INTERVIEWING AND JOB OFFER EVALUATION Interviewing

INTERVIEWING

Interviews are perhaps the most significant part of the hiring/evaluation process. Both you and the interviewer have your own objectives:

YOUR GOALS ARE TO:

Showcase your skills and interpersonal qualities Demonstrate that you are a match for the position through specific examples of past experiences Determine if the position / organization are a good fit for you THE INTERVIEWER’S GOALS ARE TO SEE:

If you have the skills to do the job If you are motivated to do the job If you are a fit with the organization’s culture

PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW

Preparation is the most important part of your job or internship interview. Lay the foundation and follow these steps to maximize success.

Conduct thorough research on the organization and industry. Employers view knowledge of their organization as a critical factor in applicant evaluation because it demonstrates the candidate’s interest, enthusiasm, and seriousness about the position. INTERVIEW SUCCESS

PRACTICE INTERVIEW RESPONSES

Tailor interview responses to describe experiences in relation to the skills and qualifications the organization is seeking. Conduct a mock interview with a Career Coach, recruiter, former employer or Bentley alumni.

RESEARCH THE ORGANIZATION AND THE INDUSTRY

ANALYZE THE POSITION Know the qualifications and responsibilities outlined in the job description. Identify the key skills the position requires and describe a time you have used each of the skills using the STAR technique.

THE FOUNDATION –KNOW YOURSELF Know your values, interests, personality and skills. Practice communicating these concisely and clearly as they relate to the position, organization and industry. Review your experiences. Analyze your academic training, leadership experiences, critical thinking skills and nonacademic activities in relation to the position.

RESUME/TRADITIONAL This form of interviewing goes through your resume. Questions focus on your education, prior work experience, and activities. Know your resume inside and out. Highlight the skills that you developed or enhanced in the class, job or activity, and connect your responses back to the desired skills / qualifications of the role.

BEHAVIORAL Based on the principle that the best way to predict future behavior is from past behavior, this method of interviewing is one of the most commonly used. Behavioral questions typically begin with “Tell me about a time when…” or “Give me an example of when...” Use the STAR technique (page 40) to describe how your specific experiences relate to the job.

CASE Some companies, especially those in consulting and finance, are concerned not only with your experience but also with your ability to address complex problems and reach logical conclusions. The emphasis here is on your thought process; there is not necessarily a right or wrong answer.

TECHNICAL Companies in financial services, or companies in other industries hiring for finance-related roles, may ask questions related to academic coursework or concepts and/or industry knowledge.

* Please refer to pages 43-44 for specific interview prep resources.

COMPANY RESEARCH CHECKLIST

ORGANIZATIONAL KNOWLEDGE

Annual Reports, especially the letter to Shareholders

Company history Company leaders (CEO, etc.)

Organizational structure Primary locations

Stock price/trends; PE ratio

Company mission statement

Industry background / general information

Competitors Principle products / lines of business

INDUSTRY KNOWLEDGE

Relative size in industry / market share

Industry trends and facts Annual revenue

Industry jargon

CURRENT EVENTS

New products / lines of business Recent news articles about company and/or industry

Researching a publicly traded company? From the Bentley Library homepage, click on ‘Research’, then select ‘Databases A-Z’. Under the ‘Filter by Subject’ header, click on ‘Analyst Opinion’. Scroll down and click on ‘Investextfrom Mergent’. Use the ‘Basic Search’ tab for Company Details, Executives, Ownership, Company Financials, Competitors and more. Use the “Investext’ tab to search for Analyst Reports.

You can’t always anticipate every question you’ll receive in an interview. However, common themes include applications of analytical, problem solving, and decision-making skills; leadership development; creativity; teamwork; and personal development. These should be answered using specific examples. Interviews often include a mix of different types of questions.

RESUME-BASED / QUALIFICATIONS  Tell me about yourself.  Walk me through your resume.  Why are you interested in our organization? Industry?  Why are you interested in this particular position?  Why did you choose to attend Bentley University and how did you select your major?  Tell me about your most recent summer internship and what you liked / disliked about the experience.  What work experience has been the most valuable to you and why?  What challenges are you looking for in a position?  Why do you feel you will be successful in this program?  What is your greatest strength / weakness, and how will it affect your performance in this program?  What characteristics do you think are important for this position?  How has your education at Bentley prepared you for a ---- position?  Where do you see yourself in five years?  What has been the biggest accomplishment in your life and why?  Why should I hire you? BEHAVIORAL  Give an example of a problem you have solved and the process you used.  Describe a situation in which you had a conflict with another individual and how you dealt with it.  Tell me about a team project of which you are particularly proud and your contribution.  What types of situations put you under pressure, and how do you deal with the pressure?  Tell me about a situation when you had to persuade another person to your point of view.  Describe a leadership role you have held, and tell me why you committed your time to it.  In thinking about a past position you have held, what did you do to make your duties more effective?  Describe one of the toughest competitive situations you have faced and how you handled it.  What has been one of your greatest disappointments and how did you respond?  Tell me about a time when you failed.  Describe a situation in which you were criticized, and how you responded.  Tell me about a time you went above the call of duty.

THE PSYCHOLOGY BEHIND COMMON INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

WHAT INTERVIEWERS ASK YOU: WHAT THEY REALLY WANT TO KNOW:

1. Describe yourself. How does your background qualify you for this job? 1. Can you take an incredible amount of information, organize it quickly in your head, and present it concisely and articulately?

2. What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?

3. Why this job? Why this organization? 2. How mature are you in dealing with your weaknesses?

Can you identify methods for self-improvement? 3. Have you done your homework? Are you analytical?

4. How would your peers describe you?

5. What makes you think you will succeed in this organization? 4. How do you see yourself? Are you a leader or a follower?

5. Have you accurately identified the skills and expertise needed to succeed? Can you prove you have them?

The STAR techniques provides a concise and thorough framework for organizing responses to behavioral interview questions. Describing specific experiences adds credibility to your responses regarding your qualifications for the position. Begin by analyzing and identifying themes within the job description. Then reflect on your experiences to identify examples of when you demonstrated the skills, qualities, and knowledge required for the position. You should draw from classroom, extracurricular, volunteering, and job/internship experiences. Think about what skill(s) you can highlight with each example (ex: teamwork, communication, analytical, etc.) as well as the questions for which you can use each example.

Note, when providing examples that involved a team, be sure to balance a description of the team’s efforts with your specific role. If you don’t have much team experience, consider joining a club or participating in a volunteering trip!

SITUATION

TASK

ACTION

RESULT

REFLECT

Describe the context of the situation –class project, student activity, volunteer, job, etc.

Describe the task and your specific role –goal, problem to be solved, improvement to be made, etc.

Describe the actions you took –planning and implementation done to reach goal, solve a problem, etc.

Describe the outcomes of your action –impact, influence, change resulting from your action, etc.

Take your answer a step further. Describe what you learned from the situation. Is there anything you might do differently in the future if you encountered a similar situation?

STAR APPROACH IN ACTION

Give me an example of a time you faced a conflict while working on a team. How did you handle that?

Situation: During the fall of my junior year, I took the Integrated Business Project class. I was assigned to work with a group of five students, and we were tasked with evaluating a local, private high school and making recommendations for how to increase the bottom line over a five year time horizon.

Task: Of the five team members, one consistently missed meetings and either did not turn in the work that was assigned to him, or turned in work of very poor quality. The other teammates and I had a discussion, and we decided that I would reach out to the student who was not performing well.

Action: I met the student for coffee, and he said that he had been a bit overwhelmed with his finance classes and didn't consider this particular course to be a priority. I explained that his poor performance was impacting the group’s ability to complete the project on time and get a good grade. He apologized and said that he would make an effort to participate more actively in the project for the remainder of the semester.

Result: At the end of the day, the students’ performance only improved marginally, and that was reflected in his peer evaluation. The other team members and I each had to pick up a little additional slack to ensure we completed the project on time, and we did do well overall.

Reflect: Although the outcome of this situation was not particularly ideal, I did learn important lessons. I think it would have been beneficial to address the problem sooner, instead of waiting until more than halfway throughout the semester. I also learned that on a team, not everyone will participate equally, and I think that's a realistic lesson to take into the workplace.

Interviewers typically give you the opportunity to ask questions at the end of an interview. Make the most of this opportunity –it can be a red flag to employers if you don’t ask any questions. The questions you ask will help you gain information to aid in your decision-making process. Your questions should focus on the industry, the organization, and the position.

INDUSTRY QUESTIONS  If you were interviewing with a healthcare company, a good industry question might be: There has been a lot of consolidation within the industry lately, such as a major drugstore chain buying a health insurance company (CVS buying Aetna) and another health insurance company merging with a pharmacy benefits manager (Cigna merging with Express Scripts). Do you think consolidation is necessary to grow and thrive in today’s healthcare industry?  In what ways has this organization been most successful in terms of products/services over the past several years compared to competitors in (this industry)? video, WiFi connection) and identify a quiet location where

 What challenges and opportunities do you see over the you can comfortably complete your interview. You can use

next two years regarding growth in (this industry)? Big Interview (see p.43) to gain virtual interview practice too.

 What kind of changes do you expect to see in (this your cell phone. Tell roommates, family, etc. that you will be

industry) over the next two to three years?

ORGANIZATION QUESTIONS  If you were interviewing with a retail banking company, a good organization question might be: Could you talk about company contact available in case you run into any technical

how your company balances the consumer expectations difficulties during your live interview.

for both online / mobile capabilities and a company with a localized presence?  How do you see this company evolving in the next 5-10 years?  How would you describe the culture of your organization?  What kind of professional development programs does the company offer?  What values do you see in your company’s leadership that have contributed to the organization’s success?  How do you celebrate accomplishments and achievements here?

POSITION QUESTIONS  Can you tell me more about the day-to-day responsibilities of this job?  What are your expectations for this role during the first 30 Which part of the position has the steepest learning curve? What can I do in order to get up to speed quickly? What is the typical career path for someone in this role? What are the most successful team members doing differently from the average team members? How is job performance evaluated? Describe the top three challenges that I’ll face in this job. Could you tell me about the team I would be working with?

VIRTUAL INTERVIEWING TIPS

Test your technology ahead of time (interview platform, audio,

Minimize distractions. Turn off computer notifications and interviewing and not to disturb you.

Have the phone number and/or email address from a days, 60 days, year?

Dress as though you’re preparing for an in-person interview. Build rapport with the interviewer(s) in the first five seconds. Greet the interviewer(s) with a smile and a warm greeting. If you are doing a pre-recorded interview, ignore this item.

Maintain strong eye contact throughout your interview by focusing on your camera’s lens rather than your own screen. Have proper body language (positive expression, good posture, etc.) to demonstrate your interest and excitement.

Keep it natural and avoid the temptation to read from a script. Your interviewer will be able to tell if you are referring to your notes.

Writing a thank you note is an extremely important way to bring closure to the interview process. It is another opportunity to sell yourself, and it may be the last impression the employer will have of you before making their final decision, so make the note thoughtful. A well-crafted thank you note can help you stand out from other candidates.

THANK YOU NOTE TIPS  Timeliness is everything! As a general rule of thumb, set a goal of sending a thank you note within 24 hours of your interview.  Always send a thank you note to individuals with whom you have interviewed. If more than one person interviewed you, send a personalized note to each individual. Interviewers may share your thank you note, so don’t simply copy/paste the same text.  Keep it brief. Your note should be no more than 2-3 short paragraphs.  Ask for a business card at the end of the interview. It is difficult to send a thank you note if you do not have the interviewer’s contact information.  Proofread your note before sending. Correct spelling and proper grammar are a must.

EMAIL OR HANDWRITTEN NOTE?  Is your penmanship neat and legible? If not, opt for an email thank you note.  Do you realistically have time to buy notecards, write the note, buy stamps, and drop the note in the mail? How long will it take for the note(s) to reach the interviewer(s)? Remember, timeliness is everything! o HINT: Bring notecards with you to the interview. After the interview, step out of the office, write the note(s), then hand deliver to the office receptionist. o HINT: Send an email thank you note within 24 hours to ensure timely delivery, and then follow up with a handwritten note.  If you send a handwritten note, use a plain, light-colored note card.  If you send an email note, include a relevant subject line (i.e. “Thank you from Sarah Smith”). THANK YOU NOTE GUIDELINES  Thank the interviewer for taking the time to meet with you (politeness goes a long way)!  Remind the individual when the interview took place and for what position you interviewed.  Reiterate your interest in the position, and mention some specific details about the company or the position that were discussed during the interview (this will also highlight your listening skills).  Tie your qualifications and interests back to the position.  Reiterate your interest in follow-up and/or next steps

Dear Ms. Jones:

THANK YOU NOTE EXAMPLE

Thank you for taking the time to meet with me yesterday to discuss the Equity Research Internship.

My interest in the position has grown after our discussion about the intensive two-week training period and collaborative culture at the company. I am confident that my finance coursework at Bentley and my experience as an analyst in the Bentley Investment Group have prepared me well for this role. I am also particularly impressed by the formal mentorship program that the company recently launched and would take full advantage of the opportunity to be mentored by a Senior Research Associate.

I look forward to hearing from you regarding next steps. Thank you again for your consideration.

Sincerely, Sarah Smith