Know How to Interview

Your resume and cover letter grabbed the attention of the employer and you have been asked to come in for an interview. Are you prepared to turn those interviews into job offers? 

Interview Tips
Setting Up Job Interviews
  • Think about what you are going to say before you pick up the phone to call an employer.
  • You want the employer to think of you as a good future employee.
  • You will have about 20 seconds to make the employer want to meet you. Therefore, what you say has to be brief, to the point, and persuasive. 
Prepare for an Interview
The day before your interview, think about what types of questions the employer might ask you and prepare answers you can give in less than 2 minutes.
On the day of the interview:
  • Arrive 10 to 15 minutes early. You might need to fill out paperwork before the interview.
  • Go by yourself. If a friend or relative drives you, have them wait in the car.
  • Wear an outfit that is professional looking. It should fit the type of job for which you are interviewing.
  • Do not wear fragrances in case one of your interviewers has allergies.
What to Bring to an Interview
  • Extra copies of your resume, your reference list, and examples of your work.
  • Papers needed to complete your application. This includes copies of work licenses, your driving record (if required), and your social security or immigration cards.
  • Questions for you to ask during the interview. 
During the Interview
  • Display confidence. Shake hands firmly, but only if a hand is offered to you first.
  • Maintain eye contact with the interviewer.
  • Let the interviewer start the conversation.
  • Listen carefully. Give honest, direct answers.
  • Accept all questions with a smile, even the hard ones.
  • Think about your answers in your head before you talk. If you don't understand a question, ask to hear it again or for it to be reworded. You don't have to rush, but you don't want to appear indecisive.

Follow-up after the Interview
The job interview is not over when you leave the meeting. You have one more chance to impress the employer. Follow up the interview with a thank-you letter (pdf). 
Send a thank-you letter or note to each person who interviewed you. Your letter should have these main ideas:

  • Thank them for their time.
  • Say you are interested in working for them.
  • Briefly say why you are qualified for the job.
  • Give any information that you forgot to say in the interview.
  • Put anything that will help them remember who you are- did you have any personal connection or rapport building?
  • Add a final "thank you" for the chance to interview.
  • Say how you plan to follow up.

If you told the interviewers that you would give them added information, make sure that you do. Keep track of when you said you would contact this employer to find out if you were hired. Don't forget to make that contact.

Be sure to check the grammar, spelling, word use and punctuation before sending the thank you note or letter. If you choose to write your letter by hand check with a friend to verify that your handwriting is legible.

Interview Preparation Activities

Do these activities before every interview – if possible, go over the questions and answers with a friend (at the very least in the mirror!), and practice your answers until they sound polished and confident (but not rehearsed!).

  • Five reasons why you’re an ideal candidate for the job
    These are the key facts from your experience, skills, education, accomplishments and/or personality that make you a good match for the job. Try to work one of them into every answer you give – and if at the end of the interview you realize one or more of them hasn’t come up, bring it up!
  • Five questions they will ask you during the interview, and your answers
    Include both standard and ‘situational’ questions. Your answers should be brief, complete, and thoughtful.
  • Five things to avoid doing/saying during the interview
    What mistakes have you made in past interviews? What bad habits do you want to avoid displaying, or issues you want to avoid disclosing? Remember: Never say anything negative about a former employer.
  • Questions to ask them about the job or company
    Show that you’re interested! Pretend you’re a reporter and you’re going to write a story about the company and/or job – what would you want to know?

Hint: Read your resume just before going in to the interview- it reminds you of your success and accomplishments.

Questions to Ask THEM in the Interview

  1. How would you describe your perfect candidate for this job?
  2. How would you describe the culture of the office?
  3. What is a typical day like here?
  4. Could you describe the team I’ll be working with?
  5. What is your timeline for hiring?

Preparing for Behavioral Interview Questions
(adapted from www.quintcareers.com)

Remember that many behavioral questions try to get at how you responded to negative situations; you'll need to have examples of negative experiences ready, but try to choose negative experiences that you made the best of or -- better yet, those that had positive outcomes.
Here's a good way to prepare for behavior-based interviews:

  • Identify six to eight examples from your past experience where you demonstrated top behaviors and skills that employers typically seek. Think in terms of examples that will exploit your top selling points.
  • Half your examples should be totally positive, such as accomplishments or meeting goals.
  • The other half should be situations that started out negatively but either ended positively or you made the best of the outcome.
  • Vary your examples; don't take them all from just one area of your life.
  • Use fairly recent examples.
  • Use the STAR Method to answer your questions
Situation or
Task		 Describe the situation that you were in or the task that you needed to accomplish. You must describe a specific event or situation, not a generalized description of what you have done in the past. Be sure to give enough detail for the interviewer to understand. This situation can be from a previous job, from a volunteer experience, or any relevant event.

Action you took

 Describe the action you took and be sure to keep the focus on you. Even if you are discussing a group project or effort, describe what you did -- not the efforts of the team. Don't tell what you might do, tell what you did.
Results you
achieved		 What happened? How did the event end? What did you accomplish? What did you learn?

 Use the STAR Interview Worksheet (pdf) to write down your scenarios.

Reasons Why People Don't Get Hired After an Interview
  • Application form or resume is incomplete or sloppy
  • Arriving late for the interview
  • Didn’t ask questions about the job
  • Failure to express appreciation for interviewer's time
  • Lack of interest and enthusiasm
  • Lack of maturity
  • Lack of planning for career; no purpose and no goals
  • Negative attitude about past employers
  • Nervousness or lack of confidence and poise
  • No genuine interest in the company or job
  • Overemphasis on money
  • Overly aggressive behavior
  • Poor personal appearance
  • Responding vaguely to questions
  • Unwillingness to accept entry-level position

Career Planning ModelManage Your Career Create A Plan & Set Goals Expand Skills Explore Careers Assess Yourself Find A Job