Resources

What Is He Looking For? Part I

Choose roles and act out the following.

SETTING: Jose (boss) is interviewing Miguel (job seeker). This is in the middle of the interview.

JOSE: Okay, good. Now, could you please describe your last major mistake, why it happened, and what you did about it?

MIGUEL: [Thinking] What kind of question is that? What does he want? I wish I could know what he is looking for.

JOSE: [Thinking] I just want to see if he understands what he did wrong, and if he fixed the problem.

MIGUEL: [Thinking] I know what he’s looking for. I need to turn a negative to a positive!

MIGUEL: [Out loud] Well, I do remember once when my manager thought I had missed a deadline. What really happened was that I had not communicated some changes from the client. From then on, I made sure to let everyone know what was happening!

JOSE: That sounds pretty good, Miguel. Sounds like you learned something!

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What Is He Looking For? Part II

Choose roles and act out the following. Note to facilitator: When it says to discuss, let the group answer before you move ahead.

NARRATOR: So, here we are with Jose (the interviewer) and Miguel (the potential employee). Jose is going to ask four

common questions. We will talk about how Miguel should answer. Are you ready?

JOSE: Hello. So, what can you tell me about yourself?

Discuss:(1) What does the interviewer want to know? (2) How might Miguel use a “me in 30 seconds” statement to answer? (See outline on the right.)

“Me in 30 Seconds”

1. Name

2. Objective

3. Qualifications

4. Traits

5. End with a question

NARRATOR: Okay, here’s what the boss is actually thinking.

JOSE: Can he give a clear answer? Is he qualified?

NARRATOR: So, Miguel should probably use his “me in 30 seconds.”

MIGUEL: I’m Miguel Fuentes. I am applying to be your new manager of accounting. I have had six years of experience and I have led an accounting team of five people. Together we decreased our costs last year by 15% and increased output by 23%. I graduated with a certificate in accounting and I have a government license. On weekends, I love a great game of football. What else would you like to know?

JOSE: That’s great, thank you. Now, what are some other strengths?

Discuss:(1) What does the interviewer want to know? (2) How might Miguel use a power statement to answer? (See outline on the right.)

Power Statement

1. Identify a skill or strength

2. Specific example

3. Result

4. Match to needs

NARRATOR: Here’s what Jose really wants to hear.

JOSE: Does he have the skills we need? Can he prove it with results?

NARRATOR: Since this is what Jose wants, Miguel could probably use a power statement to answer.

MIGUEL: Let me give you an example. I’m always looking for ways to cut costs. For example, about three months ago I went to my manager and explained that we were losing nearly 3000 a week due to late payments. He was skeptical at first, but I showed him the numbers. So he asked me to solve the problem. Over 10 weeks, I was able to reduce late payments by 30 days per invoice, which saved thousands. I could use this problem-solving skill to help here at Sport Corporation.

NARRATOR: Here’s another question—one we don’t like to hear!

JOSE: What are some of your weaknesses?

Discuss:(1) What does the interviewer want to know? (2) How might Miguel answer by turning negatives into positives? (See outline on the right.)

Turn Negatives into Positives

1. Share a weakness that is common to many people.

2. Describe specifically how you have overcome that weakness.

3. Add information from your power statements.

NARRATOR: Here’s what the interviewer is thinking.

JOSE: Is he aware of a weakness? Has he done something to solve it?

NARRATOR: Since this is what Jose wants to hear, Miguel could answer by turning a negative into a positive.

MIGUEL: Some people say I care too much about helping customers pay their invoices on time. So, I’ve worked hard to balance payment results with customer service. And I learned a lot. By caring more about all customers and their needs, I’ve actually been able to help the company get paid faster. And I received the award for top customer service this past month.

NARRATOR: Okay, here is one last common question.

JOSE: Great, Miguel. Thank you. Now then, why do you want to work for us?

Discuss:(1) What does the interviewer want to know? (2) How might Miguel use a power statement to answer? (See outline on the right.)

Power Statement

1. Identify a skill or strength

2. Specific example

3. Result

4. Match to needs

NARRATOR: So, here’s what the interviewer was thinking.

JOSE: Does he know what we need? Does he care?

NARRATOR: Since this is what the interviewer wants, Miguel could use another power statement to answer.

MIGUEL: Well, Mr. Martinez, the research I did about Sport Corporation was very interesting. You focus on selling sports equipment and you have been successful. I heard that you are starting some new, improved products. I want to work with a successful company that is growing. I also know quite a bit about sports and exercise. Over the past year, I volunteered as a football trainer, and I helped the team improve both endurance and performance. I understand what you are trying to achieve and I can help you do it.

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Practice Answering Common Questions

Before our next meeting, with your action partner, family, or friends, practice answering questions.

COMMON QUESTIONS	WHAT THE INTERVIEWER MAY WANT TO KNOW ABOUT YOU	ANSWER TOOLS
What can you tell me about yourself?	Can she speak well? Is she qualified?	“Me in 30 seconds”
What are your strengths?	Does his experience meet our needs?	Power statement
What are your weaknesses?	Is she honest? Has she improved?	Turn negative to positive
Why do you want to work for us?	Has she done research? Does she have goals?	Power statement
Describe your last major mistake.	Is his reason for the mistake logical? Did he learn from it?	Turn negative to positive
What did you think of your last boss?	Does she respect leaders?	Power statement
How do you react to pressure?	Does he take ownership of problems?	Power statement
Have your ideas ever been rejected?	Is she persistent? Is she positive?	Turn negative to positive
What are your career goals?	Will he help us succeed? Is he focused?	“Me in 30 seconds”
What do you expect to be paid?	Are his expectations reasonable?	Answer with a question
Do you have any questions for me?	Does he care? Is he interested?	Answer with a question

How Do I Negotiate Employment That Meets My Needs? (Optional Activity)

Read:When the employer decides to offer us a job, we may discuss the terms of our employment. These terms include our pay, when and how long we work, working conditions, or other issues. The goal is to be open and honest and for everyone to feel good about the results.

Discuss:What is difficult about negotiation? Why would you negotiate?

Read:Here are five steps we can use to prepare for this sort of discussion:

• Identify our needs beforehand.

• Decide what is most important and any minimum acceptable terms.

• Learn what the employer may offer and what is important to them.

• Seek inspiration; think of ways both we and the employer can “win.”

• Practice the discussion with a family member or friend.

Practice:Use the following chart to think about your job-related needs.

Examples are in gray; just write over them.

1. Number each need in order of priority to you. Use “1” as the highest priority.

2. Decide what you think is a minimum level for each need.

3. Discuss these with your spouse or family. Let them show their priorities and set minimum levels together. If there are differences, come to an agreement.

MY NEEDS (Add any others)	MY PRIORITIES (you number each; 1 is highest)	FAMILY PRIORITIES (they number each; 1 is highest)	MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE (bottom limit for each need)	EMPLOYER PRIORITIES (their desires/needs in priority if you know)
Pay	1	2	3000/month	Pay range 2200–3200
Working Hours	5	1	No Sundays	Work weekends when needed
Clean Environment	6	5	No dangerous chemicals	Chemicals that make work faster
Work Associates	3	6	Honest	Punctual, hard-working
Opportunity	2	4	90-day promotion	Team worker
Health Care	4	3	-----

Discuss:What did you learn from this exercise?

Practice:Now think about an employer for whom you would like to work. What are their priorities? Can you find out what is most important to them? Put your employer’s priorities in the chart above before your interview.

Discuss:From your experiences, how could you match your needs with the desires of the employer?

Tip:

If an offer is too low, try silence. Wait for 10 seconds before responding. Often the person you are negotiating with will give a better offer to break the silence.

Practice:With a family member or friend, do this role play.

1. Read this situation: In his first interview, Kofi learned that the wage range for this position is 95 to 105 per day. Now, he is at the second interview. The employer offers him a job at 96 per day. Kofi needs at least 100 per day. He could also use help with transportation and he has decided he will not work on Sunday.

2. One of you take the role of the employer and the other take the role of Kofi. The employer starts by offering Kofi the job at 96 per day. He asks him to work two Sundays a month. Kofi should try to negotiate a solution that is acceptable to both.

3. Then switch roles and try it again.

Discuss:How did it go? Did you answer questions with questions? Did you think about negotiating for other benefits?

Read:Here is one way Kofi’s negotiation might turn out. Let’s read through this table. Who wins? Did they resolve the issue of Sunday work?

ORIGINAL OFFER	IMPORTANT TO COMPANY	IMPORTANT TO KOFI	WHAT KOFI NEGOTIATES	REVISED OFFER
Wage of 96 per day	Company can pay up to 98 per day for someone with Kofi’s level of experience.	Kofi needs 100 per day. 3 of that 100 pays for transportation to work.	Kofi asks company for 97 per day and to pay for his bus fare of 3 per day.	The company agrees to Kofi’s wage of 97 per day and to pay for his bus fare. The company has a deal with the bus company. It only pays them 1 per day for Kofi’s fare.

Discuss:What if you cannot reach a deal? Should you walk away from the opportunity if it does not meet your needs?

Read:By practicing your negotiation skills, you can often reach agreements that are good for everyone involved. Whatever agreement you make, ask for a confirmation in writing by a certain date. That protects everyone!

Application Example

Job Application

Name:LastPullagariFirstAmit

Date:December 6, 2013

Address:1234 Any Street, Hyderabad

Phone:[phone]

Email: [e-mail]

Position:Process trainer

Desired Salary:70000

Date Available:January 2014

Have you ever worked for this company?

• Yes

• No X

If yes when?

Have you ever been convicted of a crime?

• Yes

• No X

If yes explain:

Education

High School:Any Public School

Address:1234 Another Street, Hyderabad

From:2002

To:2007

Did you graduate?

• Yes X

• No

Diploma:Certificate

College:Any Technical College

Address:4321 Any Street, Gangtok

From:2011

To:2013

Did you graduate?

• Yes X

• No

Degree:Certificate

References

Full Name:Vivek Singh

Relationship:Teacher

Phone:[phone]

Full Name:Shrati Patel

Relationship:Boss

Phone:[phone]

Full Name:Kavita Ram

Relationship:Coworker

Phone:[phone]

Previous Jobs

Job Title:Supervisor

Starting Salary:40000

Ending Salary:45000

Responsibilities:Supervise line workers

From:2010

To:2011

Reason for Leaving:Back to school

Company:Any Company

Phone:[phone]

Job Title:Job Trainer

Starting Salary:30000

Ending Salary:32000

Responsibilities:Train workers on line

From:2008

To:2010

Reason for Leaving:New job

Company:Another Company

Phone:[phone]

I certify that my answers are true and complete to the best of my knowledge.

If the application leads to employment, I understand that false or misleading information in my application or interview may result in my release.

Signature:Amit Pullagari

Date:December 6, 2013

Resume Example

William Owusu Address: 1234 Any Street, Accra, Ghana Tel: [phone] E-mail: [e-mail]

Personal Data
Full Name	William Owusu
Sex	Male
Date of Birth	April 16, 1980
Place of Birth	Kumasi, Ghana
Marital Status	Single

Educational Background
2007–2011	Certificate at Any Technical School
2000	Graduated from Any High School

Work Experiences
2004–2006	worked as a full-time missionary
2007–2011	worked as a team leader at Any Restaurant
2011–	working for Any Limousine as a booking agent

Training Courses
2009	Completed spreadsheet training course
2013	Completed customer service training course
2012	Completed small business training course

Computer Proficient
2003	Spreadsheets, database, Internet / e-mail

Languages
Ashanti Twi	Mother tongue
English	Good

Interest and Hobbies
	Reading books, playing sports, Internet

References
1. Sandra Osei	Tel: [phone]
2. Eric Katoka	Tel: [phone]

Notes