Mastering the Art of the Job Interview
By Tara Haelle, Graduate Student, University of Texas at Austin
During his last semester at the University of Texas at Austin, Sam Solomon was a full-time mechanical engineering student with two part-time jobs. He was an undergraduate research assistant in the department of mechanical engineering, and he was in a full-fledged job search.
“You have got to take recruiting very seriously,” says Solomon, who graduated in December and has interviewed with over a dozen companies. “I cannot overemphasize how much time it takes. If you’re waiting until you need to have a job, you’ve pretty much blown it.”
Solomon felt it was even more important for him to start early, which meant attending every available career fair, information session, and alumni event.
He started his networking activities two years before he graduated. At age 32, Solomon has already been in the workforce and already has a bachelor’s of fine arts. He may not be a traditional young graduate, but he knows that can be an asset.
“A lot of companies know that with mature students, you are going to bring consistency to the table,” he says. “These new engineers that come out and are really book-smart and talented GPA-wise may be far less likely to appreciate and respect the abilities of people who have developed their trades over the years.”
Finding Opportunities
Students should start by following Solomon’s example, attending career events and visiting their career center, but their efforts shouldn’t stop there.
Harvard University career counselor Laura Malisheski recommends taking a proactive approach with informational interviewing, where students meet with current professionals in their field of interest. The goal of these interviews is not to ask for a job but to ask what the career field is like and what’s current in the industry.
When it comes to deciding what job is right for them, students who may have a family or less time to job hop in their first years in the workforce may want to consider other priorities, such as work-life balance—if they can afford to be a bit pickier.
Prepare: Research and Practice
“What we’ve discovered is that most people do badly in interviews because they haven’t done any preparation or practice,” says Richard Roberts, director of career services at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. “Research the company you’re interviewing with and be prepared to talk about why you think you are qualified for the job. And there’s no reason you should be surprised by a question you get in an interview [since you can Google countless websites that offer sample questions].”
Students can do that research and interview preparation with the help of career center resources, most of which offer workshops and even mock interviewing opportunities.
“The most common negative we hear back from a company when a student isn’t pursued further is that a student didn’t do any or enough homework to know why he or she would be a good candidate for the job,” says Kathy Sims, director of the career center at the University of California–Los Angeles.
For students this means thinking about ways their maturity and past experience will specifically help the company they’re applying to.
"More experienced or older students typically think they are at a disadvantage if they’re competing with new grads, and that’s not necessarily the case,” Sims says. “They need to own their maturity and flaunt it and demonstrate how their real-world experience will be of value to the employer. They have gained the wisdom that comes with relationships you have to have to get through life.”
That’s exactly the mindset that DJ Dubose, a 42-year-old father of two, had during his job search after graduating in December from the University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering.
“I think companies are looking at some of these kids and thinking, ‘I’m going to have to stick them on the factory floor for seven years and let them grow up and see if they’re any good,’" says Dubose. “I’m not a social risk to the company.”
Ben Best, a professional recruiter for 25 years who founded Vital Interview Prep, suggests entering the interview with a couple of success stories from past experience and then spend the interview focused on selling the employer on exactly how you can meet his or her needs.
Actions Speak Louder Than Words
“It’s an old cliché that first impressions are lasting impressions, but it’s a cliché for a reason,” says Lisa Carver,president of the human resources consulting firm Moxie Consulting. “We know from management and communication research, it takes just a few seconds for someone to form an impression of you. You need to present yourself as professionally as you can, regardless of the position you’re applying for.”
Most students who already have experience in the workplace already know this, but it helps to know your idiosyncrasies and to remember how you can use your body language to show quiet confidence and put the interviewer at ease.
“The way the person carries themselves is a huge factor,” Carver says. “Someone can have the education and the experience needed, but if they don’t present themselves well in terms of the nonverbal, then they’re not considered to be a viable candidate. I want someone who’s best going to represent me and my department with things like good posture, a positive, confident tone of voice, and direct eye contact.”
Before interviewing, Dubose thought of ways to reduce his fidgeting. Because he often fidgets with pens, clicking or twirling them, he wears a shirt with a pocket to hold his pen and takes it out only if he needs to write something down.
“Let your personality come out,” Roberts suggests. “Use facial expressions, smile, make eye contact, have a good handshake. Having enthusiasm really stands out. And remember, you are being evaluated from the minute you come within eyesight of the person with whom you are interviewing. And really even before that.”
Questions to Expect
There are four basic areas of questioning that applicants should anticipate, says Roberts:
Your education. Why did you choose your major or school? What was your most or least favorite class or professor? How did school influence you?
Your experience and qualifications. What skills and abilities do you have to handle the job? Be ready with 6 to 8 strengths that relate to the job and specific examples showing those strengths.
Your goals and objectives. What are you hoping to get from the job?
Your reasons for wanting to work for the company. Why do you want to work for that particular business? What can you contribute to that company?
The interview often starts with the most basic question of them all:
“The number-one question that creates fear and loathing is ‘Tell me a little about yourself,’” says Malisheski. She says offering a biographical sketch is not how students should start. “Students should translate that into ‘Why should we hire you?’ They should go in prepared with 3 to 5 bullet points that answer that question.”
Next, be prepared to tell the employer why you want to work for that specific company. (You might mention how it is the leader in the industry, how it is an innovator, or how it is on the rise.)
“An employer is going to expect a student to clearly articulate why he or she is interested in that employer and how he or she might effectively contribute to the organization,” Sims says.
Regardless of what kind of work experience you might have had, this can be the opportunity for a student with a prior work history to shine. Even if your experience was in a different field, you still have more work and life experience than your younger colleagues, and you should spin that experience to work for you.
“Just having a varied background is going to give you a different perspective on the challenges you’ll face once you get into the workplace again,” says Solomon.
But don’t speak in generalities. Have specific anecdotes handy about how you handled tough situations in the past or how you’ve brought success to previous employers.
Pitfalls to Avoid
Other than the obvious mistakes—not dressing appropriately or being late—there are other stumbling blocks to avoid.
“Hopefully, students with previous work experience have never burned a bridge and they have the maturity and professionalism not to speak badly about a previous employer,” says Carver. “Sometimes you may be asked, ‘Why did you leave your job?’ so people need to be prepared for that question. I’m also going to ask whom did you report to in your previous position and can I contact that person. If you cringe inside when I ask that question, that’s not good.”
And again, don’t sell yourself short because you may have taken a different path in life compared to others who are applying for the job.
“I think some students minimize themselves because they think they have too much experience,” says Rachel Keener Killam, a career counselor at the University of Colorado-Boulder. “But go back to emphasize what you bring to the table. Ultimately a company wants to hire the right person. If you’re 21 or you’re 41, if you’re the right fit for the company, that’s who they’re going to hire.”
Wrapping It Up
As the interview draws to a close, take stock again: Did you get across every point you wanted to regarding how you are the best fit for this company? If not, take the opportunity at the end to emphasize those skills and experiences that are especially applicable to the specific job at this company.
If the employers aren’t making a decision for a week or two, send a hand-written thank-you note after the interview. If they are making a decision soon, Keener Killam says, send a thank-you e-mail.
“Many students don’t write thank-you’s, and what we hear from employers is that the thank you helps you stand out as a candidate,” she says.
A thank-you note is also an opportunity to express your enthusiasm for the job and reiterate why you think you are a good fit for the position.
“Some people leave the interview and then they never follow up,” says Roberts. “Sometimes by following up, it gives you the edge over other applicants.”
And Don’t Give Up
“Don’t get discouraged if you’re having difficulties. Be creative,” Solomon says. “I’ve made some calls and was even shocked at myself when I found opportunities through third-party contacts, like friends of friends and LinkedIn. Even if you’re not very outgoing or the kind of person who really jumps out there, be bold enough to make that opportunity happen for yourself.”
TARA HAELLE IS A GRADUATE JOURNALISM STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN.
Find Out More
Click for a great interviewing skills guide from Virginia Tech's Career Services office.
Click for more great interviewing tips from Career Services at Bethany Lutheran College.
Click for more interviewing skills from Career Services at Rollins College.
First Impressions are Lasting Impressions
• Google yourself and clean up social networking sites. You want your first impression to be the one an employer has when he or she sees you in person.
• Turn your cell phone off as soon as you are called in for the interview.
• Dress for success. Invest in a good-quality, professional interviewing suit that you keep dry-cleaned and well-pressed.
• Groom yourself well: a little makeup, but not too much. Make sure your fingertips are clean, your tattoos are hidden, and anything other than an ear piercing is taken out. Don’t wear cologne (the person conducting the interview may be allergic).
• Make eye contact and have a confident, unslouched posture.
• Smile! Start with small talk to put yourself and your interviewers at ease.
• Shake hands firmly, but not too firmly. Try to match the other person in hand-shaking demeanor.
Handling Behavioral Questions and What Is Your Weakness?
“The best predictor of future behavior is how applicants handled something in a previous job or a previous circumstance,” says Lisa Carver, president of the human resources firm Moxie Consulting. She says students should be ready to describe a handful of specific situations that answer how they handled tough situations.
“Behavioral questions are big now, and it’s not something you can wing,” Richard Roberts, director of career services at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, says. He says most of these questions, such as “Tell me about a time you had a conflict with a supervisor or a customer and how you resolved it,” deal with problem-solving and conflict resolution—and you should always have a happy ending in which you, not a manager or colleague, resolved the situation. He compared it to the other question that intimidates many job seekers: What is your greatest weakness?
“You think of a weakness that you’re turning into a strength and show that you’re working on it,” Roberts says. An example might be explaining how you’ve begun using a day planner to help with scheduling activities when time management became a challenge.
But most importantly, don’t tell a fatal weakness—I’m always late, I have trouble staying motivated, I call in sick a lot. Avoid what Roberts calls the “schmaltzy” weaknesses: “I work too hard” or “I’m a perfectionist.” It should be a true weakness, but whatever it is, explain how you’re working on it.
“The company wants to know if you’re self-aware and if you’re doing what you need to do to work on that weakness,” says Rachel Keener Killam, a career counselor at the University of Colorado-Boulder.
As far as other questions, if you do get one out of left field, it’s okay to take a moment to gather your thoughts, Keener Killam says. “It would be okay for a student to say something like ‘I’ve never heard that question before. I need a moment to think about that’ or ‘That’s a new one for me. I need a few minutes to think about it,’ and then they can kind of gather themselves.”
“What Questions Do You Have For Us?”
The biggest area of dispute among recruiters and career counselors about the interviewing process is what questions applicants should ask the employers when the time comes. The one question they did all agree should be asked is something about the goals or specifics of the position, which lets you position yourself as the best applicant because you know specifically what they’re looking for.
“When they give you an opportunity to ask a question, ask what are the goals of the position,” says professional recruiter Ben Best. “Then you can come back and say, ‘I can do that because I did that over here,’ and then back it up with a success story. Then ask, ‘What’s the first thing I can do that’s going to make your workload lighter or the department’s workload lighter?’ Then, you come back with how you can do that because of relevant experience from your background, and you tell a success story.”
Lisa Carver, president of the human resources firm Moxie Consulting, adds that asking about the duties of a particular position early on in the interview lets the applicant tailor answers to those duties throughout the interview.
Never ask questions you should have researched ahead of time, such as what a company does. Avoid questions about benefits—information that’s usually available on the company’s website anyway.
Best suggests asking only “value-added” questions—those that give you a chance to explain further how you are best for the position. He says to avoid any questions about travel, work-life balance, benefits, why the interviewer likes working there, or any other question that doesn’t immediately turn around and give you a way to sell yourself.
Carver expects questions about benefits, and Richard Roberts, director of career services at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, says you should ask questions about the type of training you’ll receive, how you’ll be supervised, and opportunities for professional development and advancement.
“I want to know what I will be doing day to day because the job could look really glamorous when you’re reading about it online, but it’s work, so it’s probably not going to be that glamorous all the time,” says Susannah Brinkley, who graduated from North Carolina State University in Raleigh in May 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in graphic design. “I want to know what the work day is going to be like, what the hours are, who I’m going to be working with, and get a tour of the facility.”
