foreign the interview is typically the final step in procuring a job the interview is a great way to share your skills and capabilities while also learning more about the company and the role in this module we will go through how to prepare for and conduct yourself during a job interview before the interview research the company and position you are applying for to understand their mission values and what they're looking for in a candidate you can find this information on the Internet or through networking conversations with people who work or have worked at the company prepare
answers to common interview questions such as why are you interested in this position what are your strengths and weaknesses and why should we hire you writing a brief outline of your answers to these types of questions will help you stay focused and succinct you may also be asked behavioral interview questions a behavioral interview question is a type of question that is used to assess a candidate's past behavior and experience to predict their future performance these types of questions typically begin with phrases such as tell me about a time when or can you give me an
example of and ask the candidate to describe a specific situation they have encountered in the past and how they handled it the interviewer is looking for specific examples of the candidate's skills abilities and characteristics and how they have applied them in previous roles the question is designed to reveal how the candidate thinks acts and behaves in different situations and how they may handle similar situations in the future a good framework for answering behavioral interview questions is the star method the star method stands for a situation task action result situation describe the context or background of
the situation you are discussing this should be two to three sentences task explain the specific task or challenge that you were faced with this should be one to two sentences detail the steps you took to address the task or challenge this should be two to three sentences result describe the outcome or result of your actions including any successes accomplishments and Lessons Learned this should be two to three sentences this framework allows you to provide specific examples of your skills and experience and it helps to demonstrate how you have handled similar situations in the past additionally
it allows you to highlight your problem-solving abilities your ability to take initiative and your leadership skills let's Show an example tell me about a time you've overcame an obstacle at work sure when I started bookkeeping I learned how to do all the financial organization and calculations by hand with technological advancements software completes many of these functions now at my last bookkeeping job I had to learn how to use the bookkeeping software to keep up with these advancements and to ensure I effectively handled the company's Financial records I first watched some tutorial videos on the software's
website to get acquainted with basic functions then I scheduled a call with one of the software companies trainers to go over more advanced functions however I was still struggling to retain information and apply what I learned when an issue arose or I had to do a function I didn't quite understand I now know how to use the bookkeeping software and I'm able to complete my work at a quicker pace to make sure my skills stay up to date I enrolled in a few courses at my local Community College to learn from experienced instructors complete Hands-On
projects and assignments to practice different functions and earn professional certification to Showcase my abilities thank you in this example the candidate showcased her ability to self-reflect on strengths and weaknesses self-motivate and seek Improvement in skill development opportunities stay up to date on industry technology on the day of the interview keep these things in mind dress professionally as this shows that you take the position and the company seriously if your interview is virtual dress as if you're interviewing in person this will get you in the right mindset additionally make sure you have a neutral or professional
background for a video interview avoid having anything that might be too distracting in the background arrive at the interview on time and bring copies of your resume and any other relevant documents if it is a virtual interview log on a couple minutes early introduce yourself and make a good first impression greet the interviewer with a firm handshake smile and positive attitude in a virtual setting make eye contact and stay present do not multitask listen carefully to the interviewer's questions and respond thoughtfully prepare one to two questions to ask your interviewer about the position and the
company within 24 hours of the interview send a thank you note or email to the interviewer to express your gratitude and reiterate your interest in the position many companies conduct multiple rounds of interviews be prepared to meet multiple people and ensure that you have different stories and examples for each interview treat everyone involved in the process with respect here are some additional tips for a virtual interview understand the format of the interview before the interview make sure you understand the format such as whether it will be a video call or phone call find out the
platform that the interviewer will be using such as Zoom Skype or Google meet so you can familiarize yourself with it before the interview test your equipment make sure your computer internet connection camera and microphone are working properly before the interview you don't want to have any technical difficulties during the interview thank you
