Preparing for an Interview

The personal interview is a structured exchange of information between two or more people for the purpose of further communicating qualifications for a position. It is also an opportunity for you to assess your desire to work for a specific employer. As employers interview job applicants, they are looking for evidence that a candidate can perform the tasks of the position and fit in well with the organization and the department. In addition to specific qualifications, the interviewer is often influenced by the personal qualities of the applicant as detected in the interview. The interviewer, in general, will be looking for:

• Self-concept-The candidate's ability to display self-confidence, goal setting, realistic assessment of strengths and limitations.
  
  
• Maturity and judgment.
  
  
  
  
• Communications skills, including the ability to interact effectively with others.
  
  
• Leadership potential-such as demonstrated in extracurricular activities or on previous jobs.
  
  
• Personality-enthusiasm, poise, cheerfulness, flexibility, sense of humor.
  
  
• Patterns of accomplishment.
  
  
• Problem solving and analytical abilities.
  
  
• Interest in and knowledge of the career field.
  
  
• Work ethic-acceptance of responsibility and ability to keep commitments.
  
  
• Appearance-dress, grooming.
  
  
• Level of skill and knowledge appropriate to particular job functions.
  

These items will be assessed in a structured interview that usually follows a fairly standard pattern. The interview begins with an introduction and exchange of small talk to put both individuals at ease. These first few minutes can be important to your success, since people often form lasting impressions about others very quickly. The interview will proceed with a discussion of your background, including your work experience, education, extra-curricular activities, etc.; a discussion of the skills and related abilities you have to offer; additional commentary on the job, work environment, organization, etc.; opportunity for questions; and a closing.

You can best prepare for an interview by doing some research on the organization and the specific job opening and then reviewing your back ground, especially as it relates to the requirements of this particular position. Be able to clearly explain your career goals and how you arrived at them. Analyze your strengths and weaknesses and be able to give examples of each. Know what you want to communicate and how you want to communicate it. Role play a practice interview with a Mend. When you research the employer, learn as much as you can about the organization's history and background: what it does, the services and products it offers, where its branches are, what its future prospects are, etc. Read any of the organization's brochures and past annual reports. Check the Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature or the Business Periodical Index for recent articles in such publications as the Wall Street Journal, Business Week Fortune, and Forbes or other publications specific to the industry; Consult a reference librarian for ways to find additional information. If you cannot find much information about a specific organization, at least as much as you can about the industry in general. A useful reference for this purpose is the U.S. Industrial Outlook published by the U.S. Government Printing Office. Do not expect employers to educate you about their organizations!

Conducting the Interview

At the risk of stating the obvious, here are some generally accepted ground rules for the interview. Unfortunately, they include many mistakes commonly made by students.

Give yourself enough time to arrive at least fifteen minutes early for the interview.

• Dress appropriately.
  
  
• Use a firm handshake.
  
  
• Be enthusiastic and interested about the occasion.
  
  
• Maintain good eye contact with the interviewer.
  
  
• Avoid smoking or chewing gum.
  
  
• Introduce examples of your work experience into the conversation as appropriate.
  
  
• Focus on the positive aspects of your previous jobs.
  
  
• Do not belittle yourself or any of your previous employers.
  

Listen to a question before answering it. Avoid just answering with "yes" or "no." After you answer a question, you may want to pursue a related point by asking a question of your own so that the interview does not become one-sided.

Below are some common interview questions with some suggestions for developing responses:

What are your career plans? This question is asked to see how your future plans mesh with those of the company. The interviewer wants to know if the job under discussion meets your short-range goals or fits well with your future career goals.

Why are you interested in this organization? The employer is asking this question to determine: 1) How much you know about the industry, and 2) How much research you have done about the specific firm. Often the response to this question is complimentary to the company's reputation in their industry. More importantly, you should be able to articulate how your career plans are compatible with the company or organization with which you are interviewing.

How did you choose your major and this university? Employers are trying to determine your decision-making process. Tell about the thoughts that went into your decision and the factors you considered in making it. Employers are interested in learning how you make decisions and what you consider important.

Tell me about yourself. The employer is asking you for a profile of yourself in order to compare it with profiles of successful company employees. Be factual.

What other employers do you plan to interview with? The employer asks this question to determine how interested you are in their particular industry or related industries. Tell which comparable organizations and similar types of jobs you have investigated.

What are your greatest strengths? What are your greatest weaknesses? The employer asks these questions to determine what your self-image is. This is an opportunity to point out all of the strengths acquired through your past jobs and campus and community activities, and relate them to the employer's needs. Do not dwell on negative items.

Briefly mention a weakness that you are taking steps to overcome or have already overcome. Employers look for the ability to overcome difficulties.