What is an Interview?
The interview is a two-way street. Both you and the employer are learning from one another to assess if this position and organization are a good fit. This is your time to gain insight about the company and job position, as it is the employer’s time to assess if you have the skills, abilities, and personality to be an effective member of the work environment.
What should I do to prepare for interviews?
Review your skills, interests and values, especially those that are most relevant to the organization with which you
are interviewing.
Identify your accomplishments; prioritize them as they relate to the organization, and be ready to discuss them in
detail.
Build a list of your best skills and back them up with examples of how these skills were used in an effective manner
(at work, in school, or during extracurricular activities).
Be able to articulate your interest in this field of work. Think about your long-term goals and how they fit in with
this position.
Do thorough research on the employer, position, and industry. Visit the company web site for insight about their culture.
Read the organization’s mission and vision.
Identify the organization’s competitors, clients, customers, product and services.
Be familiar with the organizational structure of the company. (Is there a parent company? Private or publicly owned?)
Use Big Interview to practice interviewing. There are hundreds of industry specific job interview questions you can select and practice. Meet with your Career Advisor to review your experience.
What does the employer pay attention to when I am interviewing?
- Dress professionally.
- Maintain steady eye contact with the interviewer.
- Use non-distracting gestures and positive facial expressions to show interest.
- Sit attentively to demonstrate your interest and enthusiasm.
- Listen carefully to the question being asked.
- Use clear and concise answers.
- Don’t exaggerate, yet don’t downplay skills.
- Don’t use negative language.
- Be specific and refer to concrete experiences.
- Arrive ON TIME – It is best to arrive 5-10 minutes early.
- Treat everyone you encounter as though they are interviewing you.
- Introduce yourself; state why you are there.
- Be sure to address the person with the correct name and pronunciation.
- ALWAYS send a thank you note to all interviewers within 24 hours after the meeting.
What kind of questions might I be asked at the interview?
- Why did you choose Emmanuel? Why did you choose your major?
- Which classes and subjects interested you the most? The least? Why?
- Do you think your grades are good indication of your academic ability?
- Have you participated in any extracurricular activities? What have you learned from participating in them?
- What do you like to do in your free time?
- Describe your most rewarding college experience.
- How did you become interested in this field?
- Tell me about yourself.
- What do you consider to be your major strengths and weaknesses?
- How would a professor who knows you well describe you? How would a classmate or friend describe you?
- What accomplishment has given you the most satisfaction?
- What major problem have you encountered, and how did you handle it?
- Why did you decide to seek a position with us?
- What do you know about what we do?
- What led you to seek a career in this field?
- Why do you think you are better-suited for this position than other candidates we are meeting?
- What factors are most important to you in a job?
- What kind of management style is most effective for you?
- Where do you see yourself in five/ten years?
- Do you have any questions for me?
- What have you learned from the jobs listed on your résumé? Which job did you enjoy most?
- What kind of work environment do you prefer?
- How did your internship teach you about your career field of interest?
- What do you think are the most important qualities for someone to excel in this role?
- How would you describe the company culture here?
- Are there other departments this position would work closely with?
- What are the biggest challenges in this role and how is this position expected to contribute to addressing them?
- How do you measure success in this role?
- Can you provide some examples of projects or tasks that I would be working on in the first few months?
- Can you tell me more about X initiative?
- Can you share some insights into the company’s long-term goals and how this role contributes to achieving them?
- What do you love about your role or the company?
What should I do after the Interview is Over?
- Write a thank-you note to all of those who interviewed you. You should try to send a thank-you within 24 hours of the meeting.
- Example: Thank-You-Email-1.jpg
