LibGuides: Stingray Success: Graduate Success: Interviews

Stingray Success Graduate Success Interviews

Before Your Interview

Spend time learning about the company from as many sources as possible. Familiarize yourself with the company's website and social media, but go further. The Muse recommends talking to friends and contacts at the company or organization, as well as reading news releases and other press information so that you have a better understanding of the company.
Be Aware of Your Social Media Accounts. According to a survey performed by CareerBuilder, 70% of employers use social media to screen job applicants. Employers are looking for information about you as a potential employee and what they find can impact whether or not you are hired. Make sure your social media accounts portray the impression you want.
Practice. Practice answering interview questions out loud in a mirror or recruit a friend to help with a mock interview.
Bring Your Resume. Print out a few copies of your resume. You never know who you might be meeting with or who might ask for a copy. It is always better to have your resume ready to go just in case the need arises.

Interview with Confidence
In this tutorial, you'll learn the importance of pre-interview research, explore a variety of interview styles, gain practice answering the most common interview questions, and more!

Have Answers Ready. Be prepared to answer questions interviewers always ask such as "tell me about yourself", "what is your biggest weakness?", and "why are you interested in this particular role and company?". The Muse provides helpful tips for formulating answers to these and other questions to help you prepare.
Use the STAR Method. Make sure you know how to answer questions about specific situations or skills. Indeed.com recommends using the STAR Method to answer these questions: Situation, Task, Action, Result.
Hold the Negatives. Avoid speaking negatively about your current employers and employment situation. Instead, focus on the positive experiences that you have gained from the position and how you plan to use that moving forward.
Show Your Work. Relate information from the job description to specific work you have done. Indeed.com recommends talking about work you have done in past jobs or volunteer positions that help show your success doing the work the company requires.
Skills and Accomplishments. As you interview, tie your answers back to your skills and accomplishments. Indeed.com encourages you to take advantage of any opportunity to address the requirements listed in the job description with examples of solutions and achievements from your background.