Page 12 The Battalion Monday, May 1,1989 Te Preparedness key to answering interview questions CHANGING TIMES Before you go to your next job in terview, don’t memorize stock an swers to questions you expect to be asked. Employers, nowadays, want you to show you’ll make a difference to the bottom line. The questions you’re likely to hear today are aimed at getting .answers to three concerns all employers have before an offer is made. According to Changing Times magazine, you should keep in mind these three concerns to organize your thinking: • Can You Do the Job? To find out, an interviewer spotting a line in your resume dealing with your ac complishments might ask, “How much did you save the company when you tightened procedures in the warehouse?” Get the actual figures of growth and memorize them so you can quickly answer this question. Also be able to explain your procedures — a logical follow-up question. • Will You Fit In? Here you’re really being a^ked your style of ma naging. Say, “It’s open door,” and ibr Paid? You’ll be asked what you now earn, so tell the truth because you’re dead meat if caught in an exaggera tion. But you want them to name a figure first because you don’t want to come in with a salary that's less than they’d be willing to offer. ing questions are designed to spring: • Tell Us About Your Profes sional Experience. Your goal is not to talk so much that you narrowly define yourself. Challenger recom mends keeping your replies general and very brief, letting the inter viewer lead the conversation. eliminate people. People get too honest and end up offering a litany of reasons why they shouldn’t be hired. occupation are taboo, too. II the interviewer does (read Ol. use that as a preamble to more dis cussion. A variation on this suggests that you are overqualified for the job you seek. Your answer: Strong people fit in best in strong companies. With that, stress your goal of long-term employment. Ask how much they pay for simi lar jobs. If they don’t answer but press you, say you’d like as much as your background permits and that you know, they will be fair. What Do You Want To Be Sometimes there are hidden agen das. James Challenger, president of the Chicago outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, says those who survive the Q&A part do so by avoiding the traps the follow- • What Are You Looking For? People are too specific when they are asked what they want in a job. Stick to general skills so you’re selling ben efits a company may want. • What Are Your Faults? This is a variation on the old what’s-your- worst-weakness gambit and is still asked of job applicants, especially by interviewers looking for reasons to Most interviewers know enough not to ask illegal questions. Areas off limits include discussions of your re ligion, political affiliation, ancestry, national origin, birthplace and the naturalization status of your parents, spouse or children. You don’t have to answer questions about your na tive language or the language you speak at home, your age, date of birth or the ages of your children (but you can be asked whether you’re over 18 years of age). Your marital status, maiden name, num ber of dependents or your spouse’s forbidden ground, you have thitiMaai choices. The lirst is to answer amp mull the situation over later. Oi votf could say you don’t believe thesep questions are relevant to yourabil to do a job or ask the interviewer explain their relevance, giving or her a chance to back off. Oi yoi| could ask for the interviewer’sbu ness card and indicate you are a complaint with the Equal Emploi ment Opportunity Commission. 1 roil ur As an applicant, you can measur the success of an interview by beiit able to say afterward, “1 understam them and thev understand me." ourn /ideo In m f McDonald's MCDONALD’S DRIVE-THRU WINDOW INTRAMURAL HIGHLIGHTS m £ Me Donald's Wi im \ igain 1985 he nate: ■am video Co niein! posm rnaki At University Drive S. Texas Ave. Now at Manor East Mali BREAKFAST EVERY MORNING FOOTNOTES SPORTS CLUBS - All University Softball Playoffs start tonight. All team captains please check your schedules accross from racquetball court #2. • Good Luck on your finals, and have a great summer from Recreational Sports. • The Trap and Skeet Team finished third in the nation at a tournament in Omaha, Nebraska last week. • The Archery Team will compete at nation als on May 16 at the University of Miami- Ohio. GOLF DRIVING RANGE HOURS The Driving Range, located at the Intramural Sports Center, is now open for operation Mon-Thu, 3 PM - 6 PM; Fri, 12 PM - 6 PM; Sat, 10 AM - 6 PM; and Sun, 12 noon - 6 PM. RAINING?? Call 845-2625 to see if your game has been rained out. BEAT THE HEAT THIS SUMMER SUMMER SESSION 1 SUMMER SESSION II Slowpitch Softball June 5 June 9 July 10 July 14 Volleyball Triples June 5 June 9 July 10 July 14 Basketball Triples June 5 June 9 July 10 July 14 Tennis Singles June 5 June 9 July 10 July 14 Tennis Doubles — — July 10 July 14 Racquetball Doubles June 5 June 9 — Racquetball Singles — — July 10 July 14 Golf Singles June 5 June 9 — Golf Doubles — , July 10 July 14 Horseshoe Doubles June 5 June 9 — Horseshoe Singles — — July 10 July 14 Exercise Classes June 5 June 16 July 10 July 14 General Motors Auto Expo Winners I ALL UNIVERSITY Regina L. Cleave of Kileen, Texas won a $500 check fron General Motors and Francisco J. Sanchez Jr. won another $500 check from GMAC in the Auto Expo sponsored by the Sports Officials Association April 25 and 26 at Rudder Fountain. Locker Clearance Individuals who have recreational lockers rentee should renew their locker rental or clear it oulb; June 6. AD lockers not renewed will be cleared.f