How To Win At Job Interviews

Design Guide

Designers for Learning - Adult Learning Zone

Part 1: Lesson Description

Lesson Title

How To Win At Job Interviews

Abstract

Being at job interviews is an exciting moment itself; it is often comprised of excitement and nervousness both. Everyone at a job interview faces the same situation, though its only you who can turn it from a golden opportunity into a prospective career. This lesson is focused on the primary attributes you should possess during an interview to make a successful impact.

Learner Audience / Primary Users

Freshers & experienced (aged 17- 40) Grade Level C (6–8): High Intermediate Basic Education

Please note: The examples used herein are based on personal experiences ranging from a college pass out & as an experienced person require understanding of English usage during interviews. Both examples include real world situations so learner can identify most commonly used verbal attributes while listening & answering the questions.

Educational Use

• Curriculum / Instruction

College & Career Readiness Standards (CCRS) Alignment

• Level: Adult Education
• Grade Level: CCRS C
• Subject: English Language Arts / Literacy
• Strands: Speaking and Listening
• Standard Description:

• SL.5.1 CCR Anchor 1: Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher led) with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly. a) Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion. b. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles. c. Pose and respond to specific questions by making comments that contribute to the discussion and elaborate on the remarks of others. d. Review the key ideas expressed and draw conclusions in light of information and knowledge gained from the discussions
• SL.5.3 CCR Anchor 3: Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric. Summarize the points a speaker makes and explain how each claim is supported by reasons and evidence.
• SL.4.6 CCR Anchor 6: Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and communicative tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. Differentiate between contexts that call for formal English (e.g., presenting ideas) and situations where informal discourse is appropriate (e.g., small-group discussion); use formal English when appropriate to task and situation.

Language

English

Material Type

• Lesson Plans
• Video
• Transcript
• Instructional Strategies and Activities

Learning Goals

The purpose of this lesson is for learners to be able to:

• Discuss different interview tactics
• Understand key concepts 
• Mental grooming
• Planning, readiness and effective delivery to mark an impact at interview

Keywords

• Designers for Learning
• Adult Education
• Interview basics
• Freshers
• Experienced
• Etiquette
• Attitude 
• SL
• CCR

Time Required for Lesson

120 minutes and practice sessions

Prior Knowledge

Learner should have basic knowledge of using internet

A Note on Listening Effectively:

The script is written in simple language. Though, to understand the contents of the videos, the learner is required to posses basic understanding of common English and vocabulary. 

Placement of Lesson

The lesson has been created in very interactive style. The learner at the described grade will find the lesson easily graspable. The lesson effectively delivers the learner's requirements and seeks a friendly attention. The videos and transcripts are not lengthy, hence learner are not forced to pay hours to go into details. The common questions fulfill the CCR standards and objectives of the lesson.

Required Resources

Video link/download-If using video version

Internet connection

PC/Laptop

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Resource Links Follow:

# 1 Basic Interview Etiquette

Printable Script-

# 2 Tell me about yourself

Movie-

Click here to know to describe yourself

# 3 Tell me about yourself - A Freshers's scenario

Movie-

# 4 Tell me about yourself - An Experienced person

Movie-

# 5 What is Your Greatest Strength

Your Ability is Defined by Your Confidence

Movie-

# 6 Attitude in Interview

Lesson Author & License

• Lesson Author: Nishant Misra

• License:  Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 license

Part 2: Lesson

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, the learner should be able to

• Discuss basic interview tactics
• Understand key concepts 
• Mental grooming
• Planning, readiness and effective delivery to mark an impact at interview

Lesson Topics

Key topics covered in this lesson include:

• Basic Interview Etiquette
• Tell me about yourself
• Tell me about yourself - A Fresher's scenario
• Tell me about yourself - An Experienced person
• What is your greatest strength
• Attitude in interview

Context Summary

Whether you are a student or an experienced person, you are always put in a situation where you are needed to go away with a formal discussion. Its commonly a situation when you have applied for a job and have been shortlisted for an interview. Now its the time where only you are responsible for your success. There may be certain competition for a single job depending upon the requirement. All you need to get confidence and be prepared for giving your best in the interview to mark a quicker impact. Of course, its the first ladder to your path of success in your journey of a desired role. The lesson discusses primary and post primary attributes to be delivered during interview with an emphasis on basic preparedness. Learners must listen the content appropriately and should read the transcript to get required confidence. Learners should emphasize on content rather than the language. Learner may find fluency in language as prerequisite though practicing upon expression of certain deliverable will not be constraint. 

Relevance to Practice

Confidence in oral language is a key to success for successful living; particularly describing your work history to a potential employer, it is important to speak articulately and appropriately. By observing and discussing two opposite interview scenarios, learners can collaborate a good response to the basic interview questions. This learning has real world applications that can translate to successful job interviews and communication in general.

Key Terms and Concepts

•  Appropriate Language
• Attire
• Attitude

Instructional Strategies and Activities

Warm-Up

Time: 5 minutes

Think about a time when you did well in a college function whether technical or cultural. Think about the proud moments and appreciation you had received in college/university. Remember, everything new, happens first time in life. No matter you don't have experience enough to discuss your achievements; you just have to showcase the possibility in your thoughts. 

If your are an experienced person and seeking a new job whether in a changing scenario or after a gap, just think positively how you were interviewed. List out the key points you were pressed to express about yourself and your work history. Prepare a mock situation that you win on those questions you were not good at past interview and feel good of what you answered well in a discussion.

Motivate learners to come forward to express their potential answers. A round robin method may play a good role here. All learners should allow to participate and show respect to each other, if in a group. Learner should feel motivated while discussing at early sessions to gain sufficient confidence. Multiple sessions should comprised of encouraged response to the learners.

Introduction

Time: 5 minutes

Remind learners that interviewing takes practice. Share a time when you interviewed for a position. Sharing personal experience might build a relationship with learners. Talk about what happened during the interview. Discuss how you did perform. I applied for a position in a role of planning for company contract manufacturers. During discussion the interviewers asked a skill on fast performing on excel within a provided time limit, though the actual time required for the job normally was more and the past employees worked in the same fashion. Being asked suddenly to work in a time frame, I got confused and made a negative remark that I was not that fast in excel. After the interview finished, I realized that it was a tricky question to  evaluate my confidence and ability to bear pressure. I will be careful not to give such impression in next interviews.

Remind your learners that if you prepare for an interview, you can appear more capable than you actually feel. Reassure learners this lesson will help them feel more confident when speaking about themselves in public.

Presentation / Modeling / Demonstration

Time: 60 minutes

We will discuss a transcript to start the preparedness for interview scenarios-basic etiquette and do's and don'ts at interviews. This will be followed by different situations for freshers' and experienced ones. Both type of learners will find the content equally useful as the contents have common deliverable with focused approach on learner's current status. 

Start with basic preparedness  #1. (PPT and video)

#1 Basic Interview Etiquette

Presentation- 

NOTE: 

Direct learners' attention towards basic etiquette to be considered while preparing for an interview. Suggest and allocate time to learners to interrogate their current personality and small changes needed to groom them mentally. Emphasize that this is not unique list of customs but common attributes to be possessed while at interviews. 

# 2 Discuss about how to tell about yourself

Video- Click here to know to describe yourself

Note: 

Encourage learners to talk about themselves freely first with other group members. Then allocate group activities according to learner types-fresher/experienced

# 3 Discuss to college pass outs at Tell me about yourself

Movie-

# 4 Encourage group of experienced learners with more focus on Tell me about yourself

Movie-

# 5 Encourage learners to recognize and express their strengths

Your Ability is Defined by Your Confidence

Movie-

Note:

Learners may hesitate expressing their common strength. Encourage the learner by motivating sentences - "Everyone has unique identity; the God has made each of us with unique qualities."

# 6 Focus on learners' attitude and suggest improvement

Note: 

Learners may vary in particular attitudes owing to their socioeconomic history. Assure learners that they can bring positive attitude by making small changes in their daily habits. 

Guided Practice

Time: 5 minutes

Have learners work with a partner to discuss how they would respond appropriately to the prompt, “Tell me about yourself” and other questions in a group.  Tell them with personal examples that it will be great deal of time if they bring some new routines in their daily life, may be exercising, going on walk and talking with walking fellows. Get them confident in their daily dealings with empathy to others while discussing about different topics. Put them forward to coordinate with others in group during activities of learning. This will grow a positive attitude in their thinking that they will reflect effortlessly at interviews. 

Evaluation

Time: 5 minutes

Allow each volunteer learner to respond to the prompt in front of the class. Require them to add one positive comment and one next step for the previous volunteer.  

Application

Time: 5 minutes

Have learners complete an exit ticket (orally) what is the most important thing they learned from the lesson at the end of lesson.

Part 3: Supplementary Resources & References

Supplementary Resources

None

References

None

Attribution Statements

None

This course content is offered by Designers for Learning under a CC Attribution license.
Content in this course can be considered under this license unless otherwise noted.        Page

(Design Guide effective March 29, 2016)