Know Yourself

• Identify your strengths, values, interests, skills, goals, accomplishments, etc.
  
  
• Prepare your materials: resumes, references, transcripts, supplemental materials.
  
  
• Prepare your interview attire.  See the Dress for Success Page.
  
  
• Practice!  Do a Mock Interview with OptimalInterview.
  
  
  

Know the Employer

• Research the organization on the web
  
  
• Talk with faculty, alumni, other employees, etc.
  
  
• Find out information on:
  • Ownership
  • Leadership
  • Products
  • Services
  • New projects
  • Location of facilities
  • Headquarters locations
  • Recent market developments
  • Competitors
  • Growth patterns
  • Reputation
  • Size
  • International operations
  • Training
  • Evaluations
  • Etc.

Types of Interviews

• Structured Interviews:
  Formal and direct; guided by the interviewer; questions are mostly job related.
  
  
• Unstructured Interviews:
  Use open-ended questions; relaxed style conducive to shedding light on candidate's personality; be assertive and stay away from 2-3 word answers; provide examples.
  
  
• Stress Interview:
  Sometimes used when job has strict guidelines; purposeful long gaps of silence; get candidate's true colors to show through.
  
  
• Telephone Interview:
  Often used to narrow job pool; many times the interview is with a panel.
  
  
• Group Interview:
  Several candidates are interviewed at the same time; sometimes used with large organizations that hire large numbers.
  
  
• Panel Interview:
  More than one interviewer posing questions; many times there are set questions asked of all candidates; need to maintain eye contact with everyone.
  
  
• Behavioral Interview:
  The most accurate predictor of future performance is past performance in a similar situation; employers predetermine which skills are necessary for the job; your responses need to be specific and detailed; always listen carefully to the questions and ask for clarification if necessary; your interview preparation should include identifying examples of situations where you have demonstrated behaviors.

Interview Structure

• Make contact and establish rapport
  
  
• Information gathering and giving:
  Candidate establishes qualifications and employer highlights opportunities.
  
  
• Closing: 
  Candidate asks employer questions; employer outlines next steps in process.
  
  
• Administration: 
  Interviewers complete notes; review of resumes, references, and interview evaluations.
  
  
• Thank you letter: 
  Candidate sends thank you letter immediately.  (See sample Thank You Letter).

What Employers Look For

• Academic Record:
  This is often an indicator of your motivation and work ethic.
  
  
• Communication and Interpersonal Skills:
  Can you get along with different types of personalities and communication effectively?
  
  
• Leadership:
  Not afraid to assume responsibilities; can work with minimum supervision
  
  
• Enthusiasm:
  Attitude and behavior; alert, responsive and energetic
  
  
• Flexibility:
  Can expand and change with organization.
  
  
• High Energy Level:
  Capable of handling multiple tasks; show commitment to job
  
  
• Maturity:
  Do you know how to handle yourself in a leadership or difficult situation?
  
  
• Special Qualities:
  What are your most marketable strengths?

Sample Interview Questions

• Sample Interview Questions

Thank You Letters

Don’t forget to send your thank you letter within 24 hours of the interview.  You may email your letter, but always follow-up with a hard copy in the mail.  

Sample Thank You Letters

• Thank You Letter: General 1 - pdf version
• Thank You Letter: General 2 - pdf version
• Thank You Letter: Education - pdf version

Resources from JobWeb.com

• Resume and Interview Information
• Sample resumes  
• Sample Job-Search Correspondence
• The Resume Rubric
• Build the Resume Employers Want
• Interviewer’s Favorite Questions…and Answers