Interview Preparation

Congratulations on landing an interview! This is a significant accomplishment, so take a moment to feel great about that. You beat out many other applicants.

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 can express yourself well and comfortably, and that you are able to handle difficult questions and situations. 

Think of an interview as a conversation to determine mutual fit for the position. It’s an opportunity to share your story! At the end of this conversation, the interviewer will decide whether or not you are able to perform the responsibilities required for the job, internship, fellowship, or program, and you will decide whether or not the organization and role are the right fit for you.

There are various types of interviews, but no matter the scenario, it is critically important to be prepared. This page provides resources to help build your skills and confidence. You may also schedule a time to meet with a career advisor (through Handshake) to practice interviewing.

UMass students and Alums also get FREE access to Big Interview, a training system that helps prepare you for a job interview and build your confidence.

Resources for learning more about interviews

Before the Interview

  • Prepare: Review your application materials; research and learn about the job field, the organization, and review the job description thoroughly. Anything in the job description or your application materials are fair game for interview questions.
  • Practice: Practice interview questions by writing out answers and rehearsing by yourself, with friends, or with an HFA career advisor. Understand the most common interview questions and be sure you are able to answer the most common one: “So, tell us about yourself.”

Day of the Interview

  • Present yourself professionally: Choose clothes with muted colors and a moderate style. Determine what the everyday dress at that workplace is beforehand (and then go a notch above). For interviews at corporations or certain companies, a suit is recommended. Other types of organizations may not be so formal, but it is always better to overdress than underdress.
  • Bring a copy of your resume, a list of your references, perhaps an unofficial transcript, and a list of questions for the employers (see below). Place all documents, and a pen, in a portfolio or folder. Turn off your cell phone.
  • Arrive early: Arrive 5-15 minutes before the scheduled meeting time. Know the directions to the interview location and plan your commute with time to spare. Call to reschedule if you have an emergency or get sick. If the interview is via Zoom, make sure you have a quiet space for your meeting, a solid internet connection, a do not disturb sign on your door, and you are completely ready 10 minutes beforehand.

Answering Questions

In an interview you are asked to share details of your experiences on the premise that past behavior (performance) predicts future behavior (performance). Past examples may come from work experience, internships, academic experiences, co-curricular activities or volunteer work. Remember to remain positive. Employers want to learn not only about your skills, but also your personality, so it is important to keep your responses, and the interview in general, upbeat. Interviewers will take note of enthusiastic and motivated candidates.

Types of Questions

Common Questions

The first four questions are the most important. If you are able to answer these, you will be able to answer most others as well.

  • Tell me (us) about yourself.
  • What makes you uniquely qualified for this position?
  • Why are you interested in this position?
  • Why are you interested in this company?
  • Walk me through your resume?
  • What do you consider to be your greatest weakness? (trick question! See below)
  • Describe a relevant accomplishment of which you are proud.
  • Describe the worst boss you’ve ever had/a difficult co-worker (trick question! See below)
  • What are your long-range and short-range goals and objectives?
  • What do you see yourself doing five years from now? Ten years from now?

Trick Questions

When an employer asks about difficult bosses or co-workers, or your greatest weakness, do not bad-mouth anyone! They are not seeking dirt, but want to know how you overcome challenging situations and handle adversity with maturity and grace. In both situations, state the situation simply and then go right into how you solved the problem. How did you deal with a difficult boss? (I asked for weekly meetings to gain additional clarity of their expectations, and with this additional communication we then worked better together); or, my greatest weakness is I can tend to oversleep, but as soon as I started setting 3 alarms, I’m now always on time!  Prepare ahead of time to walk them through your unique work/life challenges.

Behavioral Questions

Behavioral questions begin: “Tell us about a time when…” or “Give us an example of…” Answer situational questions using the STAR technique. The STAR technique is a useful tool when answering questions about past experiences. It’s a way to tell stories, which are a powerful tool in interviewing. Start by describing the Situation, and the Task(s) you set. Next, describe the Action(s) you took to accomplish the task(s). Finally, explain the Results you achieved. 

STAR Example

Question: Tell me about a time you initiated a project 

Answer: Situation: I was a teaching assistant for a writing course,and was responsible for tutoring writing sections and grading.

Task: I noticed students were needing assistance for similar types of basic questions about assignments, readings and group projects.

Action(s): After sharing my thoughts with the professor, I developed a guide of frequently asked questions, tips for group assignments and examples of learning goals. I distributed this guide to both the professor and students, and together we informed students that if they needed additional assistance we could speak further during office hours.

Result: As a result, the professor and I experienced a decrease in student inquiries about these common issues, which enabled us to focus on more in-depth conversations with students about course materials. Students also expressed an appreciation for this information and the professor now uses this guide with each section.

While answering questions, give details and relay short stories—don’t monologue! Listen carefully to what was asked and ask for clarification if needed. Take your time and don’t go on tangents, which is easy to do when one is nervous. If you feel this happening, stop speaking and gather your thoughts before starting again. Remember to breathe. Most of all, be yourself! Remember, an interviewer’s most common reason for hiring someone?  “I liked him/her/them.” 

Questions for the Employer

At the end of your interview, the interviewer will likely ask if you have any questions for them. This is standard procedure and you want to be prepared. Write out some questions beforehand. It’s ok to refer to notes at this point. Prepare a list of three to five questions. 

Sample Questions to Ask

  • What are the qualifications of individuals who have excelled in this position or a similar position?
  • What type of person are you seeking for this position?
  • Is there a structured training program for new employees?
  • What would a normal working day look like?
  • How would you describe your company culture?
  • Would I be supervised closely, or expected to work independently?
  • What will be the measurements of my success in this position?
  • Does the company provide any professional development or educational benefits?

Questions Not to Ask

  • What are the salary and benefits for this job? (Wait until you have received a job offer.)
  • What does this company do? (Know this ahead of time!)
  • I have a vacation planned, is the schedule flexible? (Wait until you have received the offer to negotiate.)
  • Did I get the job? (Don’t be impatient. They’ll let you know.)

Additionally

At the very end, before leaving, make sure you know what the next steps are in the application process. You can ask something like: I’m wondering if you can share with me next steps in your hiring process?

Handling Inappropriate Questions

Questions regarding your marital status, age, race, religion, children, and sexual orientation can be illegal. Handling these questions can pose a personal dilemma as you decide how to respond. There are no strict guidelines to follow in dealing with these questions, and many times they are asked by interviewers who are unaware that the questions are inappropriate.

If you feel uncomfortable about a question, ask yourself the following:

  • Does it seem the interviewer realizes that this question is inappropriate?
  • Do I really want to work for an organization that asks inappropriate questions?
  • How badly do I want this job?

Based on your assessment of the intentions of the interviewer, you may wish to:

  • Ask politely what relevance the question has to the position (the recommended response).
  • Answer the question with or without regret. (It is not illegal for you to answer an illegal question.)
  • Refuse to answer the question.
  • End the interview.

Keep in mind, the way you handle this situation says a lot about your professionalism and maturity. Avoid being rude and argumentative while remaining positive, polite, and assertive.

What to Say if Salary is Brought up During an Interview

The appropriate time to discuss salary is after an offer has been made, but sometimes the question gets asked early on, as a request for salary history or as your desired salary for the position.

In many states (including Massachusetts) it is illegal for employers to ask your salary history, but it is not illegal for employers to ask the salary you are looking for.

It is best to hold off these discussions as long as possible so that your relevant skills, experiences, and credentials are very clear to the employer.

Then we recommend that you give a salary range, not specifics.

The bottom of the range should be a figure you would be willing to accept and acts as a placeholder until you enter into real negotiations when a solid offer is made.

Some ways to say it:

  • “I would be happy to discuss the issue of salary as we get further along in our conversations about this opportunity. Right now I want to be sure that I am the right person for your organization.”
  • “My salary requirements are negotiable and depend upon benefits as well as the responsibilities agreed upon at the time of a job offer.”
  • “I assume a range has been set for this position, and I wonder what the organization has in mind?”

Manners and Etiquette

  • Turn your cell phone off before starting the interview.
  • Be friendly to everyone you meet! Receptionists are often asked for their impression of you.
  • Listen carefully to each question before giving your answer. It is okay to take your time answering questions and/or asking for clarification if you need to.
  • Don't cross your arms, play with your face/jewelry/hair, touch or look at your cell phone, interrupt, or eat food or drink coffee. Water is fine.

In Person Interviews

  • Stand when people come into the room or are being introduced to you.
  • Offer a firm handshake. Stand up to shake hands, even if they don’t. Finally, hold objects (i.e. business cards, portfolio, coat) in your left hand to keep your right hand free for any handshakes.
  • Sit up straight and look people in the eye. Do not slouch or cross your legs.
  • If your interview includes a meal, read up on table etiquette before you go. Remember that this is not about food—you are still being interviewed. In fact, you are the entertainment. Order from the mid-price range on the menu, something easy to eat and not messy. Do not order alcohol, no matter your age. Do not speak with your mouth full. The person inviting you is expected to pay. Remember to thank them.
  • Smile (especially when you are asked a question).
  • Maintain good eye contact. If there’s more than one interviewer, look from person to person.

After the Interview

Send a thank you email  within 24 hours of your interview. This is a critical opportunity to restate your interest and qualifications that set you apart from other candidates.

Be brief. A few paragraphs at most.

Use formal language. Avoid slang or casual phrases.

Be customized to the interview(er). Reference something from your conversation that was particularly helpful, meaningful or interesting.

Indicate next steps. If the person referred you to another friend or colleague, state your plan of action for contacting that person. If you plan to apply for a position after your interaction, indicate that, too.

Be error-free. Watch out for grammar and spelling, especially people’s names and titles.

Other Interview Formats

Phone Interviews

  • Phone interviews are often the first interaction you might have with an employer. It is therefore important to make sure that your voicemail is appropriate, professional, and not full.
  • Make sure your cellphone is charged and you are in a quiet area with no background noise.
  • Treat the phone interview as you would an in-person interview.
  • Smile and sit up straight—your body posture greatly influences your tone of voice.
  • Have your resume and the job ad in front of you for reference.
  • Make sure you send a thank you afterwards.

Zoom Interviews

  • Be sure to treat a Zoom interview as an in-person interview.
  • Dress up (your bottom half, too) and have your resume, questions for the employer, and job announcement there in front of you.
  • Make sure your computer or tablet is charged or plugged in, and that the background is bland, blank, blurred, or a chosen background.
  • Be sure you will not be disturbed during the interview by family, roommates, or pets.
  • Always send a thank you (by email) afterwards.

Additional resources

Interviews with Robots

With more companies than ever turning to robots to simplify and improve their hiring processes, you may face a robot interviewer at some point during your job hunt. This requires the same level of preparation, just a different focus. Whether you’re talking to a human or a robot, the goal is always to emphasize the stellar skills and experiences that got you the interview in the first place.

You might face a pre-recorded person, a blank screen, a video screen of your own image mirrored back to you, or the digital representation of a human being.

These interviews might include three to five questions with 30 seconds to prepare a response and up to two minutes to answer. The program might stop recording as soon as those two minutes are up. You may have an opportunity to practice the video format in a tutorial prior to starting the interview. If so, practice!

Strategies to help you stand out in any video interview:

  • Practice preparing prior to your interview. Understand the technology.
  • Pay attention to lighting and background. Use a well-lit, quiet, professional office setting.
  • Sit up straight and pay attention to your posture.
  • Be concise, yet specific. The rule of three works well in short video interviews where a company will give you two minutes for each answer. The human mind is only capable of recalling three to five main points in short term (working) memory. Give them three reasons to hire you, or three ways your skills will help the company make money, or three highlights from your resume, or a combination—but stick to a total of three.
  • Smile and act natural.
  • Make eye contact into the camera, but don’t be afraid to look away from time to time as you would in a natural conversation.
  • Dress better than the other people at the company.
  • Don’t worry about small talk but do work on body language

In many robot interviews, the candidate gives responses to a set of standardized questions while being recorded. That recording is then analyzed for content and visual cues. So while you don’t need to worry about building a rapport with the interview bot, you do need to make sure your body language and speaking skills are on point. That means good posture, confident tone, and eye contact. It also means keeping a close hold on your expressions—cameras can see up to 250 micro-expressions and movements that a regular human interviewer might miss, so poise becomes especially important.

Don’t phone it in

When interviewing with some form of robot, don’t treat the experience as less important than speaking with an actual human. It can be tempting to put less effort into a dehumanized interview process, but remember that if you do this step well, a human will be reviewing your interview. If they think you’re not taking the robot interview seriously, you’re unlikely to get called back for a real, in-person meeting.