저도 오늘 아침에 on site interview를 마쳤습니다. contracter position이라서 좀 다를 수 있으나 그래도 전반적으로 도움이 될 것 같아 제가 받은 interview guide를 공유합니다. 꼭 좋은 결과 얻으시기 바랍니다.

GUIDE TO INTERVIEWING

The following outline was created to help prepare you for the interviewing process. It’s important to remember that interviewing is really quite simple. Most interviews follow the same pattern:

1. You are introduced to a human resources representative or to the hiring manager

2. The employer tells you about the company as well as the current job available

3. You tell the employer about your background and what sets you apart from other candidates

4. You are asked a number of questions

5. You ask a number of questions

6. You thank the person for their time and express your interest in the position

This is again the way that most interviews occur. This guide will look at each step and expand upon it so that you can better prepare yourself to go in and get the job offer. We hope you will find this beneficial and thank you in advance for using Gardner Resources Consulting for your Accounting, Finance & Information Technology placement needs.

THE INTRODUCTION

Instead of just introducing yourself by name to your prospective employer, take it one step further and show your enthusiasm. In most cases, the candidate with the best personality and the most enthusiasm will get a job over someone who is more qualified from a technical standpoint. Remember, we all want to work with winners and people with a lot of energy…showing these traits from your initial introduction is key. A typical introduction looks something like this:

“Hi Mike. I’m Sandra Burke.”

A successful introduction goes like this:

” Hi, Mike. I’m Sandra. It’s nice to meet you. You know, before we even get started, I just wanted to let you know that based on what I’ve heard about this opportunity, I’m really excited to learn more about it and more importantly, I’m looking forward to letting you know what I can do for you and your organization.”

Notice the difference?

The Client “Sells” to You

With an introduction like the second one, the employer will be excited and anxious to share more about the position with you. He will also most likely tell you about the company at this time. Any research you can do before the interview can be shared with the employer at this time. For example you might want to say something like this:

“Mike, I checked out the company website before I came here and I noticed ….”

It’s important to listen intently to what the client is telling you as they are most likely using key buzz words to describe their ideal candidate. You want to be able to quickly process this information and then “sell” it right back to the client.

You “Sell” to the Client

After the employer is done telling you about the job and company it’s your turn to tell him about yourself.
Put on your selling hat! Now it’s time to talk about what you have done from a technical standpoint as well as what you can do for him (these are your strengths). You want to tell the client the following information:

A. Name of your current company and what industry they are involved in

B. Your title

C. Your job responsibilities

You should repeat this for all jobs you have held. This is what it might sound like:

“Currently I work for the XYZ Company. We manufacture widgets for the computer industry. I’m a staff accountant and I’m responsible for handling the entire general ledger including financial statement preparation. I also get involved with the year -end audit. In addition, I recently assisted in implementing a new computer system. Prior to this, I worked for….etc.”

When you are done with your work history , use this “bridge” to enter the second phase of your “sell”
which is what you can do for the client, and this really is the key here…What can you contribute to the business? How can you add value? Here is a way to segue from your work history to how you can add value:
“In a nut shell, that’s my work history. Let me now tell you what I think I can do for you and your organization. First and foremost,…”

Now you want to talk about six or seven of your strengths. Remember to address as many strengths as possible that coincide with the skills the client feels are important for a candidate to possess. Here is a list of possible strengths:

1. Organizational skills
2. Attention to detail
3. Strong work-ethic
4. Ability to work independently but also as a member of a team
5. Very flexible
6. Easily adapt to different environments
7. Ability to troubleshoot
8. Ability to prioritize
9. Self-motivated
10. Quick learner
11. Strong interpersonal skills
12. Solid oral and written communication skills
13. Positive attitude

The important thing to remember when talking about your strengths is that you need to develop them. Never give one word answers. The following example takes a particular strength, in this case organizational skills, and really expands upon what that means:

” My organizational skills are definitely my greatest strength. I’ve found that I’m able to get more done in the course of a day than others at my level and I’m certain my organizational skills are one of the reasons for that. I know what I’m going to do on Wednesday because I prepare for it on Tuesday. I can come in to my office in the morning, grab my cup of coffee and hit the ground running.”
Again, be prepared to give detailed examples of six or seven strengths.

RESPONDING TO CLIENT QUESTIONS

It is now the clients turn to ask questions of you. Anything is possible. Be prepared to talk about your accomplishments as well as what you like and dislike about current and past employment situations. In addition, your technical skills may be tested. The following questions are not only asked frequently but these are also questions that most people have a hard time answering. Here are some tips:

A. What is your weakness?

Most candidates really have a hard time answering this and often forfeit a job offer because they have answered it incorrectly. The best answer is to take a strength and turn it into a weakness…but obviously one that won’t hold you back from getting the job offer. For example:

“I know a moment ago I told you that one of my strengths was my work-ethic. On the flip side, because I give 150%, I often feel like I have a hard time shutting work off at the end of the day. I find that I think about work on the commute home and often on the weekends as well. I’d love to be able to tell you that I have a 50/50 balance between work and play, but I’m not quite there yet.”

Another example might be:

” I find that I set very high goals for myself. Therefore, I think I have the tendency to be somewhat hard on myself. I also find that I feel frustrated when others don’t put their best foot forward.”

B. Where do you want to be in 5 years?

Giving the client a specific title (i.e. CFO) is not recommended. If the client doesn’t feel that this type of role would be available to you in his organization, he won’t hire you because he will think that you will eventually leave his organization to pursue that role elsewhere. A better answer is this:
“I’m looking for a place where I can make a difference. I’d like to look back in five years and see that I’ve made a positive contribution to this organization.”

C. Why are you looking to leave your current company? Why have you left previous employers?

The best answers are short, sweet and to the point. Don’t ever bad mouth former employers. The longer you spend talking about reasons for leaving, the more red flags you will raise. Keep it simple!

ASKING APPROPRIATE QUESTIONS

Now is your chance to ask questions of the client. These questions will serve two purposes: the first is that it will show the client that you have done some preparation work and thought about some good, strong questions to ask prior to the interview. The second is that by asking these questions, you can use the answers to help determine whether or not you want to work for this organization. The most important thing to remember here is that you should never leave the interview without asking at least three to five good questions. Some ideas:

1. How would you describe the ideal candidate? (Listen carefully to their answer and reiterate that you possess the skills they feel are necessary to do the job.)

2. Who is your competition? What advantages do you have over your competition?

3. Where do you see the firm strategically five years from now?

4. Why is this job open?

5. How long have you been here? (remember, people like to talk about themselves…if you take an interest in them, they are likely to take one in you. )

6. What do you like best about the company?

7. How would you describe the department I’d be working in?

8. How would you describe the manager of the Consulting (ask this question of a Human Resources representative)

9. How would you describe your management style? (ask this directly of the hiring manager)

10. When you look at your most talented staff, what common denominators do you see?

11. Could I have your business card?

CLOSING THE INTERVIEW

You will intuitively get a sense as to when the interview is coming to a close. Remember it is crucial to keep your enthusiasm level high as you draw things to a close. The way to end an interview on a high note is to say this:

“Mike, I really want to thank you again for your time and let you know that I am extremely interested in pursuing this. Is there anything else I can tell you that will help me to get a second interview (or, the job)?”

This final question gives you one last chance to fill in the blanks and more importantly, to sell yourself.

A Few Last Reminders

It’s very important that you follow up every interview with a thank-you note. Doing so will help a client remember you. It may also be the very reason that you get the job over your competition. Thank-you notes should include a paragraph that reminds the client why you would be a good fit for the job. We would welcome the opportunity to review your thank you note prior to you sending it to the client. Thank you notes should be mailed or e-mailed, not faxed.

Mr. Mike Smith
Controller
XYZ Corporation
123 Foxhill Road
Boston, MA 02110

Dear Mike,

I wanted to thank you for taking the time to meet with me today. I really enjoyed speaking with you and learning more about XYZ Corporation. I am extremely interested in pursuing the financial analyst position that you have available.

I am confident that my five years of analysis experience, my organizational skills and strong work ethic combined with my ability to prioritize and handle a fast pace would be a tremendous asset to you and your organization. I am certain that, if give the opportunity, I would make a very positive impact and a real contribution to XYZ Corporation.

Again, Mike, thank you for your time. I am genuinely interested in pursuing this opportunity and look forward to a favorable response.

Sincerely,

Bill Brown

In addition, strong, firm handshakes and eye contact throughout the interview are very important.

In the event that you are meeting more than one person during the interview process remember to treat each interview as if it were the only one. You need to be consistent in your answers and have a high level of enthusiasm with each person you meet. Also, if you are interviewing with two or more people simultaneously, remember to look at both people while answering questions and selling your experience.

Again, we hope this information is helpful to you. We wish you all the very best and thank you again for allowing Gardner Resources Consulting to assist you. GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!