I'll never forget the first impression I received at the interview for my summer internship. I was waiting in the lobby on the top floor of the Career Services building on campus with various other students. Although we all looked glamorous in our freshly ironed interviewing clothes, everyone seemed about as nervous as I felt. No one talked. Instead, we waited impatiently as the clock ticked away, waiting for it to strike 3:30 when our interviews would begin. Everyone sat silently, glancing from the clock, to our phones, back to the clock, and to the hallway towards the interviewing rooms whenever we heard the pitter patter of feet against the carpet.
One by one, the other students were called into the interviewing rooms by short, sweet-looking women with welcoming smiles and chipper greetings. I once again glanced at the clock, seeing that it was 3:30, 3:35, 3:40. By the time 3:45 rolled around, I was one of three students left in the lobby. Then, right before 3:50, a man walked out into the lobby. He was a large, stern looking man. It was clear that the end of the day was rolling around, and he had been stuck interviewing students since 8 o'clock that morning. He was exhausted, and probably craving caffeine. The closer he got to the lobby, the more his frame grew until he stopped walking and I swore to myself that he could eat me for dinner if I so much as looked at him the wrong way. I felt myself subconsciously gripping the arm rest of my chair for mental support.
Ariel Cohen, he called out.
Oh, of course, I thought to myself. Standing up didn't make him look any smaller as I gathered my courage and gave him the strongest handshake I could muster with a hand that wasn't even half the size of his.
My interviewer turned out to be a great guy with a good sense of humor and a personality that put me at as much at ease as I possibly could be during an interview with a man towering over my 5' 2'' self. You'll find most interviewers are like that. They're not out to get you- they want to know more about who you are and how you can fit into the company they represent. However, you can't depend on them to feel comfortable at an interview. It is you and you alone that will get you through. The best way to get through an interview is to come prepared.
Of course, there are different types of interviews. Today, I'm going to focus on the type of interview that almost if not all of you will come across at some point: the behavioral interview. Based on my experience, here are five tips on preparing for your behavioral interview:
1) Research the company ahead of time
My first tip comes before you even iron your shirt you bought specifically for interviews and career fairs. While the interview is set up as the company testing to see if you're a good fit for them, remember that you should also use this chance to see if the company is a good fit for you. What is this company's main product or service? What is their work environment like? Are they parent friendly? Do you even plan on starting a family after college? Does this company hold the same sort of ideals you have? A number of these questions can often be answered by looking at the company's website and social networking sites. Not only will this help you learn about the company for your own purposes, but it will make you look more knowledgeable at your interview. After all, what company wants to hire an employee who didn't even bother to find out what they sell or do? By researching the company before your interview, you get to kill two birds with one stone.
2) Come with questions
While you're researching the company, you'll probably find that some of your questions go unanswered. This is perfectly okay- you won't be expected to be an expert on the company you're interviewing with. Any questions you find unanswered should be written down and taken to the interview with you. Unless you run over your allotted time on a busy day, the interviewer will ask you if you have any questions for them. Some interviewers even begin their interview by letting you ask your questions first to help you ease in.
Whenever this moment arrives, not having questions will seem rude. The interviewer will think that you don't care enough about the job to bother asking questions. You'll appear lazy. If your interview is your first personal contact with the company, this can kill your first impression. In the fast pace business world, first impressions can be everything.
Don't feel pressured to have a page full of questions. Generally, you'll only have time for a few of them. If your research of the company doesn't bring up any immediate questions, there are plenty of lists online of general questions asking anything from what skills and attributes the company values in its employees to available career paths. Between your research and these questions, pick your top six. Chances are some of your questions will be answered before you get to ask, so it's best to have a few backup.
3) Have stories ready to go
My last suggestion before interview time is to prepare for the questions. There are a number of behavioral situations that almost all behavioral interviews will use: a situation where you showed leadership, a situation where you dealt with a difficult co-worker or boss, the list goes on. Many of these types of questions can be found online before you take one step into the interview room.
Knowing this prior to your interview, you can prepare. The best way to prepare for these situational questions is to have a few prepared stories that you can turn to when these questions come up. A group project can be used to answer questions about how you work with others, how your group dealt with deadlines, and leadership questions. Individual class projects can answer questions about how you use your time and handle stress. Extracurriculars (on or off campus) and previous jobs no matter how related to what you're interviewing for are also fair game for story material. Try to pick a few stories that can be used for various questions and you'll be well on your way.
4) Don't be afraid to think about your answers before responding
We're finally passed all of the pre-interview preparation. You've gotten all fancied up, you've done your research, you have you questions written down and your stories on your mind. Finally, the time has arrived. You follow the interviewer into the room, sit down with a little welcoming chat, and dive into the questions. The first question out of the interviewer's mouth was one you weren't expecting. None of the stories you had prepared are applicable. Is any part of your life even applicable? You're a student. How are they expecting you have so much life experience already?
First off, don't panic. There was no way you could have been prepared for every possible question that could ever be asked in an interview. Take a deep breath.
The most important thing to remember in this situation is that the interviewer is not expecting you to answer right when he or she finishes asking the question. The worst thing you could possibly do is start talking in circles just to fill the silence. Let the question sink in. Did you completely understand what was asked? If not, ask your interviewer to repeat it.
Since almost all of your questions are going to be situational ones, chances are you can take one of the stories you prepared and change the aspects you focus on to make your point. For example, if you are asked for an example of you motivating your coworkers and you have a story about a group project where a member dropped the class halfway through the project, you can use this story and focus on the aspects of how you and your other project partners motivated each other to pick up the slack.
Maybe the question sparks a memory of a story you hadn't even thought to prepare. Still take the time to make sure you have all of your facts straight to make sure you keep to the point and answer the question at hand.
Whatever you decide to do, make sure you think it through.
5) BLUF/BLOT
BLUF stands for "Bottom Line Up Front". BLOT stands for "Bottom Line On Top". Either way, the meaning is the same. When you are asked a non-situational question, such as "What is your best/worst trait in your opinion", state your answer first before you give your explanation. This not only keeps you from talking in circles, but makes sure you answer the question clearly. If you find yourself dancing around a question without ever actually answering it, this is a great thing to practice. Interviewers take note of how well you can explain yourself, especially if your position requires good communication skills. Just don't tell your interviewer that you were told to "bluf"!
There are so many other pointers that one can give about interviews, but I feel these are the most important and applicable to the most amount of people. I hope this helps you out with your next interview!
Also, if you found this helpful, keep a look out for my post about technical interviews coming this summer.
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