A Guide to Interviewing
Interviewing is a critical part in the hiring process. As an interviewing candidate, you want to present yourself
as the best possible fit for the available position. Consider the following when preparing.
BE READY!
Readying yourself for an interview should begin before you even submit a resume. Remember, a recruiter can
contact you about a position hours or months after you’ve submitted a resume. You cannot know when an
employer will follow up.
WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT?
There are several types of interviews that you may participate in during the course of an interviewing process.
Remember, especially with larger organizations, you may start the process by interviewing with a human
resources representative and ultimately speak with the prospective manager later. Of course, interviews can
happen over the phone or in-person. Many companies are now using video conferencing technologies even in
advanced stages of interviewing. This approach reduces travel costs while also providing a visual component
to remote interviewing.
Depending on the type of job, who is conducting the interview and what they are trying to gauge from the
interaction, you could expect the following types of interviews:
 Behavioral Based: Asks interviewees to recount experiences from their past. Experiences can be
positive or negative and can help an employer evaluate how certainly situations might be handled in
the context of their open position.
 Task Oriented: A candidate is asked to take a test or solve a problem related to the technical
expectations of the job or professional area.
 Case: Often used in interviewing for consulting positions, in the case interview individuals are given
scenarios which have no prescribed right or wrong answers. Showing the interviewer how you assess
the problem and the process that you go through to arrive at your answer is important.
 Resume Based: In some interviews, candidates may find themselves purely being asked to provide
more detail about the experiences listed on their resume.
WHAT ARE THEY LOOKING FOR?
The interview gives the company the chance to see what sort of fit you’d be with the organization. To make
the strongest first impression with the organization, you should consider the following ways a company might
evaluate you:
 How you express ideas or recount situations
 Quality of the answers you deliver/responses reveal your value
 Appearance & mannerisms
 Technical or work-related competency
 Knowledge of the professional area and/or company
BEFORE YOU GET THE CALL
 GET POLISHED: Consider your wardrobe and any other opportunities to
convey a professional image. Do your clothing, hair style/facial hair, etc.,
enable an employer to envision you giving a talk to the leaders of their
company? If not, polish your appearance and invest in a few professional
clothing pieces that you can wear now and during your early business career.
Purchase a leather padfolio to hold extra copies of your resumes as well as a
notebook.
 CREATE ORDER: Develop a methodical system for tracking which positions
you’ve applied for and which companies those are associated with so that
you’ll be well informed with an employer calls you to schedule an interview.
 REFLECT: Document major impactful scenarios in your life. Think of situations
where you exhibited skill related to the job/company, leadership, ability to
work effectively within a team and problem solving. Creating notecards or
notes within technology devices allows a candidate to easily review these
situations. In many cases, these very impactful happenings can be used to
answer a variety of questions in an interview.
 REHEARSE: Practice with mentors, colleagues or GTAA staff. Be comfortable
delivering information about yourself.
 “TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF”: For some people, it is the hardest question in
an interview. Many times it is the prompt that marks the beginning of
interviews. So, you want to start out right. Keep in mind this information can
be used for introductions at networking events, career fairs and other
professional programs. Include information that is professional relevant
(though a small amount of personal information is permissible)
WHEN YOU ARE CALLED
 TARGET SCENARIOS: Consider the impactful scenarios you’ve
documented in the context of the company or position. Are there specific
things you see as more valuable? Be sure to be ready to relay the most
relevant content!
 REVIEW: Certainly it is a good idea to know what questions are typically
asked during interviews. There are many resources online for possible
interview questions. Keep in mind there is no guarantee that those are
questions you’ll be asked.
 RECORD: Be sure to gather all necessary details for your interview
(when, where, with whom, etc.) and schedule accordingly. Carefully
retain the contact information of the person scheduling the interview so
that you can follow up with any questions. Make a plan to be at the right
place at the right time.
 RESEARCH: Be sure to do your homework on the company and be
prepared to discuss current events related to the organization or
industry. Learn about the people with whom you’ll be interviewing.
 CONSIDER QUESTIONS: Be prepared to ask questions at the interview.
These questions can be easily written in your padfolio so that you can
refer to them during the interview.
THE DAY OF THE INTERVIEW
 Eat a healthy breakfast.
 Dress professionally (suit, etc.) unless you’re told by the person interviewing you that more casual
attire is appropriate.
 Arrive at least 15 minutes for the interview. Be aware, you may not called back until the interview
time and that’s fine.
 Greet everyone at the company warmly and extend your hand to shake your interviewer’s hand.
DURING THE INTERVIEW
 Be prepared for the “Tell me about yourself” prompt. Having a solid response prepared can certainly
help start your interview off on a positive foot. Remember to keep your response professionally
focused for the large part. Some personal information (hobbies, interests, etc.) is certainly fine but
keep professional information central.
 Answer interview questions thoroughly and with information relevant to the job. When answering
behavioral based questions especially, utilize the STAR technique. The STAR technique leads you
through answering questions by addressing a specific Situation, the Task that needed to be
accomplished, the Action that you personally took, and the Results of your actions. The
 Maintain good posture, a pleasant demeanor, and consistent eye contact when delivering responses.
 Utilize a variety of experiences to answer questions.
 Don’t rush into your answers—Give yourself a moment to gather your thoughts if needed.
 Keep responses positive. Even when asked about a negative situation, attempt to keep your response
as positive as possible. Never speak negatively about a past employer or former supervisor or coworker. Focus on lessons learned from a challenging situation.
 Ask Questions! Questions can reassure the interviewer that you are well prepared and interested in
the position/organization. Your questions can help you learn specifics that may not have come up in
the interview. Responses to your questions can help you to decide if the job you’re interviewing for
and the company you’re interviewing with will be a good fit for you.
 Seal the Deal! Be sure that you have discussed experiences you’ve had that related to the position for
which you are interviewing. At the conclusion of the interview, you may be asked if you have anything
else that you’d like to discuss. Seize the opportunity to briefly highlight experience that would benefit
you in the role for which you are interviewing. You can also clarify next steps in the hiring process.
FOLLOWING THE INTERVIEW
 There are many things that you may not have control over in the interviewing process- Don’t let lack
of follow-up be the reason you don’t continue in the process with a company!
 Compose a note for each individual interviewer thanking them for their time. This can also provide a
good opportunity to reaffirm your interest in the position/company.
 When deciding on whether to use email or a handwritten/typed note, consider the time frame.
Certainly, if a decision will be made within the next few days email would probably be the best
alternative for getting a message to your interviewer immediately. However, in this age of electronic
communication, a mailed note or letter may be more distinctive.