Going Live: How to Prepare for Interviews and Presentations in the Business, Government, and Nonprofit Worlds

Andrew Green, PhDUC Berkeley Career Center

• 10 years ago I had a Friday afternoon appointment with a Math PhD who had a Monday interview/with a hedge fund

• Now, negotiation appointments are my favorites

• Never had one with him

Personal Attributes Companies Seek Out

• Flexibility• Communication

Skills• Team Player• Interpersonal Skills• Can Do, Positive

Attitude

• Postdoc hired at Genentech

• Multitasking• Forest Through the

Trees• Customer’s Point of

View• Creative Problem

Solver

• From Toby Freeman

Most PhDs & Postocs• Feel comfortable thinking and talking on

their feet, but

• Have never had a job interview in their life

• An can be wholly unaware that the demands and dynamics of a job interview are very different and require serious preparation

Interviews are:• Rare and precious opportunities

• Much different now than in the past

• The final obstacle standing between you and meaningful, paid employment

• I encourage you to prepare for them as if for a qualifying exam

What does this mean?• Do your homework: The most common

complaint we hear from employers… (HR VP)

• Go back to people you have met through site visits, info interviews and other networking opportunities. They will often see themselves (and act) as your allies.

• If you meet an employer rep at a Career Fair…

I do a lot of Mock Interviews and always start with the same question

• "Tell me about yourself“

• Practice

Kinds of Questions• You and your future plans • Your resume and skills• Case Questions • Behavioral Questions• Feared Questions• Questions for them

You and your future plans• Tell me about yourself?

• Why are you interested in this position?

• Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

• Why are you leaving academia?

Your Resume• Tell me about your graduate/postdoc

research

• What level of experience do you having using X or programming in Y

• What steps did you take in solving problem Z? What were your specific contributions/responsibilities?

Case Questions• Consulting questions

• URAP (Brazil)

• How would go about organizing a 2 Day Career Conference for PhDs? What would it look like, and how would you go about finding campus partners?

Behavioral Questions

• Tell me about a time you disagreed with your boss

• Tell me about a time you took the initiative

• Tell me about a time you had a conflict with a colleague

– How do I respond if I’ve never had a problem with my boss or collaborators?

Feared/Illegal Questions• Why did you take so long to finish?

• Why didn’t your PhD yield more publications?

• Is your husband willing to relocate if you are offered this position?

• Why are you leaving academia?

Forewarned is forearmed.

• An interview is not like a qualifying exam

– There is rarely a single correct answer

– A literal interpretation and answer is not helpful to them. Rather what is their concern and how do you best address it

– The goal is to avoid the challenge of formulating your answer to a question at the same time you have to deliver it

– Use their (or common) language to describe your experience (ME)

Strategies for Preparation• Secret weapons:

• Practice and the power of 3

• Prior info interview contacts

Phone/Skype Interviews

• Be prepared (e.g., 15 sec commercial)

• Use shorter, less complex sentences

• Pause to allow them to move on, but be prepared to fill silence

• Stay focused. It’s not a casual conversation

• Test drive your skype set-up (earbuds)

Last Year served on Financial Analyst Interview panel…

• Your goal is simple clarity

• Help them project you into the role

• QUESTIONS?

Presentations• Short and concise• Tell them a story• Framing (NY Times level)• Spiral Approach• General - Specific - General• 7% Rule

Specific Guidelines• Speak Slowly• Make Eye Contact• Visual Learners• Written vs. Spoken Language• Time it Out• The 7% Rule • Don’t provide a handout of your slides in

advance