Interview Tips

Effective interviewing is the key to getting a good automotive job.

First, let’s consider what employers are looking for in a job
interview and what your main objective should be.

WHAT EMPLOYERS LOOK FOR:

• Qualifications (the ability to do the job)

• Positive attitude (willingness to do the job)

• Interest in the company and position

• Stable work history

• Clear sense of purpose

• Communication skills

• High performance standards

WHAT YOU SHOULD LOOK FOR:

A job offer. This is your number one goal, and it cannot be stressed
enough. You are not interviewing to evaluate the company or broaden
your knowledge of available opportunities. You are interviewing to see
if you are good enough to get a job offer. An undecided or tentative
attitude has no place in a job interview. Leaving an employer with the
impression that you are just shopping around is a fatal mistake.

PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW:

Proper preparation can make the difference between receiving and not
receiving a job offer.

Do some research about the company (size, products, annual sales
revenue, principal lines of business and locations, etc.). Check their
website or find company information at "PRnewswire.com" or
"companiesonline.com." This will not only make you feel more
comfortable during the interview, but it will also prepare you to show
genuine interest in the company.

Know the exact place and time of the interview, the interviewer’s full
name, the correct pronunciation and his or her title. Find out how
many people are involved in the interviewing process and who the final
decision maker is.

Be prepared to ask questions during the interview. Your questions
allow the hiring manager to evaluate your professional and personal
needs. Insightful questions help both of you determine if your
relationship will be mutually rewarding. Avoid questions that relate
to salary, benefits, vacations, and retirement.

Allow sufficient time for the interview. Plan to arrive exactly ten
minutes before your actual appointment. There is no excuse for
tardiness at an interview.

Dress appropriately. Plan how you will dress for the interview,
remember that there is only one chance to make a good first
impression. Men should wear a dark suit, white shirt, a solid or
striped tie, and black shoes. Women should wear a knee length skirted
suit or tailored dress with matching jacket, neutral colored sheer
hose, dark pumps, and a minimum of make-up and jewelry.

Keep a positive frame of mind. Set other concerns aside and focus on
what you are going to accomplish at the interview. Relax.

THE JOB INTERVIEW:

Interviews can be very formal and structured. Most of the questions
will be formulated to uncover your past behavioral patterns and will
be rather rapid in pace. On the other hand, they can be informal and
conversational such that the pieces of your background will be
uncovered in a more random way. Let the interviewer set the tone and
match your style with theirs, in accordance with your individual
personality. Although there is not one way of interviewing, there are
standard steps that apply to every interview process.

FIRST CONTACT

Your initial contact may be with a Human Resources employee who will
likely instruct you on how to proceed with your interviewers and
provide you with a preview of what to expect. Alternatively, you may
meet directly with an official of the department offering the job. In
both cases your greeting should include a firm handshake, an
enthusiastic hello, and lots of eye contact followed by an
introduction of yourself.

THE ICE BREAKER

In every interview, there is a short interval before getting down to
business, which is filled with small talk. Respond with enthusiastic
and pleasant answers to remarks and questions.

THE INTERVIEW

1. Follow the interviewer’s leads, but try to get the interviewer to
describe the position and the duties to you early in the interview
process. This way, you may be able to apply your background, skills
and accomplishments to the position.

2. Establish rapport with the interviewer. People want to hire those
they feel most comfortable with.

3. Make sure that your good points come across to the interviewer in a
factual, sincere manner. Stress achievements. For example: sales
records, processes developed, savings achieved, systems installed,
etc.

4. Don’t say, "No, I haven’t." Do say: "I have done something similar
and I was successful at it." OR "That sounds interesting, and I’m sure
I can do an excellent job at it."

5. Respond to questions being asked as they relate to the position, or
the company’s needs. If asked about your background, be specific and
only talk about those aspects that relate to the particular position
in question.

6. If you get the impression that the interview is not going well and
that you have already been rejected, do not let your discouragement
show. Once in a while an interviewer who is genuinely interested in
you may seem to discourage you as a way of testing your reaction.

7. Avoid discussing salary at the first interview. If pressed,
respond: "I would seriously consider any reasonable offer you care to
make."

8. Make sure you talk about why you are interested in this position
and what you can offer the company.

CLOSING THE INTERVIEW

The closing phase is the most important part of the interview for
making a lasting impression that can place you above other competitors
for the same position.

1. Let the interviewer know how excited you are about the position

2. Find out what the next step is.

3. Make a statement that indicates that you can do the job, and that
you would like to receive an offer. Always ask for the offer.

4. Finally, as you are preparing to leave, tell the employer how much
you would enjoy working with him or her personally.

At this point, you should expect to be dismissed or taken to another
interviewer. All interviews should be handled in the same fashion. You
must convince all parties in the interview process that you are the
right person for the job.

The candidate that shows the most enthusiasm for the job, the
opportunity and the company is usually the one that gets the offer.

TOUGH INTERVIEW QUESTIONS:

Be prepared to encounter most of the following tough questions in your
interview

"Why do you want to work here?"

To answer this question, you must have researched the company. You
should reply with the company’s attributes as you see them. Cap your
answer with reference to your belief that this can provide you with a
stable and happy work environment the interviewer’s company has that
reputation and that such an atmosphere would encourage your best work.

"What kind of experience do you have for this job?"

This is a perfect opportunity to sell yourself, but before you do, be
sure you know what is most critical to the interviewer. The
interviewer is not just looking for a competent engineer, accountant
or salesperson; he or she is looking for someone who can contribute
quickly to the current projects. When interviewing , companies
invariably give everyone a broad picture of the job, but the person
they hire will be a problem solver, someone who can contribute to the
specific projects in the first six months. Only by asking will you
identify the areas of your interviewer’s greatest urgency and
therefore interest.

If you do not know the projects you will be involved within the first
six months, you must ask. Level-headedness and analytical ability are
respected, and you will naturally answer the question more
appropriately.

"What did you like/dislike about your last job?"

Most interviews start with a preamble by the interviewer about his
company. Pay attention: this information will help you answer the
question. In fact, any statement the interviewer makes about the job
or corporation can be used to your advantage. Use this to highlight
all the positives

Of your last job. Criticizing a prior employer is a warning flag that
you could be a problem employee. Keep your answers short and
positive.

"Why are you leaving your present position?"

If your current company is not meeting your expectations, you can
often explain this in a positive way. I need to be challenged to
develop my potential further. I’m interested in additional
responsibility and new opportunity, which unfortunately are limited at
(name of current employer) because of (company size/limited product
line/company restructuring or downsizing). The reputation and market
focus of (name of prospective employer) offers many opportunities for
someone with my training and experience. It’s the ideal environment
I’ve been seeking.

"How long would you stay with the company?"

The interviewer might be thinking of offering you a job. But,
employers are aware that the marketplace is such that new hires often
do not stay with the company more than two years. Your reply might
be: I would really like to settle down with this company. As long as
I am growing professionally, there is no reason for me to make a move.

"Have you done the best work you are capable of doing?"

Say yes and the interviewer will think you’re a has-been. As with all
these questions, personalize your work history and include the essence
of this reply: I’m proud of my professional achievements to date, but
I believe the best is yet to come. I am always motivated to give my
best efforts, and in any job there are always opportunities to
contribute when one is alert.

"How long would it take you to make a contribution to our company?"

Again, be sure to qualify the question: In what area does the
interviewer need rapid contributions? You are best advised to answer
this question with a question: That is an excellent question. To
help me answer, what do you anticipate my responsibilities will be
during the first six or seven months? You give yourself time to think
while the interviewer concentrates on images of you working for the
company. When your time comes to answer, start with: Let’s say I
started on Monday the 17th. It will take me a few weeks to settle
down and learn the ropes. I’ll be earning my keep very quickly, but
making a real contribution [hesitant pause] Do you have a special
project in mind you will want me to get involved with? This response
could lead directly to a job offer, but if not, you already have the
interviewer thinking of you as an employee.

"What would you like to be doing five years from now?"

The safest answer contains a desire to be regarded and a true
professional and team player. As far as promotion, that depends on
finding a manager with whom you can grow. Of course, you will ask
what opportunities exist within the company before being any more
specific: From what I know and what you have told me about the
growth here, it seems operations is where you need the effort and
where I could contribute most toward the company’s goals.

"What are your biggest accomplishments?"

Keep your answers job-related, a number of achievements should spring
to mind. Do not exaggerate contributions to major projects. You might
begin your reply with: Although I feel my biggest accomplishments are
ahead of me, I am proud of my involvement with I made my contribution
as part of that team and learned a lot in the process. We did it with
hard work, concentration, and an eye for the bottom line.

"Can you work under pressure?"

You might be tempted to give a simple yes or no answer, but don’t. It
reveals nothing and you lose the opportunity to sell your skills and
value profiles. Actually, this common question comes from an
unskilled interviewer, because it is closed-ended. As such, it does
not give you the chance to elaborate. Whenever you are asked one of
these, provide a brief yet comprehensive answer and seize the
opportunity to sell yourself. For example, you could say: “Yes, I
usually find it stimulating. However, I believe in planning and time
management in order to reduce panic deadlines within my area of
responsibility.”

“How much money do you want?”

This is a knockout question: give the wrong answer, and you will
immediately be eliminated. It is always a temptation to ask for the
moon knowing you can come down, but that is a poor approach.
Companies have strict salary ranges for every job, so giving an ill-
considered answer can reduce your job-offer chances to zero. The
solution? Try: “I’m making $… . I’m interested in this opportunity
and I will seriously consider any reasonable offer you care to make
me.”

"What are you looking for in your next job?"

Avoid saying what you want the company to give you. You must say what
you want in terms of what you can give to your employer. The key word
in the following example is “contribution”: “My experience at the XYZ
Corporation has shown me I have a talent for motivating people. This
is demonstrated by my team’s absenteeism dropping 20%, turnover
steadying at 10 percent, and production increasing 12%. I am looking
for an opportunity to continue that kind of contribution, and a
company and supervisor who will help me develop in a professional
manner.”

"Describe a difficult problem you’ve had to deal with."

This is a favorite tough question. It is designed to probe your
professional profile; specifically, your analytical skills: “Well, I
always follow a five-step format with a difficult problem. One, I
stand back and examine the problem. Two, I recognize the problem as
the symptom of other, perhaps hidden, factors. Three, I make a list
of possible solutions to the problem. Four, I weigh both the
consequences and cost of each solution, and determine the best
solution. And five, I go to my boss, outline the problem, make my
recommendation, and ask for my supervisor’s advice and approval.”
Then give an example of a problem and your solution.

“What would your references say?”

You have nothing to lose by being positive. If you demonstrate how
well you and your boss get along, the interviewer does not have to
ask, “What do you dislike about your current manager?”

The higher up the corporate ladder you climb, the more likely it is
that references will be checked. It is a good idea to ask past
employers to give you a letter of recommendation. This way you know
what is being said and it reduces the chances the company will have to
check references. However, if your references are going to be checked
by the company, be aware that they must by law have your written
permission. This permission is usually included in the application
form you sign.