Some tips when preparing for interviews

1. How to prepare for an interview
Stefanus Weyers

2. 1.Introduction
2.Application submission documents
3.Tips on submission of documents
4.Interview questions
5.What not to do during interview
6.Questions ?

3. Application submission
1. Cover letter
2. Cv
3. Certified copies of qualifications and awards
4. Certified copy of drivers license
5. All other documentation or forms that was specified in
the ADVERTISMENT

4. Tips on submission of documents
1. Ensure that all documents required is submitted.
2. Bind documents together. Don’t use safety pins or staples .
3. If possible , don’t submit handwritten applications.
4. Make sure to submit the application according to the required
method specify in advert. E-mail , fax or hand delivered in
dedicated office or box.
5. Ensure documents is clean and stain free.
6. Mark the envelope clearly as indicated in the advertisement.
7. Put reference number on top of envelope.
8. Allow sufficient time for postal delivery of documents.
9. Don’t send documents with insufficient postage stamps.

5. Examples of interview questions

6. INTRODUCTORY QUESTIONS
 What five adjectives describe you best?
 Why should I consider you for this position?
 Why are you the best candidate for this position?
 Tell me about the one thing in your life you're proudest of.
 You've changed jobs frequently. What makes you think that this
position will be different?
 Describe your ideal job.
 How did you find out about this job?
 What do you know about the job?
 What do you know about the UTSA/this department?
 Is there anything that will prevent you from getting to work on
time?
 Is there anything that will prevent you from working the job’s
regular hours?
 What kinds of work interest you the most?
 What interests you most about this position?

7. PERSONAL MOTIVATION & TRAITS
 How do you feel about your present workload?
 What motivates you to do your best work?
 How can we best help you get your job done?
 Tell me about a time you went “out on a limb” to get the job
done.
 What are the disadvantages of this line of work?
 What do you find most frustrating at work?
 Tell me about a project that got you really excited.
 How do you define doing a good job?
 What makes a job enjoyable for you?
 Under what conditions do you work best?
 What is your greatest strength/weakness or deficiency?
 Tell me about a work task you enjoy.

8. GENERAL PAST JOB PERFORMANCE/EXPERIENCE
 Tell me about your last position and what you did.
 What makes you stand out among your peers?
 What would your current supervisors say makes you most valuable
to them?
 Have you held positions similar to this one? If so, tell me about
them.
 What is the most important thing you learned at a previous job?
 What did/do you enjoy most/least about your last/present job?
 Describe a typical day at work.
 How have your previous positions prepared you for this one?
 What parts of your job do you consider most important?
 You have a lot of experience. Why would you want this job?
 What do you consider your greatest strength?
 What was your favorite job? Why?
 You've stayed with the same organization for years. Why have you
decided to leave?

9. SUPERVISORY QUESTIONS
 How do you motivate people?
 What do you do when you're having trouble with an employee?
 How did you communicate bad news to your staff?
 What makes someone a good supervisor?
 Who reports to you? What are their job functions?
 What programs have you put in place to build morale?
 How do you plan your day?
 Describe your management style.
 Describe one change you made in your last job that was very
beneficial.
 Describe a time when you and your supervisor disagreed on how
to accomplish a goal.
 How do you handle unpopular management decisions?
 How do you proceed when you need to make a decision and no
policy exists?
 How would you define “leadership”?

10. JOB PERFORMANCE
 What were your most significant accomplishments at your last
job?
 What is the biggest failure you've had in your career? Why do
you believe it was your biggest failure?
 What were your three most important responsibilities in your
last job?
 What was the most important project you worked on in your last
job and why did you choose this example?
 Describe how you have progressed through the ranks and landed
in your current position?
 How have you added value to your job over time?
 What proactive steps did you have to take to increase the output
of your position?

11. FLEXIBILITY
 Tell me about the last change which occurred in your office.
How did you handle it?
 I'm interested in hearing about the last time you took a risk.
What was it and in retrospect, was it the right decision?
 How important is communication and interaction with others
on your job? How many departments did you deal with? What
problems occurred?
 Tell me about a time when a work emergency caused you to
reschedule your work/projects.
 Give me an example of the last time you went above and
beyond the call of duty to get the job done
 In what areas do you typically have the least amount of
patience at work?

12. STRESS
 Tell me about a deadline you had to meet. How much advance
notice did you have?
 You have worked in a fast paced environment. How did you like
the environment?
 What kinds of decisions are most difficult for you?
 What is the most difficult work situation you have faced?
 What types of jobs do you have the most difficulty with?
 What do you do when you have a great deal of work to accomplish
in a short period of time?
 What do you do when you're having trouble with your job?

13. ORGANIZATION/TIME MANAGEMENT
 Describe the top of your desk.
 Tell me about the last time you failed to complete a project on
time.
 What do you do when you're having trouble solving a problem?
 What do you do when things are slow/hectic?
 What do you do when you have multiple priorities?
 Tell me about your typical day. How much time do you spend on
the phone? In meetings? Etc.
 Your supervisor left you an assignment, then left for a week. You
can't reach him/her and you don't fully understand the
assignment. What would you do?
 How do you organize and plan for major projects?
 Describe a project that required a high amount of energy over an
extended period of time.
 How do you organize yourself for day-to-day activities?
 Tell me about a task you started but just couldn't seem to get
finished.

14. MANAGEABILITY
 What do you do when you're having trouble with your supervisor?
 If your supervisor knew you were interviewing, what would he say?
 What do you feel an employer owes an employee?
 Your supervisor tells you do to something in a way you know is
dead wrong. What do you do?
 If your supervisor unfairly criticized you, what would you do?
 Would you like to have your supervisor job? Why or why not?
 Tell me about a time when your manager was in a rush and didn't
give you enough attention.
 What are some of the things about which you and your supervisor
disagree?
 What are some of the things your supervisor did that you disliked?
 In what areas could your supervisor have done a better job?
 I would be interested to hear about an occasion when your work or
an idea was criticized, what was criticized, who criticized you, and
how did you handle it?

15. PROBLEM SOLVING/DECISION MAKING
 In general, how do you handle conflict?
 Describe a creative solution that you have developed to solve a
problem.
 What solution are you the proudest of?
 What has been your most important work-related idea?
 What kinds of problems do you normally experience in a day?
 Tell me about a situation that got out of control. How did you handle
it?
 Tell me about something you achieved as a group member.
 How would you define a good working atmosphere?
 Tell me about a time you came up with a new idea. Were you able to
get it approved? If so, how did you go about it?
 Tell me about a time an idea or task of yours was criticized.
 Tell me about a time you had to work according to a policy you
disagreed with.

16. Tips on what not to do during an interview

17. 1. Arriving Late.
Nothing makes a worse impression. If you can't turn up on time for
the interview, what on earth would you do as an employee? If there's
even the remotest chance that weather, traffic or hard-to-follow
directions might be a problem, leave absurdly early just to be sure. If
a meteor hits your car, go to a phone booth and ask to reschedule.
2. Dressing In A Rush.
Don't. If you select your clothes right before you leave, you won't
have time to fix the loose button or scuffed shoe you've just
discovered. On the job interview, neatness counts more than it has
since your last grade for penmanship. Try on your entire interview
attire the night before the appointment, if not earlier. That way you
can make any necessary improvements or repairs.
3. Smoking.
In one University study, up to 90 percent of all executives surveyed
said they'd hire a nonsmoker over a smoker if their qualifications
were equal. Anyway, smoking makes you look nervous.

18. 4. Drinking.
Even if this is a lunch or dinner interview and others are ordering
cocktails, it's better to stick to mineral water or club soda. You need
to be alert for this experience, not mellowed out. Don’t smell like a
brewery during an interview . Party after you are appointed.
5. Chewing Gum.
Gum is not a good substitute for cigarettes or self-confidence. Gum
chewing / blowing looks appropriate only in vintage movies. It
irritates interviewers.

19. 6. Bringing Along a Friend or Relative.
Tempting though it may be, resist the urge to bring someone
along to hold your hand or help you fill out applications. Even
being seen saying goodbye to your best friend or your spouse at
the building door can make you look as if you didn't have the
nerve to get there on your own. Being picked up afterward also
reeks of dependency.
7. Not Doing All Your Homework.
It isn't necessary to memorize the company's annual sales and
profit figures, but you should know something about their
services. Check out information about large Water boards or
Municipalities on their websites or at your public library, or call
the company to ask for a copy of the annual report. For smaller
organizations you may have to rely on the grapevine; some of
the best information can come from people who used to work
there.

20. 8. Skipping A Dress Rehearsal.
You wouldn't make a speech to your church group without
planning what you're going to say, yet people walk into job
interviews every day just assuming that brilliant words will leap to
their lips. Don't assume. Make a list of the questions you'd ask if
you were interviewing someone for this job, and then rehearse the
best possible answers using a tape recorder and/or a friend for
feedback.
9. Admitting A Flaw.
Some interviewers will ask, "What is your greatest weakness?"
Giving a straightforward, totally honest answer is a mistake; the
interviewer doesn't expect you to. It's all part of a game to see if
you're naive enough to eliminate yourself from the competition:
counter the question by mentioning a "positive weakness." Say, for
instance, "I'm a very organized person, but you'd never know it from
looking at my desk." Don’t say ‘” I like to party and drink a lot “

21. 10. Not Knowing Your Own Strengths.
Researching the company is only half your pre-interview homework
assignment. You have to research yourself as well. "You must know
your own background so thoroughly that you are prepared to answer
any question about it without hesitation and in enough detail to
satisfy the interview .Hesitating, being vague on certain points, or
groping for proper words destroys the effect you are trying to
create." Make a list of ten work-related things you do well or know a
lot about. Then, during your interview rehearsal, come up with
graceful ways to bring them up.
11. Asking Too Many Questions / asking no questions.
If you were the interviewer, would you hire someone who hijacked
the entire interview and put you on the defensive? On the other
hand, when the interviewer asks, "What questions do you have?"
saying that he/she has covered the subject so well you don't have a
thing to ask about is a bad idea, too. It makes you look
uninterested, unimaginative or both.

22. 12. Bad-Mouthing Your Boss.
Never, never, never say anything negative about a person or
company you worked for in the past. It brands you a
complainer.
13. Glancing At Your Watch.
Clock watching gives the impression that you're late for a
more important date. Avoid that problem by asking when you
set up the appointment, how much time you should allow for
the interview. If the interviewer asks, "Will you have time to
stay today and meet with our Operations Manager?" then you
can check the time and make a decision.
14. Losing Your Cool.
Expect the unexpected. Occasionally, interviewers have been
known to test job applicants by surprising them with loaded
questions or blunt comments, such as "What makes you think you
can handle this job when people with twice your experience don't
have the nerve to apply?" Remain calm, even though your injured
ego may be fleeing for the nearest exit. Some companies like to
see just how professional and unflappable you can be under fire.

23. Questions ?