Interviews

Prepare for an interview by reviewing the application materials you submitted and the position description. Do some additional research to make sure you understand what the organization does and what the position entails.  Make sure you know the modality of the interview (in person, online, phone), how many people will be interviewing you, and how long it is likely to take.

Expectations for interview clothing vary widely, so it’s reasonable to ask about the office dress code. It’s usually safe to err on the side of formality (jacket, tie or professional accessories, skirt/slacks, dress shoes).

For an online interview, make sure to check your look in your device’s camera, as a mirror won’t reflect how you look online. Make sure your background is simple and uncluttered, position your device so that you are looking straight-on at the camera, and adjust the lighting so that your face is illuminated.

Plan to have ready copies of your resume, a place to take notes, and a list of 4-8 questions you want to ask.

Many interviewers like to ask “behavioral questions.” These are questions that often begin “Tell me about a time when…” or “How do you…” Behavioral questions are often related to specific skills needed for the job, and skills listed in the position description can often provide insights into what they will ask about!

Sometimes interviewers  invite you talk about difficulty, failure, disappointment. The most effective answers to these questions involve telling a story. A specific instance tends to be more memorable and illuminating than broad generalities. It reassures interviewers that you have relevant experience to draw on. Prepare a handful of stories that you can tell: times that you succeeded in doing what you set out to do, as well as times that you failed, and what you did to improve; team activities that went really well or that went badly, and what you learned from it; instances of conflict with others and instances of support. Prepare to tell each story using the STAR method:

• S/Situation: What was the context? A class? Part-time job? Group project? Club?
• T/Task: What was the challenge or obstacle you confronted?
• A/Action: What did you specifically do to overcome that challenge or obstacle?
• R/Result: What was the outcome? (In the case of a story of things going badly, it’s important to emphasize what you learned from the experience or what you did to prevent similar incidents in future.)

Interviewers may also ask you for more details about relevant experience on your resume, gaps in your timeline, unusual activities or combinations of interests. Be prepared to explain how these things fit into your story. It’s okay if you changed direction, decided that a certain path wasn’t a good fit for your skills, or made some mistakes that you learned from. Interviewers understand that life happens. Avoid being defensive or apologetic and emphasize what you learned, how you moved forward, and how your life experience has equipped you for this specific roles.

One question you can count on is, “What questions do you have for us?” Having some questions prepared is vital: it demonstrates your interest in the position and it can help you decide if the position is right for you. Avoid questions about salary or benefits at early stages (you can and should ask those questions once you’re offered the job, though!). Focus instead on other things that demonstrate your interest in a successful experience on the job and would inform your interest in working with this organization. For example, you might ask about mentoring and training opportunities, the office culture, structures for feedback, managerial style, and new development areas in the organization or field. One of your questions should be about the next steps in the process: will there be additional interviews and when can you anticipate a decision?

Practicing well in advance of an actual interview will help you feel more confident going into an interview and handle the conversation with ease. Career professionals in LAS Career Services or The Career Center can help you trouble-shoot your interview technique so that you make a good impression.

• Make an appointment with LAS Career Services or come to drop-in hours to practice answering some sample questions and get guidance on researching the organization.
• Get more practice (particularly for online interviews) with Big Interview (free through The Career Center), which will tailor mock interview questions to your interests and let you record and review your responses.
• 60-minute one-on-one customized mock interviews with trained interviewers (who will give you instant feedback) are available through The Career Center. 

Follow up after every interview with a thank you note to everyone who interviewed you, unless it was a particularly large team, in which case you should send the email to your primary contact but thank the team as well. Thank the interviewers for their time, reiterate your enthusiasm for the position, and mention something specific that you learned during the interview (e.g., something that makes you even more excited about the job, something you learned about the job that connects directly to your prior experience, a feature of the workplace that is particularly appealing to you).

Some graduate or professional programs will want to interview you as part of their admissions, fellowship, or assistantship process. These interviews are similar to the job/internship interview, but the focus is on your academic achievements, research, and goals. Be prepared to talk about the experiences you’ve had that will set you up for success in this program, and the ways you see yourself contributing to the professional field after you complete it.

Informational interviews are not part of the job application process. As the name implies, they are interviews through which you can gain information and insight into a potential career path as part of your career exploration. Since they aren’t part of the job application process you can learn more about informational interviews on our "Make connections" page.