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During The Interview

First Impressions Matter

• Be Prepared: Bring a pen, paper, extra resumes, and references.
• Arrive Early: Arrive 10-15 minutes ahead of time. Use the restroom to check your appearance and get to the waiting area early.
• Professionalism: Greet everyone politely, smile, and introduce yourself to the receptionist. Stand, smile, and give a firm handshake when meeting the interviewer.

It’s Showtime!

• Opening: Be ready for introductory questions like “Tell me about yourself.”
• Active Listening: Listen carefully, reflect, and then respond. If unclear, ask for clarification.
• Be Specific: Keep answers brief (no longer than 2 minutes), focus on relevant skills and experiences, and use examples.
• Group Interviews: Make eye contact with all interviewers, starting and ending with the person who asked the question.

Wrapping it Up

• Ask Questions: Raise questions throughout if appropriate, and have some ready for the end.
• Salary Discussion: Wait for the interviewer to bring up salary; be prepared if they do.
• Express Interest: Summarize your enthusiasm for the role, inquire about the decision timeline, and collect business cards.
• Thank You: Express gratitude for the opportunity to interview.

Interview Types

Interview Questions

Behavioral Questions:

• Purpose: Assess how you've handled past situations to predict future performance.
• Examples: "Tell me about a time you faced a challenge at work and how you handled it." "Give an example of a time you worked successfully as part of a team."

Situational Questions:

• Purpose: Evaluate how you would approach hypothetical scenarios related to the job.
• Examples: "How would you handle a situation where you have conflicting priorities from different team members?" "What would you do if you were given a tight deadline and limited resources?"

Technical Questions:

• Purpose: Test your knowledge and skills specific to the role.
• Examples: "Can you explain the process you use to troubleshoot technical issues?" "What software or tools are you proficient in that are relevant to this position?"

General Questions:

• Purpose: Understand your background, motivations, and fit for the role.
• Examples: "Can you tell me about yourself?" "Why are you interested in this position?" "What are your strengths and weaknesses?"

Case Study Questions:

• Purpose: Assess your problem-solving and analytical skills through real or hypothetical business scenarios.
• Examples: "How would you approach solving a significant drop in sales for a product line?" "Given this market data, what strategy would you recommend for entering a new market?"

Cultural Fit Questions:

• Purpose: Determine if your values and work style align with the company's culture.
• Examples: "Describe a work environment where you feel most productive and happy." "How do you handle feedback and criticism?"

Unethical Questions:

• It is illegal for a prospective employer to ask questions that relate to race, gender, religion, marital status or other personal areas that do not have any bearing on your ability to do the job.  While employers might require certain personal information after hiring, there is no legal reason that those questions should be asked of a prospective employee during the interview if they have no bearing on that person’s ability to do the job.  An interviewer may not intend to break the law with certain questions – he or she may not have the experience to know what subjects to avoid.
• If you feel that an inappropriate question has been asked, you can consider the interviewer is either uninformed, trying to put you on the spot, or actually is unethical.  Examine whether or not this question was intentional and then decide how you should handle it, either by sidestepping the question, or, in a severe case, by confronting the interviewer about the question.

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Preparation Tips:

• Review common questions and prepare your answers using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for behavioral questions.
• Practice articulating your responses clearly and concisely.
• Research the company and role to tailor your answers to align with their expectations and values.

After the Interview

Reflect on your experience

• What parts of the interview went well for you?  What went poorly?
• Pat yourself on the back that you have learned from the experience and will use it to improve future interviews.

Thank the interviewer

• Write a thank you note to each interviewer within 24-48 hours of the interview.  You can send a thank you via email or US postal mail.  It may be typed or handwritten.  Use the same paper you used for your resume and cover letter or use conservative note cards.  See Career Education and Development handout on Thank You Notes for additional suggestions.
• Make sure to briefly include things that you might want the interviewer to know about you that you missed in the interview.  Keep it personal, mentioning specific things you discussed.