Interviewing

Landing an interview with a prospective employer is a significant accomplishment. This is your opportunity to make a personal connection with the employer and show why you’d be perfect for the job. Therefore, learning how to prepare and interview well is essential. Interviewers want to see that you are able to present yourself, that you are articulate and comfortable, and that you are able to handle difficult questions and situations. They also want to see what kind of colleague you will be.

Preparing for an Interview

In Advance

Research the position, company, and industry as much as possible. Go to Employer Research for guidelines.

Become fluent in the information on your resume.

Figuratively walk in the employers’ shoes, reflect on the qualities and experiences they are seeking, and write down just how you match these needs. Practice expressing your strengths in different ways, to different potential questions. Use as many concrete examples as possible.

Create your “sound bite” – two or three sentences that clearly state why the employer should hire you, articulating your strengths and demonstrating your uniqueness. An interviewer may ask this directly or imply it in other questions, so you should be able to adapt it to the situation.

Anticipate the interviewers questions. Visit our section on Job Interview Questions, prepare answers with specific examples from your resume, and practice them out loud. Make sure you have answers to the following questions in particular:

Why should I hire you?
Why do you want to work for us?
What do you know about our company?
What questions would you like to ask me?

Practice interviewing with friends or a career advisor. Take some time to practice your handshake as well.

On the Day of the Interview

Bring a copy of your resume, a list of references, possibly an unofficial copy of your transcript, and a list of questions for employers. Place all documents in a portfolio with a pen.

Dress appropriately for the industry or the company. You want to be remembered for who you are and not what you wear. Consider a solid conservative suit with coordinated shirt or blouse, polished shoes, and limited jewelry. Be well groomed with little scent or makeup. Be sure to feel comfortable.

Arrive 15 minutes early, with time for a stop in the restroom to make sure everything is in order.

Take a deep breath, relax as much as possible, and be confident. Think of your interview as a business meeting between equals. Remember, you are also interviewing them.

Be yourself. When asked the most common reason for hiring someone, interviewers answered that it was because they liked the individual.

At the Interview

Manners and etiquette are extremely important, especially in a job interview. Go to Manners and Etiquette for tips, dos, and don’ts.

Be prepared. Depending on the field, your interviewer(s) may ask different styles of questions, beyond the usual, “Why should I hire you?” Go to Job Interview Questions for a sample list.

When answering questions, keep in mind the “3 Ps”:

Ponder: ask yourself why the employer has asked the question. This will help you determine what skill, trait, value, or ability is being measured.
Prove: if you say that you have developed excellent communication skills, give examples of situations where you utilized these.
Project: always project a positive image, even when the questions are negative. If you are asked to state one of your weaknesses, do so. However, explain what you are doing to eliminate that weakness and what you have learned in the process.

Take your time and think through your answers. You are not expected to fire back answers as though you had memorized everything.

Consider that not everyone is trained to interview. An interviewer may not be able to pull from you those unique qualities and experiences that make you perfect for the job. Find ways to communicate your greatest selling points, even when interviewers do not ask directly.

Know how to handle inappropriate questions: Go to our section on Job Interview Questions for an overview on inappropriate questions and advice on how to handle them.

Be enthusiastic about the position and do not project any ambivalence.

Do not mention money first, but know the range you are willing to accept.

After the Interview

Thank everyone you meet.

Ask for business cards from everyone you meet during the interview. This will be helpful in writing thank you emails or letters.

Send an e-mail or hand-written thank-you note within 12 to 24 hours after your interview to anyone with whom you interviewed. Express your sincere appreciation, reemphasize your strongest qualifications, and reiterate your interest in the position. Download our sample thank-you notes.

Plan your follow-up contact based on the information the employer has provided about the search. If they are interviewing candidates for a week, follow up after that time period. Employers can take between two and eight weeks before informing candidates about the position. If the process is not clear, you can follow up with an email or phone call after two weeks.

Phone Interviews

A phone interview may be a preliminary interview to screen candidates, or it may the primary interview itself. You should approach a phone interview as formally as you would an interview on site, preparing as we recommend above.

Because of the unique nature of a phone interview, there are a few other guidelines you should consider:

Smile as you speak—it will change the tone of your voice to make you sound positive and enthusiastic.
Make sure to have your resume, cover letter, and the job description in front of you.
If you dress appropriately and sit at a desk or table, it will remind you that this is not a casual conversation.

For more details and advice on phone interviews, go to the CollegeGrad.com or Brazen Careerist.