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You've made it through the application process, now it's time to show the employer why they want you at their organization!
Preparing for Interviews
Preparing for Interviews
Check Your Email Regularly to make sure you don't miss interview invitations and other timely communications from employers.
Check inbox, spam, and promotions folders.
Turn on push notifications for your phone's email app.
Respond immediately to interview invitations.
Prepare a business professional outfit:
This generally consists of a suit jacket with matching slacks or a skirt. Use this guide for more information.
Make sure you can comfortably sit in your outfit without buttons pulling.
Check out PSU's free professional clothing closet for gently used clothing and suit rentals.
Research the employer
Use the company’s web site, social media, and news sites to familiarize yourself with:
Service lines they offer: audit, tax, risk assurance, etc.
Areas they specialize in (construction, governmental, etc), and any programs they offer that you are interested in (women's leadership, DEI, etc).
Look up interviewers on LinkedIn (if you have their names).
Have a few questions (generally 3-4) to ask the interviewer at the end of the interview. This shows that you are engaged and interested in them!
Do not ask about salary, vacation, or other benefits until you have received an offer.
Don't ask obvious questions that you could have answered with basic research (do you offer audit and tax, who are your main clients, etc).
A few examples of questions to ask:
What is your favorite thing about working for this organization?
Beyond the technical skills required to succeed in this role, what soft skills do you think will serve the company and position best?
How does your organization help your staff grow professionally?
Could you share a brief history of the actions the company has taken to create an inclusive work environment? Are there opportunities for all employees to get involved with DE&I initiatives?
What is your timeline and what are the next steps? (save this as one of the last questions asked)
Get familiar with your resume and draft interview answers. (more on this in the next section)
"Tell me about yourself"- this will inevitably be asked in most of your interviews:
Describe yourself professionally (area of accounting that you're interested in, experience that you've had in accounting- like CASH Oregon or BAP)
AND highlight things you do in your free time that make you unique- like your hobbies and interests.
Behavioral Interview Questions: Instead of asking you to prepare journal entries, interviewers will ask you a series of behavioral interview questions. Behavioral Questions focus on how you've handled different situations in the past to reveal your personality, abilities and skills. Example: "Tell me about a time when handled a challenging situation…" (more on behavioral questions in the next section)
If you're asked about your greatest weakness...
DO NOT answer with a character flaw
DO NOT respond with a glib answer (ex: you're too perfect, you volunteer too much, etc.)
Pick a minor skill that you need to improve upon and give examples of how you are actively working on improving this skill (weakness).
Example: I have a hard time balancing my responsibilities- work, school, hobbies, etc., so I'm working on keeping a detailed schedule to make sure that I can get everything done without being overwhelmed.
Other examples: Public Speaking, Having the confidence to take on leadership roles, Delegating work
Prepare your interview space (virtual interviews only).
Check your technology: Webcam, audio, etc.
Make sure you have a clean background (no laundry on the bed, etc.)
Quiet Room: try to be in a space that is quiet and free from interruptions.
Use a flattering camera angle: The interviewer doesn't want to look up your nose! Prop up your laptop if needed and test the angle out on a google meet or Zoom meeting prior to the interview.
Good Lighting: Try to position your interview space next to a window with natural light.
Reserve a student room in KMC if you don't have a good interview space at home.
Practice, practice, practice!
Schedule a mock interview with a career coach or practice with your friends/family.
Use LinkedIn's mock interview tool to receive instant feedback on your interview answers.
Preparing Answers for Behavioral Questions
Preparing Answers for Behavioral Questions
First, you'll need to familiarize yourself with the STAR method. The STAR method is used to structure your answers to interview questions.
S=Situation (describe the situation)
T=Technique (what approach did you use?)
A=Action (what action did you take?)
R=Result (what was the result of your action and what did you learn from the situation)
To begin preparing answers:
Revisit your summary of skills and strengths.
Identify 3-4 general experiences that helped you build those skills and strengths. Make sure you can easily tailor these to illustrate different things you learned that will make you a strong future employee. For example, if you worked in food service, you'll have a lot of scenarios that you can use to answer a variety of different questions related to teamwork, difficult situations, etc.
Using those experiences, practice writing interview answers to common behavioral questions (here's a list) using the STAR method. Here's an exercise to help you get started.
Review your answers to make sure that you are emphasizing what you learned/took away from the situation. You want to make sure that this applies to the job you're interviewing for. For example, you learned the importance of being proactive and taking initiative, which will be important in your job as an auditor.
Using your written answers as a guide, record yourself answering the questions as if you were talking to a friend.
Schedule a mock interview with a career coach or practice with your friends/family.
On the Interview Day
On the Interview Day
Before the interview begins:
Virtual Interviews:
Make sure that everyone in your house knows that you are interviewing and cannot be interrupted
Turn off your phone or put it on airplane mode- it can be distracting!
Close out of all applications on your computer (including messaging apps). This removes distractions and helps your computer run faster!
Plug in your laptop.
Test your technology and open a new zoom meeting or google meet to make sure your lighting and background are good to go.
Do a few breathing exercises and power poses to put yourself in a good headspace!
Log on to the interview platform 5-10 minutes early.
If you have major tech issues or an unexpected emergency, send the recruiter an email ASAP so that you can come up with a solution.
In-Person Interviews:
Leave EARLY to make sure that you arrive with plenty of time to find parking and the office. Don't add any unnecessary stress by running late.
Double check that your outfit is lint-free (we recommend keeping a lint roller in your car/bag just in case).
Turn off your phone or put it on airplane mode- it can be distracting!
Do a few breathing exercises and power poses to put yourself in a good headspace!
If you have an unexpected emergency, send the recruiter an email ASAP so that you can come up with a solution.
During the interview:
Virtual Interviews:
Greet the interviewer by name and smile. Remember to smile during the interview.
Try not to look all over the computer screen- focus on the interviewer.
If you get interrupted unexpectedly, most likely your kid or your pet, don't freak out! Express your apologies to the interviewer, mute your mic, and then calmly/quickly address the distraction. If you're able to make light of the situation with a joke or a laugh, that's great!
In-person Interviews
Greet the interviewer with a firm handshake. Make eye contact and smile.
Maintain regular eye contact during the interview and remember to smile throughout the interview.
Make sure you're sitting up with good posture (don't be slumped over with your arms crossed)
Listen carefully to questions. If you need clarification or didn't hear something, you can politely ask the interviewer to repeat or restate the question.
Most Importantly: Have fun!! Interviews can be nerve-wracking, but don't forget that the professionals want to get to know YOU, or else they would not be interviewing you. Be yourself and have a great time explaining your accomplishments and learning more about the interviewer and the company!
After the interview:
Send a thank you note via email within 48 hours of your interview. If you don't have the email of your interviewers, you can either ask the recruiter or HR professional for their email address or ask that they pass along your thank you note on your behalf.
Need help getting started? Check out this guide for thank you notes.
For more interview guidance, check out our recorded interview workshop & interview resources below:
2022 Acing Your Interviews.pdfPage updated
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