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Script/Instructions

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[Berkeley introduction – 7 min.]

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[Video; main section]

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[break from video; scoring and discussion]

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[Video; closing section]

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How many of you have been through a job interview? Was the interview process in the video anything like interviews you have had? How realistic do you think the video is in terms of representing what goes on in the real world?

Well, I can tell you from experience that, while we may have exaggerated some items and behaviors, pretty much everything in the video is something you, yourselves can experience out in the real world, especially for full-time, career-type jobs. I’d like to spend the next half hour or so talking about some elements of the interview process so that hopefully you’ll be more prepared—and more successful—when it’s you in the interview hot seat.

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Let’s start with something very simple, yet very important. And that is remembering names. Remembering names is important because it affects how others perceive you; it’s part of the all-important first impression. Remembering a person’s name makes them feel like they are memorable, which they take as a nice compliment.

Let’s see how good you are at remembering names. [pick out a student]. Without looking at your handout, what are the names of the three candidates in the video? What about the employer? [if student doesn’t get them all, pick another student; continue until all names are revealed] You see how easy it is to forget names of people you’ve just met? There are a couple of techniques you can use to help remember names, though. The easiest is to simply repeat back the person’s name. [go up to another student] “Hello, my name is ______________________. And you are???” [allow student to respond] “   <repeat student name>   . Very nice to meet you,   <student name>   .”

You see what I mean? In less than five seconds after meeting    <student name>   , I’ve already used his/her name twice. That means it is much more likely I’ll remember it, just by initial repetition. In the video, Amber and Theresa both used Arlene’s name, while Mike did not and later got the name wrong. Continuing to repeat the name inside your head continues this type of reinforcement, as does using the name in subsequent conversation. But don’t overdo it. If you use the person’s name every five seconds, you’ll look suspicious and come off as insincere.

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There are some other ways to help remember names. Dale Carnegie, the famous developer of highly acclaimed self-improvement books and courses such as “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” places so much importance on remembering names that the course spends the first two hours just on remembering names. I’d like to show you in a nutshell what he teaches. First, I need five volunteers. [line them up side by side, facing the class; hand out five name cards, and instruct the volunteers to introduce themselves using their real first name, but the last name on the card. The names are: West, Butler, Morris, Turner, Rutherford.] OK, class, now it’s basically like you’ve just met these folks for the first time. What I’d like you to do now is go back to your handout. In the space provided, try to write down the five last names you just heard. You have 30 seconds.

[after time is up] Well, how did you all do? Did anyone get all five? You see how hard this can be, especially when you have to remember more than one name? Well, let’s try this again, but this time we’ll make it easier for you—but be warned: I’m going to test you again at the end of this session and no fair writing the names down or looking back on any you got correct just now.

Let’s start with Mr./Ms. West. I want us to come up with a mental picture that we can associate with him/her. What do you think. Any ideas? Maybe he/she is wearing a cowboy hat, chaps, boots with spurs, and a lasso… Got the picture? [repeat the process with the others. Try to have the students come up with their own ideas, but help/guide if necessary.

• Butler could be pictured as exactly that: e.g., formal attire, towel over arm, feather duster, etc...
• Morris could be associated with Morris the Cat of 9-Lives cat food fame; e.g., person holding the cat or licking paws.
• Turner could be the person spinning in circles or throwing a baton.
• Rutherford could be an image of two cars, one a Ford and one a Chevy, with the person sitting happily in the Ford, i.e., “rather Ford.”

Of course, some names are easier to create an image for than others, but you get the idea. In Dale Carnegie classes of about 15 people, everyone gets associated with an image; everyone knows and remembers everyone else’s name by the end of the first class, and still remembers them six or seven weeks later when the class is over.

Try using this technique the next time you meet someone. I recommend you start now, because I can personally assure you that remembering names won’t get any easier when you get to be my age.

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OK, let’s move off of remembering names and go on to some other aspects of the interview. As you saw on the video, a great deal of interviewing success depends on what happens before the interview. That is, preparation for the interview. In your handout is a list of preparation suggestions, which include:

• Appropriate dress/attire
• Extra copies of resume and references
• Letters of recommendation
• Research on the company
• Preparation for questions

Let’s talk a little bit about each of these, starting with dressing appropriately. In the video, Amber was clearly not dressed for the typical office environment. Theresa was very professionally dressed, appropriate for that situation. Mike was ok, but probably could have stepped it up a notch. The general rule of thumb in interviewing is to dress just slightly above the level that would be considered the usual day-to-day attire while on the job.

Extra copies of your resume and references are always a good idea. Sometimes you end up meeting with more than one person; sometimes the interviewer makes notes on the resume you mailed in and wants an extra copy for the file. In any case, carry them in a folder so that they don’t get torn or otherwise mangled.

Employers don’t usually ask for letters of recommendation, but if you have some, it doesn’t hurt to have them ready, if only to substantiate statements you make in the interview. Once again, keep them in a folder where they can be protected and easily located.

It is highly recommended that you try to find out as much as possible about the position and company before the interview. This not only gives you an idea of whether or not the position is right for you, it also will likely raise some questions that you can ask of the employer in the interview. Employers LOVE it when candidates ask good questions about the company. It helps them clarify areas that reveal additional attributes about you that otherwise may not have been touched on. More importantly, it demonstrates your interest in the company and reassures them that you are sincere about wanting to be a part of it. Theresa showed her interest by asking about a new location and its impact locally, which made points with the interviewer. Your handout includes a list of good questions to ask a prospective employer.

Finally, even though you never know what questions an interviewer will ask, you can prepare yourself for some of the more common ones. Some of these were in the video, and include questions like:
What is your biggest strength? What is your biggest weakness? Have a strength and weakness in mind ahead of time so that you can reveal them with confidence. For the weakness, make it something that could be interpreted as or turned around to a positive. For example, “I can sometimes be really stubborn. I get very adamant when my customers want me to settle for something of less quality than I think it should have.”

What do you see yourself doing in five years? This can be a hard one, because your first impulse is probably something like, “I want to be working for your company as a manager and making lots of money.” More appropriate is a response that indicates you have thought about your goals and have a plan to reach them on a particular timetable. Theresa’s response in the video was excellent, as she talked about her anticipated degrees, type of position and company, all with a timeline attached. At Berkeley College, for example, you can first earn your associate degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting, then continue on for your bachelor’s degree in accounting, with 100 percent of your associate degree credits applying toward your bachelor’s. If you are working in the field after your associate degree, your employer may be willing to pick up all or part of the cost of getting your bachelor’s.

What is one word others would use to describe you? Here, obviously you want to use a word that is a positive. And, in particular, positive in a work environment. You generally want to avoid words that may surprise or shock the interviewer, as well as words that come off as egotistical. In any case, have a word in mind ahead of time. Again, a prompt, confident, and appropriate response makes a good impression.

Think back to the video. Considering what you saw of the three candidates, what do you think would be some good words they could have used to describe themselves? Take a minute to try to come up with some and write them down in your handout. [after a minute, ask for student responses and discuss briefly] OK, now how about yourself? Think for a minute and then write down in your handout three words that might be appropriate for the “one word” to describe yourself. [repeat as above]

Another way to prepare for questions is to have a clear idea of your greatest accomplishments to date. Increasingly, employers are using behavioral questioning techniques in interviews. That is, rather than ask general questions about you, they ask for specific illustrations. For example, instead of: “How well do you handle problems with customers?”, the question might be: “Give me an example of an angry customer or complaint and tell me how you handled it.” Thinking of specific examples of positive outcomes from something that happened on the job (or elsewhere in your life, for that matter) and being ready and able to describe them in detail will really help you shine.

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OK, think back again to the video. Let’s do a David Letterman thing about the top five mistakes you saw the candidates make. [solicit student responses and try to rank them; can have some discussion here about why some mistakes are worse than others].

OK, you did pretty well. In your handout is another list: the top 10 things NOT to do in an interview.
[this list will simply be in the handout for fun; it need not be part of the presentation]
10.    Show up late and blame it on traffic.
9.      Say, “My boss had an attitude problem, just like my three previous ones.”
8.      Give the employer your current work number.
7.      Tell your prospective employer you’ll need to check with your Mom before you can accept the job.
6.      Chew bubblegum and blow big bubbles.
5.      Say, "I would have been more successful if I didn’t have to work with a bunch of idiots."
4.      Ask to use the phone book to look up your references.
3.      Ask how much vacation you will get and how soon you can begin taking it.
2.      Casually mention you really aren’t sure if you want to work here, but your teacher is making you go out and interview to get experience.
1.      Ask the interviewer how much money he or she makes.

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Understand that, in the interview, the prospective employer is really just trying to get to know about you. You may not know that there are some things they really want to know, but legally can not ask. Generally, the larger the company, the more sensitive they are to the legalities of what they can and can’t ask. For example, they can’t ask if you are married and are planning on starting a family; your age; health questions; if you own a car or house. Sometimes interviewers will go fishing: that is, use questions that don’t directly ask these things, but can sometimes lead to such information being revealed. “When did you graduate high school?” is a valid question, but also suggests roughly what a person’s age is likely to be. While these types of things aren’t necessarily of direct interest to the employer, they may be an indicator of flexibility, reliability, potential absenteeism, etc. Again, the employer can’t come out and ask these types of questions, but you can work some of this information into the dialogue and use it to your advantage, especially with open-ended questions. For instance, you may mention something about your family being supportive or how you like taking the bus or subway for reliable transportation to work. [handout to include list of questions employers can’t ask]

OK, I told you I was going to test you again on remembering names. Without looking back at your handout, what are the last names of our five volunteers from before? [prompt students with the visual images if necessary]

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Well, hopefully we’ve demonstrated and talked enough about interviewing that any interviews you have in the future will benefit. While we’ve been dealing with job interviews today, many of the same concepts apply to other settings. One such setting is your college admissions interview, which many schools require. While Berkeley College doesn’t require an admissions interview, we do strongly recommend it. Let me tell you a little bit about Berkeley and what it might offer you.

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5 min. at end for Berkley-specific content