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TRANSCRIPT
Danielle Corrigan, ECS and Brian Peterson, GE Aviation
I N T E R V I E W I N G
W O R K S H O P
Your goals:
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Convince the interviewer that you are the best candidate for the job
Decide if the company/position is a good fit for you
Employer goals:
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Hire the most qualified and motivated candidate
Present the company/position positively
Interview Objectives
Common Pitfall: Not aligning interests with the job
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Why did you select engineering? More specifically, your major?
What areas within your field do you want to pursue?
What do you see yourself doing in five years?
Know Your Career Goals & Interests…
Common Pitfall: Be ready to discuss your GPA. Employers are likely
to ask about it, so be able to state why it is where it is and how you
are improving if improvement is needed.
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Be prepared to discuss every item on your resume without reading
Be able to provide additional details regarding resume items
Be ready to discuss the less appealing aspects as well
Know Your Career Goals & Interests…
Know Your Value…
Demonstrating your value means elaborating on your
strengths and what you can contribute to the organization.
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Know the strengths and abilities that you possess
Back up your statements with specific examples
“I’m a great leader.”
“I’ve developed strong leadership skills through my role as president of Kappa
Theta Epsilon, the co-op/intern honorary, where I led 45 student members in
academic and professional development.”
Know Your Value…
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What are their products/services? Locations?
How does the company describe itself in the “careers”
section? In the sections for customers & investors?
What are the company mission, vision, and values?
Thoroughly review the job description!
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Research the Company / Job
The key to a successful interview is not just showing how much you
know, but how you fit within the position and company of interest.
CareerEngine
• Company descriptions and job postings
Company Website:
• Look for headings like “About”, “Careers” and “News”
Glassdoor:
• Company descriptions, employee reviews, and
past interview questions
Finding Company Information
On-campus interview— over 80% occur in the Autumn
semester
Phone interview•
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Prepare as you would for a face-face interview
Active listening (with “OK” or “Sounds good!”)
On-line interview
• Pay attention to your environment; Eye contact is important; Appearance and attire
matter; be prepared for technical difficulties
On-site interview• Typically more in-depth interview, where you visit company’s facility for multiple
interviews, meetings, meals, etc.
Types of Interviews
Be prepared
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Arrive early-aim to be 15 minutes early
Follow pre-interview instructions
Bring extra resumes, your questions, unofficial transcript,
references, work samples
Interview Conventions
Non-verbal communication• Watch your handshake, body language, posture,
eye contact, attitude
Try to control nervous habits
Attire/grooming/hygiene
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Interview Conventions
Verbal communication
• Avoid slang & filler “um…like” words
• Watch your language!
• Be courteous/polite to everyone you meet
Business Attire
“Business Attire” is a suit for a man and a
trouser or skirt suit for a woman. Business
Attire is the standard for interviewing, unless
the company tells you otherwise.
Business Casual
“Business Casual” includes dress pants
and a shirt with a collar for men, or dress
pants/knee length skirt and a blouse for
women. Info sessions and plant tours are
examples of events where Business
Casual could be acceptable attire.
Business Casual
“Business Casual” includes dress pants
and a shirt with a collar for men, or dress
pants/knee length skirt and a blouse for
women. Info sessions and plant tours are
examples of events where Business
Casual could be acceptable attire.
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Check-in
Introductions
Small talk/ice breaker
They ask you questions (standard, behavioral, technical)
You ask them questions
Closing
Follow-up
Interview Format
Make sure someone knows you’re there for an interview…
check your name off the interview schedule; notify front desk, receptionist,
and/or greeter.
Common Pitfall: Missing the greeter. Greeters are representatives of
the company who typically sit in the lobby and talk with candidates
about the job, company, work environment, training, etc. You should
approach them, as they will likely have input on hiring and can give
you information that can help you with strategic answers.
Before the interview, hang up your coat, stash your book bag, turn off your
cell phone, and review your materials.
The Waiting Game
These might seem so simple that you don’t need to prepare, but your
answer to each should be polished and sharp. Craft responses and
practice them before your interview so that you convey confidence
while interviewing.
Standard Questions
“T ake time to think through an answer before speaking. Most students are afraid of silence, and start answering poorly, but then have a hard time correcting it.”
Recruiter from National Instruments
• A brief answer (1-2 minute)
focusing on relevant information
• Emphasize professional and
academic experience
• Name of hospital where you
were born (not your life story)
• Negative attributes or
depressing information
• Irrelevant information
How to answer… How NOT to answer…
“Tell me about yourself.”
• Identify 3-5 strengths that are
relevant to the job/company
• Provide an example of how
you acquired / demonstrated
these skills
• List out every single skill/
qualification that you can imagine
• Statements without evidence
• “I’m a good leader”
• Irrelevant strengths
• “I am in one of the top
levels in Candy Crush!”
How to answer… How NOT to answer…
“What are your strengths?”
• Identify a legitimate weakness
• Specify steps you are taking
to improve
• Pinpoint any progress you
have made
• Cheesy answers
• “Perfectionist”
• Damaging answers
• “Lazy”
How to answer… How NOT to answer…
“What is your greatest weakness?”
“Describe a weakness that you have.”
“I have difficulty delegating work to others. This year, during my senior capstone
project, I was forced to trust others to get the job done due to time constraints and
pending deadlines. Our group decided the best way to accomplish our goals was to
assign specific tasks to various members. Not only did everyone complete the tasks
they were assigned, but it also gave me the positive experience of being able to
rely on my team to get things done and not feel like I have to carry the entire
load.”
Standard Question Answer Example…
These questions are asked about your past “behaviors”
to predict how you will perform in future situations should
you face a similar circumstance.
Clues to identifying behavioral questions…
• “Tell me about a time…”
• “Can you give me an example of when…”
• “Describe a situation when…”
Behavioral Questions…
Use the STAR model to formulate your answers
SPECIFIC examples are key
• Quantify if possible: “increased membership by 25%”
• Quote: “my supervisor told me …”
• Pinpoint changes/improvements resulting from your actions
Structure of Behavioral Questions
s s
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T
A
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Situation
Task
Action
Result
“Describe a work or school project that challenged your
technical skills.”
Specific Situation/Task: “At my internship last summer, my database skills were put to the test when I was
assigned with modifying their existing database to transform all paper data entries into computer-based input
entries.
Action: I had never been faced with such an assignment, so before I started, I first did some research on
their current database and assessed what changes I would need to make to upgrade it. I ran this past my
boss, and with her approval, I used outside resources to code samples similar to what I was trying to do. After I
gained enough knowledge, I worked on integrating my changes into their database system.
Results: As a result, I was able to successfully computerize all of their manual data entry sheets & document
how to update the database with new sheets in the future. My supervisor thanked me for completing the task
thoroughly and before the deadline. I got an outstanding performance evaluation.”
Example of Using STAR
“Tell me about a leadership responsibility you’ve had.”Specific situation/task: “Last year I was program chair of my professional organization. My responsibilities as program chair were to identify speakers,
invite them to campus, host them while they were here, introduce them at the meetings, and, of course, stay during their talks. I realized that this was a
good opportunity to learn more about career fields and even specific companies that interested me.
Action: So I came up with a list of potential speakers by talking with friends who had co-oped at companies that interested me, getting business cards of
alumni recruiters at the career fair, and talking with some people in career services. When I presented my list to the other officers, they really liked it, so I
went ahead with the invitations.
Results: Despite a few scheduling problems, at the year’s end we had completed 6 successful meetings with 30 to 50 members each, which was a big
improvement over the previous year (4 meetings and 15—20 attending each). The bonus for me was learning more about my career interests and making
some great contacts.”
Another STAR Example
Behavioral Questions
• Information to help you decide on
the job
What would you like to know about:•
• The job
• The company
• Career potential
Information-Gathering Questions Research-Based Questions
• Prove to the employer that you
have done your research
Ask about recent and relevant
developments in the industry or
company
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Do you have any questions for us?
• Can you walk me through a typical day?
• What training is available?
• What types of technology will I be using?
• How often will I get formal performance feedback?
• Can you describe the company culture?
• Does this company support continuing education & training for its
employees? How?
• What do you personally like about working for this company?
• What are your expectations for a new hire?
Common Questions to Ask
• “Thank you. I enjoyed meeting you and learning more about … ”
• Briefly recap why you’re interested
• Ask about next steps in the hiring process
• Ask about timing
• Ask for a business card from all interviewers
End Interviews on a Positive Note
Follow Up…
Why:
• Employers assume that candidates who care will express their
appreciation for the opportunity to interview.
When and How:• Send a professional follow-up email or card within 48 hours
of the interview.
Dr. Hayes.
Thank you for your time, Dr. Hayes
Dear Dr. Hayes,
I want to thank you for interviewing me yesterday for the project engineering co-op position with
Brutus Design Systems, Inc. I enjoyed meeting you and learning more about the company, especially
your new research initiatives.
My enthusiasm for this position only grew after meeting you and the rest of the design team. As
someone experienced with AutoCAD design, I am extremely interested in everything Brutus has to
offer. I have a strong interest in your industry and I am sure my skills and past experience would allow
me to be a productive member of your engineering team in the project engineer co-op position.
I am very excited about the possibility of joining your team and working with Brutus as a project
engineer. Feel free to contact me at 614-555-0987 or [email protected] if you have any further
questions. Thank you very much for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Pat Buckeye
Thank You E-Mail Sample…
In your handbook (pg. 29) or on a sheet of paper, take a minute to write out
your answer to the following question:
“Give an example of a time when you had difficulty
working with another person in your team.”
After writing your answer, pair up with someone and practice talking through it
Practice the STAR Method
Any Remaining Questions?