Interviewing

Throw aside notions of an intense interrogation. What an interviewer really wants is to know if you can do the job, and if you will be a good part of their team. A successful interview feels more like a (professional) conversation, so relax.

Know Your Stuff

In this context, YOU are the hot topic. Why are you worth hiring? If you don’t have an answer yet, take some time to think about it. But you should have also done some digging to learn about the company, your industry, and even your potential interviewer.

Tell Stories

Don’t just answer questions- give examples, as specific (yet concise) as possible. People love stories. They make it easier to get meaningful information about you, and they also help your interviewer get a sense of your personality. Pretty much everyone claims to be organized, so instead tell them about the time you helped create a filing system from scratch at your internship.

Remember Your Work

If you are in a visual, portfolio-based field, your interview will basically be a portfolio review. The Portfolio Center is your best friend and ally in preparing for this process. But if you are in an industry that is portfolio-optional, don’t be afraid to offer up a few samples of your work. Bring them in if it feels natural, otherwise leave your business card and invite them to check out work on your website.

Practice

Few of us are naturally gifted in the art of talking about ourselves. Like most things, interviewing skill gets better the more you do it. You will lose the nerves and your answers will be more polished. See below for a list of common questions to practice with a friend, schedule a Show Off, or a mock interview. Or all of the above!

Attire

You probably don’t need a suit, but you don’t want to roll in wearing hot pants either. Match your dress with the professionals you are interviewing with. Ask around to instructors, other students, or staff in Career Initiatives for feedback.

Sample Questions

General:

Tell me about yourself.
What is your greatest strength?
What is your greatest weakness?
Why should we hire you?
What do you know about our company/organization?
Why are you interested in this job?
What did you learn from your internship?
Describe your ideal work environment.
What was your least favorite part of your last job?
Where do you see yourself in five years?
What would need from us to succeed in the first few months on the job?
Why did you choose Columbia College?
What classes or professors were most influential to you?
What accomplishments are you most proud of?
What inspires you to be creative?

Behavioral Questions: “Tell me about a time you…”

had to juggle multiple priorities
disagreed with a supervisor
had to complete a project with somewhat ambiguous directions
had to deal with a difficult client or customer
set a goal, and what you did to achieve it
tried something new and failed
implemented an innovative or creative change you initiated

Questions to Ask Them:

What qualities do you think are important for someone to succeed in this position?
How are employees evaluated?
What is a typical career path for the position?
What do you like about working for the company?
What are some of your goals for the position?
What are some of the challenges facing this position?

Get a print copy of sample questions

INTERVIEWING LINKS: