You got an interview, CONGRATULATIONS! This is where it all comes together. This is where you let those interviewing you get to know who you are and what you will contribute if they hire you. You should go into an interview prepared to tell a story, prepared to help the interviewer visualize you as a future employee.

Steps to Prepare for the Interview

RESEARCH THE COMPANY

This sounds simple, but it requires some thought. You should know the mission and vision of the organization, you should know who the people are and what role they play, and you should know enough about the company to engage in informed dialogue during your interview.

STUDY THE JOB DESCRIPTION

Every job description has a list of qualifications and responsibilities. You should be able to talk about yourself and what you have done in the past that demonstrates your knowledge of every qualification, competency, and responsibility in the job posting.

PRACTICE

You should do a practice interview every time. Using some standard behavioral-based interview questions, have an experienced person conduct a mock interview with you, someone who will give you good feedback.

What are behavioral-based interview questions?

These are questions that ask you about your past performance in a particular situation. These questions often start with “tell me about a time you…” or “what did you do during your internship to…”

Behavioral-based interview questions should be answered using the CAR formula:

C CONTEXT : Explain the situation in which you were required to act

A ACTION : Describe what you did specifically to solve a problem or create a new outcome

R RESULT : Talk about the outcome and what your learned. Connect this to the job you are applying for to help the interviewer visualize how you will perform if they hire you.

VIEW BEHAVIORAL-BASED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS