PROJECT 8: Tell Me Interview Presentation

OVERVIEW:

Many students are extremely nervous about the job interview. They want to make a good impression but have no idea what questions will likely be asked or what the recruiters are looking for. The goal of this project is to assist you in preparing for interviews by providing you with a more in-depth view of what is expected of you during an interview.

If you have already interviewed this organization or currently work there, you can adapt this project to fit another non-interview situation. Just pretend that you are talking to your new supervisor after one year on the job and are making a case for your promotion to the next higher-level assignment. You want your boss to recommend you for the promotion and you are “telling” what you want him to write in recommending you to the new manager.

The most common interview question is: “Tell me about yourself.” The purpose of this project is to prepare you for the inevitable question.

PROJECT INSTRUCTIONS:

Read Chapters 17, 18 and 19 in the textbook. Page numbers listed within the project refer to the pages in Career Planning Strategies: Hire Me! (5^th Edition).

Your finished project should fulfill ALL PARTS of the requirements below.

Use materials from the textbook in your write-up.

A. Read the “Preparation” section and the “Presentation” section in Chapter 19.

B. Select a specific organization for which you might wish to work. If you completed Projects 6 and/or 7, you must select different employers.

C. Prepare a monologue to present following the scenario and introduction given in the “Presentation Interview Action Project” (Chapter 19) and include the following:

1. Reasons why you could help the organization.

2. How your qualifications and background match the specific job.

D. Close the presentation by thanking the audience for their attention and ask for the position. Push for a commitment of a date on which you could expect to hear of their decision.

E. Include your sources of information about the organization. You can use Figure 19.1 even if you used it in an earlier project on a different employer or you may use your new or current employer if known.

F. This should be between three to five pages in length.

G. Read your presentation out loud to a friend. In most interviews you will talk 15-20 minutes of the 30-minute interview. No words should be left to chance. How long does your presentation take when you read it verbatim?

H. Tell me. One way to organize this 20-minute interview monologue is to focus on your strengths in career direction, education, job-related skills, personal competencies, work experiences, etc.

Deliverables: Turn in to your Career Counselor:

Ø Three to five pages of monologue identifying the company and including sources of information.

Ø Present the presentation orally to your Career Counselor.