such a helpful tool and I could see an entire class dedicated to the very concept of jobs (just like this class) but in high school. Anyway, I messed around with the "general interview questions top ten" and I think my favorite part was the different levels of questions. I stumbled ones in the "easiest" category and enjoyed seeing the more in depth questions on the harder levels with the same subject matter. I am excited to know this tool exists to recommend to students who are struggling with interview nerves and to use myself for practice!
Thank you, Maddie! Yes, I enjoyed the different levels of interview questions, too. Made it sort of like a game!
DeleteI've enjoyed hearing glimpses of your RA experience enter into this class a few times now. It's cool to watch these narratives emerge. As for life skills, practical skills, etc., I hear you! When I teach creative writing, I love talking about the writing itself, but sometimes I struggle to make that complete bridge related to how those skills translate to real life beyond the page. And of course they do (collaboration, feedback, analytical skills, communication skills, etc.) but I need to be the one to clarify that. Thanks for your insight here!
I felt using Big Interview was an incredibly valuable experience. I typically don’t think too much about interviewing when I’m not actively looking for jobs and internships and then I feel as though I’m unprepared in the days leading up to the interview. I thought it was an interesting structure and was surprised that the practice interviewed utilized a webcam. I assumed it would be more similar to writing down prompts to respond to, but what Big Interview does is a lot more realistic and mimics a real interview well. The only flaw I really saw was, unavoidably, the fact that it isn’t a true mock interview with an actual person who can respond in real time, but I appreciate that career services has those actual mock interviews (before classes went online). I think this is a resource that every student should be aware of and I’m surprised that I haven’t heard about it until now.
ReplyDeleteI definitely don’t think I could have done Big Interview without watching the video Michelle did about the interview process, though. There were a lot of points she had brought up that I’ve heard before, but I was never really sure if I should act on them or not. For instance, I’ve read a lot about sending a thank you letter or email after the interview and what’s always stopped me is feeling as if I’m being a nuisance by sending this follow up. However, after watching the video I realize there’s really no harm in doing it. If they were considering me as a candidate, then they’ll just have another reason to remember me and if they weren’t then at least it was a way to thank them for their time.
Thanks, Tabby! I admit, I was a little skeptical of Big Interview at the start. But then when I actually created an account and did it--lo and behold!--it really exceeded my expectations. You mentioned the limitation, of course, which is quite true. And you raise a good point: no one says we can't conduct practice interview with our friends/families (or at least whomever we're currently self-quarantining with!). But what I like about Big Interview is that we don't know the interviewer. Sometimes things can get a little goofy when your little brother asks you about your three strengths, etc. Great work here! I think these resources are worth it since the jobs you'll be applying for next will likely have higher stakes than previous interviews.
DeleteFrom all of Michelle's interviewing tips, #9 struck me the most--Always Ask Questions. I've done multiple interviews before where we get to that point, and I never ask anything, not because I feel like I don't know anything about the company to contribute to the conversation, but because I genuinely did not have any questions/clarifications to make. I've learned since that asking a question helps me seem more prepared and involved, and that they can be simple questions just to show my interest in the job and my interviewer.
ReplyDeleteBig Interview seems really helpful. We always think we're so suave and put together in our heads, but trying to answer out loud is a lot more awkward than we might think. Especially because it isn't a real time interview, anything I do to try and make my answers sound a certain way doesn't play as well because the interviewer can't see me and use my facial expressions to determine what it is I'm doing. That's a really valuable thing to realize, and I should start preparing answers like I am not face-to-face with someone else so that I really have to rely on my words to get my point across.
Thanks, Olivia! Asking a question at the end (or even throughout if they're open to that) can be key. To offer nothing might send a message that you're disengaged or not well-researched on the organization, etc/. Of course, the reality might be that you are so well-researched on the place that you really don't have any questions. But probably best to play the game and prove your engagement, etc.
DeleteGosh, seeing my facial expressions on Big Interview really made me grateful there are no mirrors in our classroom. Sheesh. You poor students...it's like my face has a mind of its own!
I found Michelle’s video very helpful. Some of the tips I had heard before, but there were also some that were new to me. It was great to go in-depth on some of the aspects of a successful interview. For me, numbers 3 (practicing specific questions) and 7 (STAR) most stood out. While I know some of the questions that will most likely be asked in an interview (e.g. strengths and weaknesses), I rarely take the time to fully solidify some of those answers. I think actually taking the time to practice these responses and answering in the context of the organization is a really wise approach, and one that I’ll definitely be incorporating into my interview prep! I also was very intrigued by the STAR method. I’ve been asked “tell me about a time…” questions in a number of interviews, but I’ve never really thought through the different steps of responding well to that sort of question. I think breaking it into separate parts and focusing on one’s individual actions and takeaways is great advice.
ReplyDeletePracticing some of the general questions on Big Interview was really helpful! I think hearing someone ask the question and then getting to record and review my response was really beneficial. I was able to review my responses and evaluate whether or not I responded to the best of my ability. I could also determine if/when I started to get off-topic. I think it’s amazing that just the act of recording myself made it all feel more official, so I think this experience felt a lot more “real” than some of my past attempts at brainstorming answers in a rather willy-nilly way. I’ll definitely be referring back to this resource in the future!
Great observation! Yes, I found myself "tangenting" (made up a word!) all over the place when I embarked upon those questions. But hey, the video doesn't lie! Also, just seeing how much timer I ate up with each question really helped me realize I probably need to rein it in for these hypothetical jobs I'm applying for. Good observation about STAR, too. Now the hard part is just remembering all those stuff in the interview. Don't want to psyche yourself out with too much info!
DeleteOverall I thought that all ten tips that Michelle gave for interviewing were incredibly useful. However the one tip that stuck out to me the most was #2 Clean up your social media. To be honest I didn't ever think that my social media could be used as a way that people may want to look at me. I am not one to post a lot or do much on the social media outlook, but I didn't think that it could potentially increase my chances in an interview or potential job area. Being able to understand that because social media is such a big part of our lives today, it makes sense that you want to professionaly put yourself out there in any area, so that employers and your peers that you could potentially work with see that you have a sense of what you put on social media.
ReplyDeleteAs far as learning with Big Interview I would say that I wish that I had access to this tool sooner. I have been going mostly through the modules and learning much about the interview process. I have learned key ideas that I wish I would have used in the last interview that I attended. Idea such as how to answer certain questions, and how to always be sure to thank those who interviewed you with a follow-up email or letter. After viewing some of the modules I looked around at some of the mock interview materials, and played around with practicing questions. Some of the questions left me speechless and unprepared. Knowing this, I felt that I need to be sure to do some definite reworking and making sure that I can answer some of these questions in the best way in future interviews. Overall I have found Big Interview to be very helpful, and I will continue to utalize this tool as much as possible to help me with future interviews.
Thanks, Abigail! Trust me, had I been aware of Big Interview sooner, I'd have shared it earlier. This one was of the (few?) good things that came out of this new form of class. Thankfully, it's a perfect fit for online learning, and I know I'll use it again.
DeleteAs for social media, tell me about it! I struggle with this mightily as I try to maintain a "writerly persona" out there, but the more I wrote, the more persona-y it becomes. I wonder if it's an accurate representation of who I am, etc.
Michelle’s Tips for a Successful Interviews served as a great refresher as well as providing new insights. Number 5 “Knowing the Logistics” was really important for me. Having everything organized and planned allows for a far less stressful experience when interviewing. One point on this tip that I never thought of was knowing who was interviewing me. Knowing who is interviewing you can possibly allow you to better cater to the job you’re applying for and maybe find connections. It’s a great point that I just never thought about. Number #9 “Always ask Questions” also really stuck out for me. It’s something I’ve failed to do in the past (on multiple occasions, unfortunately) and something I now make sure I do in all interviews. I think in the past I’ve thought that I’d find a question to ask during the interview process. The problem is that I’m already so nervous during an interview, that trying think up a question is darn near impossible. Having at least one question prepared shows that you care about the position and aren’t just looking for something that pays.
ReplyDeleteI was really impressed with the mock interviews on the Big Interview website. It was super useful to be able to see yourself and how you responded to questions. Some of the questions I answered, I stumbled on more than others, so the recordings let me know which areas need a bit more practice and preparation on. I’m a bit fidgety, but I’m not always aware of when I am or what I’m doing. Body language is so important and if I’m moving around during an interview, I know it distracts from what I’m saying. So being able to see my body language was super informative. It was especially nice that they had recordings of actual people asking the questions instead of just having you read them off a worksheet. This made the experience more genuine. The mock interviews I took were really helpful and I can definitely see myself going back and using it when applying for jobs.
Fantastic! I wrote some stuff on Olivia's post (above) about the importance of asking questions to show engagement, etc., but it sounds like you already got that lesson down! Great work!
DeleteOut of the tips Michelle gave, the few that stood the most out to me was the STAR Method and asking questions after the interview. The STAR Method helped clear up any hesitancies I had about telling a work experience during an interview, really emphasizing how I use my skills in a work problem and exemplify a positive perspective that can problem solve. I think that my ability to work through a problem has always been strong because I don't have an issue working under stress, but articulating my experiences with stressful problems that I work through is hard and often leaves me pausing and not sure how to create some kind of tying together of the experience into a lesson I learned. Following the STAR Method really gave me a clear cut way of organizing my experience into highlights and creating a point to the story. The second one that stood out to me was asking questions at the end of the interview. I have known that this is a key success point of interviewing, but was never sure what I should be asking. This point that Michelle made gave me good insight on how to generalize a question for multiple interviewers in the room, and to remain calm in the process. The questions that Michelle generated gave me a great foundation of what types of questions would encourage the dialogue rather than seem like I'm just trying to ask any question to avoid saying I have no question at all.
ReplyDeleteAs for the mock interviews, I created my account, but am still trying to figure out how to get my camera to work so I can record. I tried to answer a few of the practice interview questions in the top 10 questions under standard and challenging. I was surprised how nervous I was to begin with, which I think is one of my main problems that practice can alleviate. I have a very hard time remaining calm and not nervous, things like my voice catching in my throat and fidgeting my with hands without even realize it are definitely some things I experienced in the mock interviews on the website. Hopefully with practice I can get to a place where I am totally comfortable in the interview process!
Who are you, unknown poster? Thanks for your post.
Delete#2 is an oft overlooked one that I resonate with greatly. I assume that any recruiter will be looking through my social media. In past positions I've found myself checking the social media of the people we were looking to hire on. Sometimes all it takes is one off-color post to drive away potential employers.
ReplyDelete#5 is great too! Definitely making sure you are squared away before an interview is key. I always dress a little nicer than usual (not formal) not for them so much, but because I tend to think a little clearer when I'm not in my regular clothes. Additionally, having a few documents on hand like a clean resume and a sample of writing (for us English majors these are key).
#9 DEFINITELY. Nothing worse than when I'm asked "do you have any questions" and I don't have anything for them. Having a really specific set of questions cued up shows that you're thinking ahead.
Big Interview is surprisingly realistic. I always find I'm better at answering very specific questions; some of these are a tough mix between broad and specific if that makes sense. Like, "what's a time you encountered a difficult situation, how did you move forward?" I think the biggest pitfall with answers to those is one is tempted to fall back on their relevant career experience. I find myself neglecting the fact that I worked in coffee shops for 2.5 years and had all sorts of relevant human experiences.. After all, the whole point of an interview is to get to know your potential employer and vice versa. I found with the Creativity portion I've been asked a lot of those questions. What's interesting with a lot of these questions is the core of it is "how are you a problem solver?" This really is a great challenge and I will be using this again.
Thank you, Paul! I suspect you are quite right on social media. I wonder if companies are ethically "allowed" to look beyond the materials submitted, etc., but I imagine there's nothing stopping them. Certainly public figures get into trouble all the time for poor posts, etc. I like your line about using the interview to "get to know your potential employer and vice versa." So true. This goers back to the power dynamic question we've discussed. Yes, the employer holds most the cards at the start, but if offered the job, control is fully back in your court. Being able to say, "You know, this place feels like a good fit for me, too," is essential. Michelle talks a lot about how there are no "perfect jobs" but being able to have a job you're generally happy with is important!
DeleteMichelle's tips are all valuable, as everyone else has said here before. Again, I agree with a lot of people here in that the tips about cleaning up your social media, the interview starts before the interview, asking questions, and researching the company beforehand all work into how your hopefully future employers will see you. It's always good to go back over tips, no matter how often they're said, because everyone has a different piece of advise to go with them. With Michelle telling us these tips, it's invaluable as it's coming from someone who's job is to prepare people in getting jobs like this. Thank you for the wonderful tips, they're really helpful.
ReplyDeleteAs for big interview, I found it really helpful. I'm used to being the one interviewing other people, so when I'm the one being interviewed I always get nervous and jittery. Being able to run through scenarios with a real person, but have it be through a screen is helpful in fighting off that nervousness as I've found the more I do something, the more I'm comfortable doing it. I went through it twice, I think? Practicing interviewing tips is always good, and it was helpful to see that a lot of the questions they asked were similar to each other. I just hope I can get better at interviewing before going off into the real world lol.
I got a lot out of Michelle's tips, but the one that stood out more than the others was #3, "Practice SPECIFIC Questions". When I've interviewed in the past, I came with a few questions prepared about the position and workplace so that the potential employer knew that I cared. However, I'm a pretty lazy person by nature, and those questions were often generic, and could be asked about really any job. I think it's a really good idea to come with specific questions, because otherwise it defeats the whole point of trying to show that you're interested in that job specifically.
ReplyDeleteThis is something I could have improved on when I used Big Interview. I thought I did well overall; something I pride myself on especially is being able to connect past experiences to interview questions in creative ways. But when I was asking my own questions, I floundered somewhat, and ended up defaulting back to those non-specific questions. This was a good setting to confront that habit, though, and I'm really glad that I'll now be able to address the problem and prepare some specific questions before I apply to any jobs in real life.
I explored some of the "entry level" questions in Big Interview. I found that a lot of my answers to the sample questions started to sound really similar. It was also hard to come up with answers when I didn’t have a specific job I was applying for. I thought about the position I would like to have, but I’m not sure if I’ll be interviewing for that position. If I had a specific job that I wanted to interview for, I think it would be easier to come up with answers that are focused and interesting. Also in recording myself, I noticed that I fidget a lot. I don’t usually do this in person, but on the videos I tend to rock side to side sometimes, so it took some practice and attention to hold myself still (although I think it looks weird and robot when I’m not moving). I know that in-person I tend to talk with my hands, and I didn’t do that on the videos because I couldn’t see my hands in my webcam, and I think that helped me not move them around so much. After playing around with some of the recordings, I now remember how much preparation goes into getting ready for interviews.
ReplyDelete