Telling Your Story: Interview Preparation
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Transcript of Telling Your Story: Interview Preparation
Telling Your Story:Interview Preparation
In order to tell a compelling story in an interview, you must…
1. Understand what the organization is looking for
2. Have a story to tell
3. Tell your story in the context of what the organization is looking for
4. Apply the questions being asked
What companies are looking for?
• Technical Skills– Job / Industry-Specific Skills
• Professional Competencies– 21st Century Skills– Core Skills
Professional Competencies
1. Business Fundamentals2. Communication3. Critical Thinking4. Passion & Interest5. Resilience6. Teamwork
In order to tell a compelling story in an interview, you must…
1. Understand what the organization is looking for
2. Have a story to tell
3. Tell your story in the context of what the organization is looking for
4. Apply the questions being asked
Your “story” is a set of experiences
Academic
Professional
Extra-curricular
Personal
This is my story
Exercise: What are the elements of your story?
Write down the three (3) experiences you have had so far in your life that you
would include in your story
In order to tell a compelling story in an interview, you must…
1. Understand what the organization is looking for
2. Have a story to tell
3. Tell your story in the context of what the organization is looking for
4. Apply the questions being asked
My Goal
My story highlights
Create a “story matrix”
Technical Skills ★★★Business Fundamentals ★★★★Critical Thinking ★★★ ★★★★Communication ★★★Passion & Interest ★★ ★★★★Resilience ★★★★Teamwork ★★★★★
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Exercise: Create a Story Matrix
SELECT A STORY
Technical Skills
Business Fundamentals
Critical Thinking
Communication
Passion & Interest
Resilience
Teamwork
In order to tell a compelling story in an interview, you must…
1. Understand what the organization is looking for
2. Have a story to tell
3. Tell your story in the context of what the organization is looking for
4. Apply the questions being asked
Types of Interview Questions
• 3 Whys
• Behavioral
• Personal
• Technical
The 3 Whys
Why this Job?
Why this Company?
Why Me?
Why this Job?
• What They Looking For– How excited are you to do this job– How well you understand the job/industry
• Sample Questions– “What interests you about this job”– “What types of things are you interested in working
on?”– “Tell me about yourself”
Why this Job?
“As an economics major I have always had a strong interest in understanding how markets work….”
“I’m an athlete. I have an athletic mentality. I am really interested in a career that is fast-paced where every day is new challenge and highly competitive.…”
Resilience
Business Fundamentals
Why this Company?
• What They Looking For– What excites you about the company – What do you know about our company – What differentiates us from our competitors
• Sample Questions– “Why do you want to work here?”– “How did you learn about us?”– “Do you have any questions for me?”
What to know about the company
• Recent news• Major events in company history• Key executives• Primary products & services• Profile of customers & clients• Market differentiation• Organizational structure
Why Me?
• What They Looking For– What makes you special– What professional competencies do you possess– What technical skills do you have
• Sample Questions– “Tell me about yourself”– “Walk me through your resume”– EVERY QUESTION
Why Me?
“I have pursued a quantitative track in Economics. I have taken statistics and linear algebra courses….”
“I love working with a small group of people to achieve a goal where everyone’s contribution is valued… ”Teamwork
Critical Thinking
Behavioral Questions
• What They Looking For– Provide insight on how you will handle yourself in
various situations– Past behavior reflects future behavior
• Sample Questions– Give me an example of a time when you had to
teach someone something? – Give me an example of when you had to make a
sacrifice or compromise for a team or group?
Behavioral Question
“We started my senior season 1-7. The team was down. Players were arguing with each other. As captain, I had to….”
Tell me about a time when you had to overcome adversity
Resilience
Personal Questions
• What They Looking For– Assessing "fit“– Understand non-work interests– Determine your work style
• Sample Questions– What is your greatest weakness?– How would your friends describe you?– What was your favorite class?
Personal Question
“Competitive. I have always been competitive. I like knowing that there is someone out there trying to beat me. I makes me always look to improve myself…. ”
What two adjectives would your friends use to describe you?
“Logical. I approach most problems very logically. Sometimes that is great. Other time people may say it is unemotional….”
Passion
Critical Thinking
Technical Questions
• Purpose of Question– Gauge your knowledge of the particular industry– Gauge your knowledge of the particular position– Differentiate candidate from other candidates
• Sample Questions– “Where will the US economy be in 12 months?”– “How would you solve this problem in Java?”– “How would you calculate the acquisition cost per
customer?”
Technical Question What effect will the price drop in oil have on the U.S. economy?
“In my macroeconomics class, we studied the oil crisis in the 1970s. In that case as prices went higher….”Technical Skill
Q&A