PROJECT 4: Interview Preparation Analysis

OVERVIEW:

If you are to engage in a successful job search, you must first explore various self-assessment instruments in order to help identify your interests, skills, abilities, and personality type (VIPS). This will enable you to prepare for your job search and for interviewing by understanding your personal qualities as they relate to job offerings. This is very important in preparing for future interviews.

Whether now or years after graduation nearly everyone eventually conducts job interviews. Recruiters are trained to identify your competencies during the interview. What do you want them to know about your credentials? How well you prepare greatly influences the final evaluation by the interviewer.

The self-assessment projects are strongly recommended for non-business majors, but business majors are also welcome to complete the project. For business majors who completed some form of self-assessment in X220, this project will help you to focus on your personal qualifications as they relate to your job decision. How can you know the relevant personal characteristics to present during your interview? Is there a good fit?

Recruiters are going to be probing into your background to see which candidates are most qualified for their openings. You must be prepared to explain how your experiences, values, interests, and abilities place you at the top of the list. Any of the options below will help you prepare. You will draw upon the results as you prepare your interview presentation!

PROJECT INSTRUCTIONS:

Read Chapter 2 in the textbook. Page and figure numbers listed with the project refer to the textbook Career Planning Strategies: Hire Me!, (5th Edition).

Complete ONE of the options below, following instructions carefully to include all components.

Your finished project should fulfill the length requirements specified and include all steps you took to reach your conclusions.

If you have already accepted a job, this exercise will help you as you prepare for meetings with your future managers and co-workers.

 

Option A: Skill Identification (Chapter 2)

A.     Use Skills Inventory for professional positions, Figure 2.9; include with your project.

B.     Rank your 12 top skills. List them in your project.

C.    Select four top skills out of the list of 12 that you already selected and title the four separate sections with these skill names. Write a page for each of these four skills. Content should include how the skill was acquired, how you assessed your level of competence, and how it was more thoroughly developed (mini-experiences; explain circumstances and how each skill was used).

D.    You might want to take some of the self-assessment instruments and tests mentioned in the textbook and in the www.careeronestop.org website.

This preparation is very important in preparing responses to Behavior-Based Interview Questions.

Deliverables: If you do Option A, turn in the following to your Career Counselor:

Ø      Skills inventory

Ø      Top 12 skills ranked

Ø      Commentary on four skills—one page per skill

Ø      Copy of results of any self-assessment tests you took.

 

Option B: Values Clarification (Chapter 2)

A.     Use the Work Values—Happiness is… chart in syllabus appendix (and also on page 32, Figure 2.10, in the textbook). Place a number value (1 through 4) beside each.

B.     Regroup each value into four separate lists: Group 1, Group 2, Group 3, and Group 4.

C.    Prepare a one-page statement for each of the four value groups. Notice similarities in each group. Discuss work setting that you feel would be your ideal setting. Explain why they are important. Explain how each value set will impact upon your career decisions.

Interviews and future managers will undoubtedly ask about situations that helped create your work values. Describing a situation is more believable than just stating that you possess these values.

Deliverables: If you do Option B, turn in the following to your Career Counselor:

Ø      Completed Work Values chart

Ø      Four pages of value lists commentary.

 

Option C: Interest Inventory (Chapter 2)

Take The Merkler Style Preference Inventory, an interest/personality test on the web. This site requires an Indiana address. If you are an out-of-state student, be sure to use your local Bloomington address. Or you can take the Humanmetrics test. Read the explanation of results provided with the tests. Copy and paste your results from either test into your project.

A.     Examine results.

B.     Using the Interest Inventory Analysis Outline located in Figure 2.16 in the textbook, write a three- to four-page analysis of the test results.

C.    Be prepared to use the results in your future interviews. Remember that in behavior-based interviewing you must use past life situations supported and confirmed by the results of these tests.

Deliverables: If you do Option C, turn in the following to your Career Counselor:

Ø      Test results

Ø      Three- to four-page analysis using Interest Inventory Outline.

 

Option D: Personal Descriptors (Chapter 2)

A.     Using the Personal Descriptors list (also Figure 2.12), rate each descriptor with a number value (1 through 4), trying to balance the groupings equally.

B.     List the descriptors you ranked as 1’s (strongly descriptive).

C.    List the descriptors you ranked as 2’s (moderately descriptive).

D.    Write three to four separate autobiographical stories or situations (totaling three pages) that reveal/communicate these qualities.

These descriptors will become very valuable to you as recruiters and managers ask you to describe yourself. These tests assist you in identifying traits that managers want you to discuss.

Deliverables: If you do Option D, turn in the following to your Career Counselor:

Ø      Completed Personal Descriptors list

Ø      Separate listings of 1’s and 2’s descriptors

Ø      Three pages of situational stories.