Interview Skills

That Get YOU the Job

[THE ULTIMATE GUIDEBOOK]

By William C. Byham, Ph.D.
The inventor of the most popular methodology used by interviewers today.
© Development Dimensions International, Inc., 2016. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. All rights reserved under U.S., International, and
Universal Copyright Conventions. Published in the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and other
countries. Development Dimensions International, Inc., prohibits the reproduction of any portion of this book in any medium without
prior written agreement. DDI and marks designated with ® are trademarks of Development Dimensions International, Inc., and are
registered in the United States and several international jurisdictions.

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 Why YOU Should Read This Guide
Successful Interviews Are the KEY to Getting Hired
Organizations use many selection methodologies, such as tests and job simulations, as part
of their hiring process, but almost all of them use interviewing as their main methodology for
making hiring or promotion decisions. How you perform in the interview will typically determine
whether you get the job. That’s why it’s so important for you to do well in your interviews and
why I have written this guide.

Organizations seek examples of applicants’ accomplishments and experiences because they

are good predictors of future accomplishments. Evidence of past hard work, initiative, ability
to learn, managing others, and solving problems indicates the likelihood that candidates will
carry over these positive attributes to future jobs.

Starting in 1970, Development Dimensions International, Inc. (DDI) has provided training
programs and materials to help interviewers understand the importance of gathering
examples of candidates’ accomplishments by asking appropriate questions, and then
interpreting the information obtained. Tens of thousands of organizations worldwide have
adopted DDI’s methodology, Targeted Selection®. The reason for Targeted Selection’s
widespread popularity is simple: Interviewers immediately see that it works! Not only do they
make better hiring decisions, but interviewers and candidates also enjoy their interaction more.
DDI has more than 70 validation studies that prove Targeted Selection’s effectiveness at all job
levels and in a wide variety of organizations around the world.

Over the years there have been hundreds of articles written about Targeted Selection,
and many organizations have adopted part of the methodology using the generic name
“structured behavioral interviews,” or simply “behavioral interviews.” This has greatly expanded
the probability that you will encounter the kind of interview you will learn about in this book.

Many Candidates Fail to Put Their Best Selves Forward

I’ve seen too many people fail to put their best selves forward in interviews. I’m not talking
about being inappropriately dressed or late (although I briefly deal with these issues in
Chapter 2). Instead, I’m talking about being unable to provide specific, meaningful, accurate,
and truthful examples of their past experiences and accomplishments in response to an
interviewer’s questions.

Sometimes during the stress of an interview, candidates can’t remember an appropriate

example from their past, but more often, candidates are too narrow in their thinking. For
example, a new college graduate applies for a sales position at his dream company
located in the city where his fiancée is based. He has never held a sales position, so when
the interviewer asks, “Do you have any sales experience?” he says, “No,” but in reality he

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has had a lot of sales experience throughout his college years. He worked for the Fundraising
department at his university where he was very successful at making phone calls to raise
donations from alumni. Also, he was very active in his school’s student government where
he sold ideas to his fellow officers and the school administration. But he didn’t mention these
examples of sales accomplishments in the interview, and he didn’t get the sales job.

Be Prepared, and You’ll Have the Best Interview of Your Life

We encourage you to plan carefully for your next interview, to think through areas that are
likely to concern your interviewers, and then think through how you will address questions
about those areas when they come up. You won’t have answers for all of the questions that
will be asked; no one does! But you will find that you have more positive examples than you
thought, particularly than you could think of in the pressure of an interview session. By planning
for your next interview, you will significantly increase the odds of landing your dream position.

Good luck on your job search!

Bill Byham
Getting Started
The best way to use this book is to read it from cover to cover and do the exercises as you go.
We believe that this approach will most effectively develop your interviewee skills.
Plan on spending 50 minutes if you take this approach.
However, if your interview is tomorrow. . .
Read Chapter 1 and complete the exercise that is part of the chapter.
You’ll learn how to present your best points with maximum, positive impact relative to the
interviewer’s needs. Chapter 1 will take approximately 20 minutes to complete.

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 1

Provide Solid Examples of Experiences: STARs

In this chapter, you’ll:

• Learn to use a technique—STAR—to provide interviewers complete and concise examples
of your accomplishments that will prove you are the right person for the job.
• Develop your own STARs for use in your next interview.

Plan on taking 20 minutes to complete this chapter.

Sara’s Rejection
Sara sighed with resignation. She knew she would have been perfect for the job—it was THE
job. And she had gone into the interview wearing her most professional-looking outfit and
feeling confident in her ability to be a fabulous junior writer for the restaurant/hospitality
division of a public relations company. But she failed to convince the company’s vice
president of that. “Where did I go wrong?” she asked herself.

Sara had the knowledge and skills necessary to do a good job in public relations. Sara’s
experience on her college newspaper writing articles and her own blog had sharpened
her writing skills, and her advertising agency internship gave her insight into creating and
enhancing a corporate brand. Because the firm’s major client is a large restaurant chain, her
experience as a waitress might even have been useful. Sara mentioned her experience in the
interview, but she didn’t prove that she had acquired the knowledge and could demonstrate
the skills necessary to do well as a junior writer.

As you read the following excerpt from Sara’s interview, note the opportunities she might have
had to prove she could do the job.

Ms. Zwerner 
“So, Sara, why don’t you tell me a little bit about yourself?”

Sara 
“Well, I just graduated from State University. I received my degree in
comparative literature. I moved back here to live with my family while I
looked for a job. I’m looking for something that will involve writing.”

Ms. Zwerner 
“Well, this job certainly does require a lot of writing. Tell me, Sara, have
you ever written professionally before?”

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 Sara “Uh, no. I did write for my school paper, though.”

Ms. Zwerner “Do you have experience in public relations?”

Sara “No. I’ve never worked in PR. Last summer I had an internship at an ad
agency that did some PR work, but I wasn’t really in that group.”

Ms. Zwerner “Any other work experience?”

Sara “I was a waitress while I was in school, but that’s really all.”

Ms. Zwerner “Why did you decide to look for a job in public relations?”

Sara “Some of my professors recommended it to me—they thought my

writing was good, and that this field would offer a lot of opportunities to
use that talent.”

Ms. Zwerner “Why do you think you’d be a good match for this position?”

“Well, your company seems to be a great place to work. Everyone I’ve

talked to seems very happy here, and they all seem to be doing a lot of
creative work—just the kinds of things I’d like to be doing.”

Which of Ms. Zwerner’s questions did you note as an opportunity for Sara to prove herself?
If you marked every one, you’re right. Sara missed most of them by answering questions
tentatively, without offering proof of her abilities.

Although Sara mentioned her writing ability and creativity several times, she talked about
her skills in a general way. She assumed that her interviewer had read and remembered
the writing samples she had attached to her résumé. Sara also assumed that the samples
reflected work that was similar to the writing she would do in the junior writer position. These
assumptions might not have been valid. Sara’s answers focused on her general abilities and
talent for writing, not on whether she would be a good match for the job.

When Sara explained why she would be a good match for the position, her answer was on
track as far as it went, but she needed to say more. While she spoke about why she’d like to
work for the public relations company, she didn’t talk enough about what she had to offer
and why she would be worth the investment in hiring and training her.

What did Ms. Zwerner learn about Sara? Not much.

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Give Examples That Match Your Skills to the Job You Want
Let’s consider how to answer interview questions effectively. The best way to demonstrate to
an interviewer that you are highly capable of meeting a position’s requirements is by giving
examples of times when you’ve effectively used skills in situations that are similar to those
you would encounter in the job you’re interviewing for. It’s like writing a proof in geometry or
building a legal case.

Even if you have limited work experience or if your work experience is in a field different
from the one you’re applying for, you probably have many examples (at work, in school,
as a volunteer, in sports) of when you generated an idea, managed a project, exceeded
someone’s expectations, learned something new, or helped someone meet a challenge.
These skills would be valuable to almost any employer.

By discussing your skills and how you’ve used them effectively in the past, you avoid clichés
such as, “I’m a people person,” or, as in Sara’s case, “I write well.” Instead of generalizations
that cannot be proven, you are giving your interviewer evidence of your accomplishments.

Although the interviewer didn’t ask for specific examples, Sara had several opportunities to share
positive stories. Ms. Zwerner was looking for indications that Sara would do an effective job as a
junior writer for the restaurant/hospitality division and that she could eventually be promoted to
assistant account representative or even account representative. She was seeking information
not only on Sara’s ability to write, but also on her ability to manage her time and juggle multiple
assignments (which she definitely would have to do in a small firm) and a talent for satisfying
customers (some of the firm’s clients are very demanding). An understanding of the restaurant/
hospitality business would have been a plus, but it wasn’t essential.

How could Sara have known what Ms. Zwerner was looking for? Before the interview she
could have studied the job description on the company’s website or searched online for
details about the company and the job she was applying for. This would have helped Sara
to understand the type of writing she would be doing and who her clients would be. The
company website also might have provided insights on promotion opportunities.

Also, Sara could have gathered target information by asking people in the organization such
as the human resources associate who talked to her about the job or the restaurant/hospitality
division manager to whom she emailed her writing samples. Even without this information, Sara
had a general idea of what an entry-level writer did (writing, writing, and more writing).

An anxious candidate often will cram facts about a company. A woman Sara met in the
agency’s lobby had memorized the firm’s entire client list. Knowing the facts is nice, but that
alone won’t produce a winning interview. The most important preparation you can do is
determine the job requirements and then plan how to prove that you meet them by giving
examples of your accomplishments.

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Here’s How Sara’s Interview Might Have Gone
Let’s imagine that Sara had carefully considered the information she had collected about the
junior writer job and anticipated the interview areas Ms. Zwerner might be targeting. Then, let’s
say that she thought through examples of relevant experiences that demonstrated her talents
in those areas. This time as you read the interview, make a mental note (or jot on paper) each
time Sara gives a good answer to a question.

Ms. Zwerner “So, Sara, why don’t you tell me a little bit about yourself?”

Sara “Well, I just graduated from State University. I received my degree in

comparative literature. As a comp lit student, I read a lot and had to
analyze what I’d read.

“In one of my first comp lit courses, I wrote a term paper on allegorical
figures in Indian literature. I wanted to make the subject more interesting,
so I used current popular figures to personify some of the figures I was
writing about. My professor liked that approach and even used it to
introduce that material to his students the next semester. And, I got an
A+! I was proud that I could make an obscure, seemingly dry topic both
entertaining and understandable. I’m looking for a job that would allow
me to use that talent.”

Ms. Zwerner “Well, this job certainly does require a lot of writing. Tell me, Sara, have
you ever written professionally before?”

Sara “I was a reporter for my school newspaper and wrote a blog on campus
life that was followed by over half the students by the end of my senior
year. I learned to work under deadline pressure and to use the resources
available to me. I often had to interview university officials who were
reluctant to speak to a student journalist. That was particularly true when
I was writing about the effect that budget cuts were having on students
who depended on university funds for their research and for their
scholarships.

“I had to be creative and persistent to get the information I needed to

write my articles and blog. For example, I did everything I could think of
to talk with the university president about proposed budget cuts. Several
times I sat outside her office door for hours. Once, I even got a person
from a restaurant to let me deliver what she had ordered for lunch.
That convinced her to give me an interview. It turned out to be a great
interview!”

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 Ms. Zwerner “It sounds like that was a real challenge. Do you have experience in
public relations?”

Sara “Last summer I was an intern at an ad agency that did public relations
work. Even though I worked in the print media part of the company,
I learned how advertising and public relations work together to serve
clients.

“Once, I helped to prepare the materials for a PR presentation to a

prospective client. The account executive allowed me to sit in on the
presentation, which let me see how ideas evolve from a rough concept
to a whole campaign.”

Ms. Zwerner “Sounds like you really learned a lot on that internship. Did you have any
other work experience?”

Sara “Well, to make some extra money, I worked part time as a waitress while
I was in school. At first I didn’t think of it as a “real” job—I didn’t think I
could learn anything serving burritos. But just having a job while I was
a full-time student was a learning experience and a crash course in
time management. Also, I developed a concern for customer service
because I could see its benefits so clearly in the amount of tips I took
home each night. Doing little things, like remembering the regular
customers’ names or their favorite dishes, paid off—not just in tips, but in
building repeat business.”

Ms. Zwerner “You’ve had a lot of different experiences. Why did you decide to look
for a job in public relations?”

Sara “I asked some of my professors for suggestions about jobs that would
give me the opportunity to write and be creative. Several people
mentioned public relations, and when I started doing research on jobs, I
thought it was a good match too.”

In this version of the interview, Sara gave Ms. Zwerner specific examples of experiences that
linked to how she would perform if given the job. Sara’s responses also showed that she had
thought about what her responsibilities would be and who her customers would be.

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Which of Sara’s examples were most effective? Her description of the paper on Indian
literature and her interview with the university president were the most persuasive, because
she provided three important pieces of information:

Situation/Task: Sara had to write a term paper on a complex subject—allegorical

figures in Indian literature.
Example 1

Action: To make her paper more interesting, she used modern celebrities
as a basis for comparison.

Result: Her paper was entertaining and readable. The professor adopted
her idea for use in future classes and graded her paper A+.

Situation/Task: As a reporter for the university newspaper, Sara needed to get an

interview with the university president, who was reluctant to discuss recent
Example 2

budget cuts that had angered students.

Action: Sara arranged to deliver the president’s lunch as a way to make

face-to-face contact with her.

Result: Impressed by Sara’s ingenuity, the president granted the interview.

In both instances, Sara provided examples of her behavior in the form of a STAR—Situation/
Task, Action, and Result.

Giving examples in the form of STARs is the best way to prove yourself during an interview.
Ideally, an interviewer will guide the discussion by requesting specific examples that deal with
distinct job requirements. However, Ms. Zwerner asked Sara general, open-ended questions.
In the actual interview Sara responded by giving no complete STARs. In the “replay” version of
the interview, Sara answered the same general questions with specific examples in the form of
STARs.

An interviewer trained to seek behavioral examples of Sara’s writing skills might have phrased
a request like this: “Tell me about a time when you had to write about something complicated
or difficult to understand.” Such a request would have made it easier for Sara to provide
a STAR response. If she hadn’t responded with behavioral data and had given a general
response such as, “I had to write at least one paper on an obscure subject every semester,”
the trained interviewer would have probed further, asking, “Can you tell me about a specific
time when that happened?” or “Walk me through the steps you took in one situation.” An
interviewer seeking behavioral data will follow up until several STARs are obtained in a specific
area or the interviewer is sure that the candidate doesn’t have any more examples to share.

No matter what kinds of questions you encounter in your interview, using the STAR format
enables you to effectively give examples of your skills. The following exercise allows you
a chance to practice. It includes both the interview questions and some hints on thinking
through your answers.

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First, Read This STAR Example
It contains a complete STAR as a candidate would relay it to an interviewer.

Customer Service: “Tell me about a time when you went out of your way to satisfy a
customer.”

Situation/Task: “I worked the night shift at an electronics parts distributor when I received a call
from a lady who was planning her parent’s 75th wedding anniversary. She had digitized a lot
of old photographs and planned to show them during the festivities, which were the next day.
Then, she realized she couldn’t get the equipment to work. After talking with her for several
minutes, it was evident that one piece of equipment she bought was wrong, and that’s why
her system wasn’t working properly.”

Action: “I knew how important it was to her to get this working, so after receiving her
permission and finishing my shift, I drove to her house and delivered the equipment she
needed. Then, I helped her assemble the new unit.”

Result: “She was thrilled with my help and wrote a very nice letter to my boss about what a
nice young man I was for helping her. She also mentioned how much her parents and all the
guests loved seeing the photos.”

Be Prepared with Your Own STARs for Your Upcoming Interview

Choose at least three interview targets mentioned in the job description you received
from your prospective employer. Write three STAR answers to each target, for example,
if a prerequisite is to be a CPA and you have the certification, write a STAR or two that
substantiates effective use of your training. Or if “experience in lean manufacturing” is a likely
target, you would provide STAR examples of situations in which you used your skills and your
successes. Three complete STARs are usually enough to prove strength for each target.

In the previous example, we captured exact wording to reflect all the STAR elements. There’s
no need for you to write in such detail to complete this exercise, which is for your eyes only.
Instead, use key words, phrases, and abbreviations that are meaningful to you—just enough to
jog your memory. Just be sure to use clear, precise wording during the actual interview.

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For each interview target:

• Don’t be concerned if you don’t have three complete STARs for all the targets you’ve
anticipated. In fact, you might not have any STARs for some targets. Most candidates do
have gaps. Remember to think creatively for STARs by considering things you’ve learned
and done beyond the workplace.

• The closer your STAR example is to the behavior required in the job that you seek, the more
impact it will have. For example, if you are proving your strength in Planning and Organizing,
a STAR that deals with a planning situation similar to one you would handle in the job you’re
applying for would make the strongest impression on your interviewer.

• Look to provide more recent STARs, because they have more impact. Interviewers will be
more impressed by a project you completed six months ago than they would be about one
you finished six years ago.

• Be truthful with yourself—the best STARs are those that accurately reflect what happened.
A good interviewer will be able to tell if you are exaggerating your role in the actions and
results.

Be cautious not to provide “false STARs”—information that at first glance looks like a
complete STAR, but in reality is missing critical components. Here’s an example:

Question: “How did you do on your first sales assignment?”

Reply: “In the first three months, I made a $1 million sale, which was my goal for the
entire year.”

That response sounded impressive, but the applicant left out some critical
information: the “action.” What did the person do to win the sale? In this case, he
went to his father, who was president of the company he was selling to, and asked
him for the sale. This puts the candidate’s achievement in a very different light.

Question: “Did you have much personnel turnover while you were a supervisor
at the XYZ plant?”

Reply: “There was a major push to reduce turnover. I took some classes and
applied the ideas that were taught, and my turnover decreased by almost
20 percent.”

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 On further questioning, the interviewer learned more about the “situation”:
The country went into a recession at that time, and turnover dropped sharply
throughout the organization—on average more than 50 percent. Thus, the STAR
was not as strong as it first seemed.

Question: “Give me some examples of how you improved the efficiency of your
unit.”

Reply: “I came up with several ways of reducing errors in our department. They
saved the organization a lot of money.”

To properly interpret this, the interviewer had to ask follow-up questions to get
information on all parts of the STAR. For example, was the individual asked to
come up with the solutions, or did he volunteer (Situation/Task)? Did the person
take action or merely communicate his thinking to someone who took the action
(Action)? What was the real impact of the action? How was it measured (Result)?

False STARs can result from inadvertent poor communication by the interviewee, or
they can be interpreted as purposeful miscommunications. The applicant might have
hoped that no one would pin him down on the “details.” Applicants are advised to give
complete, honest STARs. If an interviewer always has to fill in STAR information through
follow-up questions, it reflects poorly on the candidate and often results in rejection.

The More STARs You Prepare, the Better

While we only asked you to practice writing STARs on three
question areas, if you have time, think through other STARs
you might expect. Writing brief summaries of STARs plants
your STARs firmly in your mind so that you’ll remember them
during the interview. Don’t worry about sounding stilted or
rehearsed; you won’t sound that way in the interview. Instead,
the interviewer will be impressed by your smooth answers and
thrilled about obtaining needed information so easily. Also,
thinking in advance about what the job entails and how your
experiences qualify you to succeed in it will make you a better
listener, because you’ll know what the interviewer is looking for.

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 Target:

Situation/Task:

Action:

Result:

Target:

Situation/Task:

Action:

Result:

Target:

Situation/Task:

Action:

Result:

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Using the STAR Format
How did you feel about this exercise? For some people, using the STAR format comes easily—
it’s like telling a story. For others, it’s not a natural way to think about experiences. The best
way to develop your skill at giving STARs is to practice. The next time you’re telling someone
about what happened in a big game or on your favorite TV show, tell the story in the form of a
STAR—describe the situation or task, explain what action was taken, and describe the result. It
won’t take long for you to get used to providing STARs!

You don’t always have to relate your examples in the STAR sequence; that is, first the situation
or task followed by the action and the result. Sometimes it’s better to give the results first,
followed by the situation or task and action. Other times, your action is the key point and
should come first, followed by the other elements. The order doesn’t matter as long as you
include all three pieces of information.

Other Questions You May Be Asked

Motivation for Achievement
Sometimes interviewers look for causes of motivation by asking questions like, “What do
you enjoy most in your present job?” and “What don’t you like about your job?” But most
interviewers won’t ask such direct questions. Instead, they will just listen to the descriptions of
your STARs and ask how you felt about the results. It’s important, then, to consider in advance
how you would handle such questions.

Motivation for Specific Aspects of a Job

Visualize yourself in the job for which you are applying. What tasks will you be asked to
perform? Will you be happy? What will you like best? Least? This kind of thinking helps you
anticipate your interviewer’s questions. However, often it’s hard to forecast questions in this
area. Again, it pays to be honest with your responses as you are evaluating the potential
organization and position as much as they are evaluating you.

Motivation for Advancement

If you are seeking a job that has rapid advancement opportunities, let it be known when
asked. And be sure to ask the interviewer for more information on opportunities when it’s your
turn to ask questions at the end of the interview. However, if near-term advancement is not a
big issue for you, don’t bring it up unless asked.

Sometimes you’ll get questions like, “What are your plans for the rest of your life?” or “What
kind of job are you working toward?” Don’t respond that you want to be the president of the
company unless that is absolutely true. And you’re able to substantiate your motivation with a
plethora of wonderful STARs that illustrate how you’ve prepared yourself for that goal. Answer
truthfully and provide appropriate STARs to back up your statements.

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If you are seeking rapid development, you’ll have many legitimate questions about the open
job and future projects, such as, “What’s the company’s policy regarding promotion—and
what is its actual history in that area?” “Do you really tend to promote from within?” or “How
many people have been promoted from within during the last year or two?” It’s not easy to
get this kind of information, and it’s probably not wise to ask these kinds of questions during
your first interview. Save them for a later interview or when you meet with a representative of
the HR department.

What to Do if You Realize That You Lack STARs in Important Targets

If you realize that you lack STARs in some of the most important job targets, you can choose
among three possible options:

• Go to the interview and hope that the interviewer isn’t perceptive enough to see the gaps
or hope that your assumptions about important interview targets are wrong.

• Use the interview to emphasize how the skills you do have will compensate for those you
lack. For example, if you can demonstrate a strong ability to learn and the motivation to
do so, the interviewer may view these strengths as a way of overcoming a knowledge/skill
discrepancy.

• Decide that the job isn’t appropriate for you. It’s often better to drop out of the selection
process when you know you aren’t a good match for an open position than it is to suffer
the ego-deflating effects of a rejection. If you have already scheduled an interview, you
might start it by summarizing your understanding of the required job targets and offering
your evaluation of how you measure up to them. Then, you can say that while you aren’t a
perfect match for the position, you have a number of strengths to offer and ask if there are
other jobs for which you are better suited.

Common Interviewee Issues

How Important Are Strengths You Can’t Use on the Job You Are Considering?
If you are great at math but are applying for a job that doesn’t involve numbers, how important
is your mathematical ability? Should you mention your math skills in the interview? Strengths that
aren’t related to the position generally won’t help you get the job, but generally won’t hurt
either. In fact, they might distinguish you from other applicants or identify you as “well rounded”
or “highly motivated.” But don’t promote these other strengths too much, or the interviewer
might feel that you’ll take the first opportunity to jump to a job that uses them.

The larger issue is your general happiness. Should you consider a job that doesn’t use all of
your strengths? Yes! You can look for other outlets for the strengths—perhaps freelance work if
you’re a talented writer or a position on the finance committee of a volunteer organization if
you have a mind for accounting.

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You might decide to take the job, hoping it will lead to a promotion or transfer that will allow you
to use more of your strengths. Or, you might find yourself using your strengths in a new way. For
example, many law school graduates find it difficult to get work in law firms. But many of those
graduates discover their degrees are extremely valuable in other fields such as human resources
or certain areas of consulting where the law degree differentiates them from their peers.

Remember, the perfect job exists only in a perfect world; few jobs will use all of your skills and
talents. Your satisfaction and, ultimately, your feeling of fulfillment will come from all aspects of
your life—personal and professional.

Should You Mention Potential Negative Background Information Before

You’re Asked About It?
Some people think that interviewees should not bring up problem areas and hope that
the interviewer never does either. If there’s something in your background that might be
problematic, bring it out near the beginning of the interview so that you can follow up with
rationale for it and offer behavioral evidence that it has not held you back in later life. For
example, let’s say your grades were poor in high school or college. After acknowledging
that, you have an opportunity to give rationale for your grades and to provide examples of
how you have done well in spite of them. Later in your interview, you also might have other
opportunities to make the point that you have succeeded without a good high school or
college record.

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 2

Before You Go in the Door

In this chapter, you’ll:

• Review several critical considerations that will help you have your best interview.

Plan on taking 5 minutes to complete this chapter.

Even if you have anticipated the targets that your interviewer will likely explore, have scoured
your background for appropriate STARs, and have considered what questions you might
be asked, there are still some things to do. On the next few pages are some important
considerations that people often forget about or just fail to take into account. By following
through on each of them, you’ll optimize the likelihood of having your best interview.

Important Considerations
Do Your Homework: Learn About Your Interviewer
When setting up your interview, try to get the full name and title of everyone you’ll be
interacting with. If more people are added to your interview schedule, be sure to get their
names and titles. Use your interviewer’s formal name during the interview (e.g., “Miss Jones”)
unless you are asked to use first names (e.g., “Call me Sally”).

Search online (e.g., LinkedIn or Google) to learn about the interviewer. This enables you to start
the interview by commenting on something that you have in common or that you’ve just read
about the individual. Perhaps you went to the same high school or university, or maybe you
read an interesting fact about the individual in a trade magazine or some other publication.
While this need not be the first thing you say upon meeting the interviewer—a friendly remark
often can be used there—it sets an excellent tone and will impress the interviewer.

Another reason for getting names correct is to make it possible to write thank-you notes
(electronic or handwritten) as soon as possible after the interview. If a team or panel interviews
you, be sure to get the names of everyone so you can write a thank-you note to each person.

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Dress Appropriately
If you are interviewing in your own organization, you’ll know what to wear, but it is wise to dress
on the high side of normal attire. You want to look like you made an effort to make a good
appearance for the interview.

It’s more difficult to judge what to wear in organizations where you’re not familiar with
standards of attire. Check the company’s website and photos of its employees to learn
more about it. Also, it’s perfectly acceptable to ask the person who schedules your interview
appointment about what you should wear. Doing so will make a good impression.

The fact that the day-to-day dress code for many organizations is “casual” or “informal” can
be confusing. What does “casual” mean? The general rule would be to find out how most
people in the organization dress and to dress for your interview one notch above that. If men
in the organization don’t wear coats and ties, it would probably be very appropriate for a
male applicant to wear a good-looking shirt and jacket. Female applicants might wear a skirt
suit or a pantsuit.

Conservative colors such as black, gray, blue, or brown are recommended. Avoid colors or
patterns that are too loud or distracting.

Don’t be too casual with your shoes. Avoid wearing tennis shoes, flip-flops, or other casual
footwear, even in very informal cultures like you may find in start-ups. You won’t impress
interviewers by wearing very casual shoes even if the organization is proud of its casual dress
policy, but you might make a bad impression on interviewers who may feel that you’re not
serious about your job seeking.

Bring Water to the Interview

Most interviewers will offer you water or coffee at the start of the interview. Don’t hesitate to
take it. Dry mouth is a common distraction for interviewees. Remember to pack a bottle of
water in your bag or briefcase in case the interviewer doesn’t offer you something to drink.
You will not make a bad impression by drinking water in an interview.

Bring Your Proof of Competence

Would work samples such as artwork, published articles, unique certifications, or photos of
completed projects help you make a case for a strength? Bring them with you, but don’t
push them on the interviewer. Wait for an appropriate time and then explain what you have.
Also, don’t forget your transcripts or references, if you have not already presented them. It’s
also wise to bring copies of your résumé in the event your interviewer doesn’t have one for
reference during and after the interview.

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Arrive Early
Don’t be late! In fact, make a point to be at your interview 15 minutes ahead of time in case
your interviewer is running ahead of schedule. This may provide you with some extra time to
provide STARs and thus make a better impression.

Impress Everyone You Meet—Not Just the Interviewer

Impress the people who take you to your interview (e.g., receptionist, assistant to the
interviewer). Get their names, and address each person by name during your interactions
with them: “Thanks, Jill. You’ve been really helpful.” It’s very common for interviewers to
ask these people what they thought of an interviewee, and you want to make sure they
remember you in a good light.

Remember Your Nonverbal Communication Cues

Many researchers would suggest that nonverbal communication is almost as important as
what is actually said. When you greet your interviewers, give them a firm handshake while
looking them in the eye. This, along with good posture during the interview, sends a message
that you are interested, engaged, and confident. Nodding your head is a way to let the
interviewer know you are tracking with his or her comment and/or question. Smiling genuinely
is also a good way to create a positive impression.

OK, NOW
YO
U
FOR T H E AR
BE E REA D Y
ST
OF Y O U IN T
RL ERVIE W
IF E
!

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 3

Opening the Interview

In this chapter, you’ll:

• Learn the best ways to get your interview off to a great start.
• Practice different approaches to opening the interview.
Plan on taking 10 minutes to complete this chapter.

Getting started in an interview often can be awkward. Many interviewers begin with a
very general remark such as, “So, tell me about yourself.” The work you’ve done identifying
your strengths and matching them to job requirements can be very useful in planning your
response. For example, you might say:

“In preparation for this job interview, I was thinking about what I could say about myself.
I guess you’d like to know about some of the things I’ve done in the areas of leadership,
planning, and research. Is that correct, or did I miss something? Then, which is most
important? I’ll start there.”

A well-trained interviewer will begin by trying to put you at ease by noting a positive feature of
your background. Then, the interviewer might ask a specific question, often related to an item
from your résumé. For example, an interviewer might say:

“I’ve been eager to meet you. I’ve looked over your résumé and was impressed by . . .”

or
“I’ve been looking forward to talking with you. I noted in your college résumé that you
are a psychology major, but that you took a course in welding. I’d like to hear how that
came about.”

It is usually appropriate for you to wait until the interviewer begins the conversation. The
interviewer might be getting papers in order or collecting thoughts. It’s probably best for you
not to interrupt that process.

Sometimes, however, a few minutes of silence will hang heavy, and you’ll need to start
the conversation. There are two good options to get the ball rolling. One is to make a
positive comment about the organization and how you see yourself contributing to it.

21
For example, you might say:

“I’m happy to have this chance to talk with you. Your company has a wonderful
reputation in our town and I’m familiar with some of your recent technology
breakthroughs.”

Asking questions early in the interview helps you to determine job targets most important to
your interviewer and gives you the opportunity to provide some STARs.

Keep in mind, however, that the beginning of the interview is not the time to ask questions
about such areas as compensation and benefits or organizational culture. It is appropriate
to ask about specific job duties and how the job is structured, such as whether you would be
working in a team. This information helps you judge which of your STARs you should discuss as
the interview moves along.

Another way to begin the conversation is to speak to your interviewer’s interests. Look
around the office. Are there numerous group photos? You might ask if they are pictures of
teams the interviewer has been on or led. If you have researched the interviewer online,
there will be many things you can comment on (e.g., new responsibilities, a recent business
trip, the publication of an article). Any positive event would provide a great topic on which
to launch a friendly discussion.

Avoid Extended Small Talk

Light conversation about the interviewer, the weather, or sports is not a bad thing, but such
conversations rarely help you feel more at ease because they’re not part of the “real”
interview. Moreover, they are a waste of limited, valuable time. You usually have less than an
hour to convey your positive qualities. Don’t waste a minute of that opportunity, especially
when your comments might risk offending a fan of your favorite team’s rival. Of course, if your
interviewer attempts to put you at ease with such a conversation, you should participate fully.

Check Your Understanding of the Job Being Offered

If you are in your second or third interview for a position, you might want to begin with a
summary of your understanding of the job and its responsibilities, based on information learned
from previous interviews. Sometimes you can do this on a first interview if you have done a lot
of homework on the company and job, or if you have an internal coach who has helped you
gather information about the position.

The interviewer will correct any misunderstandings you might have about the job or
organization. Interviewers don’t mind doing that and don’t consider it a negative that you
might have misunderstood some information. The fact that you’ve spent time thinking about
the job can only be viewed as a positive.

22
You can take your summary of job information a step further and share what you feel are the
most important behavioral targets. After the interviewer affirms their importance or corrects
your perception, summarize how well you meet the targets.

Practice Your Openers

Instructions: What will you say or do in the following scenarios? Using the hints, formulate an
answer to each comment.

1. “Hi, Sam. Sorry you had to wait.”

Hint: After you have offered a relaxed, confident handshake while looking the interviewer in
the eye, it’s never wrong to compliment the organization or the interviewer, if you have the
facts to do so. An expression of your positive expectations for the interview, based on your
research or your past interviews, sets a good tone.

What will you say or do?

2. “Now let’s see . . . I had your résumé right here a minute ago.”

Hint: Always have a copy of your résumé ready just in case the interviewer can’t find it.
Also, this might be a good time to offer additional materials you were asked to bring, such
as samples of your work. Offer to review the highlights of your background. It’s a great
opportunity for you to structure the interview around STARs you have prepared.

What will you say or do?

23
3. “First of all, as I’m sure you know, your professor has told me some terrific things about you.
I’m excited to hear about what you think you can bring to our team.”

Hint: Express your appreciation for the recommendation. Answer with a brief statement about
a positive example that has impressed people (such as your leader) in the past. There’s no
need for a STAR at this point.

What will you say or do?

4. “Why don’t we talk about some of the projects you worked on in your last job? I’d like to
learn more about what your role has been.”

Hint: Be ready to provide one of your brightest STARs at the beginning of your interview. Be sure
to mention projects or some of your positive skills similar to those you’d be doing in the new job
or skills in one of the target areas that you have prepared.

What will you say or do?

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 4

Handling the Interview with Confidence

In this chapter, you’ll learn how to:

• Handle situations that could derail the interview.
• Overcome subjective interview questions that could prevent you from getting the job.
• Respond to illegal or discriminatory questions or questions that might violate ethical
standards.
• Determine what not to share during an interview.
• Handle negatives in your background.

Plan on taking 10 minutes to complete this chapter.

Working with a Well-Prepared Interviewer

Participating in an interview conducted by a well-prepared interviewer is easy and enjoyable.
The interviewer knows where he or she is going and has thought through questions to elicit
STARs from you in those areas. You will have time at the end of the interview to ask questions.

The only thing that you have to remember is to listen carefully to the questions and respond
with appropriate STARs. If you don’t understand what the interviewer is asking, don’t hesitate
to seek clarification. After providing your answer, you also might check with the interviewer to
make sure you are providing the desired information. Think of it as a nice conversation with a
person who is getting to know you.

Negative Questions Relative to the Targets

In addition to seeking positive STAR examples from your background, good interviewers will
occasionally ask specific questions that relate to your shortcomings and mistakes. For example,
“Tell me about a time when details have been missed in planning for a project (Planning
and Organizing),” or “Tell me about a conflict you had with another associate and how you
handled it (Resolving Conflict).”

25
The purpose is to gather information about you—insight, behavioral flexibility, and ability
to learn from mistakes. Often, the interviewer wants to see how you followed up or made
improvements to overcome a problem. Everyone makes mistakes; a candidate who claims to
have never made a mistake instantly loses credibility. Answer honestly.

Acknowledge the Pressure

Don’t give up on an interaction that isn’t going as well as you hoped. Understand that just
as you are under pressure to find a job, your interviewer is under pressure to find the right
candidate. Acknowledging that you are feeling a lot of pressure in the interview and making
an effort to work through it is often a good way to let your interviewer know that you are serious
about the position. Also, take your time answering questions. If you need a few seconds to
think of a good example, let the interviewer know. If you simply can’t come up with an answer,
ask if you can come back to the question later (you might need to remind the interviewer later
if you come up with an answer).

Demonstrate Appreciation for the Interviewer’s Time

One way to demonstrate your appreciation for the interviewer’s time is to check on how
your answers are meeting his or her needs. Midway through the interview (or during a natural
pause), ask if you are providing enough information. If not, you can make an immediate
adjustment. Be sure to apply any suggestions the interviewer might offer. Asking for feedback
and then ignoring it is worse than not asking at all.

Coping with an Unprepared or Poor Interviewer

We’ve all been asked absurd or irrelevant questions during an
interview, from “What is your favorite color?” to “If you could
choose, what kind of animal would you be?” Absurd questions
don’t have to be met with absurd answers. Remember that your
goal is to give your interviewer as much meaningful information
about yourself as you can. Your responses should then focus
on providing a positive STAR example instead of answering the
question. You see politicians do this all the time—they answer
the question they want to answer to get their point across. After
all, in a way you are campaigning for the open position. The
following are some good and poor examples of responses to
some of the irrelevant questions you might encounter.

26
 Interviewer: “What three words best describe you?”

First, let’s look at an example of a poor response:

“The words that come to mind are analytical, independent, and creative. I’m
a very process-oriented thinker. I like to understand things thoroughly before I make
decisions. But once I’ve analyzed the situation, I like to act on my own, because I’m
usually confident about the decision my analysis had led me to.“

This is a poor example because it’s a false STAR. Here’s a better response—a complete STAR—
to the question:

“When I volunteered in an advocacy program at family court, I was asked to help

come up with ways to encourage mothers to pursue child-support claims. Many women
were put off by the forms and processes and were confused about what was required
of them. I began by sitting in the waiting area and talking to the people who had come
in to file claims. I identified several problem areas. For example, many people felt that
a person’s welfare benefits would be cut if child support was paid. Later, I surveyed the
people who came in to get a feel for how common these misconceptions were. Then
I typed up the answers to the concerns and attached them to the top of the support
forms. It worked! Applications have increased by more than 10 percent.”

By giving an actual example, the candidate illustrated past behavior, which is much more
powerful than reciting a list of adjectives.

Interviewer: “What would you do if you had to fire one of your people?”

Don’t answer the question. Instead, give a STAR example of something you actually did in a
similar situation:

“I faced a similar situation when…”

If no examples come to mind, ask your interviewer to clarify the question by saying something
like this:

“I’m not sure how to answer that question. I’ve never really been in a situation
like that. What kinds of skills would you expect an employee to demonstrate if that
happened?”

Ask for information until you have enough to effectively answer the question. The interviewer
will be impressed by your questions. Pick up on the information the interviewer is looking for
and provide appropriate STAR examples.

27
 Interviewer: “What do you think about (customer service, working on a team, etc.)…?”

Interviewers who ask “What do you think” questions are trying to get at your motivations, but
are doing it poorly. In these situations, provide a complete STAR.

Which of the following examples provides a complete STAR?

1. “I’ve always thought of myself as a customer-service-oriented person, but

working in retail sales really taught me what customer service means. Sometimes I
was so tired that I just wished all the customers would go home, but I had to learn to
get past that feeling.”

2. “People came to the store just to see what was new—not to buy anything.
Sometimes I would spend 15 minutes answering questions and the person would walk
away without saying ‘Thanks.’ Others would tell me they would buy their items—but
online. I didn’t mind helping people out, but it would cut into my paycheck. I was on
commission.”

3. “One night I was assisting a group of friends out for a night on the town—
not interested in buying anything. Even though I was tired, their spirit of fun was
contagious and we joked around. They each bought something—one person even
bought an expensive item. So my good service paid off!”

Statement 3 is best because it’s a complete STAR. Statement 1 is just a vague statement
about one’s perspective on customers. You could turn that into a STAR by citing a specific
time when you were very tired and had to work with customers. Statement 2 is not a STAR,
because there is no mention of a specific example or a specific outcome. If you replaced
“sometimes” with “there was a time three weeks ago when I was working with a customer
who didn’t seem interested in buying anything…” and then followed through with your specific
actions, the results, and how you felt about handling that situation, you would have a much
better response.

28
 Interviewer: “If you were a ______________________, what would you be?”

You might be asked, “If you were an animal/tree/bird/flower/color/car, what would you
be?” The interviewer most likely won’t be able to accurately interpret your truthful response,
regardless of what it is. Usually, such a question is asked by an inexperienced interviewer who
feels he or she can intuitively determine by your response if you will be a good hire. This type of
question not only has been shown to have zero predictability of work performance, but it also
can be a real risk to you not being hired even though you have the knowledge, experience,
and skills to do the job.

It’s important that you handle these subjective questions carefully. One way to do so would be
to return to a target area that you want to emphasize. For example:

“I’m not sure what kind of tree I would like to be, but I’d be one that showed a lot of
initiative. Let me give you a specific example of what I mean… [Insert STAR here]”

When answering these or other such irrelevant questions, maintain a friendly tone. If your
interviewer asks a number of similar questions, he or she is probably inexperienced and
nervous. You can handle this situation by keeping your focus on the targets you have
determined to be most important.

Interviewer: “Tell me three good things and three bad things about yourself.”

You might be tempted to fall back on a canned response or a vague statement. DON’T! For
the “good things” part of the question, provide STARs in three of the target areas you have
chosen.

You might have trouble articulating the latter part of this request—the “bad things.” Don’t
offer a positive cloaked as a negative such as, “I work too hard” or “I’m too much of a team
player.” We all have shortcomings—things we’d like to change about ourselves. Implying that
you have no faults will detract from your credibility. Be honest, but give examples of how you
are overcoming the negatives. For example, if you’re a procrastinator, mention what you’re
doing to address this tendency, such as carrying an electronic organizer or keeping a detailed
to-do list.

29
Handling Illegal or Discriminatory Questions
There is another category of “bad” questions you might
experience in an interview: questions that break the laws
protecting people from discrimination based on gender, race, ?
age, color, national origin, religion, disabilities, sexual orientation,
etc. The laws of the United States and many other countries
? ?
clearly state that all questions in an interview must be job
related and consistently applied. For example, an interviewer
cannot ask questions about your family situation, because such ?
questions are discriminatory; your family doesn’t have anything
?
to do with how well you would do a job.

Most interviewers who ask illegal questions don’t intend to discriminate. Nevertheless, you do
not have to answer them. Your best response to an illegal question is to explore the meaning
behind it and speak to that rather than to the illegal question itself. For example, if you are
seeking a job that requires extensive travel and your interviewer asks you about your marital
status or the number of children you have under the age of 16, he or she is probably trying to
find out if childcare is an issue.

An appropriate answer would be, “I’m sure you‘re concerned about my ability to travel.
Please let me assure you that I’ve made all necessary arrangements so that I can travel the
amount of time that you indicated was common for this job. I have traveled more than that in
my last two jobs.”

Without confronting the issue of the illegal question, you have provided valuable information
and reduced the interviewer’s anxiety.

Often, interviewers will inadvertently ask an illegal question in making conversation. An

interviewer might say, “Oh, DeCario—is that an Italian name?” Here, if you wish, you could
deflect the question with a comment such as, “I’m sure you’ve worked with people of all
nationalities.”

Using your sense of humor or diverting the interviewer by indirectly answering the question will
usually defuse the situation.

Keep in mind, however, that your interviewer represents the organization where you are
seeking a job. If you are being asked offensive or openly discriminatory questions, you might
reconsider whether you’d like to work for the organization. You also might have legal recourse
if you feel that discriminatory interview practices cost you a job for which you were well
qualified.

30
Questions About Competitive or Confidential Information
If you are interviewing with a competitor of your present or recent employer, you might be
asked to reveal confidential information, such as names of clients, information about new
products, and financial data. An example of this type of question might be, “Can you tell me
about some of the products under development in your company that you are working on?”

Although interviewers should not use the situation to gain competitive information, it still
happens. Your best response is to say something like, “I can’t provide that information. I know
you want to respect my obligation to my employer, but let me tell you about a big project that
I was involved in last year…”

Take care not to reveal confidential information when you are giving your STAR examples.
Avoid referring to customers or products with proper names. Instead, use general terms such as
“a major client” or “one of our software packages.” In the end, the interviewer will respect you
more for your integrity rather than look unfavorably upon you for not providing competitive or
confidential information.

What Not to Share

Interviewers should not ask questions that aren’t job related and, similarly, you should not offer
information unrelated to the job that might inadvertently bias an interviewer. For example,
you probably shouldn’t bring up the fact that you are responsible for 10 young children (five
are yours and five are your spouse’s). Because it is illegal for the interviewer to explore that
information with further questions, he or she might doubt your availability to work late, etc.
Nor is it appropriate for you to disclose that you are going through a nasty divorce or some
other personal crisis. What’s the point? You would only be distracting the interviewer from the
primary task—collecting data about areas important to job success!

On the other hand, if your personal situation will affect your job, it is appropriate to discuss
these issues at the end of the interview after you have made a good impression. It is best to
discuss job-related, personal issues rather than let a problem affect your performance after
you are hired.

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 5

Ending on a Positive Note

In this chapter, you’ll:

• Learn how to end your interviews in a way that makes a good final impression and clarifies
the next steps in the process.

Plan on taking 5 minutes to complete this chapter.

Interviews traditionally end with the interviewer asking, “Do you have any questions?”
Interviewers know that the time allotted for an interview makes it impossible to discuss every
aspect of your qualifications and the job’s requirements, and they want you to fill in areas
that weren’t covered. They want a candidate to ask meaningful questions when given the
opportunity. If you don’t ask questions, it seems as though you never fully engaged in the
interview. They really don’t like to hear, “I don’t think so. I think you’ve covered everything.”

Now’s Your Chance to Ask

Asking questions is your chance to collect important information about the job and make
some important points about yourself. You might ask about:

• The job. For example, if you are interested in how large projects are handled by the
organization, you might ask for a specific example—how a project was identified or
qualified, who was involved, what resources were used, or what process was followed.

• Reporting structure of the job. Simply put, to whom would you report and who will report
to you? It’s best to ask this question diplomatically. For example, “I’m not sure I have a full
understanding of where this position fits into the organization. How is it connected to others
in the department?”

• The job, culture, and location fit for the position. Your interest indicates to your interviewer
that you are serious about finding a position in which you can excel and be happy. It shows
that you’ve taken the time to analyze the open job and ask a related question. Even if
you are not right for this position, your interviewer might be more likely to consider you for
another position within the organization.

32
• Areas that allow you to provide important STARs. If you had identified a possible target area
that you felt would be important in the job and it was not covered, you could raise that
subject. For example, “You said there will be four or five people reporting to this position, but
we didn’t get a chance to talk about leadership. I’m assuming that it would be important.”
If your interviewer agrees, you’ve created an opening to give your prepared STAR examples
of your leadership abilities.

• Areas that will enable you to fill in STARs. You might find that you’ve given only one STAR for
an important target and want to provide backup data: “I wanted to make sure that I gave
you enough information on my planning and project-management skills. We touched very
briefly on those areas, but I’ve had a number of other experiences that I would be glad to
share with you.”

Also, you might realize that you handled a question poorly during the interview and want to
clarify by providing another STAR example: “When we talked about creativity, I mentioned
only one example and that was when I was working on my own. As you know, I’ve been a
team leader for five years, and my team has shown a lot of creativity that we are all proud of.
Can I share a little more about that?” A good interviewer will pick up on these opportunities
and ask you to give additional information.

Topics to Avoid
Questions regarding salary, benefits, vacation, and sick and personal days are best asked
of people from the Human Resources department, not of the managers who will be making
the final hiring decision. Don’t use the limited time at the end of an interview for a discussion
of these issues. Often it is necessary to wait until you get a job offer to receive all the details. If
you have general questions, address them to the human resources associate with whom you
originally spoke about the position.

Establish Next Steps

It’s usually wise to ask if your interviewer requires any additional materials from you, such as
transcripts, references, or work samples. As you close the interview, make final arrangements
about where, when, and to whom you should send these materials.

The organization’s Human Resources department should already have explained what
happens next in the hiring process—another interview, some testing, a simulation—and
when a decision about a job offer is to be made. If you don’t know this information, ask your
interviewer.

By having a clear understanding of the selection process, you’ll be prepared for the next
step—and you’ll be much less likely to worry if you don’t hear from the organization for a
period of time.

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Make a Summary Statement
If you can do it, close your interview by summarizing your strengths and how they fit with the
organization’s needs. Provide your Best Match target along with other targets that seemed
to interest the interviewer. Your summary statement should be clear and simple: “This position
sounds like a great opportunity for me to continue to use and develop my technical skills and
learn new leadership skills. I’m very excited about it.”

Sometimes interviews end abruptly; a critical phone call or meeting interrupts your interviewer,
who offers an apology (maybe) and a quick handshake. You might not have the opportunity
to make a summary statement. It’s best to respect your interviewer’s time by saying thank you
and offering a graceful good-bye. You can include your summary statement in your follow-up
note.

Saying Thank You

As you leave the interview, thank your interviewer as well as others with whom you’ve been
in contact, such as an assistant or a receptionist. Remember, these people could be your
colleagues soon, and it’s important for you to make a good impression.

Send a Thank-You Note

Send a thank-you email or, even better, a handwritten note to your interviewer as quickly as
possible. If the hiring decision is a month or more away, it’s wise to follow-up twice—one note
immediately after the interview and another reconfirming your interest in the job just before
the hiring decision is to be made.

In short, thank everyone! And thank goodness, it’s over.

Keep Your Coach Informed

If you have an inside coach, you should keep him or her informed of your
progress. The coach will appreciate a call to report how your interview went.
It also is a great opportunity to get some more coaching if necessary.
Your coach may become the first person in the internal network that you
will need to create once you get started.

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 6

20/20 Hindsight: Learning from the Interview

In this chapter, you’ll:

• Learn about a process for critiquing how you handled your interviews and using your
experience.
• Use the questions to make your self-critique easy and efficient.

Plan on taking 5 minutes to complete this chapter.

The advantage of doing a self-critique immediately after an interview is that you may still have
time to correct your mistakes.

Any job interview is a learning experience. You have the opportunity to learn not only about a
new job, but also about yourself and your own interviewing and communication skills. As soon
as possible after an interview, take a few minutes to evaluate the experience. And remember,
it’s as important to learn from successful interviews as from unsuccessful ones.

Your self-evaluation is likely to be the only feedback you’ll receive on your performance. Most
interviewers won’t critique your interview performance before they’ve made a final decision
about candidates. Even an interviewer or human resources representative who calls to say
that you didn’t get the job usually will only speak generally. They fear providing information
that might be misconstrued and end up in an EEOC charge.

Evaluate Your Interview Performance

Thinking back over the interview, answer the following questions:

1. Were you surprised by any questions?

• What were they?
• What did you learn about the job or organization from the questions?

No matter how well prepared you were, your self-evaluation might show that the interviewer’s
targets were different than you had anticipated. Perhaps you thought that because the
company had undergone several downsizings, it would be looking for cost-conscious people,
and you prepared STARs to illustrate your cost-containment skills. Then, the interviewer stated

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that after its recent downsizing, the company’s profit was at an all-time high. As a result, it was
interested in people who would help it take advantage of growth opportunities.

Don’t feel bad if something like this occurs. There’s no way to perfectly anticipate an
interviewer’s targets. If you can correctly anticipate 60 percent of them, you’ll be ahead of
your competitors for the job.

2. Were you able to provide two or three STARs for each question asked—planned or
unplanned? The STARs might not have been provided at the same time.
• What questions gave you trouble?
• Did you provide your brightest STARs for planned questions?

3. How did the interview flow?

• What kind of rapport did you establish with the interviewer?
• Did the interview seem to be rushed?
• How prepared was the interviewer?
• What was the interviewer’s impact on how you handled the interview?
• How at ease were you in the interview?
• What would you do differently the next time?

It’s Not Too Late

You’re walking out the door, and it hits you! Not the door, but the perfect answer for a
question you were asked. You remember a time when you demonstrated just the skill the
interviewer wanted to hear about. However, it’s probably not a good idea to run back inside.

If you failed to make a particular point, you do have another chance. In a prompt thank-you
note or email, you could say that you enjoyed the meeting and add that you weren’t sure if
you mentioned . . . (provide the answer you have recalled).

Also, if you have an upcoming interview with another person from the organization, you
have a second chance to provide the information: “You know, I’m not sure whether or not
I discussed this with Ms. Smith, but I worked on a project . . .” When your interviewers talk to
one another as they compile the data they’ve collected about you, they will share the STARs
obtained on each job interview target. Thus, there is still a good chance that your temporarily
forgotten STARs will still be considered.

If there is no way for a “do-over” of an answer to a surprise question, at least you have
obtained new insights into the field or industry that may help you prepare for future interviews.

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Use Your Insights to Prepare for Your Next Interview
For each new job interview, determine probable interviewer targets and repeat the four steps
in Chapter 1 to plan the STARs you will present to make a good impression. Each time you
prepare for an interview your task will be easier and quicker, even if you anticipate needing to
cover different targets!

If you don’t get a job offer, review your list of targets. Don’t limit yourself to exactly the same
targets from one interview to the next for the same job. Instead, learn from the questions you
are asked and focus on some new targets.

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About Development Dimensions International
Who We Are. Development Dimensions International, or DDI, is a leading and innovative
global human resources consultancy, specializing in leadership assessment and
development. We help companies transform the way they hire, promote, and develop
their leaders across the entire pipeline. The outcome? Leaders who are ready to inspire,
understand, and execute business strategy, and address challenges head-on.

How We Do It. If you have ever had a leader you revered or marveled at how quickly a
new hire came up to speed, you might very well be experiencing DDI at work. Annually,
we develop 250,000 leaders worldwide. Often, we are behind the scenes, creating custom
training or assessment that clients can roll out on their own. Other times, we are more visible,
helping clients drive big changes in their organizations such as succession management.
Always, we use the latest methods, based on science and the test of time.

Who We Do It With. Our clients are some of the world’s most successful companies. They
are Fortune 500s and multinationals, doing business across a vast array of industries, from
Shanghai to San Francisco and everywhere in between. We serve a diverse roster of clients
across 94 countries.

Why We Do It. The principles and skills we teach don’t just make people better employees,
they are at the heart of what makes for happier and more fulfilled human beings—better
family members, better neighbors, better friends.

Learn more about Development Dimensions International (DDI)

by visiting www.ddiworld.com

© Development Dimensions International, Inc., 2016. All rights reserved.