Careers

Interview Tips

You are Offered an Interview … Now What?

When contacted for an interview, preparation and planning for the interview are very important.

Keep these things in mind:

• Plan to arrive for the interview 10 to 15 minutes early, this allows you enough time to find the location.
• Dress professionally and appropriately as first impressions do count.
• The interview panel should be introduced to you, so greet the interviewers in a friendly and confident manner.
• As the interview is proceeding, let the interviewers set the tone and the pace. You can think of the interview as an opportunity for dialogue between you and the panel to exchange information.
• If there are any job functions that you are unsure of, write these down as you could ask for further clarification after your interview.
• You may ask the salary range for the position; however try to avoid discussing salary until after the interview is completed.
• At the end of the interview, ask what the next steps are, including when you might expect to hear from the interviewers and will you be contacted by telephone or in a letter.
• If you have not already done so, be prepared to supply a list of references to the interview panel.
• The type of position you are interviewing for will determine what specific questions you will be asked. However there are some common questions that are asked at an interview:

Tell us about yourself:

• What words best describe you?
• What are your long term career goals?
• What are your strengths?
• Describe a situation that demonstrates your ability to adapt to changes at work?
• Explain the steps you would take to resolve a conflict with a co-worker?
• Ideally an interview will consist of no more than 20 questions. Some interviews may include a computer test or other type of skill measuring task (example: developing a short presentation of 5 to 10 minutes in length on a specified topic). When contacted for an interview, you will be told if there is a computer test or if required to provide a presentation. You may ask what the interview will consist of and also about how long the interview itself will take. In some cases an interview process can take up to 1 ½ hours if more components are involved.