Interview Information and Resources
Interviewing is an art. It takes planning, preparation and practice to interview well.
You will or will not get an offer based on how well you interview. Nothing can overcome a bad interview.
Research the Company
Size in employees, sales and assets
Senior executives
Current stock price
Company headquarters
Products and/or services
Target market
Position in the market - leader or laggard?
Distribution channels
Major markets - geography
Recent News
Getting to the Interview
Confirm interview location, time, and contact person
Pre-drive the route if you are uncertain of the location
Take a portfolio with extra resumes
Arrive 15 – 20 minutes early
Check your look prior to going into the office
Dress and Appearance
Always dress on the conservative side
Dark suit is preferable to light suit
Make sure your clothes fit properly
No heavy makeup
No heavy jewelry
Clean shaven or neatly trimmed
“Neat” hair
Behavior
Smile, Greet and Thank
Eye contact
Firm handshake
Treat everyone in the building as if they are the hiring manager… they might be!
Speak clearly, don’t swallow your words
Don’t use slang… and don’t say “like” unless it’s appropriate
Good posture
Use active listening techniques
Mirror the interviewer
Be Ready for the questions
Tell me about yourself.
What do you know about our company?
Why are you interested in this position?
What is your greatest strength, greatest weakness?
Describe a situation where you…
Describe your style of leadership, communication.
Ending and Followup
Ask when a decision will be made on the position
Smile and thank the interviewer for his or her time.
Send a handwritten thank you note immediately afterwards
Follow up with a phone call if appropriate
If rejected, send a handwritten note thanking the interview for his or her time
Practice, Practice, Practice
Career Services offers a new software program that allows students to hone their interviewing skills. Perfect Interview allows users with a web camera to record themselves responding to interview questions like those asked in general interviews. After finishing the interview, the student can critique the video themselves or send it to a representative in career services. By saving the interviews, the student can review his or her improvement over weeks or months. Simply click on the button below which leads to Perfect Interview and get started by creating a username and password.