Preparing for the Interview
Explain the importance of preparation as the foundation of a successful interview. Highlight each point, such as researching the company, practicing questions, dressing appropriately, and planning your logistics to ensure you make a strong first impression.
Researching the Company and Role
Emphasize why understanding the company’s mission, values, and recent developments is crucial. Relate this to tailoring your answers and showing genuine interest. Mention how analyzing the job description helps align your qualifications with the role.
Dressing for Success
Detail how professional attire reflects seriousness about the role. Discuss the significance of clean, minimalistic dressing and the role of grooming in creating a polished appearance.
Avoiding Common Mistakes
Address these pitfalls as behaviors that might overshadow qualifications. Use examples or anecdotes to illustrate the impact of each mistake, like arriving late or using informal language.
Questions to Ask at the End
Explain the dual benefit of asking thoughtful questions: it demonstrates interest and provides clarity about the role and company. Use the provided examples to showcase good questions.
Follow-Up and Next Steps
Stress the importance of follow-up to leave a lasting impression. Guide the audience through crafting a professional thank-you note and timing follow-up emails.
Common Interview Questions
Walk through each question and discuss why it’s asked. Highlight the sample answers, explaining why the "better" ones are more effective due to specificity, relevance, or positive framing.
Pick the Better Answers
For the sample questions (e.g., “Tell me about yourself,” “What are your strengths?”), explain why one answer works better than another. Highlight the elements of a strong answer: alignment with the role, specific examples, and confidence without arrogance.
Purpose of the Worksheet
Highlight that the worksheet is designed to educate students about the boundaries of legal and professional interview questions. It aims to empower them to identify questions that align with workplace ethics and laws.
Instructions for the Worksheet
Students are tasked with identifying whether each question is allowed or not allowed in an interview. This requires them to think critically about the relevance and legality of each question in a professional setting.
Connection to the Presentation
Refer to the Avoiding Common Mistakes slide:
Discuss the importance of knowing what interviewers are legally allowed to ask, which helps students prepare confidently and protect their rights.
Tie it into the Researching the Company and Role slide:
Explain that understanding the company culture and values can sometimes give clues about how professional and compliant they might be in interviews.
Examples and Reflection
Use one or two questions from the worksheet (e.g., “What is your religion?” or “Why should I hire you?”) to explain why certain questions are appropriate while others are not.
Discuss how students can redirect the conversation if faced with inappropriate questions, emphasizing professionalism.
Interactive Element
After students complete the worksheet, go over the answers as a group. Use this as a segue into discussing how they can confidently address allowed questions like “Why should I hire you?” using the tips from your presentation.