Contents: Occupation and Career Selection Sources | Your Homework | Preparing a Good Resume | Prepare for the Day of the Interview | Your Conduct During the Interview or The Selling Game | The Curtain Call or Closing the Deal | Bibliography | Videos
During the job interview, you have the opportunity to sell yourself to the prospective employer. Make the most of it by planning ahead.
It is important to visit the Career Services Center at the University for professional assistance in career related information. The Bank of America Career Service Center is located on Academy Street adjacent to the Perkins Parking Garage. The center provides access to a wide range of resources to students and staff including career workshops to them prepare for future careers.Occupation and Career Selection Sources
These books are recommended for selecting and analyzing occupations, job market trends, and salary potentials.
- Occupational Outlook Handbook. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
LOCATION: Internet (http://www.bls.gov/oco/)
LOCATION: Morris Library - Reference (Ref HF5381.A1 O36) Career section
LOCATION: Morris Library - U.S. Documents (U. S. Doc L2.3/4:)
LOCATION: Morris Library - Microforms (CD-ROM 178)
- Career Guide to Industries . Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
LOCATION: Internet (http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/)
LOCATION: Morris Library - Reference (Ref HF53812.5. U5 C316) Career section
LOCATION: Morris Library - U.S. Documents (U. S. Doc L2.3/4-3)
- Dictionary of Occupational Titles (D.O.T). Washington, DC: Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
LOCATION: Morris Library - Reference (Ref HB2595 .U543) Career section
LOCATION: Morris Library - U.S. Documents (U. S. Doc L 37. 2:OC 1/4:)- This provides selected characteristics of occupations as well as definitions of the occupations. The information in the Dictionary of Occupational Titles is updated on the World Wide Web as O*NET, the Occupational Information Network.
Your Homework
- Prepare a current neatly typed resume tailored to the position to leave with the interviewer.
- Have someone with a critical eye proofread the resume.
- Prepare answers to broad questions about yourself (review your strengths and weaknesses).
- Obtain permission in advance from people you intend to use as reference.
- Read about the community in which the position is located.
- Read about the employer, what they do, their problems and future plans (annual reports, organizational charts, policies and procedures, staff manual, and job description of the position being interviewed for).
Preparing a Good Resume
A resume is your representative to the job screening committee, and it should make a statement that expresses you and what you are. Since there is no standard way to prepare a resume, your resume must be able to indicate what you can do for the employer and show your overall preparation for the position. A resume should contain the following information but not necessarily in the order listed:
- Your name, address, and telephone number(s).
- Employment objective. Indicate the type of job you are seeking. The objective should be relevant to the position you are seeking.
- Education: school name and location, graduation date or dates of attendance, degree obtained or highest grade completed.
- Experience: indicate job title, name and address of employer, dates of employment, and description of job duties.
- Special skills possessed: computer skills, languages, awards received, any accomplishment that is worth mentioning etc.
- Indicate availability of references (usually upon request).
Prepare for the Day of the Interview
- Dress for the position.
- Be conservative but not prudish.
- Be neat. Check for missing buttons, dragging hems, split seams, etc.
- Avoid jangling jewelry or "new wave" fashion.
- Appear fresh and rested, interested and alert.
- Arrive promptly for your appointment.
- Bring with you some identification (drivers license, state issued ID, etc).
Your Conduct During the Interview or the Selling Game
- Be positive about your qualifications.
- Avoid judgmental remarks about previous jobs or bosses.
- Learn the names of your interviewers and their positions in the organization.
- Indicate areas of the job to which you can apply previous experience and training.
- Be creative in describing your skills and relating them to a new job.
Note that the employer wants answers to the following questions:
- Why are you here?
- What can you do for the employer (special skills, background)?
- How much would it cost to hire you?
The Curtain Call or Closing the Deal
Send a follow-up letter thanking the interviewers for their time and interest in you. And restate your interest in the position and the organization.
Bibliography
For further information, consult the following titles. They provide broad and comprehensive background on interview preparation, resume writing and other issues related to the art of job hunting. They are only a selected representation of available titles on the topic in Morris Library.
For additional books on the subject, search DELCAT. Examples: employment interviewing or employee selection.
- Allen, Jeffrey G. The perfect follow-up method to get the job. New York : Wiley, 1992.
LOCATION: Morris Library - Reference (Ref HF5549.5 .I6 A46 1992)
- Biegeleisen, Jacon I. Make your job interview a success: A guide for the career minded job seeker. New York: Prentice Hall, 1991.
LOCATION: Morris Library - Reference (Ref HF5549.5. I6 B5 1991)
- Breakwell, Glynis M. Interviewing. New York: Routledge & Hall, 1990.
LOCATION: Morris Library (HF5549.5.I6 B74 1990)
- Bunting, Sandra. The interviewer’s handbook : successful interviewing techniques for the workplace. Sterling, VA : Kogan Page, 2005.
LOCATION: Morris Library -Reference (Ref HF5549.5.I6 B86 2005)
- Drake, John D. The perfect interview: How to get the job you really want. New York: AMACOM, 1991.
LOCATION: Morris Library - Reference (Ref HF5549.5.I6 D74 1991)
- Falcone, Paul. 96 great interview questions to ask before you hire. New York : American Management Association, c2009.
LOCATION: Morris Library - (HF5549.5.I6 F35 2009)
- Jackson, Tom. The perfect resume. New York: Doubleday, 1990.
LOCATION: Morris Library - Reference (Ref HF 5383 J25 1990b)
- Kador,John. The manager’s book of questions : 1,001 great interview questions for hiring the best person . New York : McGraw-Hill, c2006.
LOCATION: Morris Library - Reference (Ref HF 5549.5.I6 K33 2006)
- King, Julie Adair. The smart woman's guide to interviewing and salary negotiation. Hawthorne, NJ: Career Press, 1993.
LOCATION: Morris Library - Reference (Ref HF5382.6 .K56 1993)
- Komter, Martha. Conflict and cooperation in job interviews: A study of talk, tasks, and ideas. Amsterdam; Philadelphia: J. Benjamins Pub., 1991.
LOCATION: Morris Library (HF5549.5 .I6 K67 1991)
- Krannich, Caryl Rae. Interviewing for success. Manassas, VA: Impact Publications, 1993.
LOCATION: Morris Library - Reference (Ref HF5549.5.I6 K72 1993)
- Lynn, Adele B. The EQ interview : Finding employees with high emotional intelligence. New York : AMACOM/American Management Association; [Alexandria, VA.] :SHRM, c2008.
LOCATION: Morris Library - (HF5549.5.S38 L96 2008)
- Medley, H. Anthony. Sweaty Palms: The neglected art of being interviewed. New York : Warner Business Books, c2005.
LOCATION: Morris Library - Reference (Ref HF5549.5.I6 M35 2005)
- Schmidt, Peggy, J. The 90-minute resume. Princeton, NJ: Peterson's Guide, 1990.
LOCATION: Morris Library - Reference (Ref HF 5383 .S25 1990)
- Shingleton, John D. Job interviewing for college students. Lincolnwood, Ill.: VGM Career Horizons, 1996.
LOCATION: Morris Library - Reference (Ref HF5549.5 .I6 S368 1996)
- Watson, Anne. The definitive job book : rules from the recruitment insiders. Capstone ; Hoboken, NJ : Wiley, 2008.
LOCATION: Morris Library - Reference (Ref HF5382.7 .W38 2008)
- Yate, Martin John. Knock 'em dead 1998. Holbrook, Mass.: Adams Media Corporation, 1997.
LOCATION: Morris Library - Reference (Ref HF5549 .5 .I6 Y37 1998)Videos
- Career strategies--From job hunting to moving up. Willow Grove, PA: AMS, 1986.
LOCATION: Morris Library - Media (VHS 114 )- Narrated by Marilyn Moats Kennedy, this set of 6 videocassettes covers all areas of job hunting, resume preparation, networking, salary negotiation, and dynamic interviewing methods.
- Common mistakes people make in interviews [videorecording] : and how to overcome them . / Cambridge Educational ; a production of Cambridge Educational ; producer Diana Sole ; director/editor Eric Lilly ; writer Andrea Kay. Monmouth, NJ : Cambridge Research Group, c2005.
LOCATION: Morris Library - Media (DVD-Limited Circulation : DVD 1941)- Takes the viewer through the job interview process and answers questions and gives some advise how to avoid common mistakes made by the job seekers.
- More than a gut feeling III [videorecording] = Más que intuición III = Mais que uma simlpes intuição III / an America Media production ; content provided by Paul C. Green ; director, Michael Cowman ; producer, Mandi Swanson ; writer, Paul Shay. . [Virginia Beach, Va.] : Coastal AMI, c2008.
LOCATION: Morris Library - Media (DVD - Limited Circulation : DVD 5711)
- Power interviewing skills. Strategies for the interviewee [videorecording] : both sides of the desk / Cambridge Educational ; Cambridge Research Group, Ltd ; produced for Cambridgeby NaJor Productions. Lawrenceville, NJ : Cambridge Educational, c2005.
LOCATION: Morris Library - Meda (DVD-Limited Circulation : DVD 1937)- This DVD examines the interview process from the point of view of the person being interviewed.
- The virtual job interview [videorecording] / [practice & preparation for getting the job you deserve] / produced by Carrie Rafanello-Bazar & Dan Peters.. [Somerville, N.J.] : Daniel Peters Productions, c2005.
LOCATION: Morris Library - Media (DVD - Limited Circulation : DVD 3280 )- This DVD assist students with the job interview process and helps them prepare by practicing basic interviewing questions.
