Interview Guide Part I: Preparation for the Interview

You finally received the phone call you have been waiting for, “We would like for you to come in for an interview.” The first step through the hiring door is now open. But what comes after that? The process of a job interview is like a performance and with every successful performance, there are preparations to take for a successful show. This job interview guide will go over the three essential parts to a successful interview.

Part I: Preparing for the Interview

Job interview preparation is an important first step to take because your degree of preparation will be noted by the hiring manager. For the interview to be a success, you must be willing to prepare ahead of time. Here are five steps to prepare before an interview:

[1] Identify your personal goals: Understand exactly you want out of a job. What type, kind, and requirements are you looking for? Do you want a 9 to 5, a job that allows you to travel, office position that handles paperwork or a position that requires a more physical challenge? Understanding your personal goals and needs is an important first step to an interview preparation that will help guide you in what companies you should be looking into about possible job openings.

[2] Learn about the company: Part of the interview hiring process is to understand the company you are interested in working for. Understanding what the organization is all about and showing that you are still interested after gathering all the information shows the hiring manager your ability to commit. A basic search should suffice, unless the position requires a more extensive research. There are number of ways to find information on a company: public library, a search on the internet, or speak to a current employee.

[3] Think of questions you may want to ask: Most often than not, the hiring manager will ask if you have any questions about the company and the position being offered. This is where your knowledge that you have researched before the actual interview comes into play. Prepare to ask thoughtful and useful questions. Make sure to ask well thought out questions and avoid “me-centered” questions (i.e. salary, vacation time). Here are some questions to ask at interview:

• What are some the responsibilities of the position offered?
• Is there mobility within the organization, a possibility to grow within the company?
• What are the career paths in this department?
• What would you consider to be the most important aspects of this job?
• What are the skills and attributes you value most for someone being hired for this position?
• Could you describe a typical day or week in this position?
• The typical client or customer I would be dealing with?
• What are the most immediate challenges of the position that needs to be addressed in the first three months?

[4] Consider the type of clothing to wear: Clothes is also an important part for job interview preparation. First impression is made with your appearance, before any words are spoken. You want to dress properly and professionally. Here are some tips on what is considered appropriate interview attire for both men and women according to Career Services at Virginia Tech University:

• Suit: A two piece matched suit is always the best and safest choice.

• But what if the job is in a non-suit-wearing work environment: Even if you would or could wear jeans on the job, or the work environment is outdoors and very non-suit, wearing a suit to the interview shows you take the interview seriously as a professional meeting. Dressing well is a compliment to the person(s) with whom you meet. If you think the industry in which you're interviewing would frown on a suit, or the interview will involve going to a work site where a suit would be inappropriate, look for advice through professional organizations, your professors who have been employed in that industry, and/or by asking the employer directly and politely.

• Conservative colors / fabric: Navy, dark gray (and black for women) — are safe. Other color trends may come and go; avoid the extremes. Solids or very subtle weave patterns or plaids (the kind that look solid across a room) are safest. Wool, wool blends, or good quality micro fiber for women only, are generally the best fabrics in all seasons. Avoid acetate / rayon blends.

• Cost / quality: You are not expected to be able to afford the same clothing as a corporate CEO. Do invest in quality that will look appropriate during your first two or three years on the job. One good quality suit is sufficient for a job search if that is all your budget allows. You can vary your shirt/blouse tie/accessories.

• Details: Everything should be clean and well pressed. Carefully inspect clothes for tags, dangling threads, etc.

[5] Practice answering questions: You will be asked a lot of questions and the more you answer with confidence and eloquence, better the chances are that the position will be given to you. It is the job of the interviewer to find out as much job-relevant information about you as possible, so some of the questions will be easy to answer and others might be a bit more difficult (i.e. why did you leave your last job?) You can’t foresee every question the hiring manager is going to ask you, but there are common questions asked by most hiring departments. Here is a list of some of the most common employment interview questions:

• What are your major weaknesses?
• What type of work experience do you bring to this job?
• What do you see yourself doing in 5-10 years?
• Why do you want to work for us?
• What assets do you bring to this company?
• Discuss a project or undertaking in which you have been successful, why do you believe you succeeded.
• Discuss something at which you did not succeed, what you learned from the experience.
• If you have supervised others, how do you think your staff would describe your management style?
• How do you feel about working in stressful situations?
• Would you describe yourself as a thinker or an action taker?
• Describe a goal you have set for yourself in the past and the steps you took to accomplish it.
• Pick someone in the business or professional world that you admire- why do you respect this individual?
• What do you do for fun? What are your personal interests?
• Describe the type of manager you would like to work for.