Interviews

Interview Preparation

• Know the Company and the Position: Learn as much as possible about the company and the job you’re applying for. Research the company’s website and social media, review sites like Glassdoor, and ask people you know. This will help you show that you’re genuinely interested and help you come up with intelligent questions.
  • What are the company’s mission, vision, and values?
  • What products or services do they offer?
  • How big is the staff, and who are their top clients or competitors?
  • Where are their main offices?
  • How has the company changed in recent years?
  • How does this job help the company’s mission?
  • What are the job duties?
  • How do your skills match this job?
  • What’s the typical salary for this position?
• Know the Details: Interviews can be one-on-one, panel, lunch, phone, or video. Make sure you know the date, time, location, and the name(s) of your interviewer(s). If you’re unsure, ask for these details. Plan your route, consider traffic, and aim to arrive 15 minutes early. Bring a professional-looking portfolio with paper, a pen, extra resumes, transcripts, and references. If needed, bring samples of your work.

Tips for Phone and Video Interviews

• Prepare notes, but don’t read them during the interview.
• Smile while you speak to sound friendly.
• Speak clearly and avoid filler words like “um” or “like.”
• Use speakerphone for better sound quality.
• Make sure there’s no background noise.
• Dress professionally, as if you were going to an in-person interview.
• For video interviews, choose a quiet, well-lit, and tidy space.
• Test your equipment and close other programs on your computer.
• Look at the camera, not the screen.
• Practice using InterviewLink on Eagle CareerNet for mock interviews.

Answering Interview Questions

Behavioral interviews focus on your past experiences to see if you have the skills the employer wants. To answer these questions satisfactorily, review the job description to understand the required skills, and think of examples from your class projects, clubs, volunteer work, study abroad, research, internships, and jobs. Use the STAR method to highlight your skills:

STAR Method

• S—Situation: Clearly detail the background and provide a context for how the competency was developed. Include specific information such as who was involved, what the situation was, where this took place, and when.
• T - Task: Clearly describe the purpose/challenge faced, including what needed to be done and why this was the goal. Provide specific information.
• A - Action: Clearly describe what was done and how it was done. Include specific details like software used, timeframe and obstacles encountered. Use “I” language to convey your role if a team is involved. Highlight how the competency was developed.
• R - Results: Clearly describe the outcome of the action, including specific information (like numbers/percentages) to prove results, such as a grade on the project, cost savings, recognition, and accomplishments. Focus on what was learned and summarize how the career skill was instrumental in the accomplishment.

Example Question: "Tell me about a time when you had to deal with conflict in a team.”

Possible response using the STAR Method:

"[S:] Last semester, I was in a public relations campaign course where we had to design a marketing campaign for a local nonprofit dog show. [T:] Getting the team members to agree on the best way to promote was challenging, as everyone had different ideas. [A:] I organized a group brainstorming session to focus on common themes in the ideas. [R:] We focused on three ideas ranging from press releases in local newspapers to social media awareness and increased participation by 15 percent."

Common Questions

There are unlimited questions that may be asked. However, most interview questions are related to items in the job description. Try preparing STAR responses for your top five relevant skills/accomplishments. Consider the technical skills necessary for the position and the top eight career skills employers desire. Common question themes are leadership, teamwork and problem-solving, so prepare STAR responses with these in mind.

Practice preparing STAR Method responses for these:

• Tell me about yourself.
• How did you choose this as your career field?
• What are your greatest strengths/weaknesses?
• Tell me about a time when you were participating in a team project, and somebody was not pulling his/her weight. What did you do to help the team finish the project on time?
• Give me an example of a time that your communication skills helped you accomplish a task.
• Tell me about when you were working on a project and an unexpected obstacle emerged. How did you handle it?
• Give an example of a time you were tasked with meeting a deadline.
• Tell me about a time that you have dealt with an upset customer.

Questions to Ask the Interviewer

At the end of the interview, the employer will probably ask if you have any questions. It’s important to ask questions that show you’ve done your research and are interested in the company. Prepare a list of questions beforehand, but remember some might get answered during the interview. Here are some example questions to ask:

• What kind of projects will I work on?
• Why did you decide to work here?
• How would you describe the company’s culture?
• What do you like most (or least) about working here?

Discussing Salary

Talk about salary only after you get a job offer, but you should know the typical salary range for the job before the interview. Researching salaries can take some time. You can check websites like www.salary.com, www.glassdoor.com, or www.onetonline.org for information. It’s a good idea to have a salary range that starts within what the employer offers and goes a bit higher than what you expect. Take at least 24 hours to think about the offer before deciding to accept or refuse it. Remember, salary isn’t the only thing to consider.

After the interview

Send a typed thank-you letter or email to each interviewer within 24 hours. It’s polite and helps remind them of your qualifications, making your application stand out.

Practice Interviews

You can use InterviewLink on Eagle CareerNet to practice interviews online with a webcam. Ask friends, professors, or career counselors to review your practice sessions. The Center also offers in-person mock interviews to help you get ready for a specific interview. You can reserve a quiet interview room for phone or video interviews with employers or graduate programs.