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The Graduate School of Education and Human Development

 

Interviewing & Networking

Interview Preparation

There are three components to a good interview – Pre-Interview, Interview, and Post-Interview – all with tasks important to winning the job. Remember, the interviewer has already seen your resume and they want to meet you. Use these tips to feel prepared and confident going in to any interview. 

PRE-INTERVIEW

INTERVIEW

POST-INTERVIEW

Types of Interviews

Behavioral

Behavior based interviews allow an employer to gauge how a candidate responds to a particular situation or challenge. This type of interview assess a candidate’s competencies in areas such a leadership, flexibility, confident, organization, and interpersonal skills.

Case

Case interviews are commonly used by consulting firms where candidates are required to solve a complex business dilemma. The focus of this interview is on the process that you use to come to a result and not necessarily the result itself.

Networking

Are you asking yourself: How do I network?
If you’ve ever had to pick people for a group or team, odds are you asked your friends or ask your friends to recommend people they know and could vouch for. In much the same way, recent studies indicate that nearly 80% of the positions available are filled through personal referrals--making networking a critical part of the job search and career process. A question students often ask is, "What exactly is networking?" Great question. If there's one part of networking to remember it's this: networking is nothing more than talking with people who can provide you with information, advice, resources, and possible contacts related to your fields of interest.

HOW TO NETWORK

Here you will find some tips, action steps, and resources for learning networking 101.

Branding

A Personal Brand is the public perception of a person’s personality, skills, or values. According to Dan Schawbel, author of Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success, a good brand conveys intrinsic value, expectation of performance, trust and reduced risk, and is predictable. By branding yourself you are setting yourself apart from all of the other candidates. In such a competitive job field where employers report that there are between 75 and 150 applications for every ONE position, a Personal Brand may be the one thing that sets you apart. (link to guide)

A Personal Brand should inform the employer as to who you are as an employee, how you produce work, and what results you achieve. Your brand should skillfully reflect your unique abilities, interests and values.

WHO

Jot down 3-4 words that describe who you are at work. Are you energetic or steady? Collaborative or independent? Analytical or creative? Think about how your peers see you.

HOW

Jot down 1 word that defines how you produce work. Do you counsel or serve? Lead, manage, or supervise? Do you examine or solve? Do you instruct or motivate? Choose a meaningful action verb that powerfully captures your operating style.

WHAT

In 3-4 words define what results you achieve. Do you improve the quality of service for customers? Do you strive to improve the grades of ADHD students? Do you develop goals and plan college pathways for urban students? Think carefully about what your desired impact is on people and in your work.

 

Your brand should inspire not just inform!
Keep it short, authentic and COMMANDING!

 

STRONG BRAND STATEMENT: I am a dedicated life-long learner and team teacher who empowers diverse students commitment to achievement by connecting math instruction with real life problems.
WEAK BRAND STATEMENT: I am an experienced teacher with strong skills in classroom management and math.

 

Resources

Salary Negotiation

Negotiating salary can be one of the most intimidating aspects of the job search. However, now there are plenty of tools available to help you determine your appropriate salary and give you confidence in your negotiating abilities. Two of the most powerful pieces of knowledge in this process are knowing salary ranges for your specific field as well as salary ranges for your location. The tools below will assist you in doing just that.

 

Resources