Appendix A Competent Interviewing^523Much as you would
practice a speech out loud
before officially giving it to
a group (Chapter 14),
practicing common
interview questions aloud
(either to yourself or to a
willing friend) is a surefire
way to increase your confi-
dence in the moment. You
may even consider taping
yourself in order to get a
sense of both your verbal
and nonverbal behavior
when answering interview-
ing questions.Much as you wouldCONNECT
SOME FIRST impres-
sions may be memorable, but
that probably didn’t help this
American Idol hopeful!
© 20th Century Fox Film Corp. All rights
reserved, courtesy Everett CollectionDuring the interview, do your best to control your nervousness so that
you don’t appear hesitant, halting, unsure, or jittery (Ayers, Keereetaweep,
Chen, & Edwards, 1998; Tsa, Chen, & Chiu, 2005). As with all competent
communication, you should adapt your behavior to be both effective and ap-
propriate. Specifically, sit or stand as the other person directs; lower or raise
your vocal tone, rate, and pitch to fit in with the tone and pacing of the other
person (DeGroot & Gooty, 2009). Also limit gestures so that you don’t distract
the interviewer from your words—and relax enough to express genuine smiles
(Krumhuber, Manstead, Cosker, Marshall, & Rosin, 2009; Woodzicka, 2008).
If you practice with an understanding friend (or even record yourself), you can
identify your positive behaviors and minimize any distracting behavior before
you go into the interview situation.
If you are still feeling nervous about your first impression, take a look at
Box A.1, “What Not to Do at an Interview.” Even if you wind up failing to
make eye contact once or twice or you feel your voice shaking a few times,
you can at least say that you weren’t the candidate who brought her pet snake
to the interview!Anticipating Common Questions
To discover whether there is a potential match between an applicant and a posi-
tion, an interviewer typically explores five areas of information as they relate to
the specific job:c Ability. First, based on the résumé and the interview, questions will assess your ex-
perience, education, training, intelligence, and ability to do what the job requires.
c Desire. Second, questions will focus on your desire or motivation to use your
abilities to do a good job by exploring such things as your record of changes in
jobs, schools, and majors; reasons for wanting this job; knowledge of the com-
pany; and concrete examples of prior success that indicate your drive to achieve.
c Personality. The third area involves an assessment of your personality and
how well you are likely to fit into the position and the organization. Ques-
tions are designed to discover your personal goals, degree of independence
and self-reliance, imagination and creativity, and ability to manage or
lead.
c Character. A fourth area of judgment is that of character, learning about
your personal behavior, honesty, responsibility, and accuracy and objectivity
in reports.
c Health. This is a sensitive topic in interviews; certain questions about your
health and medical background are illegal. But if a health issue directly af-
fects your ability to do the job in question, the interviewer may ask. For
example, if you are applying for a position at a candy factory, the interviewer
may ask if you have a peanut allergy because you would be unable to work
in a plant where peanuts are processed.Some examples of frequently asked interview questions are offered in Table A.5.1 18_OHA_45766_App_A_498_529.indd 523 8 OHA 45766 _AppA 498 _ 529 .indd 523 13/10/14 5:38 PM 13 / 10 / 14 5 : 38 PM