Holly M. JusticeEngineering Career Counselor

Career Services 259 Capen Hall

Successful Technical Interviewing Techniques

Overview• The Interview• What to expect – Types of interviews – Interview process – Types of questions, examples and

strategies

• Steps to Successful Interviewing • Additional Tips

The Interview• The interview by definition:– Interview - a formal meeting in which one

or more persons question, consult, or evaluate another person: a job interview.

• An interview ideally – should be a conversation in which the job

candidate demonstrates their qualifications for the position and their fit with the company culture.

Types of InterviewsOFF-SITE• Phone • Career Fair • Video Interviewing

(Skype)

ON-SITE • One-on-One • Group / Multiple candidates• Panel/Committee

OTHER (On or Off Site)

• Meal –Lunch/Dinner

• Tests /Assessments– Online– On-Site

Interview Process• An initial screening interview– Typically Phone – Video Interview– Possibly an on-line test

• Secondary screening interview– Typically Phone

• On-site interview • Secondary On-site interview • Hopefully - Job Offer and Salary Negotiation

Strategies for Phone Interviewing

• May have informational sheets in front of you

• Listen carefully• Speak clearly • Use descriptive

language (they can’t see your non-verbal body communication cues)

• Use interviewer(s) name (when directing your answer to them)

• Quiet location so you won’t be interrupted

• Cell phone battery

Strategies for Video Interviewing

• Equipment & Software– Practice ahead of time– Positioning of

microphone– Time delay of video feed

• The Look – Attire – Camera – close up of you– Posture– Background – keep it

simple

• Eye Contact– Look into the

camera (not at the screen)

• Voice & Movements– Audio – Speak slowly &

clearly

Types of Questions• Typical questions

• Traditional questions

• Behavior-based / Situational questions

• Brainteasers/Riddles/Puzzles/Practical questions

Types of Questions

• Typical Questions– Tell me about yourself. –Why should I hire you? Why are you the

best candidate?

Techniques for answering the typical questions

Prepare for the typical questions:

• Tell me about yourself. • Why should I hire you? – List your top 3-5 qualifications– Have 2+ examples for each qualification

Ace the “Tell me about yourself” question with a 3 part statement strategy: Part one:

a one sentence summary of the candidate’s career history Part two:

a one to two sentence summary of a single accomplishment that you are proud of and will also capture the potential employer’s attention

This accomplishment should be one that is easily explained or illustrated, and one that clearly highlights a bottom line impact.

Part three:A one sentence summary of specifically what you want to do

next in your career

Reference: Article by Jeff Skrentny, Jefferson Recruiters Report.

Activity

Preparing for the “Tell me about yourself”

question.

ACTIVITY “Tell me about yourself”

• Think about your answers for each of these parts.• Write down your thoughts

Part one: a summary of your academic/ career history

Part two:a one to two sentence summary of an accomplishment that you are proud of

Part three:A one sentence summary of your short-term career goals

Who wants to volunteer to share?

Activity

Preparing for the “Why should I hire you?”

question.On paper, list your top 3-5

qualifications

Activity – Company Description

Cameron• Cameron is a leading international manufacturer

of oil and gas pressure control equipment, including valves, wellheads, controls, chokes, blowout preventers and assembled systems for oil and gas drilling, production and transmission used in onshore, offshore and subsea applications, and provides oil and gas separation, metering and flow measurement equipment. Cameron is also a leading manufacturer of centrifugal air compressors, integral and separable gas compressors and turbochargers.

Activity – Job DescriptionGRDP Trainee• Candidates will go through our Global

Rotational Development Program (GRDP). This 2-year program is designed to build on the existing technical skills of participants, by exposing them to experienced company professionals in one of our many manufacturing locations throughout eleven different divisions.

At least four, six- month rotational assignments are required:• Supervisory• Manufacturing Engineering• Materials• Electives:o Qualityo Project Managemento Or a 2nd role in Mfg Engineering

GRDP participants WILL be required to relocate during the course of the program and one of these locations may be outside

of the continental United States. Upon completion of the four rotational assignments, graduates of the GRDP are placed into positions which utilize their experience, training and skill level and fulfill business need.

• Qualifications:Outgoing and open to new challengesDesire for operations and manufacturing skill developmentMust be geographically mobile (willing to relocate)Eligible to work in the US without restrictionMust have desired degree, major, and preferred GPA of 3.0 or higher Must have a positive “can do” attitude and be willing to learn new thingsMust have experiences and show tendency to develop and desire leadership skills

Activity

Why should I hire you? Who would like to volunteer?

More question examples…

Types of QuestionsTraditional

Why did you choose this major? How did you choose this school?What is your one of your biggest strengths and weaknesses? Define success. Define failure. What are your short term and long term goals?What do your colleagues say about you? What do you know about this organization?Why do you want to work for this organization?Do you consider yourself successful? Are you a team player?Explain how you would be an asset to this company. Do you have any questions for me?

Types of Questions

Behavior-based / situational questions

• Uses questions that challenge you to recall ( in detail) what you did, thought, and felt in key situations

Techniques for Answering Behavior Based

Questions

When preparing to answer the Behavioral Based Question:

• First, mentally note what skill or competency the interviewer is seeking

• Always provide a specific example or situation

• Detail your behavior and actions you took to resolve the situation

• Share the outcome/result of the situation

For Behavior Based Questions• The ‘STAR’ Approach for Answering a

Question

S: Situation – describe the situationT: Task or problem – what dilemma or problem did you face?A: Action – what action did you take?R: Result – what was the result of your action?

Types of Questions - ExamplesBehavior-based / situational questions

Decision Making: Tell me about a difficult decision you've made in the last year. Describe a situation where you have had to overcome a problem

or obstacle in order to move forward with something. What did you do?

Tell me about a time when you had to make a decision without all the information you needed. How did you handle it? Why? Were you happy with the outcome?

Goal Setting What do you consider to be your greatest achievement so far and

why? Tell me about a goal that you set that you did not reach. What

steps did you take? What obstacles did you encounter? How did it make you feel?

Types of Questions - ExamplesBehavior-based / situational questions Continued…

Give me an example of an important goal you set in the past and tell me how you achieved it.

Describe a time when your over-enthusiasm for something got you involved way over your head.

Describe a situation where you made a decision and it was the wrong one.

Tell me about a specific day when you had too many tasks to complete.

Describe a time when you acted as a leader to complete a team project

Describe a situation where you have had to work as part of a team to achieve a result. What was your role in this?

Describe a situation where others you were working with on a project disagreed with your ideas. What did you do?

Types of Questions

Brainteasers/Riddles/Puzzles/Practical Questions

Types of Questions• Brainteasers/Riddles/Puzzles/Practical Questions

– Why are man hole covers round? – What could you do to improve this pen? – problem: you have 100 doors in a row that are all

initially closed. you make 100 passes by the doors starting with the first door every time. the first time through you visit every door and toggle the door (if the door is closed, you open it, if its open, you close it). the second time you only visit every 2nd door (door #2, #4, #6). the third time, every 3rd door (door #3, #6, #9), etc, until you only visit the 100th door. Question: what state are the doors in after the last pass? which are open which are closed?

Types of QuestionsBrainteasers/Riddles/Puzzles/Practical Questions

continued… You are shrunk to the height of a nickel and your mass is

proportionally reduced so as to maintain your original density. You are then thrown into an empty glass blender. The blades will start moving in 60 seconds. What do you do?

How would you find out if a machine’s stack grows up or down in memory?

Explain a database in three sentences to your eight-year-old nephew.

How many gas stations would you say there are in the United States?

How many golf balls can fit in a school bus? How much should you charge to wash all the windows in San

Francisco?

Types of QuestionsPuzzles continued…

A census taker approaches a house and asks the woman who answers the door "How many children do you have, and what are their ages?”

Woman: "I have three children; the product of their ages is 36, the sum of their ages is equal to the address of the house next door."

The census taker walks next door, comes back and says "I need more information."

The woman replies "I have to go; my oldest child is sleeping upstairs."

Census taker: "Thank you, I now have everything I need."

What are the ages of each of the three children?

Types of QuestionsPuzzles continued…

A man has to get a fox, a chicken, and a sack of corn across a river.

He has a rowboat, and it can only carry him and one other thing.

If the fox and the chicken are left together, the fox will eat the chicken.

If the chicken and the corn are left together, the chicken will eat the corn.

How does the man do it?

Puzzles continued…You have 12 balls identical in size and appearance but one

is an odd weight (it could be either light or heavy).

You have a set of scales which will give three possible readings: Left = Right, Left > Right or Left < Right (I.E Left and Right have equal weight, Left is Heavier, or Left is Lighter).

You have only three chances to weigh the balls in any combination using the scales. Determine which ball is the odd one and if it's heavier or lighter than the rest. How do you do it?

Software Development Interviews

Types of QuestionsTechnical / Practical Questions If you are a programmer, be prepared to write code in

the interview! There are many programming type interview questions

online. Design a data structure such that given a stream of numbers, you

can find the maximum of the numbers at any point and also all the numbers.

You are given a dictionary of all valid words. You have the following 3 operations permitted on a word: delete a character, insert a character, replace a character. Now given two words - word1 and word2 - find the minimum number of steps required to convert word1 to word2. (one operation counts as 1 step.)

Define Data Abstraction. What is its importance?

Reference http://www.techinterviews.com

5 Steps to Interviewing Success

5 Steps to Interviewing Success

1. Know Yourself2. Know the Employer3. Interview Preparation4. Perform at the Interview5. Follow Up

• Values• Needs• Interests• Realistic Goals• Company culture you

seek

• Experiences• Skills / Qualifications• Specific examples that

illustrate your qualifications

1. Know Yourself

2. Know the EmployerProductsCustomers/ClientsSize of OrganizationGeographic LocationsFinancial StructureTrends/Future GrowthReputation/HistoryTraining OpportunitiesPolicies/BenefitsResearch & Research & Research

3. Interview Preparation• Review Potential Questions– Career Services website, Career Guide

• Formulate Questions to Ask• Know your resume• Research the employer and position• Practice, Practice, Practice!– Career Services• www.ub-careers.buffalo.edu

4. The Interview• Arrive early & be prepared• Dress appropriately• Turn cell phone off• Shake hands firmly & smile• Be polite & positive• Know & use the interviewer’s name • Assess the interviewer and interview accordingly– Watch for non-verbal clues

• Develop a dialogue• Make eye contact• Expect the unexpected• Communicate your skills

4. The Interview Cont’dListen & answer questions clearlyDon’t ramble, get to the point!Be positive! Turn negatives into positivesThink before respondingUtilize past experiences as examplesAsk appropriate questionsIncorporate information about the companyUtilize key words / buzzwordsExpress interest in position & company

4. The Interview Cont’d

• Be politically correct• Ask for the job at the end of the interview • Express your interest and enthusiasm for

the position • Ask for a business card

5. Interview Follow-Up• Write a thank you letter within 24 hrs.• Discuss the experience with a career

counselor• Prepare for the second interview• Provide additional references,

transcripts, etc. upon request

5 Simple Hints to improve your success at the technical job interview

1. Smile. Seriously, when you shake everybody's hand, smile at them.

2. Have your story ready. 3. Answer the questions to the best of your ability. If you do not

know the answer to a questions, tell the interviewer, “I don’t know” and then explain to them how you would figure it out. Think out loud.

4. Programmers - Write some code by hand on paper the night before.

5. Ask questions and be prepared with questions for the interviewer at the end of the interview. They expect you to ask questions.

REFERENCE: September 24, 2008http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/puramu/5-hints-for-a-successful-technical-job-interview-12362

Career Services

Services & tools to help you be successful!

• Individual Career Counseling appointment – Discuss interviewing techniques and/or

debrief recent interview experience(s)

• Practice Interview appointment– Videotaped while being asked

interview questions by a Career Counselor and then review the tape with the Career Counselor

• Interview Stream tool – *New*

– This tool enables you to practice an interview online. You can then review it and you may send the link to professors, friends, or career counselors for feedback. Now in BullsEye!

Career Services

Career Services

• Contact us:– 259 Capen Hall – 8:30am – 5:00pm M-F – Call 716-645-2231 to schedule

an appointment– Email us at jobs@buffalo.edu

– Express Career Consult • 20 minute same day appointment• Monday – Friday from 12:00pm-

4:00pm• Call or stop by to make an

appointment• www.ub-careers.buffalo.edu

Thank you for your time. Good Luck!

Holly M. Justice Engineering Career Counselor

Career Services259 Capen Hall

REFERENCES There are many resources available to you in order to prepare for an interview. A few resources used to create this presentation are provided for your convenience.

UB Career Services www.ub-careers.buffalo.edu Career Guide

Job Choices Magazine, National Association of Colleges and Employers , 52nd edition.

www.jobinterviewquestions.org http://it.toolbox.com/ http://technicaljobsearch.com/i

nterviews/technical-interview-tips.htm

http://www.techinterview.org/ http://www.serverwatch.com/ http://technical-interview.com/