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Interviewing Techniques
Career Services

• Introduction
  
• General Pointers
  
• Sample Interview Questions
  
• Sample Questions to Ask an Interviewer
  
• Sample Questions For Informational Interviews
  
• Notes from Graduate Interview Workshops

The ideal interview is a two-way street, allowing the employer to convey information to you, the interviewee, about the job and the organization, while you have the opportunity to discuss your qualifications and the information on your resume. The interview is the most important element in the job search process. It is a time to assess the "match" between you and the employer. The employer will be assessing your background, skills, personal style, and interest in the position/organization and supplying you with information about the job and the organization. You will be providing the interviewer with information on your skills, your level of commitment, and your experiences, while at the same time eliciting enough information to ascertain whether or not the particular job/organization is right for you.

Being invited to an interview generally means that the potential employer already thinks you are qualified to do the job (so pat yourself on the back!). This probably means that your cover letter and resume were effective. The interview, therefore, will not only determine your qualifications for the job, but it will also be chance for the interviewer to find out what you're like and to assess how well you would fit into the organization. It is quite common and natural to be nervous before an interview. Typically once you get into the interview room and settle down you will realize that you are just having a conversation with a colleague in the field. You've gotten to this stage on your own merits. Just keep up the good work!

The basic rule thumb of interviewing is that you need to articulate convincingly why you should be hired and why you are interested in the position. The following qualities will enhance your ability to come across professionally and effectively in an interview:

• Communication skills. The ability to write and articulate ideas and information and to interact with others.
• Confidence. An awareness of his/her strengths and weaknesses (areas needing improvement). Willingness to set and attain realistic goals.
• Personality. A sense of humor, cheerfulness and flexibility in new situations. Enthusiasm to accept challenges is particularly important.
• Accomplishment. Academic as well as personal achievements.
• Knowledge. An understanding of the organization and the career field.

Be prepared. Know as much about the position/organization as you can. Ask for a copy of the annual report/catalogue/job description prior to the interview. Ask colleagues, friends, and faculty about the organization. The more you know, the more focused your answers will be. The Career Services library includes many guides to services offered by local social service agencies in which you can get general information on organizations of interest.

Know yourself. Think honestly about your strengths and weaknesses, your work style, skills, and goals. Be prepared to give honest answers. Review your resume critically and try to identify the areas that an employer might view as limitations without apologizing for deficiencies. Think about how you can answer difficult questions accurately and positively to enhance your qualifications for a job. For example, if you are returning to the work force after raising a family for ten years, an employer might ask questions to determine the effect that this lack of recent employment might have on your ability to perform the job. If you have been a volunteer in a related human service organization handling telephone crisis intervention for women during this ten year period, that would account for a level of professional involvement which might strengthen your application. It will also enable you to come up with effective answers to defend your past in a professional way. This is impressive.

Be prompt and professional. Arrive early. If you don't know where the organization is located, call for directions ahead of time. Anticipate traffic, parking problems and general unforeseen difficulties. If you know you are going to be late be sure to call and let someone know. To be more comfortable, you should arrive approximately 10 minutes early. Allow yourself the time to read your resume one more time, to catch your breath, to hang up your coat and get into the right mind set for the interview.

Dress appropriately. Wear clothes befitting a person employed in the organization in which you hope to work and also clothes in which you are comfortable and feel you look your best. In general, you can be more flexible than the standard grey flannel business suit, however, you should look professional. For women: a skirt and jacket is fine. For men: a suit and tie are recommended. You can err both by overdressing, underdressing, and by being too trendy. Keep adornments - cologne, jewellery etc. - to a minimum.

Be honest. Let an employer get to know you. Avoid dissembling. You want to be sure that you and the employer know what to expect if you are hired.

Be positive. Never say anything negative about past experiences, employers, courses or professors. Employers, like anyone, tend to generalize: if you didn't like "x", you are a negative person and won't like me either. Figure out what was positive about an experience and talk about that. Be "up" about yourself. If you wouldn't hire yourself, neither will the interviewer. Be enthusiastic. If you are genuinely interested in the job, let the interviewer know that. No need to sound desperate, just interested. This interest makes the interviewer feel as though his/her organization is well respected and enticing, which is flattering.

Demonstrate interest. This can be achieved by doing research on the organization prior to the interview. It can also come across by asking questions during the interview about the job, the organization and the people it serves. When asking questions, be sure that the answers will give you information that you don't already have (or should have) and that the questions are genuinely of interest to you. Be responsive to what has gone on in the interview. If you have listened well, you should be able to come up with thoughtful questions which impress the interviewer. See the list of sample questions in this packet; you may want to prepare a few questions in advance, but an insightful comment based on your conversation can make an even stronger statement.

Salary and salary negotiation. The issue of compensation should not be brought up by the interviewee during the first interview. If it is brought up by the interviewer, you should try to determine what their anticipated salary range will be. If your expected salary is within that range you can simply say that the range seems appropriate (if the range that they mention is lower than is acceptable to you, you may decide if that is the time for you to say so).

Try to put off any specific salary agreements until after you have been offered the job since that is the time when an employer has committed him/herself to you. Never make an ultimatum ("I will only accept the position for x salary") unless you truly intend to walk away from the position. If you accept the position at less than your stated minimum, you lose credibility. You should, however, remember that in certain organizations (hospitals being an important example), there may be very little flexibility with salary. Copies of last year's Social Work Salary Survey Report are available in Career Services; this report lists Penn MSW salary ranges and averages.

Practice. Good interviewees aren't born; they're made. Make an appointment to role play an interview by calling (215) 898-4381 or practice with friends. It can make a huge difference in your confidence and your ease at fielding difficult questions.

Follow-up. Always write a thank-you note within 48 hours of an interview. See the section on follow-up correspondence for details.

• Tell me about yourself. (keep it short and relevant)
• When did you know you wanted to be a _______ (teacher/counselor/administrator, etc.)?
• Why did you chose to attend Penn?
• Why did you chose to specialize in ___________________?
• What are your strongest skills? (back up answers with specific examples)
• How would you describe yourself? How would a supervisor or colleague describe you?
• Tell me about the most difficult experience you've faced and how you handled it.
• How do you define success in this field?
• What are the most important qualities necessary for success in this field? Which of these qualities do you possess?
• What did you like best/least in your graduate school experiences?
• How did you motivate a resistant student/client to comply with your instructions?
• What are your strengths/weaknesses?
• Why are you interested in working for us?
• What gives you the most satisfaction in your work? Why?
• Where do you see yourself in five years? (you may wish to answer this in terms of skills acquired)
• What two or three things are most important to you in your job?
• I see you are changing career fields, tell me how your business background relates to education.
• What do you think is the most significant problem in education today?
• What do you see as the major issues facing us in the future?
• What do you enjoy doing when you're not working?
• How do you relieve stress?
• What would you do if........ (cites specific situation; here the interviewer is looking for your judgement and maturity in handling complex situations)
• Describe to me the best/worst supervisor you ever had.
• What are your salary requirements? (see section on salary)
• Why should we hire you? (be ready for this one. Even if it's not asked directly, the answer to this should be thread throughout all your responses)
• Do you have any questions for me?

• Why is this position vacant? (don't sound argumentative - just curious)
• What are the major responsibilities of this position? (if this hasn't been covered in interview)
• Describe the ideal candidate for this position.
• Who would be my supervisor and what is that person's supervisory style?
• What do you see as the key issues/problems facing the person in this job?
• How would you describe a typical student/client in this school/facility?
• What do you like most about your job and this organization?
• Has your organization been affected by government budget cuts? How are you dealing with this?
• What is the time line for filling this position? (Will there be additional interviews? When can you expect to hear from the interviewer?)

• Tell me about your background/career progression, etc.
• In this field/position what are your most prominent rewards and biggest frustrations?
• When you select new people, what criteria do you use to make those choices?
• When you have a vacancy, how/where is it advertised?
• Are there professional associations or publications you would recommend that would expand my knowledge of this field?
• What other career areas are related to your work?
• How would you advise me to prepare myself for entry into this field/organization?
• If I look for work in this field, where would you suggest that I look first?
• Is there anyone else who you recommend that I talk with?