Introduction to Interview Skills for Filling a Job Vacancy

Lesson Content

• Lesson Plan Template:

  CTE Lesson Plan

• CTE Course Info and Benchmark Notes

  
  

  Program Title (as applicable):

  Medical Skills and Services

  Course Title:

  Medical Skills and Services

  Course Number:

  8400320

  Career Cluster:

  Health Science

  CIP Number:

  03179997PA

  Course Type:

  Non-Career Preparatory

  CTE Standard(s) and Benchmark(s):

  10.04 Participate in a job interview.

  10.06 Discuss professionalism and the ethical role and responsibility of the healthcare worker.

  01.01 Respond to verbal and non-verbal communication.

  01.04 Analyze elements of constructive and non-constructive criticism.

• Unit Outline

  
  

  This lesson is designed to be used with the case study, “Filling a Job Vacancy.” See CPALMS resource ID# 210165.

• Career Connection

  
  

  Understanding the hiring process will help students in their pursuit of future employment. Exposure to interviewing tips/strategies and practice answering generic questions helps them improve communication skills and develop interview skills.

• Learning Objectives

  
  

  Students will be able to:

  • Describe professionalism for interviewing including appropriate manners, verbal language, and body language.
  • Practice interviewing with classmate using generic interview questions.
  • Provide and accept feedback (constructive criticism) with a partner.
  • Examine the effectiveness of constructive criticism and feedback.

• Prior Knowledge

  
  

  Students should be familiar with:

  • The process or steps taken to hire an employee.
  • Professionalism as including both verbal and nonverbal components.
  • The purpose of feedback to improve skills and/or knowledge.
  • How to give feedback to a classmate.

• Guiding Questions

  
  
  • What should be considered when selecting a potential employee?
  • Why do companies ask certain questions during an interview? (What are they trying to find out about the applicant?)
  • What behaviors make a good impression during an interview?
  • How should a person answer questions to perform well in an interview?

• Procedure

  
  
  1. To introduce the lesson, provide students with the “Filling a Job Vacancy” case study. Read aloud with students or individually. This creates the setting for the lesson and leads into the following discussion questions:
     • “What should be considered when selecting a potential employee?”
     • “What steps will Dr. Morales need to take to hire a new employee?”
       • Sample answers: determine position needed, advertise it, collect applications and resumes, interview candidates, check references, etc.
  2. Tell students that this lesson will focus on interviewing skills. Then ask students, “Why do employers want to conduct an interview with each of their top applicants?”
     • Sample answers: to see how they behave (professionalism), find out about the personality of the person for how they will fit with the employees, see how motivated and interested the person is in for this job and working for the company, verify information on their resume/application, ask questions about their experiences/skills, see who is the ‘best fit’ for the job, etc.
  3. Tell students that interviews are intended to help the interviewer(s) determine who is the best candidate for the job. They ask specific questions to try to get to know the person's personality, habits, and skills in a short amount of time. In the next activity, students will look at a sample interview question to figure out what the question is intended to find out about the applicant.
  4. Introduce Activity #1: Generic Interview Questions.
     • Put students into groups of 4. Give each group one Generic Interview Question handout (see attachments).
     • Sample questions/prompts from the attachment: Tell me about yourself. Why did you apply for this job? Tell me about a time you made a mistake and how you handled it. What are your greatest strengths? Where do you see yourself in five years?
  5. Provide each group with one Activity #1 handout (see attachments). Assign each group a generic question and have each group discuss the questions below regarding the question/prompt they were given.
     • The following questions are on the handout.
       • (1) What is the employer trying to find out by asking this particular question
       • (2) How much detail/how long should the answer be?
       • (3) What would be a “good” answer for this question?
         • Sample answer to prompt, “Tell me about yourself.”: The employer could be evaluating the applicant's personality for their fit with the company, communication skills, background, and/or if the applicant has a positive attitude.
     • After a few minutes, have groups share their interview question/prompt and answers to discussion questions with the class. (~10-15 min.)
  6. Tell students that body language and how they answer an interview question is just as important as the information in their answer. There are actions or behaviors that a person can do to make a good impression and have a successful interview.
  7. Go over Interview Strategies for Success (see attachments) with students. Allow students to ask questions about the information. The teacher can model some of the behavior or have student volunteers model it.
     • Use good manners and respectful language.
     • Dress professionally and display positive body language (ex. smile, good posture, no fidgeting).
     • Answer in a positive way - avoid focusing on previous negative experiences, your personal problems or weaknesses, etc.
     • Keep answers brief (30-60 seconds) but be prepared to give details or an example to support your answer. (Follow up questions are common.)
     • It is okay to pause to think before answering a question and okay for you to ask them questions, too.
     • Know yourself and what you want. Know what your goals are and how this job fits into them.
     • Know about the job and company you applied to.
       • How? Research how long the company has been in business, what their goals are, what the details of the job they advertised are, etc.
       • Why? They want to find out if you know the position’s duties and want to work for that company!
     • Be prepared - practice answering interview questions so you will be more comfortable and have an idea of what you want to say.
  8. Introduce Activity #2: Two Circle Partner Activity.
     • Students will practice answering generic interview questions, following the general interview tips previously discussed.
     • Have students form two circles (of equal number of students), with the students in the first circle facing outward so students face each other and are paired-up.
     • The teacher will pose sample Generic Interview Questions to the pairs (see attachments).
     • The students in the first circle will tell their answer to their second circle partner.
     • Then, the students in the second circle will give feedback to the first circle partner. Feedback should include both a “glow” (a compliment) and a “grow” (a suggestion).
     • Have the second circle rotate so students have a new partner.
     • The teacher will pose a new question, but now the second circle student will answer, and the first circle student will give feedback.
     • This process will continue (alternating who is answering) as long a class time allows.
  9. To bring the lesson to a close, give students the exit ticket (see attachments), which includes the following questions: (1) Why do companies interview applicants? (2) How can healthcare workers show professionalism in an interview? (3) Based on the two circles partner activity, what feedback were you given and (4) how did the feedback other students gave you help you?

• Teacher Notes

  
  
  • The two circles partner activity requires students to form two circles. Classroom furniture may need to be moved for this activity. The teacher can also give students a color for each of the circles.
  • This is the first lesson on interviewing for the case study, “Filling a Vacancy,” (CPALMS Resource ID# 210165). See CPALMS Resource ID #210211 for second lesson involving mock interviews.

• Optional

  
  

  Formative Assessment Ideas:

  • The teacher can informally assess student’s comprehension of interview questions through class and group discussions, and observation of students during group and two circles partner activity.
  • Student answers on the exit ticket can also help assess students’ comprehension of interview questions.

  Extension Ideas:

  • Tell students that this lesson focused on generic and personal questions that could be asked when interviewing for any kind of job. Interviewers will also ask questions about the specific job they are hiring for and an applicant’s work experience.
    • Have students research interview questions for a medical office assistant (the position to be hired in the case study).
    • Discuss how the questions are similar to and different from the generic questions in this lesson.