Interviewing can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be if you’re prepared. Taking time to prepare will set you up for success and turn the interview into an exciting challenge – the opportunity to show how well your skills and abilities match the position you desire. The following are some tips that may seem too simple to be mentioned, but sometimes it’s best to stick to the basics.
1. Prior to the interview, call the human resources department and confirm the time and location of the interview. Ask the name of the person interviewing you, spelling and pronunciation of that person’s name. Ask about the organization’s dress code so you know how to dress for the interview. A suit might be too much if an organization takes business casual to the extreme, and you certainly don’t want to under-dress if the organization adheres to traditional business attire. Remember to jot down the name of the person who answered your questions so you have a contact in the office should you need to call again.
2. Know the address where the interview is being held and how long it takes you to get there. Be 10-15 minutes early for the interview. You never want to be late for an interview. This is where you make your first impression.
3. Research the company’s history, mission, values and culture. Familiarize yourself with the company’s administration and organizational structure. Formulate a few questions to ask about the position and the company during the interview.
4. Select the clothes and shoes you plan to wear. Make sure they are clean and ready to go. Clothing is important since it takes only a few seconds for someone to make their initial impression of you. Your clothing will speak volumes before you’re able to say hello.
5. Practice answering some common interview questions ahead of time, and know you’ll be asked questions you haven’t rehearsed. Write out your answers to the questions that relate to you so you can practice them as you have time. Below are a few common interview questions:
Would you tell me about yourself and briefly describe your professional background? Your answer should help build rapport and provide insight into how you became interested in your chosen career field. Your response will begin with some personal information and then link to your professional life, especially as it relates to the position you’re interviewing for.
How did you hear about this position? The employer wants to know how you arrived at being interested in the organization. If you know a current employee, this is where you can connect yourself to that person. (Be sure to ask that person if you have permission to use their name.) Have you heard good things about the organization, or was it the position that made you curious about the company and then your research made it clear that both are a fit for you?
Why are you interested in this specific role with our organization? Your response should include some information that you know about the organization and the value you bring to the position and the organization as a whole.
You will be asked to describe how you used a specific skill or how you handled a stressful situation. Indeed’s Career Guide recommends using the STAR method for answering such a question. STAR is an acronym that stands for situation, task, action and result. Situation is the context, so begin your response by providing the context in which you used a specific skill or the context of the stressful situation you handled. Continue by explaining the task and elaborate on your role in it. Explain the action you took, and bring your response to a close by revealing the result or the achievement you reached in this particular situation.
How do you balance working on multiple projects? The employer wants to know how you use your time and if you are productive and efficient when you have more than one demand on your time. Describe the system you use for balancing multiple projects, emphasizing your efficiency and that you always meet deadlines. Illustrate this by explaining a particular time when you were balancing multiple projects and how you planned your time and met the deadlines.
6. Bring extra copies of your resume, a pen, pad of paper and a small bottle of water with you to the interview.
7. After the interview follow-up with an email or handwritten note thanking the hiring manager for the opportunity to interview and your interest in working with the organization.
Above all, the interview is your time to shine. Be prepared, be yourself, answer truthfully and always be positive. There’s never any regret when you know you’ve done your best. Here’s to your success.
This article appears in Spring Guide 2025.
