Interviewing

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Congratulations, you've got an interview! Now you want to do your best. Preparation is essential to a successful interview. Taking a few minutes now to get ready can give you the edge you need.

Anticipate Difficult Questions

How can you explain your low grade point average? Why did you change your major three times? Don't try to avoid these questions or "beat around the bush." Explain the situation honestly and in a positive manner. Try to turn a weakness into a strength, for example, "Yes, my GPA is low, but this is because I worked thirty hours per week to put myself through school."

Research the Position

Make sure you understand the details, requirements, and responsibilities of the job you are applying for. Find position information now. Additionally, conducting your own informational interviews can often provide valuable information. Finally, be able to relate your skills and qualifications to the state job responsibilities.

Research the Organization

How long has it existed? What does it produce? What is its mission? Who does it server? Size? Location? Find organizational information now.

Prepare and Practice

Familiarize yourself with the possible interview questions. Reflect on how you would answer the questions. Develop specific examples that highlight your skills. Make sure that you can answer each question honestly and sincerely without sounding like you prepared them. But remember, this is not an exhaustive list or possible interview questions, but rather some general samples to help you begin thinking about what may be asked during an interview.

Prepare Questions for Your Interviewer

Describe your most successful employees. What are the educational opportunities? What training will I receive? The end of the interview is usually reserved for your questions. Do not just ask generic questions, and do not ask questions that could easily be found in company literature. Ask questions that will help you determine if you are a good match for the position and organization, such as the questions above.

Sample Job Interview Questions

• Tell me about yourself.
• What are your long and short term goals?
• How do you plan to achieve your career goals?
• Why did you choose the career for which you are prepared?
• What do you see yourself doing five years from now?
• What do you consider to be your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
• How would you describe yourself to a stranger?
• How do you think a professor or employment supervisor would describe you?
• If you were hiring for this position, what qualities would you look for?
• Why did you choose your college major?
• Do you have plans for further college study?
• What personal strategies do you use to deal with stressful work situations?
• Tell me about a major problem you encountered and how you dealt with it.
• What have you learned from participation in extracurricular activities?
• Describe a volunteer, work, or school experience where you held a leadership position.
• What qualifications do you have that make you think you will be successful in this company?
• What two or three accomplishment have given you the most satisfaction? Why?
• What is the biggest project you ever had to plan? How did you organize the situation?
• What do you know about our company?
• In what type of work environment are you most comfortable?
• Why did you decide to seek a position with this company?
• Do you have a geographical preference? Why?
• Will you relocate? Does relocation bother you?
• Are you willing to travel?
• Are you willing to spend at least six months as a trainee?

Sample Questions For You To Ask

• What is it you saw in my background that made you want to speak with me?
• What qualifications would the ideal person for this job have?
• What is the biggest challenge facing the person you hire for this position?
• What are the three most important things you would expect me to accomplish in my first 30/60/90 days on the job? -and/or-
• What is the first priority of the person who is hired for this position?
• What are the reporting relationships for this position?
• What are the biggest challenges facing your company in the next few years?
• How would you characterize the corporate culture here?
• When will the job performance evaluation take place? -and/or-
• How are performances reviews handled here?
• What do you like best about working for this company? -and/or-
• What's the most frustrating thing about working for this company? -similarly-
• If you could make one constructive suggestion to top management, what would it be? -or-
• What areas does the company need to focus on to become more competitive?
• When you look at people who have been successful here, what tend to be their strengths? Conversely, when people don't work out, are there any common themes as to why?
• How would you describe a typical day on the job? -or-
• What are the daily duties and work of an intern?
• What are the overlying goals of the program?
• How much discretion am I allowed and expected to exercise?
• What are the next stages in the interview process? Who will be making the final decision? When?
• What kind of training can I expect in the first three months?
• To whom would I report?
• Would I be assigned to a specific department or rotate throughout the organization? -and/or-
• Does the company anticipate changing the current structure soon?