Advanced Interviewing Techniques from Coursera

People interviewing for jobs today often fail because they are using yesterday's strategies. Recruiting technology has become more sophisticated, and the best employers are constantly changing the way interviews are done. This course gives you detailed strategies for handling tough competency-based, or behavioral, interviews so that you can communicate the knowledge, skills, and abilities that you have and that employers demand.

You will be able to:

1. Identify what the hiring organization is looking for in using behavioral interviewing techniques.

2. List the steps in the S.T.A.R. response strategy and apply the steps, using reasonably correct language, to respond to behavioral interview questions.

3. Use your responses to behavioral and competency-based questions to communicate your personal values.

4. Identify what the hiring organization is looking for in asking situational and wild-card interview questions.

5. List the steps in the P.R.E.P. and 5 W's response strategies and apply the steps, using reasonably correct language, to answer at least one wild-card and two situational interview questions.

6. Develop an optimal strategy for responding to the weaknesses question, based on recognizing why a hiring organization asks these questions.

7. Demonstrate your personal strengths and maturity through your responses to the weaknesses question.

8. Correctly apply hedging language to soften a negative and boosting language to emphasize a positive aspect of your professional and/or academic background.

9. Ask questions to determine how well an organization fits with your personality, career goals and salary objectives.

10. Ask questions that communicate your competencies and strengths.

11. Negotiate the best job offer and compensation package for yourself.

12. Perform successfully on telephone interviews.

What's inside

Syllabus

Answering "Tell Me About a Time..." Questions

In this module, you will learn how to respond to behavioral interview questions, also known as competency-based interview questions. You will learn to: differentiate competencies from skills, break down the thinking behind a hiring organization's use of this approach, contrast behavioral interview questions with traditional questions, identify the characteristics of a successful behavioral interview response, apply the S.T.A.R. response strategy to behavioral interview questions, recognize how behavioral interview responses show job competencies, respond to the three most common behavioral interview questions, and communicate benefits to the hiring organization through your responses

Answering "What If..." Questions

In this module, you will learn how to respond to situational interview questions, also known as "What If" interview questions. These also include the so-called "wild-card" interview questions. You will learn to: recognize what the hiring organization is looking for in asking these questions, communicate your character values through your responses, apply the P.R.E.P. response strategy to answering interview questions, apply the Pros. vs. Cons. response strategy to answering interview questions, and apply the 5 W's response strategy to answering interview questions.

Answering "What is Your Biggest Weakness?"

In this module, you will learn how to respond to questions that probe for weaknesses. You will learn to: recognize what the hiring organization is looking for in asking these questions, avoid common pitfalls in answering this question, demonstrate mature self-assessment skills through this question, demonstrate the ability to take responsibility for your own growth, demonstrate your ability to perform under pressure, use hedging language to soften negative information, use boosting language to emphasize positive information, and a strategy for positioning yourself for executive assignments.

Handling the End of the Interview

In this module, you will learn how to ask your own questions and how to negotiate a job offer. You will learn to: ask questions that communicate your strengths and competencies, ask questions that help you determine whether the organization is a good fit for you, ask questions that help you align the interview with your career goals, probe for organizational characteristics that can complement your strengths, assess your market value to the company, negotiate the best salary and compensation package for yourself.

How to Ace a Telephone Interview

In this module, you will learn how to perform successfully on telephone interviews. You will learn: how best to prepare for phone interviews, how to communicate a strong, confident personality on the phone, how to maintain your confidence throughout a phone interview, how to manage the business conversation of a phone interview, how to close a phone interview in your favor, how to improve your skill with every phone interview.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Helps learners communicate their skills and abilities, which is crucial when job hunting

Covers questions asked during competency and behavioral interviews, also known as “Tell Me About a Time…” questions

Teaches how to respond to “What If…” questions, such as situational and hypothetical questions

Explores the advantages and disadvantages of various weaknesses, providing strategies for turning them into assets

Provides tips on handling the end of the interview, including asking questions and negotiating offers

Guides learners to handle phone interviews effectively, including how to use verbal communication

Reviews summary

Helpful interview preparation

Learners say Advanced Interviewing Techniques is a helpful and useful resource for preparing for job interviews. Students describe the course as both inspiring and pleasant to take.

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Advanced Interviewing Techniques with these activities:

Create a portfolio of your interview materials

Show steps

Organize and review your resume, cover letter, and other interview materials to ensure they are polished and highlight your qualifications effectively.

Show steps

Gather all of your interview materials in one place.
Review your materials carefully for any errors or areas for improvement.
Make any necessary updates or revisions.

Review "Hiring for Attitude", by Mark Murphy

Show steps

Review the key concepts in Mark Murphy's popular book on the importance of hiring for attitude to enhance your understanding of the hiring process.

View Hiring for Attitude (Pb) on Amazon

Show steps

Read the book thoroughly and make notes on the main ideas.
Identify the key takeaways from each chapter and summarize them.
Consider how the concepts in the book apply to your own job search.

Develop a personalized elevator pitch

Show steps

Craft a concise and compelling elevator pitch that effectively communicates your skills, experience, and career goals.

Browse courses on Networking

Show steps

Brainstorm your key skills and experiences.
Write down your career goals.
Combine these elements into a brief, engaging pitch.

Four other activities

Expand to see all activities and additional details

Show all seven activities

Connect with professionals in your field

Show steps

Identify and reach out to individuals in your desired field to gain insights, build your network, and potentially secure mentorship opportunities.

Browse courses on Mentoring

Show steps

Attend industry events or join online communities.
Identify professionals whose work you admire.
Reach out to them via LinkedIn or email and express your interest in connecting.

Answer STAR Method practice questions

Show steps

Engage in repetitive exercises to refine your ability to answer STAR Method questions effectively, boosting your confidence and performance in job interviews.

Browse courses on Interviewing

Show steps

Gather a list of common STAR Method interview questions.
Practice answering these questions using the STAR Method.
Record yourself answering the questions and review your performance.

Practice STAR Method with Interview Cake

Show steps

Complete a series of online tutorials and exercises to master the STAR Method for answering behavioral interview questions.

Browse courses on Interviewing

Show steps

Sign up for an Interview Cake account.
Complete the STAR Method tutorial.
Practice answering behavioral interview questions using the STAR Method.

Join a mock interview group

Show steps

Collaborate with peers to conduct mock interviews and provide constructive feedback to each other, enhancing your interview skills.

Show steps

Find a group of peers who are also preparing for job interviews.
Schedule regular mock interview sessions.
Take turns interviewing each other and providing feedback.
Reflect on your own performance and the feedback you receive.

Career center

Learners who complete Advanced Interviewing Techniques will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Human Resources Manager

Human Resources Managers are tasked with overseeing the lives of the employees within their organization, which includes onboarding, recruitment, benefits, and other HR duties. In order to make optimal hiring decisions, HR Managers regularly conduct interviews to select the best candidates. Advanced Interviewing Techniques can help HR Managers conduct interviews with confidence and determine which candidates are right for their organization by teaching them tactical responses to questions, the ability to identify a candidate's soft skills, and an understanding of appropriate questions to ask candidates.

See salaries and explore the career path for Human Resources Manager

Interviewer

Interviewers and HR Managers typically perform equal duties. Interviewers are needed in most organizations to conduct interviews for new employees or entry-level positions and may necessitate specialized and updated training on how to properly interview candidates. Advanced Interviewing Techniques can help Interviewers master the art of interviewing and interviewing techniques, making them a great asset to any HR department.

See salaries and explore the career path for Interviewer

Talent Acquisition Specialist

Talent Acquisition Specialists work to identify, interview, and onboard top talent for a company. In order to succeed, Talent Acquisition Specialists need mastery in modern interviewing techniques. Advanced Interviewing Techniques teaches modern, cutting-edge interviewing techniques that can help prepare Talent Acquisition Specialists to maximize their candidate pool.

See salaries and explore the career path for Talent Acquisition Specialist

Recruiter

Recruiters may perform similar duties to HR Managers and Interviewers, but many Recruiters specialize in identifying and targeting talent in a specific industry. A command of interviewing techniques is necessary to succeed in this field. The concepts taught in Advanced Interviewing Techniques can help Recruiters master the art of interviewing, making them a great asset for any business.

See salaries and explore the career path for Recruiter

Career Counselor

Career Counselors guide individuals, typically students or recent graduates, through the process of career planning and the job search. As part of this process, Career Counselors may offer mock interviews and help prepare individuals for interviews. The ability to plan for an interview is vital to success. Advanced Interviewing Techniques can help Career Counselors teach the most up-to-date methods for interviewing and give students and graduates the necessary tools for career success.

See salaries and explore the career path for Career Counselor

Consultant

Consultants are often hired to help businesses with specific problems. Some consultants may specialize in human resources and helping companies to optimize employee recruitment and retention. Consultants who offer these services may benefit from the knowledge taught in Advanced Interviewing Techniques to help their clients during the interview process.

See salaries and explore the career path for Consultant

Training Manager

Training Managers are responsible for training and developing employees, including teaching valuable soft skills. Advanced Interviewing Techniques may be a helpful resource for a Training Manager looking to teach proper interviewing techniques to employees.

See salaries and explore the career path for Training Manager

Chief Executive Officer

CEOs typically oversee all facets of a company's operations, and while they may not personally conduct interviews, they often rely on HR managers to do so. Advanced Interviewing Techniques may be a helpful resource for CEOs interviewing for Assistants or C-suite level executives and may be a nice complement to the training of HR managers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Chief Executive Officer

Doctor

Doctors need to be strong communicators. Advanced Interviewing Techniques may be useful for doctors who need to prepare for skills competency training.

See salaries and explore the career path for Doctor

Lawyer

Lawyers across all disciplines need to be strong communicators. Advanced Interviewing Techniques may be useful for lawyers who need to prepare for skills competency training.

See salaries and explore the career path for Lawyer

Firefighter

Firefighters need to be strong communicators. Advanced Interviewing Techniques may be useful for firefighters who need to prepare for skills competency training.

See salaries and explore the career path for Firefighter

Engineer

Architects need to be strong communicators. Advanced Interviewing Techniques may be useful for architects who need to prepare for skills competency training.

See salaries and explore the career path for Engineer

Chef

Chefs need to be strong communicators. Advanced Interviewing Techniques may be useful for chefs who need to prepare for skills competency training.

See salaries and explore the career path for Chef

Teacher

Teachers need to be strong communicators. Advanced Interviewing Techniques may be useful for teachers who need to prepare for skills competency training.

See salaries and explore the career path for Teacher

Police Officer

Police Officers need to be strong communicators. Advanced Interviewing Techniques may be useful for police officers who need to prepare for skills competency training.

See salaries and explore the career path for Police Officer