Interviewing
For more information about interviews, visit the Career Resource Room.
Practice interviews
- Big Interview- A free online interview available to our students. Log in via Handshake to create your free account. We strongly recommend that you use this tool to practice before scheduling practice interviews with employers.
Virtual interviews with employers
Career Services hosts thousands of job interviews each year, open only to students registered with Handshake. Log into your Handshake account, make sure your profile is updated, and click on Employers to access the interview schedule and see who's looking to hire you!
(Prepare by attending an "Interviewing with Confidence" workshop or by using Big Interview)
Effective interviewing
- Review and follow these guidelines to increase your effectiveness in employment interviewing.
Sample interview questions
- Review and practice your answers to these common general interview questions.
Informational interviews
- An informational interview is one of the most effective ways to meet people in a professional field of your interest. Follow these step-by-step instructions.
Dressing professionally
- Review these guidelines regarding professional dress for interviews
Some types of interviews
- Behavioral: An employer evaluates your past experiences and behaviors as a way to determine your potential for success. Employers are interested in how you handle situations and how you react in certain circumstances.
- Case study: Examines skills that are critical to the position being applied for. These interviews present hypothetical problems where you are evaluated more for how well you deal with the problem and less on your specific answer. Most commonly used for consulting firms and investment-banking companies.
- Technical: Assesses candidates who are exploring technical or specialist job positions such as IT, Engineering, and Science. Questions can cover your specific knowledge about the company’s technical work, activities, and problems.
- Telephone: A convenient form of interview that employers like to use as way to narrow down a large stack of applicants to just a few for an in-person interview. Phone interviews are also a quick and efficient way to interview candidates who live in a distant locations.
- Academic: For graduates and postdocs interested in becoming a professor, teacher, or instructor at the university level. Questions likely focus on the applicant’s research, teaching approach, and previous work experiences.
- Grad & professional school: An interview for a graduate or professional school resembles a regular job interview but focuses more on educational, research, and experience. Not all schools require an interview in their admission application process, however it should be expected from an applicant who is applying into a competitive program, field, or school.