Interviewing 101

So the Career Fair is over...now what?

Make sure you check your Job Finder account because a lot of deadlines for bigger companies are approaching quickly (or have already passed by!). How do you do this? Log into your Job Finder account, click on the jobs tab on the top, and then use the search feature to search for jobs, internships, or interviews. Go check it out, now. No, really. I know you're all super busy (I know I am!), but if you wait too long you're going to miss out on some companies.

So what to expect when you actually get an interview? Interviewing can be nerve wracking, but it gets much easier with a lot of preparation and a little practice.

So what are they going to ask you? Here are some questions that are frequently asked by employers (provided by the CDC's Career Guide) :


1. Tell me about yourself.

2. What are your hobbies?

3. Why did you choose to interview with our organization?

4. Describe your ideal job.

5. What can you offer us?

6. What do you consider to be your greatest strenghts?

7. Can you name some weaknesses?

8. Define success. Failure.

9. Have you ever had any failures? What did you learn from them?

10. Of which accomplishments are you most proud?

11. Who are your role models? Why?

12. How does your college education or work experience relate to this job?

13. What motivates you most in a job?

14. Have you had difficulty getting along with a former professor/supervisor/co-worker and how did you handle it?

15. Have you ever spoken before a group of people? How large?

16. Why should we hire you rather than another candidate?

17. What do you know about our organization (products and services)?

18. Where do you want to be in five years? Ten years?

19. Do you plan to return to school for further education?

20. Why did you choose your major?

21. Why did you choose to attend your college or university?

22. Do you think you received a good education? In what ways?

23. In which campus activities did you participate?

24. Which classes in your major did you like best? Least? Why?

25. Which elective classes did you like best? Least? Why?

26. If you were to start over, what would you change about your education?

27. Do your grades accurately reflect your ability? Why or why not?

28. Were you financially responsible for any portion of your college education?

29. What job-related skills have you developed?

30. Did you work while going to school? In what positions?

31. What did you learn from these work experiences?

32. What did you enjoy most about your last employment? Least?

33. Have you ever quit a job? Why?

34. Give an example of a situation in which you provided a solution to an employer.

35. Give an example of a time in which you worked under deadline pressure.

36. Have you ever done any volunteer work? What kind?

37. How do you think a former supervisor would describe your work?

38. Do you prefer to work under supervision or on your own?

39. What kind of boss do you prefer?

40. Would you be successful working with a team?

41. Do you prefer large or small organizations? Why?

42. What other types of positions are you considering?

43. How do you feel about working in a structured environment?

44. Are you able to work on several assignments at once?

45. How do you feel about working overtime?

46. How do you feel about travel?

47. How do you feel about the possibility of relocating?

48. Are you willing to work flextime?

So to prepare for an interview, you first want to research the company and the position to know what to expect and what to ask. Then you should look at these questions and come up with a good answer to each one (you never know what you'll be asked to its helpful to be prepared for all of them).

Think you have a good answer for a question? Practice saying it out loud. It might not actually come across as great as you thought it would.

How do I know this? I recently had a Mock Interview with the CDC. At first I was really nervous because 1. it's an interview and 2. they film it. I hate being on camera. And even more than that, I hate watching myself on camera. But after I got over that initial uncomfortableness, I ended up being extremely happy that I did it. Because it went well? Of course not. But because it was extremely helpful to see what I liked about my interview and what I didn't, so I can be even better when it comes to the real thing. I was able to see what mannerisms I liked, and which ones I should be more conscious of and try to avoid next time. It was also really helpful to hear myself answering the questions because I could see what questions seemed to trip me up a little, and which ones I had great answers for.

So check out your Job Finder account, research companies, and brush up on your interview skills because I know you don't want to miss out on anything.

Good luck!

And enjoy the weekend. :)