Preparing for an interview is important. It will create more confidence in yourself, and you will be ready for all the questions asked, ensuring to the employer that you are making efforts and are professional.

Before the interview:

• • Read over the job description and take notes of skills or experiences.

  • Do some research on the company and its culture, values, goals, and upcoming projects. 

  • Prepare any potential practice questions and write down your answers using your academic and professional past experiences.

  • Prepare any questions you have for the employer.

  • Plan out how you will be getting there, public transit, car routes, etc. 

  • Make sure your clothing is professional and appropriate for the setting. Ensure you are clean and well-groomed. 

Arriving at the interview: 

• • Arrive around 5-10 minutes early for virtual interviews and 10-15 minutes early for in-person interviews. 

  • Scope out the space and meet some other candidates.

  • Introduce yourself to the interviewer by making eye contact, smiling, and offering a handshake. Make sure to acknowledge that it is nice to meet them.

  • Bring water, your notes, and a pen to take notes. 

  • Make sure you are polite, enthusiastic, and have open body language. 

• Types of interviews:

  • Phone interviews 

    • Preliminary, self-assessment

  • Synchronous Online Interviews

    • Usually done in the final stage of the hiring process 

  • Asynchronous online interviews 

    • Mostly done at the beginning of the hiring process

  • In-person interviews 

    • Usually replaced by synchronous online interviews. 

• Don’ts:

  • Never arrive late.

  • No informality. 

  • Do not use excessive filler words like um, yeah, uh, like, etc. 

  • Use an inside voice.

  • Do not criticize former employees or professors. 

  • Do not ask about salary unless the interviewer discusses it.

  • Do not wear too much perfume or cologne.

  • Do not avoid eye contact.

During the interview:

• • Prove you are fit for the job.

  • Think first, answer, then clarify if needed.

  • Answer concisely and logically, thinking about what you are going to say.

  • Target the answers to the job posting and use specific examples of yours. 

  • Do not focus on negative information; instead, focus on how these situations were solved or improved. 

  • Answer with honesty. 

• What are some questions that might be asked?

  • Use the STAR method for these questions.

  • Tell us about yourself. 

  • What is your greatest strength and weakness?

  • Why are you interested in working with this organization? 

  • Why did you study your program? 

  • What are some skills that you could improve on?

  • Can you give us an example of when you had to overcome a challenge? 

• What are some questions you can ask the interviewer? 

  • What does a typical day look like in this job?

  • What are the biggest challenges in this position?

  • Could you describe the team that this job is part of?

  • What do you like the most about working with this company?

  • What is the company's proudest achievement?

• Questions NOT to ask: 

  • Questions that could be answered by the job application.

  • What your salary will be. 

After the interview: 

• • Ask about any next steps in the process and thank them for their time.

  • After the interview is done, take notes about the questions they asked you and the answers you responded with. 

  • Within 24 hours, write them a thank you email and add any important afterthoughts. 

  • If you do not hear within 1-2 weeks, send another email expressing your interest.

  • If you were not selected, ask for feedback.