The interview is a two-way exchange of information designed to determine if there is a match between you, the candidate and the employer. While the employer is evaluating you, you are evaluating them to determine the compatibility with your skills, values, needs, and interests.

Employers begin to evaluate you from the first moment they see and meet you. It is very difficult to change this initial opinion. It is critical that you know how to project a positive image within the first few minutes with direct eye contact, a smile, a friendly greeting, and a firm handshake.

Remember, the only stressful thing about an interview is being prepared and having "all the right answers." First, there are no right answers; only your honest and sincere responses. Second, there are ways to adequately prepare yourself to eliminate most of the stress of an interview. PREPARE! PREPARE! PREPARE!

Preparation

Preparation begins by examining the following important information.

• Know your career goals and feel comfortable talking about yourself.

• Know yourself and be articulate and specific.

Profile Skills

Identify strengths, key abilities, and personality characteristics that demonstrate the best you have to offer. Identify specific events that demonstrate these strengths, abilities, and characteristics.

Training and Experience

Do a thorough analysis of your accomplishments, abilities, extracurricular activities, academic work, and internships.

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Goals

Articulate your short- and long-term goals and how your goals complement the organization’s goals.

Values

What do you need in a career? What do you hope to achieve through your career? What is important to you? Sample values include:

Research
Knowledge of employers (remember, research the company!)

Knowledge of profession or field

• Know professional concepts, jargon, and trends

• Know the skills, expertise, and experience necessary to succeed

• Be able to discuss your background, various skills and experiences as they relate to the position and the employer.

• Highlight your transferable skills

Where do I research?

• Conduct informational interviews

• Utilize the Alumni Career Network

• Study company promotional literature and annual reports

• Search the web sites

• Read newspapers/journals/trade magazines

• Use employer directories

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The Interview

Arrive about 30 minutes before your scheduled interview. Be prepared. Act confident. Dress for success. Be yourself, and don’t forget, try to relax.

• The Four Hellos – The first few moments of the interview are critical.

• A smile

• Direct eye contact

• A friendly greeting

• A firm but gentle handshake

Interview Questions:

• Behavior-Based Interviewing (BBI) is becoming a common type of interview. The premise behind BBI is past behaviors are good predictors of future behaviors. The questions are usually open-ended, focusing on past events and encourages the interviewee to talk at length about a particular past event. A typical opening for a BBI is "Tell me about a time when…" Therefore, specific details communicate the best you have to offer.

• In order to answer BBI questions thoroughly, utilize the STAR Strategy. Set the scene by giving an example of a Situation or Task (S/T) you have experienced. Proceed by explaining the action or steps (A) you took. Complete your answer by discussing the outcome or results (R) of your actions. Practice using this technique to keep your answers specific and concise.

Sample Behavior-Based Interview Questions:

• Tell me about a time when you managed conflict successfully.

• Describe a situation in which someone was unhappy with your performance. How did you respond?

• Give me an example of a time when you demonstrated initiative.

• Tell me about a recent situation where you had to persuade someone to accept your idea or proposal.

Post Interview

• Collect a business card from anyone who interviewed you.

• Critique your interviewing performance. Determine what you did well and what you would like to improve upon for the next interview.

• Critique the interviewer and the employer. Determine if this is a position you want and if this is the employer you want to work for in your future career.

• Prepare for the second interview. Do more research if necessary. Be prepared to answer questions you struggled with or did not know the answer to in the first interview.

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Follow-Up

• Send a thank you note to the person who interviewed you. If several interviewers were in the same session, you may decide to pinpoint the hiring manager and send that person a note, or generate letters to each individual involved.

• The content of the thank you letter is generally short. Its main purpose is to thank the interviewers), reaffirm your interest in that position and the employer, and to highlight points from the interview that further interested and energized you. This is your opportunity to reiterate why you want the position and why you are well qualified. You may get a little bit more personal since you have met the interviewer. Use your notes to recall key points he/she said during the interview.

• Be very prompt in sending the thank you letter.

• Follow up the interview with a telephone call if you have not heard from them within the stated time mentioned in the interview.

50 Standard Entry Level Interview Questions

• Tell me about yourself.

• What do you want to do with your life?

• Do you have any actual work experience?

• How would you describe your ideal job?

• Why did you choose this career?

• When did you decide on this career?

• What goals do you have in your career?

• How do you plan to achieve these goals?

• How do you evaluate success?

• Describe a situation in which you were successful.

• What do you think it takes to be successful in this career?

• What accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction in your life?

• If you had to live your life over again, what would you change?

• Would your rather work with information or with people?

• Are you a team player?

• What motivates you?

• Why should I hire you?

• Are you a goal-oriented person?

• Tell me about some of your recent goals and what you did to achieve them.

• What are your short-term goals?

• What is your long-range objective?

• What do you see yourself doing five years from now?

• Where do you want to be ten years from now?

• Do you handle conflict well?

• Have you ever had a conflict with a boss or professor? How did you resolve it?

• What major problem have you had to deal with recently?

• Do you handle pressure well?

• What is your greatest strength?

• What is your greatest weakness?

• If I were to ask one of your professors to describe you, what would he or she say?

• Why did you choose to attend your college?

• What changes would you make at your college?

• How has your education prepared you for your career?

• What were your favorite classes? Why?

• Do you enjoy doing independent research?

• Who were your favorite professors? Why?

• Why is your GPA not higher?

• Do you have any plans for further education?

• How much training do you think you'll need to become a productive employee?

• What qualities do you feel a successful manager should have?

• Why do you want to work in the IT industry?

• What do you know about our company?

• Why are you interested in our company?

• Do you have any location preferences?

• How familiar are you with the community that we're located in?

• Will you relocate? In the future?

• Are you willing to travel? How much?

• Is money important to you?

• How much money do you need to make to be happy?

• What kind of salary are you looking for?

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