About this course: 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.
Created by: University of Maryland, College Park
Taught by: Charles Duquette, Lecturer/Marketing Coordinator
Maryland English Institute
Taught by: Daniela C. Wagner-Loera, Full-Time Lecturer
Maryland English Institute, University of Maryland College Park
| Basic Info | Course 3 of 5 in the Interviewing and Resume Writing in English Specialization |
| Commitment | 5 weeks of study, 2-3 hours/week |
| Language | English |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
| User Ratings |
Syllabus
WEEK 1
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
6 videos, 12 readings, 2 practice quizzes
- Video: What You Should Know About Behavioral Interviews
- Reading: An Example Competency Catalog
- Reading: Supervisor's Guide to Behavioral Interviewing
- Practice Quiz: Concept Review
- Reading: Help Us Make Better MOOCs
- Video: Using the S.T.A.R. Response Strategy
- Reading: Interview Preparation Questions - Behavioral
- Reading: Interview Preparation Questions - Traditional
- Practice Quiz: Concept Review
- Video: A Specific Situation Where You Failed
- Reading: An Effective Preparation Technique
- Reading: Language Practice
- Video: A Past Accomplishment You're Proud Of
- Reading: A Portrait of Excellence
- Discussion Prompt: Discuss "A Portrait of Excellence"
- Video: How You Handle Conflict at Work
- Video: Communicating Benefits
- Reading: Characteristics of Successful Innovators
- Reading: Innovation Lessons from Steve Jobs
- Reading: Global Trends
- Discussion Prompt: Discuss "Global Trends"
- Reading: Behavioral Interview Practice Task
Graded: Behavioral Interview Practice
Graded: Language Quiz
Graded: Concept Check
WEEK 2
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.
5 videos, 6 readings
- Video: What Is the Hiring Manager Looking For?
- Reading: Answering "What If..." Questions
- Video: Communicating Your Personal Values
- Reading: Character Trumps Credentials
- Discussion Prompt: Discuss "Character Trumps Credentials"
- Video: The P.R.E.P. Response Strategy
- Video: The Pros vs. Cons Response Strategy
- Video: The 5W's Response Strategy
- Reading: Situational Interview Questions
- Reading: Wild-Card Interview Questions
- Reading: Interview Question Generator
- Reading: Situational Interview Practice Task
Graded: Language Quiz
Graded: Situational Interview Practice
WEEK 3
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.
4 videos, 3 readings, 1 practice quiz
- Video: Strategies for Answering the Weaknesses Question
- Practice Quiz: Concept Review
- Video: Showing Strength in Discussing Weaknesses
- Reading: Guidance in Answering the Question
- Reading: Practicing for the Weakness Question
- Video: Softening Negative Information
- Video: Emphasizing Positive Information
- Reading: How Non-Native Speakers Can Crack the Glass Ceiling
- Discussion Prompt: Discuss "How Non-Native Speakers Can Crack the Glass Ceiling"
Graded: Practicing the Weakness Question
Graded: Hedging Language Quiz
WEEK 4
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.
6 videos, 8 readings
- Video: What You Should Know About Asking Questions
- Reading: 10 Most Common Mistakes
- Video: Five Questions to Ask at Every Interview
- Reading: Questions to Ask - Cheat Sheet
- Video: Questions You Should Never Ask
- Video: Closing the Interview
- Reading: Questions to Ask Yourself after Every Interview
- Video: Negotiating the Best Deal - Part I
- Reading: Global Salary Forecast
- Discussion Prompt: Discuss "Global Salary Forecast"
- Video: Negotiating the Best Deal - Part II
- Reading: Fearless Salary Negotiation
- Reading: Forms of Compensation
- Reading: Salary Research Sites
- Reading: Rules for Negotiating a Job Offer
- Peer Review: Write an Executive Summary
Graded: Questions to Ask of an Interviewer
Graded: Compare Negotiation Strategies
WEEK 5
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.
5 videos, 8 readings, 2 practice quizzes
- Video: How To Prepare for a Phone Interview
- Reading: Phone Interview Cheat Sheet
- Reading: Strategies for Interview Questions - Tip Sheet
- Video: Your Phone Personality
- Reading: Vocal Warmup
- Reading: Your Speaking Voice
- Practice Quiz: Concept Review
- Video: Tips for Speaking with Confidence
- Reading: 12 Tips from Business Insider
- Reading: Strategies for a Successful Phone Interview
- Video: Tips for Managing the Conversation
- Practice Quiz: Concept Review
- Video: Tips for Closing the Conversation
- Reading: Phone Interview Follow-Up
- Reading: Three Sites for Your Phone Interview Handbook
Graded: Your Personalized Phone Interview Handbook
FAQs
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Creators
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland is the state's flagship university and one of the nation's preeminent public research universities. A global leader in research, entrepreneurship and innovation, the university is home to more than 37,000 students, 9,000 faculty and staff, and 250 academic programs. Its faculty includes three Nobel laureates, three Pulitzer Prize winners, 47 members of the national academies and scores of Fulbright scholars. The institution has a $1.8 billion operating budget, secures $500 million annually in external research funding and recently completed a $1 billion fundraising campaign.
Pricing
| Audit | Purchase Course | |
|---|---|---|
| Access to course materials | Available | Available |
| Access to graded materials | Not available | Available |
| Receive a final grade | Not available | Available |
| Earn a shareable Course Certificate | Not available | Available |
Ratings and Reviews
This is one of the most valuable courses, the videos and the readings were great benefits to me as an HR professional and as a candidate as well.
I recommend that everyone who needs to pass the interviews to enroll and watch this course!
Great content! Very practical and useful.
It's very helpful. Thank
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AB
The assignments evaluation are too weighted in English fluency.