SUCCESSFUL INTERVIEW TIPS

Engineers Job Fair 2015

MAY 12, 2015

P.E, PM, A.P ENGR M. ZEESHAN AHAD
Pakistan Engineering Council
Plot No. 18/B1 office Enclave Phase V Opposite NADARA Office.
Hayatabad Peshawar KP

SUCCESSFUL INTERVIEWING

Like exams, interviews require a great deal of

preparation. In order to do well, you must
assess your current knowledge about the
position, study the employer, and anticipate
difficult questions. In a competitive job
market its especially important to follow
these steps to interview success:
1. Analyze the Position
2. Research the Employer
3. Review Your Experiences
4. Practice

1. ANALYZE THE POSITION

Review a copy of the job description and highlight the qualifications and main responsibilities.
If you are still unclear about the nature of the position, check out the information available
about the general nature of the position.
Keep in mind that employers with lengthy qualifications statements rarely find applicants
strong in all areas, so do not get discouraged if you do not meet all of the specified
requirements, just be sure to emphasize your strengths.
1.

THE PROCESS OF JOB ANALYSIS

I.

Major Steps Involved In Job/Position

Analysis
A. Organizational Analysis
B. Selection
of
representative
positions to be analyzed
C. Collection of job analysis data
D. Preparation of job description
E. Preparation of job specification
F. Do a Swot analysis

2. RESEARCH THE EMPLOYER

Learn as much as you can about the
employers
mission,
services,
products, and future prospects.
Understand how this organization
compares with similar or competing
organizations. The best place to start
your research is on the employers
website.

3. REVIEW YOUR EXPERIENCE

When reviewing your qualifications, consider all experiences valuable even if they do not
directly relate to the position. Review the
following:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.

Work experience
Internships
Volunteer experience
Class projects
Course work
Student group experience
Interests and hobbies

For each experience, identify the skills and

knowledge you developed. Many skills are
transferable from one setting to another. Be able to say how the experience has prepared
you to contribute to an organization.

4. PRACTICE
TRY THE FOLLOWING ME THODS TO BOOST YOUR INTERVIEWING CONFIDE NCE:

I.

II.

III.

Practice saying your responses

out loud. Answering potential
questions in front of a mirror can
be useful for assessing your
facial expressions.
Have a career counselor or
friends and family ask you a list
of questions and give you
feedback on the
following:
content and organization of your
answers (completeness, level of
detail, how easy to follow) and
your presentation style (pace,
voice quality/tone,
energy,
posture, eye contact, hand
gestures, etc.)
Film or tape your responses and
review your performance. Ask
yourself: did I look/sound confident, what does my body language say, did I
look/sound relaxed, and did I sound enthusiastic?

FEELING NERVOUS?
FEELING NERVOUS ABOUT INTERVIEWS IS NORMAL. IN FACT, BEING A LITTLE NERVOUS
CAN BE HELPFUL, MOTIVATING YOU TO PREPARE AND DO YOUR BEST. BUT WORRYING
ABOUT BEING NERVOUS USUALLY JUST MAKES YOU MORE NERVOUS! FOCUS YOUR ENERGY
ON BEING MORE SELF- CONFIDENT INSTEAD. USE THESE TIPS TO HARNESS YOUR NERVOUS
ENERGY:

Try to think of five things you would like the employer to know
about you and practice telling these stories out loud so that you will sound more polished and
prepared for your interview.
THINK OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

REMEMBER THAT INTERVIEWING IS A TWO-WAY STREET. Keep in mind that you are not the only person

being evaluated during the interview. You can

also think about what impression the interviewer
makes on you and view him or her as a resource
to learn more about the company and the
position. This will help give you a sense if this
employer is one that you would like to work for
and whether or not this position fits in with your
goals.
First
impressions can set the tone for the rest of the
interview. When your interviewer comes into the
waiting room and calls your name, walk toward that person with confidence, make eye contact,
extend your hand for a handshake, and say, Hello Im (insert your name here). This should help
set the tone for a successful interview.
BUILD RAPPORT IN THE FIRST 5 SECONDS.

ETIQUETTE TIPS FOR INTERVIEWS

Be on time! Even better, arrive 10 minutes

early
Do not chew gum or wear too much
fragrance
Style your hair neatly and keep it off your
face
Do not put your belongings on the interview
desk
Turn off cell phones
Be respectful to everyone. Job offers have
been denied on how applicants treat
administrative staff
Alert references that they may be contacted. Bring your reference list with you to your
interviews.

QUALIFICATION QUESTIONS

Why are you pursuing this field?

Describe your ideal job.
What are your career plans?
What do you see yourself doing in
five years?
Do you plan to return to university
for further education?
What classes did you enjoy
most/least and why?
What other positions are you
interviewing for?
Why are you interested in our
organization?
Where do you see yourself fitting in?
What do you know about our
services/products?
How do you feel about traveling as
part of your job?
In what type of setting do you do
your best work?

Tell me about yourself.

Why should I hire you?
How does your background relate to
this position?
What can you offer us?
What have you learned from the jobs
you have had?
Tell me about an accomplishment
that you are proud of.
What are your greatest strengths?
What are your greatest weaknesses?
Why did you choose youre major?
What have you learned from your
failures?
What motivates you to do good
work?

BEHAVIORAL QUESTIONS

Interpersonal skills

When working on a team project, have you ever dealt with a strong disagreement among
team members or a team member who didnt do their part?
What did you do?
Tell me about the most difficult or frustrating individual that youve ever had to work with
and how you managed to work with him or her.
Tell me about a time when you had to be assertive.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Tell me about a time when you had to present complex information. How did you get your
point across?
Describe a time when you used persuasion to convince someone to see things your way.
Tell me about a time when you used written communication skills to communicate an
important point.

INITIATIVE

Give me an example of when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty to get a job
done.
Tell me about projects you have initiated.
What prompted you to begin them?

LEADERSHIP

Tell me about a time when you influenced the outcome of a project by taking a leadership
role.
Describe your leadership style and give me an example of a situation where you
successfully led a group.
Give me an example of your ability to build motivation in your coworkers, classmates, or
a volunteer committee.

PLANNING AND ORGANIZ ATION

How do you determine priorities in scheduling your time? Give me an example.

Tell me about an important goal of yours. How did you reach it?
Describe a situation when you had many assignments or projects due at the same time.
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What steps did you take to finish them?

Give me an example of what youve done when your time schedule or plan was upset by
unforeseen circumstances?

FLEXIBILITY

Describe a situation in which you overcame a personality conflict in order to get results.
Describe a time where you were faced with issues that tested your coping skills.
Describe a time when you received constructive criticism.

CREATIVITY/INNOVATION

When and how did you provide a creative solution?

What is the most creative thing you have done?

DECISION MAKING

Give an example of when you had to make a difficult decision.

How did you approach it?
What kinds of criteria did you use?
Describe a time when you had to defend your decision.
Summarize a situation where you had to locate relevant information, define key issues,
and determine the steps to get a desired result.

TRY TO ANSWER WITH THE STAR METHOD

S
T
A
R

= Situation (the context)

= Task(s) (the over-arching goals/objectives)
= Action(s) (how you went about achieving those goals)
= Result (s): If result wasnt entirely positive, say what you learned

STAR METHOD
SITUATION:

Recently, I was part of a group project in my Project Management class. We were assignment to
design an effective project schedule for a construction company.
TASK:

Our group chose to create a schedule for a new construction company constructing a new
building in a small community. We developed a scheduling plan and working strategy plan to
introduce the company to its new community and to help with the construction work.
ACTION:

Since I was selected as the project team leader, I set up an appointment with the Director of XYZ
construction company and got his insight on the project. After the meeting, I shared the
directors comments with my team and together we came up with a creative scheduling plan. I
then assigned each group member a particular task, based on his or her area of expertise. For
example, I assigned one member with excellent writing skills to write a proposal. I monitored
the groups progress to make sure we were meeting our deadlines and also coordinated the
strong oral presentation we made to the class.
Result:

The project was fun and allowed me to develop the management skills necessary to lead a very
diverse group of 6 people. The most rewarding part was that our group received the highest
marks in the class and the professor currently uses our project materials as an example in his
classes.

TECHNICAL/CASE
In technical/case interviews, you will be presented with a complex problem involving issues or
situations that are not likely to be familiar. You will be asked to formulate a solution to the
problem under tight time constraints. While primarily an analytical exercise, these questions also
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gauge your comfort level with problem solving, your curiosity about the problem at hand, and
your ability to articulate your insights.

TIPS FOR TECHNICAL/CASE INTERVIEWS

Use pictures and diagrams if it will help. When you finish, ask if that was what the
interviewer was looking for.

Often, you wont know the answer, but you need to make an attempt. Remember, the
interviewer is evaluating how you approach a problem just as much as your answer.
Logical and reasonable thinking is preferred over a one-line response.

Keep in mind that there is often no RIGHT or WRONG answer; each candidate has their
opinion and perspective on a question.

If it is a difficult question, ask for some time to think about it. If you do not have an answer,
let the interviewer know that you really dont have an answer. It is better than making
something up. It shows honesty, which is a trait all employers highly value.

WHAT TO WEAR

Unless otherwise directed, dress conservatively.

Men should wear a dark suit and conservative tie.
Women should wear a dark suit. Avoid, trendy
outfits, or loud colors.

You may dress in business casual for interviews

only if the employer indicates this is appropriate.

Search the Career Center website for dress casual

descriptions. Make sure your clothes are cleaned
and pressed.

Wear dark polished conservative shoes with closed toe and heel. Men should wear long,
dark socks.

Minimize jewelry and makeup. Women should wear no more than one pair of small
earrings. Men and women should ensure not to use too much of cologne and perfume.
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A THANK YOU EMAIL AFTER THE INTERVIEW

If you can acquire the email of the employer you must send a thank you email within 48
hours:

STATEMENT OF YOUR EM AIL SHOULD LOOK LIKE

Thank you for the opportunity to spend last Thursday at your construction facility in Peshawar.
The discussion we had was particularly
informative. I found the tour of your site and the
informal conversation with your engineering staff
to be quite beneficial. I was impressed with the
effective manner in which consolidated
engineering has adapted the management-byobjective system to their technical operations.
This philosophy suits my interests and training.
The entire experience has confirmed my interest
in consolidated engineering, and i look forward to
hearing from you soon.

FINAL SUGGESTIONS

Be on time
Be positive and enthusiastic
Maintain eye contact and a good posture (be aware of body language!)
Do not take notes during interview
Follow up with thank you letters
Smile!

INTERVIEW SUCCESS FACTORS

Verbal and written communication

Analytical, logical thinking and problem solving skills
Interest in job/field/employer
Interpersonal skills
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Enthusiasm
Goals
Leadership skills
Confidence and professionalism
Fit!

THE THREE PS

Polite
Patient
Persistent

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