Interviewing

Introduction

An Interview is a formal meeting between a job or internship seeker and a recruiter to explore a candidate’s suitability for an opportunity. Since they are only offered to those candidates who have passed an initial round of assessment, interviews can be thought of as the “goal” of well-written resumes and cover letters. However, because interviews are only offered to the most promising applicants, recruiters have high expectations for the performance of interviewees.

Recruiters expect structured and articulate answers to their questions and rate those answers both qualitatively and quantitatively. Furthermore, interviews are a means for recruiters to judge a candidate’s communications and interpersonal skills, attitude, and professional presentation. Therefore, interviewing is difficult and it’s essential to start your preparation well in advance of receiving an interview invitation – there’s simply no way to “cram” or “wing it.”

Use this section of the website to get a basic understanding of interviewing. Develop answers to common questions on your own, and then contact Career Services to arrange a “mock” interview. These practice interviews allow you to make mistakes in a safe environment and receive constructive feedback to improve your performance for when it counts.

Although the interviews described in this section are the most usual, every organization will vary in how they asses and hire an intern or full-time employee. It’s important that you investigate how things are specialized for your area of interest by asking the experts <link to networking> in your field.

Interview Basics

Based on the preferences of the recruiter, interviews usually range from 30 to 60 minutes in length. Organizations often use multiple rounds of interviews, with two being the most common:

• The “first-round interview” can take place on campus, at the employer’s facilities or over the phone. Depending on the size of the organization, the first-round interview may be conducted by a human resources professional (in this context, someone whose full-time job it is to recruit new employees).

• “Second-round interviews” are most often held at the employer’s facilities and can involve meeting with multiple staff members (either as a group or in back-to-back interviews). Although human resources professionals may be involved with second-round interviews, they are often led by a manager from the hiring department within the organization (i.e., the person who may be your future supervisor).