Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Interview and Salary Advice

Interview Preparation

Look for continuity and commonality in your past experiences to make connections between you and your target job. Think of it as building interview bridges.

Interview “Class” Talk Slides

The key to a strong interview is understanding the employer’s agenda behind their questioning. Learn to predict their problems and needs.

Bring in work samples to your interview. You can create a notebook with written samples of your work, transcripts, recommendations, awards, etc. I suggest you organize the materials in a way that allows you to look “together” and that you can reference easily while talking to the interviewer/s

Science of People presents how to talk about yourself without bragging

Tanya’s Tips

All work environments and roles can be analyzed and divided into four categories – People, Data, Things, and Ideas. Breaking it down in this way will help you predict corresponding tasks, skills, and personalities that are necessary to perform the job. This is a useful process to do prior to interviewing to predict “roughly” the employer’s needs and the questions you can expect to be asked.

Video and Phone Interviewing

Body Language

• TED Talk – by Amy Cuddy on Body Language – www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are.html
• INC – article on body language
• National Autistic Society Video Shows What Job Interviews Can Be Like for People With Autism
• Interview Tips & Decoding the Questions: A Guide to Job Interviews for Students With Asperger’s and ASD
• The Complete Guide to Getting a Job for People with Asperger’s Syndrome by Barbara Bissonnette who’s done great work in this area.
• The Job Interview Employment Tool Kit From Autism Speaks
• Interviewing Tips for Applicants With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Interview Mistakes

www.careerealism.com/interview-mistakes-getting-offer

A Bit of Humor to Lighten the Mood

• Steven Colbert as career coach to President Obama
• What You Say – What They Hear YouTube video
• This is a video interview from the employer side – with a twist (bet it makes you cry – happy tears) shared by a PCC student and mom

Quick Interview Tip Video Clips (Homemade)

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3

Interview Preparation “Tools”

• Interview One Sheeter – Your Personal Cliffs Notes from Career Services (QR Updated)
• Interview Cheat Sheet
• Cheat sheet 2
• Interview Critique form
• Top 10 with agenda
• Behavior-Based Interview
• Interview Strategies
• Before the Interview
• During the Interview
• After the Interview
• Telephone Interview

Interview Articles

Salary and Benefit Negotiation

Interviewing After a Firing or Layoff

It may be hard to imagine that you can move your career forward after a negative experience but you can.

Take time to feel your feelings and make peace. Examine what happened and what you learned from this. Decide your focus and make a new game plan to move on. Talk to a career counselor and work out how you will handle this change and keep at least a neutral attitude about the past employer.

• Handling Interviewing after a termination
• www.macslist.org/networking/survive-bad-professional-reference
• Article from Careerealism
• Job Search Mental Health – Self-Care

Industry-Specific Questions

• Accounting & Finance
• Addiction Counseling or Addiction Counseling 2
• CJA (Probation and Security)
• Fire – Entry-Level or Fire Mock Interview Questions.pdf
• Another Fire What was a time you came up against a problem and how did you overcome it? What are some beliefs you hold and how can they be beneficial to the job?
• NW Fire Diversity Council Mock Oral Board
• Apprentice Fire (Pre-chief’s interview)
• Medical Laboratory Technician
• Paralegal
• Paralegal Situational and Common Questions
• Teacher – from The Muse
• Physician Assistant School Interview

Clothing

Follow PK Gardner (University Career Professional) on Pinterest for non-binary clothing ideas

• Article from National Assoc. Careers & Employers www.community.naceweb.org/blogs/melena-postolowski/2017/10/10/gender-inclusive-professional-dress-guidelines
• www.pinterest.com/pk_gardner/professional-attire-beyond-the-binary
• www.thebalancecareers.com/gender-neutral-interview-and-business-clothing-2061166
• www.huffpost.com/entry/genderqueer-professional_b_5476239
• www.theprofessorisin.com/2011/11/07/how-to-dress-for-an-interview-as-a-butch-dyke
• www.them.us/story/clothes-shopping-gender-nonconforming

Quote from Work it Daily – Poor Attire

I once saw a tweet online that said, “The impression you make when first meeting someone is 7% verbal, 28% body language, and 65% visual.” I retweeted that one. I’m not sure if the numbers are 100% accurate, but they are pretty much aligned with my personal experience.

How you dress does count. When you’re going to work, look like you’re going to work—especially if you want that promotion. If you work for a large company, you’ll notice that your senior executives dress well. Most days, they’ll be wearing a suit. You don’t have to wear suits all the time, but you should follow their example. In general, you’ll find that executives wear clothing that fits well and is clean and in good repair. You should too.

Remember that “business” is the first word in “business casual.” Dress like you’re going to work and are serious about your job. Here’s a piece of advice I give to my coaching clients. Every morning, before you leave for work, stop and look in the mirror. Ask yourself this question: “Does what I’m wearing today indicate that I respect myself and the people I’ll meet today?” If the answer is yes, go ahead and knock ‘em dead. If the answer is no, head back to your closet and change.