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Key to Successful Interviewing Preparation Questions Frequently Asked Questions Questions for Your Interviewer Networking-- Informational Interviews Case Interviews for the Consulting Industry 2 3 -4 5-6 7-8 9 10 - 11 12 - 13
OFFICE OF CAREER SERVICES CABOT 509 +1 617. 627. 3060 FLETCHEROCS@TUFTS.EDU WWW.FLETCHER.TUFTS.EDU/OCS
Post-Interview Suggestions
ALWAYS send a thank-you letter reiterating why you are a good fit for the position. Ask follow-up questions or highlight something you failed to mention during the interview. If alumni or references have championed you for the job, let them know whether you are going to accept or decline the job before you tell the recruiter.
If you decline a job, make sure the reason you give is framed in a way to consider the recruiters egos and reflects your professionalism. (Bad answer: I really only want the job for a year. Better answer: This was a very difficult decision, but I have decided to accept another offer.)
Preparation
Prepare for job interviews as you would for an examination and you may be able to enjoy them as you would an interesting conversation with colleagues. Conversely, if you go into an interview without adequate preparation, the experience could feel like an exam for which you overslept! Spend time reflecting on your own goals, your strengths and skills, so that you can discuss them succinctly. Learn about the employers organization and current needs so that you understand how and where you would fit. OCS recommends a number of resources to help you prepare for interviews:
OCS library--books and exercises on interviewing Organization web sites and career-related sites, such as Vault.com and Wetfeet.com Newspaper and magazine web sites, e.g. the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Washington Post, Economist. A keyword search can quickly give you a review of recent coverage of many organizations of interest to Fletcher students Company and Organization files at OCS, Cabot 509 OCS referrals and alumni contacts - always check the Mentor Guide
Preparation
Researching Yourself You know best how to reflect on your own goals and strengths. In the past, Fletcher students have recommended a number of tools that they have found useful. Some have enjoyed the Myers-Briggs Type Inventory (MBTI), a self-assessment tool that helps you think about personality type and work, or Career Leader, an on-line service that offers you guidance in analyzing the type of organization and function you would enjoy. While the answers will likely reflect what you already know about yourself, they can help you think about how to present this information to an employer concisely. To use the MBTI, make an appointment with OCS. To view Career Leader go to Services for Students on the OCS homepage. Another simple and very helpful exercise to prepare for an interview, recommended by an alum, is to create a matrix, listing your skills on one axis and the employers requirements on the other to see where they match.
Etiquette A punctual, well-dressed and well-groomed candidate is off to a good start. Always plan to arrive a little early and allow ample time for travel. Dress codes vary according to organization, but always be conservative in your choice. A clean, pressed business suit for men and a business suit or dress for women is most appropriate. Hair should be neatly cut, beards trimmed. Jewelry, scent, cologne and aftershave should be kept to a minimum.
Questions
What kind of questions should you expect? This can be the hardest question to answer. In the course of your job search you may meet calm and skilled interviewers and others who seem as nervous as you may be. In some organizations interviewers will use a standard schedule of questions, and will be rating candidates on a standardized scale. At other organizations, a committee with no pre-assigned questions may interview you. Interviews also differ by sector. The good news is that, whatever the skills of those who interview you, your own careful preparation will be rewarded. Your enthusiasm and thoughtful answers will make the tired or bored interviewer sit up, and help the nervous interviewer relax and listen. In Get Hired (see OCS library), Paul Green identifies four types of interview styles: GutFeel, Conversational, Trait and Behavioral. Most human resources departments use behavioral interviewing in the belief that the best way to predict someones actions in the future is to know how they did something in the past. However, if you are interviewed by other people in the organization, they may rely on one or more of the other interviewing styles (see the book for details). The best preparation for any of the styles is preparation for a behavioral interview where you give examples of how you solved problems in the past. Many of the sample questions on the next page are behavioral. Typical Questions On the following page, OCS offers a list of questions that are commonly-asked. Read them through, and consider how many of them are open-ended. Open-ended questions give a well-prepared candidate the opportunity to tell the interviewer just what makes them an outstanding candidate. As you prepare answers, remember that you will stand out from the other candidates if you can describe specific situations, your actions and the results that highlight your selling points. Any candidate can claim to be well organized and detail oriented. The candidate who says, My boss claims that the reason my favorite candies are M&Ms is because I can color code them will prove the point and be remembered. Interviewers will often ask whether you have had a negative experience, or what you consider your weaknesses. A good answer will always be brief, keep the description of the downside to a minimum, avoid gratuitous criticism of others, and end on an upbeat note.
Questions
Be Specific Many people give vague and general answers to behavorial questions. Give specifics of the issue, how you dealt with it, and be ready to give more than one example. Be Concise However good you are at thinking on your feet, in the pressure of a job interview it can be easy to ramble if you are caught by surprise, wasting precious interview minutes, so practice your answers aloud and time yourself. Afterwards... After an interview, always sit down and make some notes on how it went. If there were questions that surprised you, or that you wish you had answered differently, write them down now, and when you are relaxed, go back to your notes and prepare the answer you would like to give next time. Follow-Up Send thank you notes, which may be typed or handwritten, if your writing is legible. A note by-email is acceptable, but should be as formal as a note on paper. Address the reader as Dear ___, not Hi,___ Keep the letter brief, thank the interviewer for their time, and indicate your continued interest.
Other Sources for Questions Netscape Career Center: http://interview.netscape.monster.com Wetfeet.coms Private Sector Company Interviews: http://www.wetfeet.com/research/company_interviews.asp
If you could introduce, change, or modify three things about your organization over the next year without additional resources, what would they be? (You will find that people reveal a lot about the organization in this exercise.) Take notes or remember the answers, so you can list them in your thank you note and say what you would do to address them.
Donts
Dont ask for a job! It is considered bad manners and puts the person you are meeting with in an embarrassing position.
Dos
Do send a thank you letter after the interview thanking the person for his/her time and the help he/she gave you. ------The following page contains sample letters/emails requesting for informational interviews.
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SAMPLE 1 Dear ---------(Fletcher alumnus/a): I will graduate from Fletcher in 2003 with fields of study in International Negotiation and Conflict Resolution and International Environmental Policy. I am very interested in learning more about your work on policy issues in the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. Would you have twenty minutes to spare for an informational interview at your convenience in the next week? I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, John Albert
SAMPLE II Dear Ms. Smith: A good friend of mine, Matthew O'Connell, recently suggested that I contact you. I am contemplating making a career shift toward interior design and am at a stage currently where I am exploring the field in general as well as the various options that may lie within it for full- and part-time opportunities down the road. To gain practical exposure, I have begun taking design related classes at the Boston Architectural Center. The research I'm undertaking currently will hopefully lead me to an educated decision about whether to undertake a more concentrated program of study there. Matt speaks of you highly, and your experience in both commercial and residential design would certainly allow me to gain valuable insight into comparing opportunities on both sides. Might it be possible to arrange an informational interview with you at some point this spring? Please kindly let me know your availability and what sort of arrangement would work best for you. Sincerely, Marianne Fremont
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What to Expect
Candidates should be prepared to answer all the standard interview questions, and also prepare for three types of questions which are used in assessing candidates in the consulting industry; brain teasers, estimating problems, and business problems. You may certainly take notes, and work out the numbers on paper. Round all your figures so you can work quickly!
Business Problems
The third type of question, a business problem, can be more challenging to prepare. Typically, an interviewer will describe a current or past case, and ask for your advice to the client. This is an opportunity for you to analyze the issues by asking lots of questions, as you work your way to a bottomline recommendation. Obviously, you cannot prepare the answer in advance, but you can prepare yourself in two ways. First, spend time reading about business in such periodicals as The Economist, Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times so that you are well-versed in current issues. Second, (this is a recommendation from a young management consultant), take some time every week to think about local businesses you frequent: dry cleaner, supermarket, photocopying store. Analyze the business in terms of market, costs, competition, and capabilities. With this kind of regular practice in disaggregating problems, you will feel much more comfortable in discussing business problems in your interviews.
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