Chapter 4 Interview Student Materials

Chapter 4 Interview Student Materials Chapter 4 INTERVIEW

Reference Materials 2 4.1 Situation 3 4.2 Preparing for a Job Interview 3 (a) What is a Job Interview? 3 (b) Types of Job Interviews 4 (c) Preparation of the Job Applicants 4 4.3 Attending an Interview 6 (a) Non-verbal Communication 6 (b) Verbal Communication 8 4.4 Role Play 12

– 1 – Chapter 4 Interview Student Materials

Reference Materials

(a) Web-sites

The following web-sites are resource centres providing guidelines for samples and reference materials on interviews. Students are encouraged to browse through the web- pages for useful learning materials.

1. Interview http://www.polyu.edu.hk/~sao/cs/Job%20Application/interview.htm

2. Job Interview http://www.ilc.cuhk.edu.hk/job/index.html

3. Successful Job Interview http://www.polyu.edu.hk/~sao/emagazine/issue3/Successful.html

(b) Reference Books

The following books provide an in-depth treatment of business communication, giving a vast amount of case studies and activities for illustrating key concepts and processes. They also include a collection of sample letters and documents of different functions. Students are recommended to refer to these books for the topics to be discussed in this chapter.

1. Bovee, Courtland L., and John V. Thill. Business Communication Today. 6th ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2000. Chapter 11 Finding, Evaluating, and Processing Information

2. Guffey, Mary Ellen. Business Communication: Process & Product. 3rd ed. New York: South-Western College Publishing, 2000. Chapter 16 Employment Communication

3. Taylor, Shirley. Communication For Business – A Practical Approach. 2nd ed. London: Pitman Publishing, 1993. Unit 2 Oral Communication

– 2 – Chapter 4 Interview Student Materials Chapter 4 INTERVIEW

This chapter discusses how verbal and non-verbal communication affects the performance of the participants in an interview. Interviews may be held for different purposes, for example, for eliciting opinion or for recruiting staff. To follow up the chapter of ‘Finding a Job’, this chapter focuses on job interviews. It further examines the proper ways to prepare for interviews and some do’s and don’ts in attending an interview.

Business communication makes use of different media, i.e. means or tools, to pass on information: telephone call, face-to-face conversation, memorandum, letter, facsimile and e-mail. Telephone call and face-to-face conversation are verbal communication, and memorandum, letter, facsimile and e-mail are written communication. Memorandum is mainly used for internal communication and the other forms may be used both internally and externally.

4.1 Situation

Lam Mei Mei is a Form Five graduate of a secondary school. As her academic performance is only moderate, she has decided to work in the daytime and attend courses in the evening. She will then be able to acquire not only practical experience but also knowledge and skills that will enhance her capability. Mei Mei has applied for the jobs of a salesgirl, a clerk and a kindergarten teacher. Letters inviting her to interviews have started to come in. This makes her nervous. She is rather confused. What should she bring into the interview room? What should she wear? How should she speak during the interview? These questions pop up in her mind almost at the same time. She then pulls herself together and tries to answer them one by one. She has decided to prepare for the interviews.

4.2 Preparing for a Job Interview (a) What is a Job Interview?

A job interview is a meeting between the recruiting party with job vacancies and the job applicants. Through interviews, the recruiting party gets to know more about the job applicants as application letters can reflect basic information only. These letters cannot tell anything about the character and the appearance of the applicants, and also the way they deal with people and problems.

(b) Types of Job Interviews

Job interviews can be conducted with one interviewer or with several interviewers. Interviews can also be categorised into first, second or more rounds of selection. The first interview is usually used for the initial screening of the applicants. Candidates short-listed after the first interview will then be invited to attend the second or even third interview for further testing of knowledge and skills that are required for the posts.

(c) Preparation of the Job Applicants

Applicants should present their strengths in the interview. Before attending job interviews, the applicants should:

 Collect information about the company with the job vacancies. The sources of information may include the Internet, friends, relatives and company reports. If the company is engaged in the retailing business, information can be collected from the shops, the merchandise on sale, the target customers and the marketing activities of the company.

 Classify and analyse the information to have an adequate understanding of the company. This information will be very useful in preparing for the questions to be asked in the interview.

 Find out information about the place where the interview is to be held in advance, for example, the means of transportation available, the travelling time needed, etc. Applicants should never be late for any job interviews.

 Consider the types of clothes to wear. They should not be trendy and fashionable to avoid an impression of showing off. The key points of dressing are ‘neat’ and ‘tidy’. Plain and proper dress is usually the best choice.

 Bring the necessary documents such as identity card, certificates and the invitation letter when attending the interview.

 Try to develop concrete answers to some questions the interviewer will probably ask.

 Take a good rest the night before.

What are the media commonly used to invite an applicant to attend a job interview? Why?

______

Practice 4.1 (Grade B) List the disadvantages of using telephone calls and letters to inform applicants of job interviews.

4.3 Attending an Interview (a) Non-verbal Communication

Non-verbal cues such as facial expression, eye contact, gesture, body language and appearance can be used to strengthen the effects of verbal communication. For example, political leaders are good at using non-verbal cues in their speech to boost the patriotism of the audience. However, most people are not aware of non-verbal cues. When they speak, they just focus on presenting the information to avoid missing any important points. For example, in advising a group of students the importance of confidence in working with other people, a speaker reads the scripts only and speaks with a soft voice. The audience can quickly sense that the speaker lacks confidence and, hence, will not believe in what the speaker says. People are conscious about what they say. But their non-verbal cues may, unconsciously, give much more reliable information than their words.

Facial expression and eye contact. Facial expression shows the type and intensity of feelings. Eye contact can help applicants concentrate, involve the interviewers and establish a preliminary relationship during presentation. In the interview, the applicants should also have an appropriate facial expression to show eagerness and concern. Otherwise, the interviewer may infer that the applicant is not interested in the job or is lacking in confidence.

Body movement. Body movement involves posture and gesture. Posture means how the applicant sits. For example, the applicant should sit straight throughout the interview to present a firm and positive image, and a conscious state of mind. Gesture means the movement of hands and legs. It is used not only to add life to the speech but also to show the confidence of the speaker. For example, a wave of the hand may be used to reinforce certainty. Intentional posture and gesture can be useful and helpful, but the applicant should take note of some unintentional body movements. Crossing arms, leaning forwards, slouching, etc. are signals revealing the nervousness and hostility of the applicant.

Appearance. Personal appearance reflects social identity. People are often judged by their physical attractiveness. Grooming, clothing and accessories can all add value to appearance, especially when presenting oneself in a job interview. The first impression is always important. Dress should be neat and tidy.

To attend job interviews, applicants should pay attention to their appearance carefully. Discuss the implication of the following guidelines: (a) Boys should dress in dark coloured suits. (b) Girls should not wear too many accessories. (c) Girls should have light rather than heavy make-up.

______

It is obvious that non-verbal communication plays an important role in interviews. Different information will be conveyed through various kinds of body language, and the clothes and accessories that the applicant wears.

Practice 4.2 (Grade B) The following postures are commonly found in interviews. Can you guess the true emotion conveyed by the applicant?

(a) Sitting with legs crossed

(b) Placing the elbows on the table with the hands together

(c) Looking at the eyes of the interviewer all the way through

Practice 4.3 (Grade C) List the main points on body language to be noted by the applicants during job interviews.

(b) Verbal Communication

Verbal communication is important in interviews as information is exchanged through questions and answers. Without the help of language, people can hardly tell others their ideas and thoughts. Verbal communication is concerned with words arranged in meaningful patterns. It is closely related to preparation prior to the interview.

Interviews should pay attention to their manners in an interview, especially in a group interview. They should:

 take the initiative to participate in the discussion but not to dominate it.  show confidence by responding quickly and speaking firmly.  listen carefully to what others have asked or said.

Suggest the items that should be brought when attending a job interview.

______

In order to have smooth verbal communication with the interviewer, the following guidelines for the applicants may be helpful in the preparation stage:

1. The applicants should have a basic understanding of the company offering the interview, for example, its background, nature of business, mission, etc.

2. Read the newspaper daily to keep informed about current affairs.

3. The applicants should prepare answers to some questions that are likely to be asked by the interviewer, for example, questions about family, personal education and experience, the job applied for, views on current issues relating to the job, etc.

4. The applicants should brush up their skills in presentation and in handling questions by doing a number of tests and practices.

Vocal characteristics reveal the emotion and personality of a person. During the interview, the applicants should pay attention to the following points: 1. Speak clearly at a proper volume and with an appropriate pitch. 2. Speak in a suitable tone. 3. Listen carefully, clarify questions and answer correctly. 4. Give positive responses.

A short dialogue illustrating the four points of vocal characteristics above is given as follows:

A: interviewer B: applicant

A: Miss Law, how do you pass your spare time?

B: In my spare time, I usually go to the library to read science fiction. I am very interested in the applications of scientific discoveries. Recently, I have read a book about implanting objects in the human body, for example, implanting thin and soft lenses in the eyeballs to correct eyesight or even replacing the heart with an artificial one. Besides, I like swimming very much. It allows me to exercise my arms and legs.

A: I can see that you have two very different hobbies. One is rather quiet and the other is sporty. Can you tell me why you have developed such interests?

B: Well, I just enjoy doing exercises. Reading can exercise my brain while swimming can exercise both my body and my brain, say, in co-ordinating my limbs.

Practice 4.4 (Grade C) What does the interviewer dislike most about the applicant in an interview?

There are no smooth interviews in the world. Interviewers may ask some difficult questions to test whether the applicants are able to handle them under pressure. The following difficult questions may be asked in job interviews. The suggested answers are for reference only and should not be taken as model answers. Depending on the requirements of a job, students are advised to make up their own answers.

1. You don’t have any working experience. Why do you think you are good for the job?

Working experience is not inborn. We can’t get any working experience without being given a chance to work. My willingness to learn and work hard will help me build the skills for handling different situations.

2. What would you consider when you look for employment?

Interest is my priority when I look for employment. Another important factor is that the job allows me to apply what I have learnt. Lastly, it offers good career prospects.

3. Are you willing and able to work under pressure?

I love to work under pressure. Word pressure is like the energy that sets motions off. I always try to find the most effective way to accomplish my duties.

4. How would you envisage yourself in five years’ time?

In five years’ time, I should have mastered the knowledge and skills for carrying out my duties. By then, I will be ready to be a leader or supervisor and take up more responsibilities.

Practice 4.5 (Grade C) For the questions above, prepare your own answers by using your creativity or referring to your experience.

At the end of the job interview, applicants are usually allowed to ask questions. The applicants can take the chance to clear up queries on job duties or terms of employment. Ask one or two questions only. Even if there are many questions in your mind, choose the most important one to ask.

The following questions, for example, may be asked in the interview session:

1. How many days will I get for annual leave? 2. What kind of employee benefits am I entitled to? 3. Are there any promotion prospects for the post I am applying for?

Questions on the following areas should not be asked in the interview as they do not contribute to winning the job:

1. general company policy and strategy 2. financial position of the company 3. assessment criteria for recruiting new staff

Unless specific issues are referred to, questions on general company policy and strategy require lengthy answers. Information on the financial position of the company and assessment criteria are strictly confidential. Interviewers will be embarrassed in answering these questions.

Asking questions at the end of an interview can be a tactic that the applicant can use to show off his/her abilities. One should, however, bear in mind the purpose of asking questions, for example, to show interest and concern for the job. For this reason, it is necessary to choose the most important questions.

The applicant for the post of a newspaper reporter is allowed to ask questions at the end of a job interview.

Suggest three questions relating to the job nature of a newspaper reporter.

______

4.4 Role Play

The aim of the role-play is to familiarise students with the complete process of finding a job. They will take part in activities from the preparation stage till the mock interview stage.

Steps for the role-play (Refer to Chapter 3 ‘Finding a Job’) :

1. Students will be divided into groups of four. Each student in the group should bring along:  a job advertisement for the post applied for  three copies of his/her application letter  three copies of his/her résumé

2. Three students will act as interviewers. The fourth student will act as the applicant for the job. Based on the specific requirements of the job advertisement and the information on the application letter and résumé, the group of interviewers will ask at least ten questions to determine whether the applicant is suitable for the post or not. An interview should last about 5 to 10 minutes.

3. Each student will take turns to act as the applicant.

4. After completing four rounds of interview, the group should discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each applicant with reasons and any room for improvement. The discussion should last for 10 minutes.

5. Each group should elect a representative to present the result of their discussion. The presentation of each group should last for 3 minutes.

Appraisal of the Applicants

Interview date: Interview time:

Overall appearance:  Very Good Good  Fair  Poor

Education:

Experience:

Skills:

Response to questions:

Expected salary:

Other comment:

Common questions to be asked by interviewers:

1. Would you tell me briefly about yourself?

2. What do you think are your strengths and weaknesses?

3. How would you envisage your career to have developed after three years?

4. What do you do in your spare time?

5. Do you know the duties of this job?

6. Can you speak any languages other than Cantonese and English?

7. What do you think is the most controversial topic in Hong Kong?

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