1. is like
dating
Job searching

2. PRO TIP!
KNOW WHAT
YOU WANT
Job searching is like dating . . .

3. PRO TIP!
KNOW WHAT
MAKES YOU A
CATCH
Job searching is like dating . . .

4. Think of a skill that
you’ve learned
because of a work
or volunteer
experience

5. Employers’ TOP 5 SKILLS:
1. Communication
2. Teamwork
3. Problem-solving
4. Planning & prioritizing
5. Processing information

6. YOU’RE
SINGLE.
How do you find
a boyfriend or
girlfriend?

7. PRO TIP!
PUT YOURSELF
OUT THERE
Job searching is like dating . . .

8. Who are the
potential
matchmakers
in a job
search?

9. ACTIVATE
YOUR
NETWORK.
• Talk to everyone.
• Ask for people’s stories
• Create your own opportunities.

10. why not?

11. PRO TIP!
FIRST
IMPRESSIONS
MATTER
An interview is like a first date . . .

12. PRO TIP!
GET IN HIS HEAD!
An interview is like a first date . . .

13. UNDERSTAND WHAT
MOTIVATES THE
EMPLOYER.

14. things your date
wants to know:
Are you boy/girlfriend material?
Do you like me?
Do I like you?
3

15. things an employer wants
to know in an interview:
Can you do the job?
Do you want the job?
Do we want to work
with you?
3

16. PRO TIP!
BE INTERESTING.
An interview is like a first date . . .

17. USE STORYTELLING
TO BRING YOUR
INTERVIEW ANSWERS
TO LIFE.

18. Tell me about a time
that you had to
overcome a
challenge in order to
succeed.

19. Your stories of past
experiences have to
SOAR

20. S
O
A
R
•Situation
•Obstacle
•Action
•Result

21. S
O
A
R
• Set the scene. Briefly describe
the situation.
• What got in the way? State the
obstacle simply and clearly.
• What specific action did you
take to overcome it?
• What was the result? When?
What did you learn?

22. “Tell me about a time that you had to
overcome a challenge in order to succeed.”
I was invited to become a Supplemental Instruction leader for
Organic Chemistry, a class I had done well in the previous semester. I
would be paid to teach weekly study sessions to current students.
The first week was awful. My planned lesson flopped. 25 students
were staring at me, ready to learn, and I had nothing to say to them.
I didn’t quit, even though I thought about it. Rather, I swallowed my
pride and asked for help. I made an appointment with my supervisor,
and I laid it all on the table. Although I felt embarrassed to do it, I
asked him to observe my next lesson and deliver some tough love. It
made such a big difference to have real-time feedback about what
worked and what didn’t in my classroom. With my supervisor’s help I
made a few small but critical changes to my teaching style. I also
began putting a lot more time into planning – I’d been wrong to think
that I could wing it.
I ended up loving the job. At the end of the semester, we calculated
that students who attended my sessions saw improvements of two full
grade levels compared to their peers.
S
O
A
R

23. Practice to get the balance right.
Too much S
Too much O
Too much A
Too much R
… boring, confusing
… negative, overdone
… selfish, not believable
… self-congratulating, pointless

24. PRO TIP!
BE TRUE TO
YOURSELF.
An interview is like a first date . . .

25. PREPARE YOUR
MESSAGE IN
ADVANCE.

26. You can’t control what
you’ll be asked in an
interview.
You can control
what you
communicate in
an interview.
Prepare your best
content before the
interview by using
pillars.

27. “Why should I hire
you for this job?”
1 2 3
Your 3 pillars are your 3 best
answers to that question.

28. “Why should I hire you
for this sales job?”
1 2 3
I love
talking to
new
people
I am
persistent
and
persuasive
I have
experience
meeting
sales goals

29. Whatever the question is, you can
bring your answer back to one of
your 3 pillars.
• Allows you to think fast
• Lets you “sidestep” a totally random question
• prevents verbal vomit
• Builds a consistent, cohesive message
throughout the interview
• Makes a memorable impression on the
interviewer

30. Just remember: A structure
made of
pillars alone is
incomplete.

31. Questions to practice:
(try using pillars)
• Tell me about yourself.
• How do you prioritize
• What is your biggest weakness?
• What qualities and skills do you bring to this position?
• What can you offer us that someone else cannot?
• Why do you want this job?

32. Questions to practice:
(try using SOAR)
• Tell me about a time you made a mistake.
• Tell me how you handled a difficult situation.
• Tell me about a time that you had to manage
multiple responsibilities with little supervision.
• Tell me about a time that you had to work
with people very different from yourself.

33. Questions to practice:
(because they’re hard!)
• What do you know about our company?
• Where do you see yourself in five years?
• How do you handle conflict with a coworker?
• How do you handle conflict with a supervisor?
• Do you have any questions for me?

34. practice, practice, practice
• Memorize your pillars
• Practice talking about your pillars in multiple ways, with multiple examples
• Rehearse answers to common questions
• Practice SOAR for a few solid stories
• Get honest feedback about your body language and verbal tics
• Practice handling silence gracefully
• Practice your handshake
• Do a dress rehearsal in your interview clothes

35. Know what you want.
Know what makes you a catch.
Put yourself out there.
Make a good first impression.
Get in his head.
Be interesting.
Be true to you.
MAKE YOUR MOVE!
JOB SEARCHING
IS LIKE DATING.

36. Mary T. Calhoon 2014
www.unr.edu/career