Preparing for Interviews

Preparing for Successful Interviews

The single most important strategy in interviewing, as in all phases of your job search, is to find out as much as you can about what people want, and then show them how YOU can help them get it.

In other words, you must match your abilities with the needs of the employer. You must sell what the buyer is buying. You can find some of these answers by:

1. Studying the company website and job description in-depth
2. Talking with someone you may know who works (or has worked) for this company

Finish reading:

• Preparing for Successful Interviews
• Professional Dress for Interviews
• Power of Personal Appearance
• LDS Image Integrity (external link)

• Interview Seminar - by Christopher Galbraith (1-hour video)

Sample Interview Questions

Be prepared to answer and give examples for behavior-based interview questions such as the ones listed below.

Tell me about a time when you:

1. Worked effectively under pressure.
2. Handled a difficult situation/conflict with a co-worker/supervisor.
3. Were creative in solving a problem.
4. Missed an obvious solution to a problem.
5. Were unable to complete a project on time.
6. Persuaded team members to do things your way.
7. Wrote a report that was well received.
8. Anticipated potential problems and developed preventative measures.
9. Had to make an important decision with limited facts.
10. Were forced to make an unpopular decision.
11. Had to adapt to a difficult situation.
12. Were tolerant of an opinion that was different than yours.
13. Were disappointed in your behavior.
14. Used you political savvy to push a program through that you really believed in.
15. Had to deal with an irate customer.
16. Delegated a project effectively.
17. Surmounted a major obstacle.
18. Set your sights too high (or too low).
19. Prioritized the elements of a complicated project.
20. Got bogged down in the details of a project.
21. Lost (or won) an important contract.
22. Made a bad decision.
23. Hired (or fired) the wrong person.
24. Turned down a good job.
    

Interviewing Etiquette

• Interest

  Schedule interviews only for positions for which you have a genuine interest. Do not waste employer's time by setting up "practice interviews". If you are interested in receiving feedback on your interviewing skills, schedule a time for a mock interview.



• Don't be a No-Show

  In general, do not miss your scheduled appointment. Extenuating circumstances may necessitate cancellation of your interview, but even if that is the case, make sure you notify the interviewer as far in advance as possible so that he or she can make other arrangements for that time slot. Use your best judgment when deciding what constitutes "extenuating circumstances."



• Arrive On-time (Early)

  Plan to arrive at your interview 5-10 mintues early. If you arrive at the scheduled time, you are late. When you arrive late, an implicit message is sent that your time is more important than the interviewer's time.



• Be Honest

  As a student at BYU–Idaho, you represent not only yourself but the institution as well. When you submit application materials, and in the interviewing process, make sure the information you give is accurate and does not exaggerate your qualifications.



• Send a Thank-you Note

  Be sure to send a short note thanking the interviewer for his or her time after the interview. Use the thank you note as an opportunity to highlight your strengths with respect to the position, as well as one last chance to express your interest in working for the organization.



• Do Not Withdraw Your Acceptance

  It is unethical to refuse an offer for employment that you had previously accepted. Recruiters and organizations have expended significant resources to make an offer of employment, and withdrawing your acceptance, once given, reflects poorly on you and is costly to organizations. As with cancelling an interview, extenuating circumstances may necessitate withdrawing your acceptance of an offer.