By Rachael Cooper
Rachael is a 1st year PhD Student in Water Resources Engineering at the University of South Florida. She is the FY21 Communication Mentoring Coordinator (CMC).
Congratulations! All that time on your resume paid off, and you have an interview. Now, what? Just like the many revisions you made to polish your resume; you can polish your interview skills.
I have been on both sides of the table. As an interviewee, I have had great interviews and have completely bombed (number 1 tip: If you are sick and dependent on cold medicine to function…just send an email to reschedule). As an interviewer, I learned interviews are not any easier. Here are five tips I have learned along the way.
After it is over, take another deep breath, and when you are ready, reflect on how it went to make the next one better. It may be an easy embarrassing reflection, that makes for a funny story later (did I mention not going to an interview when you are sick?). Or it may be more difficult, either way it likely will not be your last.
Take it all in stride, own it, and improve for the next time.
Rachael is a 1st year PhD Student in Water Resources Engineering at the University of South Florida. She is the FY21 Communication Mentoring Coordinator (CMC).
Congratulations! All that time on your resume paid off, and you have an interview. Now, what? Just like the many revisions you made to polish your resume; you can polish your interview skills.
I have been on both sides of the table. As an interviewee, I have had great interviews and have completely bombed (number 1 tip: If you are sick and dependent on cold medicine to function…just send an email to reschedule). As an interviewer, I learned interviews are not any easier. Here are five tips I have learned along the way.
- Practice! This can be embarrassing or may seem weird, do it anyway. Practice formally at mock interview events, or informally with friends and family. Practice answering general questions. There are many lists online to pull from. Here are few of my favorites to ask/answer and some additional thoughts: Tell me about yourself. This is it. This is your elevator pitch moment. Have a quick synopsis of your life prepped and ready to go. Practice it aloud in the mirror, to friends, family, the dog, and the cat. This question is likely the first to come to you, if you can confidently get through it, you will sail through everything else. Tell me about a time you failed? This is my personal favorite. We all mess up; it is how we learn. Be able to tell a brief story about a role or project on your resume where you made a mistake and what you learned from it. What are your greatest strengths? Pick one or two things you are most proud of that you think make you an asset to an employer or team. Again, have a brief story ready to tell how you have exemplified your greatest strength(s). Practice answering more specific questions from your resume. Remember your resume? That piece of paper you spent so much time on. Usually, the information on that paper is all your interviewer knows about you. Be ready to talk about anything you have written on your resume or cover letter. Practice asking questions. Again, many good online lists available, but a good interview should go two-ways. Remember, this is your time to understand if this organization is somewhere you want to spend your time and energy. Ask detailed questions about the organization (structure, future plans/goals, how is success measured), the role (goals, expectations, evaluations, opportunities to grow), the interviewer (background, role, day-to-day, trajectory within the company) and the hiring process. Utilize any time to better understand the organization and position you are interviewing for.
- You should have the answers to questions about yourself and your qualifications, but no one expects you to have all the answers. Interviewers may ask questions that you do not know the answer to. This is okay, the purpose of this is to understand how your problem solve. As your mind works through the question, articulate your approach to the interviewer. If you have a similar problem that you have overcome, bring up your success in navigating it.
- Know your audience. If your interviewer’s technical background has not been disclosed to you, ask early in the interview to better understand the person you are having a conversation with. It is unlikely that the role you are interviewing for will be isolated, teamwork and communication skills are important. Explaining technical approaches to your interviewer can be a critical screening approach in the hiring process.
- Be aware of the questions being asked and the dynamics in the room. Assuming you crush this interview and accept this job, these people will be managers and peers. How do they interact with each other? What seems important to them? How was the interview process structured? Just as your performance during the interview tells the interviewer about you, you can gain a lot of information from a hiring company’s process and performance. If any questions arise during the interview process, ask for clarification.
- Be yourself and be confident in what has led you to this interview. You are there for a reason, your resume and experience has opened the door for you. You have the qualifications for the job and deserve to be there. Take a deep breath in and out, repeat deep breaths as necessary until you are calm and confident because you got this.
After it is over, take another deep breath, and when you are ready, reflect on how it went to make the next one better. It may be an easy embarrassing reflection, that makes for a funny story later (did I mention not going to an interview when you are sick?). Or it may be more difficult, either way it likely will not be your last.
Take it all in stride, own it, and improve for the next time.
