Communications and Careers

Communications and Careers

Instructions
Communication and Careers Assignment Part 2

*Reference Chapter 16: Interviewing and Following Up

Aligned with the content covered in Chapter 16, the purpose of the Communications and Careers Part 3 assignment is to prepare students for the interviewing portion of the job-search process. Utilizing the job posting you selected for Part 1 & 2, complete Part 3 by referencing the job description, your skills match, cover letter, and resume. Follow the steps below to practice preparing for a job interview.

Step 1: Review the Company Website and Create an Outline with Key Points

Search the Internet to locate the Company Website for the position you are applying.
Create an outline with information about the Company, anything related to the job position that you applying, including the specific department, location, and staff directory.
Your outline should include the following items:
About Company: product/service offering(s), mission statement, core values, company goals, history, etc.
Locations (facilities, retail stores, other)
Other: strategic plan priority initiatives, success stories; community involvement; company/employee awards, news press, etc.
Search the internet to find articles, news, blogs, ads, company social media sites (Face Book, Twitter, LinkedIn) that are current and relevant to the company.
Sample Outline:

Position: Title
Company Name & Website URL:
About Company: Product, services, mission statement, history, etc.
Locations
Abbreviated details related to your position OR interesting details (news press, employee recognitions, employer events, success stories, and/or strategic plan, etc.)
Notes on blogs, ads, social media
Step 2: Prepare Your Responses to Interview Questions

(Utilize Your Match Skills Table/Outline from Part 1 & 2 along with the Job Description)

Write responses to the following interview questions (keep your responses as concise as possible; a minimum of 500 words total, approximately a paragraph for each question). In addition to your written responses. Include a recorded video of yourself responding to Question 1: Tell us about yourself and why you are interested in the position.

1. Tell us about yourself and why you are interested in the position. (Provide written and video recording)

2. What are your top two strengths that you bring to this position?

3. What challenges do you anticipate in this position and how might you approach overcoming those obstacles in the first 90 days?

Write response to the following behavior interview questions utilizing the STAR method. (see the article for details: How To Use the STAR Interview Response Technique)

4. Do you have experience working on a project in a team or a group? If yes, provide us examples of how you approached working with others. If no, how would you approach working on a team?

5. Do you have customer service experience? If so, tell us a time when you had a dissatisfied customer and how did you handled the situation. If no, tell us how you would handle a customer complaint?

6. Can you share a time when you experienced conflict with a co-worker and what did you do? (If you do not have any prior work experience, then you can approach your response using an example of a conflict you experienced in another context such as in school or community project).

Step 3: Draft Thank You message (email, letter, and/or note).

Once you have an invite to interview, you will want to prepare a thank you message in advance to ensure a timely post-interview follow-up.
For step 3, create a template with a thank you for the interview message referencing the details from your research, job description, and your job qualifications/job match attributes.
Your thank you message (email/letter/note) should include the following elements:
Address the individual(s) (e.g. hiring committee/department, or person(s) name/title) who are interviewing you
Write your thank you message to include reference to the specific job title/position you are applying
Include any particular details of the company and your reasons for being excited for the opportunity and/or the reason you are a great fit for the position/company
Express genuine gratitude again if appropriate and/or indicate you look forward to the next steps
Sign your thank-you message (for letter and email include your contact information, for handwritten note just sign your name).

I will add the material below and the material in files.
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/emphasize-personal-strengths-during-interview