Job Seeking and Interviewing Tips for Merit Applicants
Your work search depends on what type of position(s) and work locations that you are willing to consider.
Deciding on and finding the right job for you depends on a number of factors:
- The skills, knowledges and abilities that you have
- The type of work that you are willing to commit to doing
- The hours and days that you are available to work
- Your ability and willingness to work as an individual and/or as a member of a team
- Your preferences for size of department
Completing the merit application should be done carefully. Your merit application should be updated whenever there is a significant change in the information on it, such as additional skills, additional related experience/training, name, address, or phone number(s).
The first impression you make is important, however, this impression can change based on subsequent significant information provided during the interview or any subsequent contact with the potential employer.
A typical face-to-face interview includes introductions, a discussion of the job duties, several questions to determine your related training and experience, and a summation of the selection process.
Interviewers look for a number of things when interviewing a candidate for a position:
- Promptness in arriving for the interview
- Appropriate attire
- Friendly speaking manner and body posture
- Ability to give specific examples when asked to explain work-related training and/or experience
- Thoughtful work related questions
TIP----One of the most important skills that an employer looks for today is:
The ability to learn a skill and to apply or transfer that skill to a number of situations; in other words, having "learned how to learn." The ability to actively listen to information is critical to this process.
Typical questions that may be asked during the interview:
- Have you have been responsible for performing ________ type duties?
- Describe what your responsibilities were.
- Give a specific example of a particularly difficult situation that you had to handle.
- What have you found to be the most frustrating part of this type of responsibility, and why?
- What have you found to be the most rewarding part of this type of responsibility, and why?
- When you are given an assignment, how do you organize your time and materials?
- Give a specific example that demonstrates your organizational skills.
- Describe a specific situation when you have been part of a team. What was your specific role? What did you find most satisfying about this experience and what was the most frustrating?
- Describe a time when you were solely responsible for the outcome of an assignment. Give specifics regarding how you set up and accomplished the assignment.
- This position requires that you perform ___________ duties. Give specific examples of when you have done each of these functions.
- Is there anything that we have not covered related to your ability to perform the duties of this position that I need to know, such as additional training that you feel you would need to be successful?
- Do you have any position-related questions for me?
After the interview, you should send a thank-you note and include:
- Your continued interest in the position and the department
- A specific asset that you have and how you think it will benefit the department and its customers
- How you can be reached if any additional information is needed