Interviewing Tips
- Be prepared! Learn as much as you can about the company and position in which you are interested. The OCS Reading Room has a collection of corporate information. Also check the Internet for the company's web site. Also, take the time to do self-assessment to learn about yourself and identify your interests, skills, and values. This step will help you identify and articulate what information you want to present to an employer about yourself.
- There is a big difference between thinking about or writing out potential responses and having to say them aloud. Practice potential responses out loud, in front of a mirror or patient friends and family members. Discover various strategies, transitions, and lead-ins for answering certain kinds of questions, talking to one person or a group, and changing topics or focus. Practice asking questions. Employers will expect you to ask about matters that concern you. Familiarize yourself with the vocabulary of the industry (but never use words whose definitions you don't know). Check the Calendar for interview workshops or schedule a Mock Interview.
- Anticipate Commonly Asked Questions by Interviewers and develop a set of related responses that you can mold to a variety of individual situations.
- The interview is an opportunity to share information. You will have to talk about yourself, your interests, and your values. Don't be shy about your accomplishments and experiences but don't be cocky; just be yourself. Practice ways of phrasing replies about yourself that highlight your talents in a way that feels comfortable to you.
- Demonstrate to your interviewer your engagement in the conversation. Ask perceptive questions, be alert, make eye contact, provide relevant information, and relay your knowledge of and interest in the field and the organization.
- Observe all rules of courtesy and respect. Be punctual. Dress appropriately. Call people by their titles unless specifically directed to do otherwise. Express your thanks for the organization's consideration of your candidacy.
- Arrive at least 15 minutes before the interview to collect yourself and take a few deep breaths. You'd be surprised how much that will help as compared to rushing in at the last minute. If you're at the company location, use that time to observe what's going on. Does this seem like a place where you'd like to work?
- Bring an extra resume with you. This process is by no means an exact science and you will learn to expect situations like . . ."We seem to have misplaced your resume."
- Rest assured that both interviewers and job seekers enter into the process hoping that it will proceed successfully. It is possible, though, that in spite of this good will the interview might not go as well as planned. To the greatest extent that you can, muster your courage, keep your chin up, and keep your confidence, dignity, and humor intact. Interviews are great ways to learn about career fields, particular positions, and, perhaps most importantly, yourself, whether or not you get a job offer.
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