I am posting so that Cornerstone students have ample time to complete this assignment.
1.) Review further information about informational interviews by clicking here (http://www.bls.gov/opub/ooq/2002/summer/art03.pdf). Also, review some information from UCF"s Career Services by clicking here (http://www.career.ucf.edu/UserFiles/File/Plan%20for%20the%20Interview/player.html).
2.) Log on to Perfect Interview (http://www.perfectinterview.com/ucf/). For "Your Level of Experience," choose the level that fits you the best.
3.) Complete one "short" interview where the selections are chosen for you. Complete one "short" interview where you make the selections. Choose at least three areas you'd like to work on the most. Note the options of the "Alternate Response" and the "Coach" that can be used.
4.) You may choose to either use video capture or no video capture. If you choose no video capture you will be required to type your responses. Save both interviews.
5.) Draft a reflection of at least a paragraph about your practice interview, commenting on the questions asked and your responses to the questions. You might comment on what questions were problematic. What were the strengths of your responses? What could you improve in your responses? How did your responses compare to the "Alternate Response"? What did you learn from the "Coach?"
6.) At the end of the reflection give one question about interviewing or a piece of advice that you've gained in your interviewing experiences.
7.) Click on "Review Saved Interviews." Click on the "Share" button. E-mail yourself your interview and include the links in your posting.
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I found the practice interview to be very helpful since I’ve never had to go into a real interview like that yet so it helped me see what to look forward to. I think interviewing is a very nerve racking thing but it’s also very exciting at the same time because you could be starting a whole new future with a job. Some of the non-standard interview questions that come are best dealt with if you just answer them honestly and to the best of your abilities.
ReplyDeleteAfter completing the interview, some of the questions I heard were, “do you think providing good customer service is important in our field? Tell me why.” Another question was, “How good are you at following directions?” I believe that in my interview I gave pretty good, strong answers to the questions but I would like to practice some more. The question I found to be problematic was, “Is there anything else I should know about you that we haven't already discussed?” I wasn’t sure of what someone would want to hear but I just answered to what I thought a company might want to hear. I would say that depending on the place you are going in for the interview, you would include skills that could apply to that job when answering a question like that. How would someone else answer that question?
http://www.perfectinterview.com/online/review_gateway.asp?id=3021599&type=standard
The second interview was just a little different; I chose personal information, openers and closer, and education and training. First I listened to the “alternative response” because I wanted to get an idea of how the questions were answered. By doing this, I was able to see how a real interview may take place. The “coach” feature was helpful because it gives you ideas on how to go about answering the question if you’re stuck. Answering questions about yourself is not always easy but in this second interview, the “coach” was helpful in giving tips when it came to answering questions like, “Everyone has at least one goal that they have never been able to accomplish. Tell me about yours.”
http://www.perfectinterview.com/online/review_gateway.asp?id=3021598&type=standard
The one thing I learned about the interviewing process was about how to answer the questions honestly. There is no right or wrong answers in an interview but if you just answer with an honest, educated answer, that’s better than just coming up with a fake answer.
Lauren Larson
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ReplyDeleteThe Bi-focaled Blogger said...
ReplyDeleteYou might think that a “seasoned” (resume-speak for “old”) human resources professional such as myself would have no issue with sitting down for an interview, real or practiced. To be truthful, though, even the pros get nervous when face to face with the person who holds your employment future in his or her hands. Being able to anticipate the questions, since they are likely to be the ones you would be asking yourself if you were sitting on the opposite side of the desk is not really too great of an advantage. Will you come off as too smug? Too practiced? Just giving the answers you know they want to hear? Probably; HR people --- while perhaps not guilty of eating their own---tend to be hypercritical of someone they think should know better!
With that in mind, I prepared to take the practice interview for a management level position for a person with more than 10 years of experience. The questions were not a surprise and I managed to include most of the buzz words found in either the alternate response or coaching session for each question. I did not find anything in those resources with which I would disagree.
I chose questions focusing on the opening and closing, strengths and weaknesses and experience.
I was surprised not to see the rather ubiquitous question at the end…”do you have any questions for me (us)?” That’s always a tough one…is this the place to bring up compensation (probably not); do you lie and say “no…you’ve covered it all.” (not likely and you both know it). Usually, this is a good place to ask about their projective time line for filling the position (don’t get pushy, though)…alternatively, or if that issue has already been discussed, a question about the history of the company or something positive about the office location, etc. Be careful, though, make sure that your closing question has not already been addressed as it will look as if you were not paying attention.
Here’s are my interview sessions, hope you enjoy:
http://www.perfectinterview.com/online/review_gateway.asp?id=3021621&type=standard
http://www.perfectinterview.com/online/review_gateway.asp?id=3021620&type=standard
Gail Weinstein
One of the biggest issues in an interview session for me....whether I am conducting one or participating as a prospective employee is body language.
ReplyDeleteHow you sit, how much you use your hands (something that I really have to be on guard against as I am very demonstrative and have, at times, made interviewers dizzy trying to follow my hand motions), and what your eye contact is saying about you are a major part of an interview session.
Ladies, be careful where you place your purse...your interviewer's desk is part of their personal space and they may not appreciate a handbag that has been...who knows where...on their desktop. Sit up straight, speak at a moderate tone and here's something that used to bug the devil out of me on Donald Trump's "The Apprentice", billed as a multi-week interview: push in your chair when you get up to leave! I was always amazed that these executive level candidates didn't take care of this simple, yet important nicety!
Gail Weinstein
oops...Paragraph one should have said ... body language and other non-verbal communication!
ReplyDeleteGail Weinstein
Bi-focaled Blogger-
ReplyDeleteI didn't even think about body language as being a possible issue when going into an interview. Your advice about not putting your purse on the desk when you go into an interview is very interesting but also makes a lot of sense. Thanks for the tips.
Lauren Larson