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Interviewing

Part 1 - Preparing for interviews and following up

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Once your resume and cover letter have opened the door for you, it’s time to nail your interview!

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Prep for the Interview

Know the job description inside and out
Research the company and the people who will be interviewing you (AI can help with this!)
Make a list of accomplishments you want to mention
Have a well thought out reason as to why you want the position and/or why you want to work for that company
Come up with 3-4 good questions to ask
Prepare a professional outfit
Practice, practice, practice

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3 Ways Interviews Can Happen

1

IN PERSON�

Know how long it will take �you to get there and where you will park
Bring hard copies of your resume
Make sure your outfit passes the sit test

2

PHONE�

Avoid using a speaker phone
Stand or sit up straight
Find a quiet place without distractions�

3

VIRTUAL�

Make sure you have a clutter-free background with flattering lighting
Find a quiet place without distractions
Test run your technology
Dress professionally from the waist up

Chances are, you will be asked to do a phone or video interview before you make it to the in-person round. Some companies may not even have an in-person round, so knowing how to shine over the phone or video is critical. Exuding enthusiasm may be more challenging through technology, but it’s something you will have to do if you want the job. For in person interviews, know how long it will take to get to where you need to go, and factor in possible traffic. Bring copies of your resume and make sure your entire outfit looks good. For phone interviews, avoid using the speaker function, find a quiet place, and consider standing since your voice will sound stronger from this position. For virtual interviews, find a background that is clutter free, has flattering light, and is quiet. Test run your technology and plan to dress professionally from the waist up.

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It’s Interview Time!

IN PERSON:

leave early
leave your phone in the car
greet the interviewer with a handshake and a smile
sit up with good posture
maintain good eye contact
bring a notepad and pen for taking notes

VIDEO:

charge your computer
close out of all apps and mute notifications on your computer
log on five minutes early
greet the interviewer by name and with a smile
look at the camera and not yourself on the screen

PHONE:

charge your phone
be ready and by your phone five to ten minutes early
smile - the interviewer can tell even though they can’t see you

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After the interview

Send a thank you within 24 hours

written or email
reiterate your interest in the position/company
reiterate what you can bring to the position/company
make sure it’s error-free

Send a LinkedIn connection request

Touch bases with your references to let know they might be contacted

Celebrate

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For the best results, schedule a mock interview with your

Career Coach: sbcareercenter@pdx.edu

503.725.6654, or in person in KMC 410

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INTERVIEWING

Part 2 - Answering questions

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What happens during a typical interview?

Internships: 1-2 rounds of interviews

Full time positions: 2-3 rounds of interviews�

Small talk
A mutual discussion of your background and credentials as they relate to the position
You ask questions
Conclusion of interview and hopefully a mention of “next steps”

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Traditional Questions

Why are you interested in this position?
What do you know about our company and why you would be a good fit?
Tell me about your strengths and skills and how they relate to this position?
What do you anticipate will be your biggest challenge in this position?

Tell me about yourself question using the Present, Past, Future formula:

Hi. My name is Carla O’Reilley and I am senior majoring in Finance at Portland State University. I recently had an internship at KeyBank in their Wealth Advisory unit. I discovered that I really enjoyed working directly with clients, which is why I’m excited to be interviewing with you today. Being an Advisor with McGee Wealth Management would be an ideal next step for me after graduation.

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Behavioral Questions

These questions focus on how you’ve handled �different situations in the past to reveal your �personality, abilities, and skills.

Tell me about a time you took initiative on a project.
Tell me about a situation where you resolved a problem.
Tell me about a time you made an unpopular decision.
What experiences do you have working with others with a background other than your own?

PRO TIP: Have a bank of stories up your sleeve that can potentially be used for a variety of questions

Behavioral interviewing is a technique used by employers to learn how you handled situations in the past since past behavior is a good predictor of future behaviors. Many of these questions begin with “Tell me about a time when…” and focus on both work-specific abilities and transferable skills such as leadership, decisiveness, flexibility, creativity, and communication. The best way to prepare for these kinds of questions is to have 3 to 4 experiences or stories that taught you a variety of skills or provided insights that shaped you as a person. When answering, provide enough detail to be interesting but stay concise - no more than two minutes. Focus on the result or what you learned from the experience. Interviewing is like anything else - to be good at it you have to practice, practice, practice.

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The STAR Method

S

SITUATION

When I started my position as a barista, the coffee shop had poor reviews due to their customer service….

T

TASK

I utilized strong coordination and communication skills…

A

ACTION

to serve a high volume of customers, while also maintaining a friendly and accommodating environment…

R

RESULT

which has had a significant impact on customer satisfaction and the shops online reviews.

BONUS:

...Which taught me the importance of not only producing a strong product for the customer but also making the extra effort to ensure that they are having a positive experience while they are in our store. If I were to receive this position, I would apply that same approach to my client work here.

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OTHER INTERVIEW SITUATIONS

1

PANEL�

INTERVIEW WITH SEVERAL STAFF MEMBERS AT THE SAME TIME

2

GROUP�

MULTIPLE CANDIDATES ARE INTERVIEWED AT THE SAME TIME

3

CASE STUDY�

A PROBLEM SET OR BUSINESS CASE IS GIVEN FOR YOU TO SOLVE AS PART OF THE INTERVIEW PROCESS

4

SOCIAL�

PRE OR POST INTERVIEW SOCIAL, LUNCH, OR DINNER WITH THE ORGANIZATION.

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How AI Can Help

AS A QUESTION GENERATOR: Copy and paste the job description into a chatbot and ask it to come up with potential interview questions based on the job description
AS A MOCK INTERVIEWER:

Type in: "I want you to act as an expert interviewer for a [insert job title, e.g., Marketing Intern] position at [insert company/industry]. Here is the job description: [paste job description text]. And here is my resume: [paste resume text]. Read this over, but do not ask me any questions yet. Just reply with 'Ready!' when you have processed it."
Once the chatbot replies "Ready!", say the ground rules.

“Ask me one question at a time. Wait for my response before moving on. Act like a friendly but professional hiring manager. After I answer each question, give me direct, constructive feedback on my response first. Tell me what was strong, what was vague, and how I can better structure it. Once you give the feedback, ask the next question."

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For the best results, schedule a mock interview with your

Career Coach: sbcareercenter@pdx.edu

503.725.6654, or in person in KMC 410