Interview Preparation

Much of your success during the interview boils down to how you prepare before it. The thinking, researching, and practicing you do combine to set you up for knowledgeable confidence when you’re actually sitting in the interview chair.

Here are some things to do before your interview to succeed during!

Know the Key Logistical Details and What to Bring

Some pre-interview tasks are far too easy to overlook! Possible results: You’re late for your interview, or you forget something.

So keep the following tips in mind about interview logistics and what to bring:

Know the details of the interview and write them down: date, time, length, location, and who the interviewer(s) is/are. If this level of detail isn’t shared with you, be sure to ask! You want as much information as possible to prepare effectively.

Get good directions to the interview site. If possible, practice getting there so you won’t be late. Build-in time to find a parking spot or to walk from a public transportation drop-off area.

Update your resume and bring several copies with you. Also bring any other documents you’ve been asked to show, such as a reference list or your academic transcript. You may also want to bring examples of your work that are relevant to the position (for example, a social media plan you created at your internship for a public relations job).

Be prepared for the possibility of testing, too. Interviews for some positions include skills tests, proofreading tests, and/or personality assessments.

Know What to Wear

Dress in a way that is authentic to you and your identities, and that is comfortable, neat, and clean. Showcase how you would like to be viewed in a professional setting. 

You don’t need to spend a lot of money on an outfit; perhaps you have items in your wardrobe that are interview-appropriate. If not, check department stores for discounts, look in thrift stores, or talk to a CLA career coach about requesting professional attire from a local agency that partners with CLA Career Services. 

When you’re preparing your interview attire, consult with a CLA career coach and/or make an educated guess about what’s appropriate by considering your audience. If you’re interviewing with a corporation, for example, you may want to dress more formally in what’s known as “business professional” attire. If you’re interviewing with a nonprofit organization, you may want to dress a little more casual, along the lines of “business casual” attire. 

If you’re in doubt, dress conservatively. It’s better to be overdressed than underdressed, too formal vs. too casual.

You can also check out the University of Minnesota Job Fair Pinterest board, which offers some specific visual examples.

Know Yourself and How You’ll Communicate What You Have to Offer

While the interview is a way for the employer to find the best person for their open position, it is also an opportunity for you to identify—and then communicate—how you can effectively do the job and how you will be valuable to the organization. 

Knowing yourself is crucial to this task. So even though you probably won’t be asked the exact questions that follow (i.e., verbatim), be ready to talk about these broad topics:

Who are you? What are your interests, passions, values, talents, competencies, and skills?

What is your educational background? What classes have you taken? What certifications are you pursuing, and what research have you conducted?

What do you know how to do? You should be able to articulate the experience you’ve gained through jobs, internships, volunteer positions, learning abroad, student group and leadership activities, and class projects.

Remember, too, that you are more than your major. The list of Core Career Competencies you’ve been working on as a CLA student came from extensive discussions with employers. Your liberal arts education is helping you develop these competencies. The interview is the time to tout them!

You will also want to go through each line of the job description and think of examples from your academic, extracurricular, and work experiences that demonstrate the competencies/skills and qualities the employer is seeking. You can even make yourself a quick chart, which might look something like this:

Know the Employer

The biggest mistake interviewees make, according to a survey of employers who hire UMN grads, is lacking knowledge about the organization they’re interviewing with. 

Remember: Most interviewers have been evaluating candidates for a long time. They can thus tell which candidates have done their homework before the interview—and which have not. 

So show the prospective employer that you’re serious about the position and the organization by doing your employer research. Learn more about the employer’s culture, philosophy, and career paths, as well as its history and structure. 

Practice Answering Traditional Interview Questions

It’s impossible to know exactly what questions you’ll be asked in your interview. But the position description offers you a pretty good guide to what key competencies and skills the employer's seeking. 

You’ll be able to uncover even more clues by researching the organization’s industry in-depth, and by simply putting yourself in the interviewer’s shoes. (If you were the person interviewing candidates for this position, what would you be looking for?)

Once you’ve made your best-educated guess as to which competencies and skills the employer will likely be assessing in you—keeping in mind that the Core Career Competencies will certainly be among them—write down and practice describing how you have developed them through your academic, extracurricular, and work experiences. 

Here are some of the most prevalent traditional interview questions.

“Tell Me About Yourself”

This is a very common way for an interview to begin. The key here is to stay away from personal topics and instead keep your answer concise. The interviewer doesn’t need to know your life story; only the parts that are relevant to the job. 

So think about what brought you to this interview. Why did you apply for the position, and why are you qualified? You may want to talk about your educational background and the experiences you’ve had in college that are relevant, such as internships and student group involvement. 

This is also an excellent time to mention your strongest of the Core Career Competencies that signify career readiness, perhaps doing so in terms of how others see you (e.g., “The people who know me best say I’m an excellent writer and a collaborative leader.”).

“What Are Your Strengths?”

Think of three strengths you have (especially in the framework of the Core Career Competencies) that are relevant to the position, and come up with specific examples of when you’ve used these strengths to accomplish something that matters. 

For example, you might say that your top three strengths are:

Written communication, as evidenced by the concise memo you wrote for your internship supervisor, summarizing a recent book proposal.

Organization, as shown by your ability to maintain a 3.8 GPA in a busy semester of 18 credits, a 15-hours-per-week internship, and a leadership position in a student organization.

Problem-solving, which was apparent when you led the development of a process for attracting and recruiting new students to your sorority.

“What Are Your Weaknesses?”

If you’re asked to give a weakness, focus on something you’re trying to improve. Pick a skill versus a personality trait, and talk about what you’re doing to get better at it. 

For example:

While I’m confident in my ability to present to a group, I’m not as skilled in different presentation tools. I am currently challenging myself to not use PowerPoint for my next three presentations, and to instead use new tools such as Prezi, or rely on different visual aids.

One cautionary note: Make sure the skill you decide to talk about is not one that is essential to the position you’re seeking!

A Few Other Traditional Interview Questions

“Why do you want to work for this organization?”

“What five adjectives best describe you?”

“Why did you choose this career? your major?”

“How do you work under pressure?”

“Describe your work ethic.”

“What did you like most about your previous job? least?”

“Describe your work style. What work environment best suits you?”

“What are your short- and long-term career goals? What are you doing to achieve them?”

Practice Answering Behavioral-Based Interview Questions

In behavioral-based interviews, you’re asked to give real examples of times you have displayed the Core Career Competencies, related skills, and personal traits the prospective employer is seeking. 

The interview questions themselves usually start with phrases like:

“Tell me about a time when you had to …”

“Give me an example of when you needed to …”

“Describe a situation where you …”

Because you don’t know in advance the questions you’ll be asked, you’ll need to study the job description closely to see what specific competencies/skills, abilities, and traits the employer is seeking, particularly in the context of the Core Career Competencies. Think of examples of times you have demonstrated these characteristics.

Then practice responding to each anticipated question, using what we call the STAR format: Situation-Task-Action-Result.

Situation: Set up the situation you faced by describing the context (the who, what, where, when, why, and how).

Task: Explain the task you (not the group) had to complete or the problem you had to solve.

Action: Describe the actions you took.

Result: Explain the result. Quantify the outcome if possible. 

Here’s an example:

Describe a project for which you faced multiple deadlines, and talk about how you handled it.

Answer: 

Situation: “Last fall, I took the initiative to apply for grants to fund a professional speaker for a CLA event. It’s often difficult to get grants for event funding, and it’s important to meet various grant deadlines.”

Task: “I researched grant options and found several possibilities. Each had a different deadline and a different window of time for which the money could be used.”

Action: “The varying timelines required me to create a small database, which I organized by grant deadlines, purposes, and the windows of time they could be used. I used this database to help me apply for the appropriate grants at the appropriate times.”

Result: “The primary grant came through, but a smaller grant did not. So I quickly helped find a last-minute event sponsor, then updated the PR materials and budget accordingly.

“In the end, the event was successful on multiple levels. We expected about 50 students to attend; 60 showed up. Also, we were able to provide honorariums to additional speakers.

“It was a fun project—one that required me to organize, problem solve, meet multiple deadlines, and make decisions.”

As you get better at answering interview questions this way, you will find that the STAR approach is actually quite empowering. It gives you a specific method for responding, which boosts your confidence and improves your performance.

A Few Examples of Commonly Asked Behavioral-Based Interview Questions

“Tell about a time when you took the initiative to do something that needed to be done, even though it wasn’t your responsibility.”

“Tell me about a situation where you had to collaborate with people to achieve a goal.”

“Tell me about a mistake you made and what you learned from it.”

“Give me an example of your organizational skills.”

“Tell me about a situation where you had to resolve a conflict with another person.”

Prepare Some Questions of Your Own

Employers expect you to have questions of your own during an interview, it demonstrates your curiosity and sincere interest in the role. Asking questions also helps you form your own opinion about whether the position and organization are a good fit for you. 

Beyond questions that pertain directly to the position description and the organization that you want to know more about, these are some general questions you may want to also consider asking: Here are some potential questions you can ask.  

Questions About the Position

What are some of the key projects for this role?

What kind of training will there be for the position?

What do you think is the most challenging part of the job? The most rewarding?

What opportunities exist for professional growth and development?

Will travel be required?

What does the supervision of this role look like?

Does this position require a lot of individual work, group collaboration, or both?

How is successfulness in this role defined and measured?

Questions About the Organization and Work Culture

What is the work environment like? May I see the area where I would be working?

What changes do you foresee in the department/organization over the next couple of years?

What do you enjoy most about working here?

What makes your organization different from similar organizations or competitors?

What is your organization’s biggest challenge?

Questions Related to the Interview Process

What are the next steps in the interview process and hiring timeline?

Will you have second interviews, or will you base your decision on this one?

Is there anything else you’d like to know about me?

When You Arrive

Arrive for your interview at least 10 minutes early. Why put unnecessary pressure on yourself by forcing yourself to rush?

Assume the interview starts the moment you get to the building or even the parking lot. Be polite to everyone you interact with. Remember: You are likely being evaluated by everyone you see.

Know your interviewer's name and how to pronounce it. Know the names of top management in the organization as well.

Follow the interviewer’s lead. For example:

Some interviews are conversational in tone while others are more structured, try to match their style.

Typically in American business culture, the norm is to make eye contact and shake hands, but perhaps this isn’t the norm at the organization or it might not be culturally appropriate for the individual. Be adaptable to the situation. Also, if shaking hands and making eye contact isn’t culturally appropriate for you, you may want to let the interviewer know in advance or plan for how you will approach this at the interview.

How to Approach Answering Interview Questions

Understand that it takes time to develop a rapport with your interviewer. So listen carefully to the questions. Ask for clarification if you need to. Don't be afraid of pauses or of taking time to think. Some silence is OK (and it likely feels longer to you than to the interviewer). If you’re asked about something and you don’t have an answer that comes immediately to mind, take time to pause and collect your thoughts. You can even say something like, “I need to think about that for a moment.”

Answer questions as completely as you can. Emphasize your Core Career Competencies and other skills and how they relate to the position. Don't exaggerate or lie, but don't undersell your qualifications either. You have many talents to offer!

Be yourself and show confidence. Don’t worry about giving the “right” answer to each question, because there often isn’t one. The interviewer simply wants to understand who you are and how you would be a value add to the organization.

Give specific examples to illustrate your points. Demonstrate how your experiences and skills (especially your development of the Core Career Competencies) make you a good match for the role. Tell detailed stories about things you've done and how they made a difference for a coworker, classmate, organization, etc. Emphasize what you can do for this organization, focusing in particular on the Core Career Competencies (which are, after all, the top traits employers look for in candidates).

Handling Illegal Interview Questions

In the United States, it is illegal for employers to ask you questions about your marital status if you have children or are expecting a child, religious practices, political affiliation, race or nationality, sexual orientation, age, whether you have a disability, your gender, and whether or not you have been arrested. These questions are illegal because the information that could be shared in a candidate’s response may be used to discriminate against them. If you are asked an illegal question, you do not need to answer it. Instead, turn the focus back on your qualifications for the position. Learn more about how to handle illegal interview questions.

Key Interview Strategies

Listen for the clues that the interviewer's questions or statements provide. They'll give you a sense of what competencies, skills, and qualities matter most. Focus your responses on them.

Ask questions of your own, too. Doing so will demonstrate your interest and help you decide if this is a place you'd like to work.

Don't apologize or offer excuses for shortcomings. Instead, emphasize your willingness to learn new things and develop the competencies and skills you need.

When asked questions about something negative (like a weakness or a mistake), don't avoid the topic. Choose what you share carefully, then focus on a positive aspect. For example, explain how you managed a challenge, what you learned from a mistake, or what you'd do differently next time. This leaves the interviewer seeing that you are self-aware and able to manage problems.

Look for opportunities to insert accomplishment stories that highlight your Core Career Competencies, other skills, and background. Prepare some of these stories in advance and weave them throughout your interview.

Ending Your Interview Effectively

Be alert to signals from the interviewer that it's time to wrap up.

End with a statement that summarizes your strongest Core Career Competencies and skills as well as your enthusiasm for the position. Prepare this statement in advance.

As you finish, ask about future contact. For example: "What is the next step in the interviewing process?" or "What is your timeline for the rest of the hiring process?"

Thank the interviewer(s) for his/her/their time, and emphasize that you look forward to hearing back from the organization.

Ask for their email address and/or business card, if you don't already have it, so you can send a thank you note afterwards.

Once your interview is over, well … it’s not really over! You need to assess the interview and re-evaluate your interest in the position and organization you’re pursuing. 

If you are not still interested in the job, you need to contact the organization immediately to withdraw from consideration.

If you are still interested, on the other hand, you have at least one and possibly two additional tasks ahead:

Writing and sending a thank-you note.

Writing and sending a follow-up email.

Thank-You Notes 

There are many benefits to sending a thank you note. For starters, it’s a way to show your gratitude. Your interviewer has spent time and energy with you and on you and is spending additional time and energy evaluating you for the position that is being filled. It only makes sense, then, to thank them for that consideration.

But a thank-you note benefits you, too, because it gives you the chance to reiterate your interest in the position you’re pursuing, as well as your qualifications and fit for it. It’s one last chance to make a compelling case for your candidacy.

Keep this little-known fact in mind, too: Most job/internship applicants fail to send a thank-you note after interviews. So when you do, you’ll immediately stand out from the crowd and improve your chances of landing the position.

What Type of Thank-You Note Should You Send?

You can send a handwritten notecard or an email:

A handwritten note card is the most personal option and is typically shorter (just a few sentences) than the other options. 

Use a small, professional-looking card.

Use blue or black ink.

Write neatly. (If you can’t, send an email or a printed letter instead.)

An email works well when a hiring decision is likely to be made very quickly and you want your note to arrive before any final decisions are made. It’s also a good option when emailing has been the main method of contact between you and the person you want to thank, or when you know the interviewer prefers to be contacted by email.

Structure your email as two or three short paragraphs.

Make sure the email address you use (for this and all communications related to jobs or internships) is professional.

Use a signature block at the end of your email that includes your contact information. You’ll still “sign” your name, but the signature block will follow. For example:

Regards,
Catherine

****************************************
Catherine Tate
1234 Emerson Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55408
(612) 123-4567
[email protected] 
****************************************

What Should You Say in Your Thank-You Note?

Begin by thanking the interviewer for his/her time, and for considering you for the position. 

Restate your enthusiasm about the job, then briefly reiterate the strengths and skills you’d bring to it (remembering to emphasize relevant Core Career Competencies). Focus in particular on the ones the interviewer seemed most interested in, and mention how they will be helpful to the organization.

If there was an interview question you didn’t answer very well, you can briefly clarify or elaborate on your response in your thank-you note. Similarly, you can mention anything you’ve done since the interview (e.g., additional research, reading, training) that further demonstrates your interest in the position.

Close by thanking the recipient once again. Offer to respond quickly to any additional questions or concerns he/she might have and note that you are looking forward to hearing from him/her.

Other Thank-You Note Essentials

Send your note within two days after your interview.

If you were interviewed by multiple people, send an individual thank-you note to each of them.

Double-check your note for grammatical and punctuation errors as well as awkward sentences.

Proofread. Then proofread again. One error can move you to the bottom of the candidate pool (which is true for résumés and cover letters too, by the way).

An Example of a Concise, Effective Thank-You Note

Dear [Name of Interviewer],

Thank you very much for meeting with me today to discuss the role of [position title + organization]. It was a pleasure to learn more about the position, and I am excited about the opportunity to bring my skills to your team and help [state a specific goal of the job/organization that you discussed in the interview]. I am happy to provide any additional information if necessary, and I look forward to hearing back from you.

Best,
[Name]

Follow-Up Emails

If you haven’t heard back from a prospective employer within the timeframe that was discussed in your interview, send a follow-up email to check on where things are in the hiring process—and to indicate that you’re still interested in the opportunity.

It can be as simple as this:

Dear [Hiring Manager],

Thank you for taking the time to interview me for the Volunteer Coordinator position at The Science Museum of Minnesota. I really enjoyed learning about the Museum and how vital the volunteers are to the success of the organization.

After the interview, I am even more excited about the possibility of working for your organization, as my communication studies degree, experience volunteering at several nonprofits, and attention to detail make me a great fit for the position.

Thank you for considering me, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

[Name]

You can also watch a short Presentation recording about how to approach virtual interviews. 

More than half of employers now use video or phone interviewing as one of their college recruiting tools. In many ways, you’ll prepare for these virtual interviews—and perform in them—just as you would for a face-to-face interview.

What is Virtual Interviewing?

It's essentially an interview that is not in-person and done in an online format. An interview with an employer for example could be live on the phone or on a screen. Recording your responses to a set of questions delivered asynchronously via computer is another form of virtual interviewing.

The purpose of a virtual interview is the same as an in-person interview, and you want to make sure your best self shines through!

Here are five tips to help you excel in your virtual interview.

1. Clarify Logistics

It's okay to do so! This information is likely to be shared when you are invited for an interview, but in case it isn’t, do clarify logistics by asking what you can expect. For instance, will the employer be contacting you via phone or via video conferencing software? (Clarify who will be contacting who.) How long is the interview? With whom will the interview be? What can you expect during the virtual interview?

2. Check Your Tech and Environment

Before and during the interview, make sure your technology works - internet connection and phone reception. We recommend using your headphones. Next, think about where you will interview. Arrange a space that is comfortable, has little to no distractions, and offers good lighting. Lastly, communication is key. At the start of the interview, check-in about how communication is going for you and the employer (i.e audio, connection, volume). This is also a good time to discuss a back up plan in case technical issues come up. Provide the employer with a number to best reach you.

3. Prepare Yourself

Just as you would for an in-person interview. Here’s what you can prepare.

Your Self-Introduction

Two of the commonly asked questions in an interview, that will likely be asked during a virtual interview are “tell us about yourself” and “why are you interested in the position/organization?”. Learn more on how to prepare your self-introduction.

Prepare Questions

To guide you as to what to ask, think about what would be most helpful for you to know about the position and organization to assess your interest.

STAR Method

The STAR method stands for Situation-Task-Action-Result. It is a great interview strategy to communicate your Core Career Competencies and will come in handy during a virtual interview!

4. Do Your Research

Yes, it’s important to know a thing or two about the employer. Research basic information like the size of the organization, general history, mission, types of opportunities available, product(s), target market(s), and competitors. This will make it easier for you to talk to (and impress) representatives from these organizations.

Where to start?

Social media platforms, company website, LinkedIn, Google, Glassdoor, and University Library Business.

5. Dress the Part

Yes, even if you're not meeting in person. Make every effort count. It's also confidence boosting! You want to dress wisely, in a way that makes sense for both the job/employer itself as well as for your own personal identity. Experiment a bit beforehand, with the help of a friend, to get a sense of how you look best on camera. View examples of clothing options.

Friendly Reminders

Avoid distractions

Silence your phone if you are in a video call

Let your housemates know-do not disturb

Take notes before and during the interview

It's okay to ask for a question to be repeated

Resources

Use the InterviewPrep tool to get practice interviewing. Choose questions or question sets and respond via webcam. InterviewPrep video captures can be viewed by you and / or shared with a career counselor for feedback.  For access to this free service, log in to Handshake, click on the “Career Center” drop-down menu, and then select the “Resources” option. Choose "InterviewPrep" on the page that follows, then follow the link to InterviewPrep. Note: You can also use InterviewPrep—and participate in real interviews via Skype or phone—by reserving a quiet, distraction-free interview room at CLA Career Services. Call 612-626-6574 for details.

RATE™ stands for Reflect, Articulate, Translate, and Evaluate. A free tool you can use to communicate the value of your curricular and co-curricular experiences. Go to RATE to get started!

Connect with a Career Coach to do a practice interview! Schedule an appointment.

Use the online interview guide.

As you prepare for a career fair, get ready for an interview, create a cover letter, or prepare for any interaction with an employer, it’s important to do some research about the organization you’ll be engaging with. Use these questions to help guide you:

What industry is this organization in? Who are their competitors and how are they different?

What is the history of the organization?

Is it a public, private, non-profit organization, or government agency?

Where is it headquartered? Are there multiple locations? Is the organization international?

What is the size of the organization?

What kind of internship or job openings do they have?

What skills and experiences does this organization value?

Who are the key players of the organization? How is the organization structured?

What is the organization's culture, mission, vision, and values?

What products or services does the organization make, sell or provide?

Who are the clients this organization serves?

What has this organization been in the news about lately?

What kind of recognition has this organization received?

There are many ways to research employers, use the strategies below to help you get started!

Network

If you already know someone who works at the organization, reach out to them or find new contacts through the University of Minnesota Alumni Association’s Maroon and Gold Network, a free online networking platform that allows you to get career-related advice from UMN alumni around the world who have volunteered to share it. You can also find contacts through using LinkedIn, the world’s largest online professional networking website. Once you find a contact, request an informational interview!

Organization’s website

Review the organization’s website; pay particular attention to their mission statement, news section, career page, and organization structure.

Glassdoor 

On Glassdoor, you can read reviews about organizations, find salary information, and interviewing stories from people who work there. 

Social Media

A good place to start with social media is LinkedIn because you can search and find company profiles, which includes an overview of the organization, a list of all their employees who are on LinkedIn, job openings, and updates. You can click “follow” so that you receive updates about the organization on your feed. You may also want to use other social media, like twitter or facebook to see what the organization is posting about.

News

Use Google news search, check business journals, or search the local newspaper where the organization is headquartered to find the latest happenings about the organization you are researching.  

Career Databases

The UMN Libraries provides access to a variety of premier databases to get employer information, including:

GuideStar: information on all nonprofits in the United States that are registered with the IRS

Hoovers: Detailed company and industry information including fortune 500 companies

PrivCo: Provides information on privately held companies

Like so many other things in life, interviewing improves with practice. 

Fortunately, as a CLA student, you have several ways to practice interviewing before you actually do it! 

Practice Interviewing Online with InterviewPrep

InterviewPrep allows you to do practice interviews through your own computer, at your convenience. All you need is a webcam. 

For access to this free service, log in to Handshake, click on the “Career Center” drop-down menu, and then select the “Resources” option. Choose "InterviewPrep" on the page that follows, then follow the link to InterviewPrep.

While you’re on the InterviewPrep website, be sure to check out its in-depth tutorials on interviewing success.

(Note: You can also use InterviewPrep—and participate in real interviews via Skype or phone—by reserving a quiet, distraction-free interview room at CLA Career Services. Call 612-626-6574 for details.)

Why Should You Use InterviewPrep?

It lets you practice interviewing as much as you want, whenever you want.

You can choose the interview questions you'll be asked; there are hundreds available.

You can save your interview and view it later.

You can send people a link to your interview to get feedback.

Practice Interviewing with a CLA Career Coach

If you’d like, you can set up an appointment with a CLA career coach who can take you through a practice interviewing session. You’ll get feedback immediately afterward.