About 80 percent of our department’s students have an internship during their time at UMass, and getting an interview is all part of the process. Here are ten tips for nailing the interview from two of our 2025-26 Peer Advisors, Elizabeth Lombardo and Luke Macannuco.
- Preparation is key
Be prepared for the interview - make sure you research the company, their mission, their culture, but most importantly, the person who you are getting interviewed by - knowing their background and interests can lead to a smoother and more successful interview. - Fake it till you make it
Go in with your head held high, chest back, shoulder square, go in having the confidence of someone who is going to be offered the job, and make sure you sound confident in your answers - being confident and faking it can help you succeed! - Ask questions
Make sure to have 2-3 questions prepared for your interviewer. Questions about day-to-day operations and company culture, for example, can be an effective way to demonstrate your interest in the position and preparedness for the interview. - Follow-up
It’s important to follow up with potential employers after your interview. This can be a short email/written letter expressing your gratitude for the interviewer’s time and reiterating your interest in the position. Going the extra mile like this will show to a future employer that you are an engaged and professional applicant. - Have a strong first impression
First impressions matter and can make or break the interview. Make sure you arrive early, look presentable, talk confidently, and shake hands with everyone in the room while introducing yourself. - Be Specific
Use examples that you have been through and use real-life citations, and how you handled them. Avoid vague answers, and the more specific and examples you use for responding to questions, the better. - Build Connections
Reach out to people on LinkedIn and other platforms to find out more about their jobs and what they do to build a relationship with them. The more people you know, and who know you, is so important and can help you later in life, especially with finding jobs or even getting recommended for another one. In the job industry, it's not who you know, but who knows you and knows you well enough that they can confidently recommend you. - Use the STAR method when you can
STAR stands for situation, task, action, and result. Use this layout when answering questions, especially when you get asked about a time you experienced this, or when asked about how you dealt with a time in your life. This shows that you can walk the walk and talk the talk. Start by setting up what happened and setting the scene (situation). Then talk about your role in the situation, so say what job you were assigned and how you came to be in that assignment (task). Next is the most important, and where you should spend the most time talking, is what you did in these situations, so how you acted, how you came up with the plan, and how you executed (action). Finally, to wrap it up, you briefly talk about what happened after you took action and finish the story with a nice little bow (result). - Power pose before going in
Just like how confidence is key, your body language also matters. Before your interview, look at yourself in the mirror with your hands on your hips or crossing your arms and looking confident and serious. Doing this will help you appear more confident and trick your brain into thinking you got this (which you do) over sitting hunched and folding in on yourself. - Listen Carefully
Taking a moment to gather your thoughts after a question is always good because it shows that you understand the question and are thinking of a response, and it also lessens the filler words you use. It is always better to take a pause when speaking than to say “um” or “uh.” Listen carefully and don’t be afraid to ask them to repeat or clarify the question if you don’t understand or want more of an explanation.