Presenter: Cloe Liparini2014 Duke Global Policy and Governance & Global Health Fellow Participants

YOU’VE LANDED AN INTERVIEW… NOW WHAT?

Logistics• If you are able to choose between Phone and Skype, it is usually more advantageous to go with Skype…

• Easier to read visual cues (particularly useful for non-native English speakers).

• If you are speaking with a panel, can help you to distinguish speakers.• Opportunity to present yourself professionally.

• If you have a phone call:• Make sure you are using a STRONG phone line.• Identify a quiet place.• If you are able, put the phone on speakerphone so that you are able to

take notes.• If you are on a Skype call:

• Dress professionally.• Be in a clean setting.• Look and update your avatar/image if necessary.• Use a professional Skype address.

Other IMPORTANT DETAILS…WHO ARE YOU INTERVIEWING WITH? GET NAMES AND TITLES IF POSSIBLE, BEFORE THE INTERVIEW.

MAKE SURE YOU TAKE THE TIME DIFFERENCE INTO ACCOUNT WHEN SCHEDULING.

RESEARCH THE PERSON/S YOU ARE INTERVIEWING WITH. LEARN MORE ABOUT THEIR PROFESSIONAL & ACADEMIC BACKGROUND.

REVIEW ALL MATERIALS THAT YOU CAN FIND ON THE ORGANIZATION OR DEPT (WEBSITE, ARTICLES, PUBLICATIONS)

IF YOU ARE ASKED FOR REFERENCES, BE SURE TO INFORM YOUR REFERENCES AND SHARE YOUR RESUME AND LINKS TO ANY INFORMATION YOU MAY HAVE ON THE INTERNSHIP (WEBSITE, TERMS OF REFERENCE – ETC)

PREPPING for the INTERVIEW• Learn about the work of the organization – Do Your HOMEWORK!!!

• Review the Mission and Vision Statements.• Review any Annual Reports that you find on the website.• Do they have a Strategic Plan? Where do they stand in relation to its implementation?

• Learn more thematically about the work• Current issues impacting or related to the work• Other organizations working in the same area (partners/collaborators/competitors)• If there is a TofRs, research what you can find on the website that connects to the

deliverables outlined in the TofRs.• Reflect on what interests you the most about the work

• Be prepared to share what a short-term 2-3 month internship may provide for you.• Reflect on what skills or knowledge you can bring to a short-term 2-3 month internship.

• Complete the Transferrable Skills Check-list• Very useful exercise to help identify skills/experiences.• http://dukepolicyingenevaprogram.wordpress.com/professional-tips/ (Under

Interview Tips)

Basic Interview questions - 1SO, TELL ME A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF.I'D BE VERY SURPRISED IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN ASKED THIS ONE AT EVERY INTERVIEW. IT'S PROBABLY THE MOST ASKED QUESTION BECAUSE IT SETS THE STAGE FOR THE INTERVIEW AND IT GETS YOU TALKING. BE CAREFUL NOT TO GIVE THE INTERVIEWER YOUR LIFE STORY HERE. YOU DON'T NEED TO EXPLAIN EVERYTHING FROM BIRTH TO PRESENT DAY. RELEVANT FACTS ABOUT EDUCATION, YOUR CAREER AND YOUR CURRENT LIFE SITUATION ARE FINE.

TELL ME WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS/OUR ORGANIZATION. DO YOUR HOMEWORK BEFORE YOU GO TO ANY INTERVIEW. WHETHER IT'S BEING THE VP OF MARKETING OR THE MAILROOM CLERK, YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION YOU'RE GOING TO INTERN FOR. HAS THE ORGANIZATION BEEN IN THE NEWS LATELY? WHO ARE THE PEOPLE IN THE ORGANIZATION YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT? DO THE BACKGROUND WORK, IT WILL MAKE YOU STAND OUT AS SOMEONE WHO COMES PREPARED, AND IS GENUINELY INTERESTED IN THE ORGANIZATION AND THE INTERNSHIP.

Basic Interview questions - 2WHY DO YOU WANT TO WORK AT X ORGANIZATION? THIS SHOULD BE DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE LAST QUESTION. ANY RESEARCH YOU'VE DONE ON THE COMPANY SHOULD HAVE LED YOU TO THE CONCLUSION THAT YOU'D WANT TO WORK THERE. AFTER ALL, YOU'RE AT THE INTERVIEW, RIGHT? PUT SOME THOUGHT INTO THIS ANSWER BEFORE YOU HAVE YOUR INTERVIEW, MENTION YOUR CAREER GOALS AND HIGHLIGHT FORWARD-THINKING GOALS AND CAREER PLANS.

WHAT RELEVANT EXPERIENCE DO YOU HAVE? HOPEFULLY IF YOU'RE APPLYING FOR THIS POSITION YOU HAVE BAGS OF RELATED EXPERIENCE, AND IF THAT'S THE CASE YOU SHOULD MENTION IT ALL. BUT IF YOU'RE SWITCHING CAREERS OR TRYING SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT, YOUR EXPERIENCE MAY INITIALLY NOT LOOK LIKE IT'S MATCHING UP. THAT'S WHEN YOU NEED A LITTLE HONEST CREATIVITY TO MATCH THE EXPERIENCES REQUIRED WITH THE ONES YOU HAVE. PEOPLE SKILLS ARE PEOPLE SKILLS AFTER ALL, YOU JUST NEED TO SHOW HOW CUSTOMER SERVICE SKILLS CAN APPLY TO INTERN POSITIONS, AND SO ON.

Basic Interview questions - 3IF YOUR PREVIOUS CO-WORKERS WERE HERE, WHAT WOULD THEY SAY ABOUT YOU?OK, THIS IS NOT THE TIME FOR FULL DISCLOSURE. IF SOME PEOPLE FROM YOUR PAST ARE GOING TO SAY YOU'RE A PAIN TO WORK WITH, YOU DON'T NEED TO BRING THAT UP. STAY POSITIVE, ALWAYS, AND MAYBE HAVE A FEW SPECIFIC QUOTES IN MIND. "THEY'D SAY I WAS A HARD WORKER" OR EVEN BETTER "JOHN DOE HAS ALWAYS SAID I WAS THE MOST RELIABLE, CREATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVER HE'D EVER MET.”

WHERE ELSE HAVE YOU APPLIED?THIS IS A GOOD WAY TO HINT THAT YOU'RE IN DEMAND, WITHOUT SOUNDING LIKE YOU'RE NOT FOCUSED AND APPLYING YOURSELF ALL OVER TOWN. SO, BE HONEST AND MENTION A FEW OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, BUT DON'T GO INTO DETAIL. THE FACT THAT YOU'RE SERIOUSLY LOOKING AND KEEPING YOUR OPTIONS OPEN IS WHAT THE INTERVIEWER IS DRIVING AT.

HOW ARE YOU WHEN YOU'RE WORKING UNDER PRESSURE?ONCE AGAIN, THERE ARE A FEW WAYS TO ANSWER THIS BUT THEY SHOULD ALL BE POSITIVE. YOU MAY WORK WELL UNDER PRESSURE, YOU MAY THRIVE UNDER PRESSURE, AND YOU MAY ACTUALLY PREFER WORKING UNDER PRESSURE. IF YOU SAY YOU CRUMBLE AND HAVE MINI-PANIC ATTACKS, THIS IS NOT GOING TO HELP YOU GET YOUR FOOT IN THE DOOR.

Basic Interview questions - 4WHAT'S YOUR GREATEST STRENGTH?THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO SHINE. YOU'RE BEING ASKED TO EXPLAIN WHY YOU WOULD BE A GREAT INTERN, SO DON'T HOLD BACK AND STAY POSITIVE. YOU COULD BE SOMEONE WHO THRIVES UNDER PRESSURE, A GREAT MOTIVATOR, AN AMAZING PROBLEM SOLVER OR SOMEONE WITH EXTRAORDINARY ATTENTION TO DETAIL. IF YOUR GREATEST STRENGTH, HOWEVER, IS TO DRINK ANYONE UNDER THE TABLE OR GET A TOP SCORE ON A STAR WARS VIDEO GAME, KEEP IT TO YOURSELF. THE INTERVIEWER IS LOOKING FOR WORK-RELATED STRENGTHS.

WHAT'S YOUR BIGGEST WEAKNESS?IF YOU'RE COMPLETELY HONEST, YOU MAY BE KICKING YOURSELF IN THE BUTT. IF YOU SAY YOU DON'T HAVE ONE, YOU'RE OBVIOUSLY LYING. THIS IS A HORRIBLE QUESTION AND ONE THAT POLITICIANS HAVE BECOME MASTERS AT ANSWERING. THEY SAY THINGS LIKE "I'M PERHAPS TOO COMMITTED TO MY WORK AND DON'T SPEND ENOUGH TIME WITH MY FAMILY.”

DON’T BOAST: I'VE EVEN HEARD "I THINK I'M TOO GOOD AT MY JOB, IT CAN OFTEN MAKE PEOPLE JEALOUS." PLEASE, LET'S KEEP OUR FEET ON THE GROUND. IF YOU'RE ASKED THIS QUESTION, GIVE A SMALL, WORK-RELATED FLAW THAT YOU'RE WORKING HARD TO IMPROVE. EXAMPLE: "I'VE BEEN TOLD I OCCASIONALLY FOCUS ON DETAILS AND MISS THE BIGGER PICTURE, SO I'VE BEEN SPENDING TIME LAYING OUT THE COMPLETE PROJECT EVERY DAY TO SEE MY OVERALL PROGRESS."

Basic Interview questions - 5WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO DO A GOOD JOB?THE ANSWER TO THIS ONE IS NOT MONEY, EVEN IF IT IS. YOU SHOULD BE MOTIVATED BY LIFE'S NOBLE PURSUITS. YOU WANT RECOGNITION FOR A JOB WELL DONE. YOU WANT TO BECOME BETTER AT YOUR JOB. YOU WANT TO HELP OTHERS OR BE A LEADER IN YOUR FIELD. SHARE YOUR TRUTH, BUT ONCE AGAIN THINK ABOUT THE NATURE OF THE WORK AND FIND A POSITIVE AND AUTHENTIC SPIN.

ARE YOU GOOD AT WORKING IN A TEAM?UNLESS YOU DON’T WANT THE OFFER, YOU'LL ALWAYS ANSWER YES TO THIS ONE. IT'S THE ONLY ANSWER. HOW CAN ANYONE FUNCTION INSIDE AN ORGANIZATION IF THEY ARE A LONER? YOU MAY WANT TO MENTION WHAT PART YOU LIKE TO PLAY IN A TEAM THOUGH, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE MORE ABOUT YOUR DYNAMIC IN TEAMS.

Basic Interview questions - 6 SO, EXPLAIN WHY I SHOULD HIRE YOU.AS I'M SURE YOU KNOW, "BECAUSE I'M GREAT" OR "I REALLY NEED AN INTERNSHIP" ARE NOT GOOD ANSWERS HERE. THIS IS A TIME TO GIVE THE EMPLOYER A LAUNDRY LIST OF YOUR GREATEST TALENTS THAT JUST SO HAPPEN TO MATCH THE JOB DESCRIPTION. IT'S ALSO GOOD TO AVOID TAKING POTSHOTS AT OTHER POTENTIAL CANDIDATES HERE. FOCUS ON YOURSELF AND YOUR TALENTS, NOT OTHER PEOPLE'S FLAWS.

FINALLY, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS TO ASK ME?I'LL FINISH THE WAY I STARTED, WITH ONE OF THE MOST COMMON QUESTIONS ASKED IN INTERVIEWS. THIS DIRECTLY RELATES TO THE RESEARCH YOU'VE DONE ON THE ORGANIZATION AND ALSO GIVES YOU A CHANCE TO SHOW HOW EAGER AND PREPARED YOU ARE.

ALWAYS HAVE QUESTIONS READY, GREETING THIS ONE WITH A BLANK STARE IS A ROTTEN WAY TO FINISH YOUR INTERVIEW. 1) WHAT HAVE BEEN IMPORTANT ATTRIBUTES IN SUCCESSFUL INTERNS YOU’VE SUPERVISED?2) THOUGH I WOULDN’T BE AVAILABLE UNTIL X, ARE THERE MATERIALS THAT YOU RECOMMEND I READ/RESEARCH TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FIELD OF THE INTERNSHIP DELIVERABLES?3) WHAT RECENT PROJECTS HAVE YOU FOUND MOST INTERESTING/INNOVATIVE?4) WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT WORKING IN THIS ORGANIZATION?

MOST COMMON INTERVIEW MISTAKES

DRESSING INAPPROPRIATELY (ON SKYPE).

ARRIVING LATE (BE BY THE PHONE OR COMPUTER 10 MINUTES EARLY).

DRINKING OR EATING DURING THE INTERVIEW.

USING A PHONE OR BEING INTERRUPTED (PUT THE PHONE ON VIBRATE).

NOT KNOWING ANYTHING ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION.

FUZZY RESUME FACTS: BE ABLE TO BACK UP ALL OF THE MATERIAL SHARED IN YOUR RESUME AND COVER LETTER.

NOT PAYING ATTENTION.

TALKING TOO MUCH. LISTENING IS A POWERFUL TOOL.

NOT BEING PREPARED TO ANSWER QUESTION.

BADMOUTHING PAST EMPLOYERS/SUPERVISORS.

Don’t forget about your on-line image!!!!• I’ve already spoken to supervisors who are looking at your LINKEDIN profiles…

• Google your name and clean up anything that you don’t want representing you.

Ensure potential employers only see information that conveys a positive image. You do not want them to question your professionalism, judgment, or ability to represent their organization.

Adjust your privacy settings for all online accounts. Remove content and tags that could negatively influence a potential employer’s first

impression. Hide or delete old accounts that do not best represent you. Request that information about you posted by others be removed if you are opposed

to it.

Thank You NotesSEND IMMEDIATELY AFTER YOUR INTERVIEW. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL YOU HEAR BACK FROM THE EMPLOYER TO SEND A NOTE.

OKAY TO SEND THANK YOU NOTES VIA EMAIL, BUT PEOPLE ALWAYS LIKE HANDWRITTEN NOTES (SO DO BOTH IF YOU CAN, WHEN IN THE SAME COUNTRY)

ALSO, BE SURE TO SEND A THANK YOU TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE REFERRED YOU TO EMPLOYERS AND WRITTEN RECOMMENDATIONS FOR YOU.

Final questions?