Prepare for an Interview

An on-site or in-person interview can vary from one organization to the next. You could be interviewing with someone from human resources, a hiring manager, or with a group of interviewers. It is strongly recommended to ask ahead of time who you will be interviewing with, so that you can prepare accordingly.  Be sure to collect business cards if available.

Virtual interviews have become increasingly popular. Some tips on how to master a virtual interview are as follows:

• Find a quiet location with good Wi-Fi connection
• Ensure a clean and professional background with good lighting
• Dress professionally
• Test your computer’s microphone and camera
• Download and test the system (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, etc.)
• Gather your cover letter, resume, job description, a pad of paper with the questions you would like to ask the interviewer(s), and a pen for any notes you would like to jot down
• Keep a glass of water nearby during the interview
• Join the meeting about 5 minutes before the interview is scheduled to start
• Look at the webcam and not the interviewer’s face on your screen
• Mute desktop notifications on your computer to prevent alert distractions during the interview

Phone interviews are often used to screen candidates and narrow down the pool of applicants. Success during a phone interview usually leads to an in-person or virtual interview. Most recruiters will contact you to schedule a phone interview, but there are some cases when you may be contacted by a recruiter who is interested in holding an impromptu phone interview. Be prepared for either situation.

Prior to the phone interview, a candidate can prepare by doing the following:

• Confirm the day, date, and time of the interview
• Confirm who will be calling whom
• Inquire about who will be conducting the interview
• Review the organization’s website and revisit the job description
• Practice answers to commonly asked questions and prepare questions that you would like to ask
• Check your cell phone reception in the room you anticipate using for the phone interview
• Find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed and will be able to concentrate
• Gather your cover letter, resume, job description, pad of paper and a pen
• Turn on your laptop/computer and have the organization’s website in front of you
• Keep a glass of water nearby for use during the interview

You will be invited to an interview with 2-4 other candidates where there are 1-2 interviewers who will ask a series of behavioral and situational questions. In these interviews, it is essential to be aware of your ability to communicate in a group setting. Do not excessively dominate questions and do not interrupt others.

A mix of behavioral and situational questions to assess your fit with the company. They are usually conducted by recruiters. Dressing professionally is highly recommended for video and HireVue interviews.

Whereas traditional interviews seek to understand a candidate’s past experiences, a case interview presents a candidate with a scenario to assess how they approach a problem (analytical and problem-solving skills), how they engage with people (communication and interpersonal skills), and what they know about the business. Usually, you will receive a description of a situation and several questions you need to answer. The most crucial thing recruiters are looking for is your ability to ask questions and think through your solution. This means you need to communicate your entire process and ask the recruiter questions because the prompt will be deliberately vague. Conducted by employees on the team or individuals with experience. Dress professionally.

You will receive a prompt or case problem which you will need to solve under a certain period; depending on the role, it is recommended to save a portfolio of work that you can use to showcase your skills and knowledge.

This is a 2-day event where you will have to visit the office on-site and undergo a series of interviews to assess your candidacy. Before Super Day, there is usually a networking event where you can mingle and network with other candidates or recruiters/employees at the company. The networking event is held the night before the interviews or during the morning of the interviews. Finally, you will usually have a few back-to-back interviews, usually 45 minutes each. Throughout this event, you must be aware of your ability to communicate with employees and candidates and to endure several hours of interviewing and networking.

This interview has a panel of interviewers, usually with recruiters and members of the team which you’re applying for. You may have 2-3 interviewers who may ask you a range of behavioral to technical questions. It is important to study your technical skills or research the specific team because it is more likely that they will ask you questions directly related to the role. Also, you want to use this opportunity to illustrate your fit with the team.

This is more of a casual conversation than an interview because you will be eating lunch with the team or relevant employees. Eat food that is easy to eat so that you can focus on your conversation, avoid alcohol, and have some basic table manners. You must be an active listener. Overall, this interview aims to assess your fit with the team and your personality.

Usually start with What, when, why, how, who, how often, how many, etc. This type of question aims to gather factual information from you. Be specific with your response.

• What are your strengths and weaknesses?
• Why are you applying for this position?
• How often do you interact with clients in your current role?
• What are your career goals?

Behavioral interview questions ask candidates to share examples of specific situations in which they had to use certain skills or explain how they navigated certain types of scenarios. Interviewers like these questions to get a more realistic and nuanced sense of how you work. Employers often start with Tell me about a time/Give me an example/Provide me with a situation where…Use the STAR method to answer these questions – Situations, Tasks, Actions, Results.

• Tell me about a time when you had to work closely with someone whose personality was very different from yours.
• Give me an example of a time you faced a conflict with a coworker. How did you handle that?
• Describe a time when you had to step up and demonstrate leadership skills.
• Tell me about a time you made a mistake and wish you’d handled a situation with a colleague differently.
• Tell me about a time you needed to get information from someone who wasn’t very responsive. What did you do?

These questions aim to assess your knowledge of the industry or your career aptitudes. Review industry hot topics covered in your coursework or industry trade publications related to the position.

• Walk me through an income statement.
• What do you think of our current social media presence? What would you improve?
• Imagine you need to communicate bad news to a patient concerning their health. How do you go about it?

These questions are designed to assess your problem-solving skills, your communication skills, and your ability to think under pressure. The process used to solve a given challenge is of interest to employers, as it gives them a glimpse into how you would solve a real-world problem at work. Think out loud and verbalize your thought process, answer clarifying questions and focus on the rationale on how you come up with your answer rather than focusing on getting it right.

• Why are manhole covers round?
• How many golf balls will fit inside a double-decker bus?
• If you have the option to eliminate color in the color spectrum, what color will you choose and why?

• Preparation is vital. While you cannot anticipate every question, you can prepare to make the most of whatever you are asked. It is critical to know as much as you can both about the organization/position and industry but also do lots of self-analysis so that you can best articulate your skills and experiences.
• Listen to the questions. While the interviewer controls the flow of the interview, you can control the content. If the employer is looking for specific facts, provide them. If a question is general, refocus it to your advantage.
• Be honest. Let an employer get to know you. Avoid dissembling or comparing yourself to others. You want to be sure that you and the employer know what you are getting if you are hired.
• Be positive. Never say anything negative about past experiences, employers, courses, or professors. Focus on what was positive about an experience and talk about that. Watch for your tone of voice and your body language. Remember to smile and show your confidence.
• Be enthusiastic and demonstrate interest. If you are genuinely interested in the job, let the interviewer know that. This can be achieved by doing research on the organization prior to the interview. It can also come across by asking questions during the interview about the job, the organization and its services and products. When asking questions, be sure that the answers will give you information that you don’t already have (or should have) and that the questions are of interest to you.
• Silence is OK. Taking a moment to consider your answer is certainly appropriate. It can be a sign of thoughtfulness and intelligence, in addition to giving you time to collect your thoughts. If an interviewer poses a question that catches you completely off guard that you cannot come up with an immediate answer, then try using some of these responses to buy time and come up with a response:
• Stall for time – ask to have the question repeated, or paraphrase it yourself
• Ask for a few moments to think of the best example
• Ask for clarification or simply say, “That is a great question, I will get back to you later.”
• Take notes during your interview. Write down the name of the interviewer and keywords of the interview questions. It helps you to focus on the purpose of the question.
• Convey professionalism, maturity, and poise in all interactions with the organization. In a sense, the interview process extends well beyond your actual interview to include all interactions with the organization, employer presentations, night-before events, and correspondence.
• Ask for the next step. At the end of the interview, ask for the next phase of the process. Follow up with a thank you email or notes within 24 hours of your interview. Take some time to reflect on your interview and write a thank you note to each interviewer.
• Practice, practice, practice. It is not easy to prepare for job interviews. Schedule a mock interview with one of our career advisors to practice and rehearse your answers.

Work 1:1 with one of our career advisors to improve your interview strategy! We will ask for your resume and a job description to prepare an in person or virtual interview that is as realistic as possible. This appointment needs to be booked at least 2-3 days in advance, so plan ahead and schedule this before you need it! Call our office or schedule on Handshake!

Big Interview is an online mock interview system allowing BSU students to practice and prepare for your next job interview. There are hundreds of interview sets and questions covering a variety of industry and interview types. The system uses AI technology to track your eye contact, rate of speech and a variety of other factors to help you improve your skill set. As you complete interview sets, you can track your improvement and progress.

Current BSU students can log-in to Big Interview through Single Sign-On by Clicking Here. Find our Big Interview “how to” guide by Clicking Here.

Special thanks to Enterprise Mobility for this product available for BSU students and alumni.

Big Interview is an online mock interview system allowing BSU students to practice and prepare for your next job interview. There are hundreds of interview sets and questions covering a variety of industry and interview types. The system uses AI technology to track your eye contact, rate of speech and a variety of other factors to help you improve your skill set. As you complete interview sets, you can track your improvement and progress.

BSU alumni can create an account using registration code “5600” by Clicking Here. Find our Big Interview “how to” guide by Clicking Here.

Special thanks to Enterprise Mobility for this product available for BSU students and alumni.