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Presenting Yourself
Interviewing
(Click for an interviewing exercise)
No one is born knowing how to interview; it is an acquired skill. Our interviewing guide (link) and practice interviews can assist you in learning how to present yourself in the best way possible to a potential employer, graduate school program or fellowship. However, just reviewing our interviewing information is not enough. It is very important that you prepare and practice your interview technique before your actual interview. Be sure to attend an interview preparation workshop and schedule a practice interview with the Career Services Office.
What Employers Want
Let's begin by looking at the top 10 qualities employers seek:
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Communication Skills
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Honesty and integrity
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Teamwork
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Interpersonal Skills
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Strong work ethic
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Motivation and initiative
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Flexibility
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Problem-solving skills
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Technical skills
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Organizational Skills
Your interview preparation should include examples from experiences where you demonstrated these qualities.
Most interviewers will use behavioral style questions (past behavior is a good predictor of future success) to get at these qualities. For example: "By providing examples, convince me that you can adapt to a wide variety of people, situations and environments." (interpersonal skills).
Here is another behavioral interview style question: "What steps do you follow to study a problem before making a decision?" (analytical or problem solving skills). Begin by citing a past situation that relates to the question. Can you talk about a time when you defined a problem, how you planned the solution, what obstacles you encountered, and the outcome? Tell what you did specifically. Your answer should contain these parts: Situation, Task, Action, and Result or the STAR method.
Practice Interviews
We encourage students who are searching for internships and jobs, or who are interviewing for admission into competitive graduate and professional programs, to consider signing up for a practice interview with a Career Services staff or crew member. Practice interviews are a way to both practice and receive feedback in a safe, supportive environment.
A practice interview will help you:
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Know what to expect on a real interview
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Learn more effective ways to answer different types of questions
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Become more comfortable and confident during interviews
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Have successful real interviews
Practice interview steps:
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Choose a position-of-interest to focus on during your interview, which is usually an internship, job, scholarship finalist award or seat in a grad/professional program. (see Interviewing Exercise)
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Practice interviews generally last 40-50 minutes. For scheduling, please visit, email or call our office.
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Drop off or email a copy of your resume, along with a description of your position-of-interest, at least 24 hours before your scheduled appointment. If you are practicing for a graduate or professional school interview, try to include your personal statement with the materials you provide.
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Before your interview, review your resume and research the employer or graduate program. Please prepare for this interview as you would a real interview.
Check out our interviewing Pintrest board for more information:
