Interviewing

Interviewing Tips & Practice Resources

Interviewing is a learned skill. Even the best interviewers practice in order to be well prepared before, during, and after the interview. For all of our tips, practice questions, & resources, use the resources listed in Handshake. After you’ve reviewed these resources, feel free to schedule a mock interview with a career coach via Handshake or use VMock to practice on your own time.

General Resources

• General Interview Guide: Contains a list of common behavioral questions, and helpful tips for the interview process
• VMock: Prepare for in person and video interviews with VMock's Interview Suite, which includes VMock's SMART Interview for personalized real-life interviews. 
• Firsthand (Formerly Vault): Contains relevant tutorial videos on Interview Tips & Questions, among a variety of other professional development topics.

Industry Specific Resources

In addition to our general resources, there are also various industry related resources regarding interview preparation. Based on your industry of preference, consider the additional resources:

Health Sector:

• Medical & Health School Interviews and Personal Statements

Business Sector:

• Business Interview Prep Resources
• Consulting - Case Interviews
• Request Access for Wall Street Oasis Interview Prep Guides

Before the Interview

• Thoroughly review the job description to determine specific skills required and major responsibilities.
• Research your interviewers to understand their particular areas of expertise. Be knowledgeable about the company or organization.
• Prepare for and practice questions. Some examples are standard questions, behavioral questions, technical questions, and case interview questions. Review the sample questions section of the General Interview Guide.
• Prepare for the appropriate interview type such as in-person, phone, or virtual/video interviews. If you're conducting a pre-recorded interview to be submitted to a hiring committee, it's important to consider best practices. (see the Prerecorded Best Practices section of the Interview Formats Guide)
• Generate 2-3 thoughtful questions for your interviewer that demonstrate your preparedness and research.

During the Interview

Be prepared to answer several types of interview questions:

• Academic: How did you choose your major? What was the most difficult class you completed?
• Employer & Job Specific: What do you know about our company? Why are you interested in this position?
• Personal & Professional: Tell me about yourself. What is your five-year career plan?
• Behavioral: Tell me about a time when you had a disagreement with a colleague and how you handled it. Tell me about a time when you took initiative and took the lead. To answer these questions, consider applying the Situation-Obstacle-Action-Result (SOAR) framework, which will help you to effectively describe each relevant experience you wish to address. Please review the SOAR Framework section of the  General Interview Guide, to become better acquainted with this model.

Remain flexible to the interviewer’s style, and give yourself time to formulate your responses to each question. Approach the interview as a conversation and try not to sound too ‘wooden’ in your responses. At the appropriate time, be ready to ask the questions you formulated before (and perhaps during) the interview.

After the Interview

• Write down key points you discussed in the interview in order to address them when writing a note.
• Send a thank-you note
• Follow-up with your references
• Use the Post-Interview Etiquette Guide