Interviewing

• Research the company and position.
• Research YOU…know your strengths in relation to the position.
• Prepare to answer questions with enthusiasm and confidence.
  
• Schedule a practice interview with Career Services, call 701.777.3904.
• Present yourself professionally…look, speak, dress, and act accordingly.
• Be on time and treat everyone with respect.
• Preparing practically for the interview in the days before. Lay out your clothes, figure out where you’re going to park, print out your resume for the employer, etc.

Telephone Interview

Some companies use phone interviews to screen potential candidates to narrow down the candidate pool. Remember…phone interviews are as much of an interview as a face-to-face interview. Typically, the primary goal is to determine if the applicant would be worth bringing in for a face-to-face interview. Phone interview questions will typically revolve around your qualifications, interests, and what you are looking for in a position or company. It is a fact finding mission.

On-Campus Interview

Similar to the telephone interview, campus interviews are an opportunity to screen several candidates at the convenience of the student. Employers typically conduct several 30 minute interviews in one day to make better use of their time.

Traditional/Face-To-Face Interview

You will be asked basic, straightforward questions about you, your education and experiences. Traditional interviews tend to focus on your preferred ways of interacting, how you would handle hypothetical situations, and if you are a “fit.” They are typically organized around your resume. Traditional interviews are becoming less common but you may still find some traditional interview questions built into the increasingly more common behavioral-based and case study interviews.

Behavioral Interview

With behavioral based interviews, the interviewer wants to hear how you handled an actual situation, not what you might do in the future or hypothetically. They are based on the principle that past performance indicates future performance. The questions will be pointed, probing, and more specific than the generalized questions used in traditional interviews. The employer knows what skills they need in the person they hire and will conduct the interview to find out if you have those skills.

Case Study / Situational Interviews

This type of interview is typically used to evaluate your analytical skills, creativity, communications skills, flexibility, thinking/working under pressure, listening skills, interpersonal skills, professionalism, command of the subject matter, and problem solving abilities. The recruiter is looking to see how you tackle the situation, arrive at your solution, and communicate the solution. You will need to carefully explain each step in your thought process and alternatives/obstacles/factors considered in order to show the recruiter how you deal with a situation. Case study interviews are meant to be interactive; it’s okay to ask questions.

Virtual Interviews

Some companies use virtual interviews (i.e. Skype, Zoom) to interview candidates not located in their geographical region. Remember, a virtual interview is as much of an interview as an in-person interview. These interviews will often resemble what one might expect to find in a common in-person interview. You may be interviewed by one person or a panel of several people. Most likely, you will be asked a series of interview questions with the goal of assessing your qualifications, interests, and potential fit with the company.

Have you seen a flyer or received an email about “On-Campus Interviews?” What does that mean? On-campus interviews are a feature in Handshake that enable our office, Career Services, and employers to partner on an interview schedule creation/process.

All on-campus interviews are targeted toward specific majors and class levels, per the employers’ request/needs for hiring. A targeted email is sent to each population of students as these opportunities become available.

Where to look for on-campus interviews occurring at UND:

Click on your initials in the upper right corner of your Handshake profile.

1. Then click on “My Interviews.”

2. That screen will default to “Virtual Interviews” but you should click on “On-Campus Interviews” in the upper left, second line of the navigation.
   1. 1. Employers specifically set up this interview opportunity in Handshake so students have the opportunity to get approved for interviews prior to them arriving on-campus.
         
      2. There will be a deadline for when you need to have your resume and any other requested documents uploaded. Once the deadline has passed, the employer has one day to review applicants and make selections for whom they would like to interview.

If you’ve applied through “On-Campus Interviews” keep an eye on the following as that is where you will see if you’ve been selected or declined:

1. Your UND email (including clutter and junk mail folder). Watch for an email from: handshake@notifications.joinhandshake.com.
2. In Handshake–watch your “notifications.” (Click on your initials in the upper right for your Handshake profile page, then click on Notifications).

Learn more with the On-Campus Interviews Overview

You’ll find instructions for:

• locating on-campus interviews
• best practices
• checking the status of your application
• how to sign up for an interview timeslot if selected for an interview
• and more!

Tell me about yourself.

This is often the first question a recruiter/interviewer will ask. While this is an open-ended question, your focus should be in providing a summary of who you are and what makes you the best candidate for the position. Summarize your education, experience, accomplishments, and responsibilities in relation to the job you are interviewing for. Avoid personal information. Keep it professional and career-focused.

Example: I am a recent graduate from the University of North Dakota where I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Mathematics. I recently completed my internship/co-op experience at XYZ Company where I was responsible for...

Why are you interested in this position/company?

Imagine you are the interviewer and you have an applicant who isn't too sure what the company does vs. an applicant who has a firm knowledge of the company/position and demonstrates that knowledge by relating the company's goals with their career objectives. Which applicant would you want to get to know more? Interviewers want to know why you are interested in their specific position and company. Setting yourself apart from the competition by doing research and gaining a genuine interest in the company/position will strengthen the impression you leave.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

Don't bash yourself; instead think of them as areas of improvement and a verbal display of your growth and learning. Respond with the improvements first and "end on a high note" with your strengths. When describing your weaknesses, follow-up with how you have worked or are working to overcome/improve. The combination of your strengths and improvements should highlight the attributes you have acquired that make you the best candidate for the job. Giving real-world examples turns abilities into proven abilities.

How has your experience prepared you for this position?

Describe how your educational experiences have prepared you for the position as well as how other experiences have prepared you in terms of strengthening your transferrable skills. Internships/co-ops, class projects, coursework, volunteer experiences, memberships, and other activities all play a role in how you have developed into the professional candidate you are today.

Example: Throughout my college years, I have been able to excel in class, sports, and extracurricular activities due to my strong ability to prioritize and multi-task effectively. My involvement in College Scientists club developed my interpersonal skills and strengthened my communication skills through group activities and presentations. My recent internship/co-op experience gave me hands-on experience in the area of "x" and I found I was successful in applying my classroom studies in a real-world situation.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

The interviewer is looking to find out more about your career direction, goals, drive, and how long you might stay with the company. They are interested in knowing if you have career plans and how they align with the position you are interviewing for. Describing career goals that have no connection to the position/company interviewing you will lessen your chances of landing the position. Your response should be genuine and realistic so the importance of researching the company and how it relates to YOU is so important.

Do you have anything else you would like to add?

Certainly! This is your last opportunity to summarize why you are a great fit and why you want to work for this company. Provide a brief "wrap up" or review of the education, experience, skills and strengths you bring and how they relate to contributing to their ongoing success. If you feel you weren't able to highlight a success or area you wanted to discuss, this is your time to do so.

It is illegal for employers to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person's race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability or genetic information. Questions that would reveal information specific to these areas are inappropriate and illegal. For more information, visit the EEOC.

Examples of Illegal Questions

• Do you have children?
• Are you married or have a boy/girlfriend?
• What is your ethnic background?
• Do you have a disability?
• How old are you?
• Have you ever been arrested?
• What religion are you?
• Is this your maiden name?
• Were you honorably discharged from the military?

Thank You Letters

Many applicants don’t bother to send a thank you note to the interviewer or hiring manager. With the amount of competition in today’s market, taking the time to show your appreciation for their time and consideration may very well give you an edge over the competition.

• Personalize your letter to each individual who participated in the interview.
• Keep it brief.
  • Thank the interviewer.
  • Restate your interest.
  • Address a topic that arose during your meeting.
  • Re-emphasize a skill or strength important to the interviewer/company/position.
  • Offer the opportunity to contact you for further information.
  • Close expressing your interest and how you look forward to hearing from him/her soon.
• Send within 24 hours of the interview, a maximum of two days later.
• Check your spelling! If you did not receive the business card of the individual you are addressing the thank you note to, call the main number and verify the spelling of each name with the receptionist/operator.

• Remember, the hiring process takes time.
• Follow-up with the interviewer if you have not heard from them within 10 business days.
• If the interviewer stated you will hear from them by a certain date, wait until the date has passed before contacting them to follow-up.
• Do not get discouraged. Finding a job can be a long process but you are gaining practice in interviewing and a better understanding of yourself along the way.