Interviewing Skills Curriculum Outline
The Dynamics of Interacting
Overview/Description
The ability to make people believe in you and trust you is one of the few absolutely fundamental qualities of success. To make such a statement, John J. McGuirk was probably inspired by a direct experience that he had in dealing with other people. Based on your own experience, would you agree that interacting with others is connected to success? Think of a time when you got the results that you wanted. Can you also recall the quality of your interaction in that particular situation? How might your results be connected to success?
This course is about developing your ability to dynamically interact with others. You will examine types of negotiating styles and strategies and ways to best apply that knowledge in communicating what you want out of a deal. Choosing a style and strategy that feels right for you can enhance your confidence in pursuing your outcome. In addition, you will discover ways to strengthen your emotional control in difficult situations. Keeping a cool head when negotiating about hot issues can sometimes be the determining factor in winning the deal.
Target Audience
Managers, supervisors, team leaders, and other experienced business professionals
Expected Duration
2.0 hours
Objectives :Lesson Overview
Recognize the importance of understanding communication and personality styles that affect negotiations. Traits to PREFER
Back to ListPreparing as the Interviewee
Overview/Description
Interviewing isn't what it used to be. Today's interviewers are continually asking interviewees for detailed examples of past performance. Organizations have found that employees tend to do at least as well on new jobs as they did on their old ones. So the information and examples you provide to potential employers will often seal your fate. It's critical that you prepare yourself for behavioral interviewing. In this course, you'll learn how to locate opportunities and build a behavioral-based resume. You'll also discover how to provide behavioral-based information during the pre-interview phone screening. Additionally, you'll be aware of the specific behavior that enhances the actual interview.
Target Audience
This course is targeted at managers, team leaders, supervisors, human resources directors, organizational development directors as well as employees.
Expected Duration
2.5 hours
Lesson Objectives:
Redefining Job Opportunities
Recognize the importance of defining job qualifications in behavioral terms rather than in terms of job titles and responsibilities. In a given scenario, apply the principles for providing a complete answer to behavioral-based interview questions. Anticipate behavioral-based interview questions based on specific job descriptions. Apply the principles of creating a behavioral-based skills summary given a brief job history. Building the Behavioral-based Resume
Recognize benefits of preparing a behavioral-based resume. Select rules to follow when writing a behavioral-based resume. In a given scenario, apply the principles of preparing job history descriptions for a behavioral-based resume. Given a specific scenario, recommend the best method to organize a resume. Interviewing the Interviewers
Recognize benefits of gathering information about a potential employer during pre-interview conversations. Apply pre-interview steps to open the lines of communication in a given scenario. Use the best response to interest indicators in a pre-interview conversation. Choose telephone tips that help land a face-to-face interview. Behavior that Enhances Interviewing
Recognize the importance of using specific behaviors to make a positive impression during the interview. Identify ways of dressing that give an applicant an advantage in an interview. Choose body language that enhances an interview. Differentiate between dos and don'ts for making a positive first impression. Back to ListExperiencing the Behavioral-based Interview
Overview/Description
How will you know if you're in a behavioral-based interview? What can you do to build rapport during the process? How should you formulate your answers? What will help you be most effective? The answers to all of these questions are contained in Experiencing the Behavioral-based Interview. In this course, you'll get the inside information on what you'll be asked and how to respond. You'll be given tips and strategies for building rapport during the interview, and you'll learn a specific formula for responding to behavioral-based questions. When you've completed this course, you'll be ready and able to effectively participate in a behavioral-based interview.
Target Audience
This course is targeted at managers, team leaders, supervisors, human resources directors, organizational development directors as well as employees.
Expected Duration
2.5 hours
Lesson Objectives:
Recognizing the Behavioral-based Interview
Recognize advantages of knowing when you're involved in a behavioral-based interview. Differentiate among various interviewing styles. Choose questions that are indicative of a behavioral-based interview. Identify elements of behavioral-based interviewing. Building Rapport
Recognize the importance of building rapport during the behavioral-based interview. Apply the appropriate rapport-building strategies in a given behavioral-based interview scenario. Apply the appropriate strategy for maintaining rapport during a given behavioral-based interview scenario. Choose interview moments when rapport can lead to making mistakes. Answering Questions
Recognize the importance of answering questions with behavioral-based responses. Apply the relevant part of the STAR response model to a behavioral-based question in a given interview scenario. Sequence the steps in presenting a STAR response to a behavioral-based interview question. Formulate a positive response to a request for negative information in an interview scenario. Finishing Touches
Recognize the importance of closing the interview on a positive note and following up. Differentiate between dos and don'ts at the end of an interview. Apply the appropriate technique for following up on an interview in a given business scenario. Use the appropriate tactic for negotiation of salary and benefits in given scenarios about job acceptance discussions. Back to ListBehavioral Interviewing Simulation
Overview/Description
In your role as an executive at BioData, Inc., you are charged with finding a suitable candidate for the position of Development Manager for Online Databases--a difficult position to fill. You need someone who has a diverse set of core competencies including a scientific background, technical expertise and management abilities. Under the guidance of the newly hired HR manager, Jeannie Newhart, the company is moving toward the behavioral model to protect themselves from legal liability, improve new-hire success rates and to clarify job responsibilities for current employees. Unlike traditional interviewing techniques, which focus on interrogation, the behavioral model is based on the underlying theory that past behavior predicts future performance. You will apply behavioral techniques to screen and interview candidates. During a phone interview and two face-to-face meetings you will practice: Asking behavioral questions, evaluating behavioral response levels, asking appropriate follow-up and probing questions, balancing objective and subjective measures when deciding on a candidate, determining the range of your offer and much more. This simulation is based on the SkillSoft series Behavioral Interviewing and contains links to the following SkillSoft courses: HR0211, HR0212, HR0213, and HR0214.
Target Audience
Managers, team leaders, supervisors, human resources directors, organizational development directors
Expected Duration
0.5 hours
Lesson Objectives:
Behavioral Interviewing Simulation
Planning for behavioral-based interviews in advance. Providing appropriate job profiles. Asking elimination questions. Anchoring behavioral-based questions. Determining the range of your offer. Effectively discussing salary. Preparing the candidate for the face-to-face interview. Using open-ended questions. Using techniques to avoid personal biases. Adhering to the interview structure. Creating a proper environment for the interview. Asking for rich, detailed information and verifiable data. Asking technical and work habit questions. Using appropriate follow-up and probing questions. Balancing objective measures with subjective judgments when evaluating candidates. Steering the conversation with your questions. Back to ListCommunicating for Results
Overview/Description
For many people, success in the workplace depends on their abilities to influence others to take a particular course of action. This course gives a practical demonstration of how to communicate for best results in three common, but sometimes difficult, situations.
Firstly, you will learn the communication skills required to ensure the collaboration and cooperation of your colleagues and peers when you are working as a member or as a leader of a project team. Whether you want help with a particular task, or need someone else to undertake the task on your behalf, this course will show you how to approach those capable of giving you what you need.
Secondly, this course will outline the communication required to maintain customer relationships during sensitive situations, such as when customers make a complaint, or you must deny their requests.
Thirdly, you will learn how best to present information to your managers. Whether your intention is to report or to persuade, if you also want to impress your boss, it's crucial that you communicate concisely, and in a manner which is guaranteed to be understood the first time.
Target Audience
Those within an organization whose roles require them to achieve results by being able to influence colleagues, senior managers, or clients; in addition, anyone who has responsibility for managing, supervising, or leading staff
Expected Duration
3.5 hours
Objectives :Lesson Overview
Identify the benefits of being able to gain the cooperation of colleagues and co-workers. Asking for Cooperation
Apply the rules for asking, within a given situation. Match the rules for asking with what each can achieve. Communicating as a Project Leader
Communicate effectively with the social style or styles portrayed within a given scenario. Recognize the four social styles from described characteristic behavior and communication. Project Meetings that Get Results
Communicate with participants to keep a meeting on track, in a given scenario. Characterize the communication strategies for conducting results-oriented meetings. Lesson Overview
Recognize the value of using effective interpersonal communication skills with existing customers. Words and Phrases for Customer Satisfaction
Use the appropriate words and phrases to satisfy a customer's business motives in a given situation. Recognize examples of common customer business motives. Saying No Nicely
Characterize the three elements of the strategy for refusing customer requests. Handling Client Complaints
Handle a customer complaint effectively within a given situation, using the PLEASE technique. Recognize the various stages of the PLEASE complaint handling technique, and what they can achieve. Lesson Overview
Recognize the value of being able to communicate effectively with senior managers. Communicate to Inform
Differentiate between the different ways to organize informative communication. Communicate to Persuade
Determine the most appropriate persuasion technique to use in a given scenario. Recognize what persuasive communication strategy is being used in an example. Maintaining the Flow
Recognize the verbal transitions in a given passage of text.
Course Number: comm_02_a04_bs_enus
Back to ListListening Basics
Overview/Description
Do you sometimes feel like you are not getting the whole message when someone talks to you? If you have problems receiving information that is verbally communicated, this is the course for you. This course will familiarize you with the communication and listening processes, and how listening functions within communication. You will discover the factors and variables that influence communication and listening and learn strategies to overcome weak listening skills. You will then apply these skills to business-based examples. Knowing the basic communication and listening processes will make you aware of where communication can be adversely affected.
Target Audience
A person at all levels of an organization. This course is particularly useful to those who need strong listening skills, such as managers and team members, to be effective in the workplace.
Expected Duration
1.0 hours
Objectives :Lesson Overview
Identify the benefit of understanding the communication process. Communication Components
Identify the communication components, given examples. Communication Variables
Match each communication variable to its corresponding example, given a scenario. The Simultaneous Communication Process
Identify the simultaneous communication process component undergoing change in a given scenario. Lesson Overview
Identify the benefits of understanding the listening process. Receiving Information
Identify aural and visual information, given examples. Paying Attention
Match the type of attention problem to its description. Assigning Meaning While Listening
Match each common cause of misassigning meaning to its description. Lesson Overview
Recognize the importance of using listening as part of the communication process. Four Strategies of Listening
Apply effective listening strategies to a given situation. Factors Influencing the Listening Process
Identify examples of the factors influencing the listening process.
Course Number: comm_03_a01_bs_enus
Back to ListAssertiveness from Inside to Outside
Overview/Description
Do you sometimes wonder if there's a way to alter your professional style--to change yourself from the inside out? Do you believe there may be strategies you could use to develop a more assertive professional style? Do you want to learn about strategies that can help you interact assertively with others in the workplace?
Now is a good time to enhance your professional assertiveness skills if you answered yes to any of these questions. This course will guide you as you move into a more decisive, more effective professional style. You'll learn about methods that can help you build and strengthen your assertive style and strategies to prepare you to act more assertively. You'll also learn how to implement your new, assertive style as you negotiate with other professionals, develop teams and partnerships, and cope with opposition. With the assistance of this course, you'll blossom as you become the assertive professional you've wanted to be.
Target Audience
Business professionals, managers, executives, supervisors
Expected Duration
2.5 hours
Objectives :Lesson Overview
recognize benefits of learning action strategies for being an assertive business professional.Building Your Style
match strategies for building an assertive professional style with corresponding statements.Enhancing Your Style
identify guidelines to follow to enhance an assertive professional style.Strengthening Your Style
determine whether a person successfully strengthened his assertive style in a given business scenario.Sharpening Your Style
identify strategies to use for sharpening one's assertive style.Lesson Overview
recognize the value of learning assertive self-development strategies.Taking a Positive Approach
match methods for taking a positive approach with corresponding statements.Developing Personal Accountability
determine whether a person was successful in developing accountability in a given business scenario.Lesson Overview
recognize benefits of learning interaction strategies to become an assertive business professional.Developing a Winning Team Style
identify the primary steps for developing a winning team style.Negotiating Effectively
determine whether a person followed the steps for successful negotiation in a business scenario.Establishing Productive Partnerships
apply the necessary steps to establish a productive partnership in a given business scenario.Dealing Effectively with Opposition
identify methods for dealing effectively with opposition.Back to ListCommunication Business Etiquette
Overview/Description
How's it going? Is this an appropriate greeting in today's corporate workplace? How about telephone use? Is it always necessary to return phone calls? If so, how soon should you do it? Is e-mail the method of choice for communicating all your ideas, or is another way better? How important is your tone of voice when dealing with a customer? All these questions are a matter of etiquette. How you communicate--in person, over the phone, electronically, and with customers--has a direct effect on how people treat you, on whether you sell your idea or product, and on how quickly you advance in your career. In this course, you'll learn the subtleties of communication etiquette in the world of business.
Target Audience
Human resources, training organizations, and employees
Expected Duration
2.5 hours
Objectives :Lesson Overview
recognize the importance of understanding modern communication etiquette challenges.Typical Causes of Communication Mistakes
identify typical causes of communication etiquette mistakes.The CAGE Decision-making Model
identify components of the CAGE decision-making model.Benefits of Using the CAGE Model
identify how the CAGE decision-making model helps to determine the proper communication etiquette.Understanding Culture, Audience, and Goal
identify questions you should ask when using the CAGE model to determine the appropriate communication etiquette.Applying Culture, Audience, and Goal
analyze whether the CAGE model has been applied appropriately to business situations.Lesson Overview
recognize benefits of knowing functional communication etiquette.Writing Etiquette
match types of writing tools to appropriate circumstances.Telephone Etiquette
identify key aspects of proper telephone etiquette.Applying Telephone Etiquette
apply the four steps of proper telephone etiquette in a business scenario.Modern Communication Tools
analyze whether modern communication tools have been used effectively in a given situation.identify principles of the CAGE model.Back to ListEssentials of Electronic Communication
Overview/Description
Everyone seems to be using e-mail lately--family members keeping in touch, university students submitting assignments, companies offering products for sale, and office workers carrying out their daily business tasks. Most e-mail users can improve their e-mail skills by learning more about the basic features and potentials of e-mail. Any business person will benefit from developing an understanding of e-mail essentials.
Target Audience
Individuals who use e-mail for their personal correspondence or while doing their jobs; managers and business leaders who want to maximize business opportunities and strengthen their organization as a whole.
Expected Duration
1.5 hours
Lesson Objectives:
E-mail Fundamentals
Identify benefits of learning the fundamentals of e-mail. Identify ways that e-mail has improved communication. Identify how e-mail has made a difference in the workplace. Writing Effective E-mail
Recognize the benefits of writing effective e-mail. Identify the rules of e-mail etiquette. Recognize the rules for proper form and style in an e-mail. Apply the rules for proper style and form for e-mail for a given scenario. Identify the points to consider when using form letters in e-mail. Protecting Your E-mail
Recognize the benefits of defensive e-mail practices. Identify methods used in protecting against e-mail viruses. Identify methods of safeguarding e-mail privacy. Recognize three truths that apply to e-mail law. Identify important rules for backing up e-mail files. Back to ListGet Your Career on the Fast Track
Overview/Description
Everyone has seen those TV shows from the '50s. The fathers went to work, worked hard, and got ahead. These people were your role models, your guides to succeeding in business. But if that's not happening, you ask yourself, Why not? The world is different now. Instead of job security, you need to focus on career security. In this course, you will learn more about today's new business environment. You will learn about yourself and how to work with your strengths and weaknesses to improve your position in this new world. You will get a chance to identify your options within the new environment and will learn how to make a plan to get your career on the fast track to success.
Target Audience
Anyone who wants to advance his or her career
Expected Duration
2.5 hours
Lesson Objectives:
Today's Business Environment
Recognize the importance of learning new approaches to working in the new business environment. Identify the strategies for adding value to work. Select examples of the ways to work within the new loyalty framework. Identify examples of the ways to work from home while fast-tracking a career. Know Yourself
Recognize the benefits of identifying motivators and attributes when making career plans. Select the ways to use motivators to achieve goals on the fast track. Select examples of the ways that strengths can be applied to fast-tracking a career. Identify examples of the ways of dealing with weaknesses. Identify Your Options
Recognize the importance of exploring all potential career options. Identify the tips for successful in-house job changes. Identify the ways to make lateral moves within an organization to fast track the learner's career. Identify the examples of ways to successfully move on to a different employer. Making a Promotional Plan
Recognize the benefits of having a promotional plan. Select the approaches to creating and implementing an effective promotional plan. Identify examples of the ways to keep motivated. Identify examples of the elements of successfully asking for assignments. Back to List
It's critical that you prepare yourself for behavioral interviewing. These CBT Direct online courses will give you
specific interviewing tips, including how to: answer behavioral interview questions to satisfy and impress the
interviewer, practice good business etiquette, and build rapport during the interview. CBT Direct’s online courses
will not only prepare you to effectively participate in a behavioral-based interview, but also give you the suitable
business communication skills you’ll need once you land the job. With CBT Direct’s online training, you’ll learn the
“right way” to be assertive, the role and process of listening in communication and how to use effective communication
in order to get the results you want.
CBT Direct boasts the most beneficial online interview training on the market. With online training, you have the flexibility
to study on your schedule, and with the speed and reliability of the internet, CBT Direct’s Interview training course is
accessible anywhere you have an internet connection. Convenience finally costs less with CBT Direct – the most affordable
online training solution today.
The unique design of CBT Direct’s interview training course emphasizes learner initiative, self-management and
experiential learning. CBT Direct’s online course design begins with the definition of user-focused performance objectives
and then proceeds to the selection and implementation of instructional strategies and learning activities appropriate for
those objectives. This effective instruction model for CBT Direct’s interviewing training course ensures the greatest level
of comprehension and retention.
Individuals looking to enhance their interviewing skills, including mastering the most-used interview
technique today – the behavioral interview.
You’ll learn how to dynamically interact with others by studying the different types of negotiating styles and strategies.
You’ll strengthen your emotional control in tough situations, including keeping your cool in heated arguments.
You’ll become fully prepared as the interviewee in the most common type of interview today – the behavioral interview.
You’ll learn how to define your job qualifications in behavioral terms rather than terms of job titles and responsibilities.
You’ll also learn the rules to follow when writing a behavioral-based resume, how to attract attention over your competition
and how to keep it even after your interview.
You’ll also learn how to effectively interview the interviewer to your advantage. Gain telephone tips that will help
you get face-to-face with companies. Learn how to gain information about a potential employer during conversations even
before the interview and what interview questions to ask them. You’ll even have access to a behavioral interview simulation
to put what you’ve learned to the test.
You’ll become an expert at communicating for results by learning the dos and don’ts of asking for cooperation,
communicating as a project leader and words and phrases to use to ensure customer satisfaction. You’ll also learn
how best to persuade others and handle client complaints.
Discover the keys to effective listening such as how to assign meaning while listening and prove you are paying
attention. You’ll learn how to become more assertive in the workplace and watch the positive changes it causes in
how others treat you.
CBT Direct’s Interview training courses go above and beyond the interviewing stage. They’ll help you get your
career on the fast track by teaching you everything from communication business etiquette to the essentials of
electronic communication.
Behavioral-based interviews, which focus on the theory that past behavior and performance predicts future
behavior and performance, are now taking the place of traditional interviews. Candidates who are unprepared might fumble for their
answers to the interview questions and diminish their chances of getting the job. In order to feel confident in a
behavioral-based interview, candidates need a better understanding of exactly what the interviewer is looking for.
