Step 4 : Interview - During, before, after...

A. Women - from Head to Toe

• Choose a hairstyle that is both stylish and professional.
• Makeup should be appropriate for business hours. Avoid the dramatic look that is more appropriate for the nightlife.
• If you wear jewelry choose understated jewelry that complements your outfit.
• Fingernail polish should be understated, with no designs or outrageous colors. Never wear chipped polish.
• Select clothing that will give you a professional and credible appearance. Avoid styles that are too trendy.
• Many experts advise those interviewing to wear a dark suit, but color is not the sole issue. You should select an outfit that helps you project the image you desire.You are expected to dress professionally for an interview regardless of the type of position.
• Wear natural-colored hose and always have a spare pair or two with you in case of runs.
• Select closed-toe and heel pumps. Heels should normally be one to two inches high.
• Get advice from Career Services or someone you trust about selecting an interview outfit if you are unsure about the proper attire.

B. Men - From Head to Toe

• Hairstyle and length change from year to year. Use good judgment and be sure that your hair is well groomed and projects the image you desire. If you wear facial hair, it should be neatly trimmed.
• The best suit for a man is a wool blend that is well fitted. The color depends largely on complexion and personal style; however, dark is best. The goal is to select a suit that projects a successful and professional image. Avoid trendy styles.
• The shirt should be white or light blue. Solids are safe. Any stripes should be thin and understated.
• The necktie is THE fashion statement for men.The look changes with fashion trends in regard to color and size. Seek to be in synch, but when in doubt, choose a conservative tie.
• Socks should always be a dark color to match the suit and be mid-calf to knee high. Hairy legs should not be seen when you sit down.
• Since the wrong color or style of shoes can detract from the most expensive tailor-made suit, choose shoes with care. Select a dark leather dress shoe that blends with the suit. Brown shoes with a blue suit are not acceptable. Polished shoes are mandatory.

C. For men and women

• Attend to personal hygiene - clean nails, fresh breath,etc. (Watch what you eat before an interview and during business meals. Always have breath mints.)
• Clothing should be neatly pressed/dry cleaned. This includes men's shirts.
• Avoid colognes and perfumes. Interview rooms can be very small, and some people have severe allergic reactions.
• Select the best quality clothing you can afford. One good suit with several shirts or blouses and ties is typically sufficient.
• Do not carry extra items into the interview room. Backpacks, coats, extra papers, umbrellas, etc., may be left with the Career Services staff for safekeeping.Take only a nice portfolio containing extra copies of your resume and notepaper into the interview room. You've worked hard, so don't let your appearance prevent you from having a successful interviewing experience. If you have any questions or wish to discuss appropriate interview apparel, come by Career Services for advice.

D. Before the interview

• Research the company and carefully review the job notice. Interview only when interested and qualified.
• Be prepared to provide anecdotes, stories, and information about skills relevant to the position for which you are applying. Even be prepared with a "clean" joke should you be asked to tell one. Hey, it happens!
• Practice responses to typically asked questions, but be sure to have prepared responses to the following:

  a) Tell me about yourself.
  b) Tell me about the skills that you would bring to my company (talk about marketable skills such as programming,
  data analysis, communications, etc., not traits such as dependability).
  c) Give me an example of a situation that best demonstrates your ability to work well with a team of people.
  d) Why should we hire you (again, emphasize skills and experiences, not character traits)?

  Sufficiently prepare ahead of time so you can project confidence and enthusiasm. It is also important not to appear too rehearsed or rote. Be yourself and enjoy the experience.Put together a suitable wardrobe. (See "Projecting the Right Image")

• Put several copies of your resume in a nice portfolio.
• Organize your time for traffic and possible parking problems; always have single bills and change for parking meters.Based on your research of the company, prepare several questions to ask during the interview. These should typically focus on areas such as company culture, typical career paths, financial performance, future goals, expansion plans, products, etc.

E. During the Interview

• Greet all with whom you come in contact with a smile and focused attention so you can remember names; give a firm handshake; walk with good posture; and move with confidence and energy.
• Do not call an interviewer by his or her first name unless invited to do so.
• Wait to be invited to take a seat in the interviewing room.
• Strive to develop a good rapport with the employer by maintaining a conversational flow.
• When interviewing with two or more people, be sure to talk to everyone present.
• Keep your responses brief and concise, but avoid one word, yes/no responses.
• NEVER make unflattering comments about yourself or others.
• Provide specific information with quantifiable data, stories, and anecdotes to give credibility to your responses.
• Ask insightful questions that show interest in the position and organization.
• Before leaving, let the employer know that you are still interested in the position (if true) and summarize your skills.

F. After the Interview

• Send a thank you note within twenty-four hours of the interview. Generally these may be sent via e-mail, but a hard copy note may have additional impact.
• Continue your search regardless of your impressions of the success of the interview.
• Don't consider rejection an indicator of your worth in the employment market.
• Exercise patience while awaiting a response. Remember that the employers with whom you interview always have numerous additional responsibilities.
• After each interview, take the time to review what went right and areas of improvement for future interviews.
• Once you have accepted a position, decline any further interviews or plant trips.

G. Case Interview

The case interview, often used by consulting firms, differs from the standard interview in that it focuses on exploring issues and/or solutions to typical business problems. During the case interview, you will be evaluated on the basis of:

• creativity and common sense; analytical skills; and poise, interest, and enthusiasm.
  As you respond to the questions, the interviewer(s) will focus on your ability to;
• conceptualize problems; provide sound but innovative solutions;
• see patterns and make assumptions based onlimited information;
• ask insightful questions to develop an informed solution
• demonstrate poise and ease in working through the presented problem.

There are two primary types of case interviews. One focuses on using estimates to arrive at solutions, and the
other seeks to determine your comfort level with numbers. The case interview requires even greater preparation
than the standard interview.You can prepare by reading selected articles on businesses in The Wall Street journal.
Other resources include case studies from the Harvard Business School and Competitive Strategy by Michael Porter.Also use amazon.com (searching under the topic "case interviews"), where you will see a listing of books devoted to the topic.

H. Phone Interview
General Tips - Click here

You just got word that you landed a job interview with a company that really interests you -- only there’s a slight catch. You won’t be meeting with your interviewer(s) face to face. Instead, you’ll be taking part in a phone interview, the results of which will determine whether you’re invited to meet with company representatives in person.
Many companies use phone interviews as an initial employment screening technique for a variety of reasons.

Because they’re generally brief, phone interviews save companies time. They also serve as a more realistic screening alternative for cases in which companies are considering out-of-town (or out-of-province and foreign) candidates.
So the chances are pretty good that, at some point in your job hunt, you’ll be asked to participate in a 20- to 30-minute phone interview with either one person or several people on the other end of the line.

In many ways, the way you prepare for a phone interview isn’t all that different from the way you’d get ready for a face-to-face interview -- save for a few slight additions to and modifications of your list of preparation tasks.
Here’s what to do:

- Treat the phone interview seriously, just as you would a face-to-face interview.
- A phone interview seems so informal on the surface that it can be easy to fall into the trap of “phoning it in” i.e., not preparing for it as well as you would for an in-person interview.
- Don’t get caught with your guard down.
- Be sure to research the company, study the job description, and practice your responses to anticipated questions, just as you would for any other interview.
- Have your CV and cover letter in front of you.
- You’ll almost certainly be asked about some of the information that appears on these documents. You might also want to have in front of you any supporting materials that relate to information in your CV and cover letter, like documents you’ve designed or written, a portfolio of your various projects, or the written position description from your past positions.

Occasionally employers will utilize phone interviewing as a way of conducting an initial screen.This is more typically used for internship interviewing, but may also occur for full time positions if the company is a long way from Georgia Tech. Phone interviewing is a little different and in some ways easier than a regular interview.You might find yourself being a bit more relaxed than normal because you are in familiar surroundings, as opposed to the typical interview room or office.Also, without feeling self-conscious about it, you can have written lists of points you may wish to make or questions so you don't forget them. One thing that makes phone interviewing a little unsettling is the lack of body language.A disembodied voice is sometimes difficult to read. Certainly the best thing about a phone interview is you don't have to dress up.

A few things to remember:

• A phone interview is every bit as serious as any other and should be treated that way.
• Make arrangements to be alone and in a quiet place during the interview. No television sets or barking dogs.
• Disable call waiting.
• Avoid using a speakerphone as the sound quality is often poor.The same is true for cell phones.
• Have your resume handy.
• Smile during the interview as appropriate. It improves your delivery.
• Try standing while speaking; some experts say it improves your delivery.
• Be sure to jot down the name(s) of the interviewer(s).

I. Questions asked by the employers:

• Tell me about yourself.
• Why did you select your college or university?
• Why did you choose to interview with our company?
• What do you know about our company (product or service)?
• What did you enjoy most/least about your last employment?
• Describe your ideal job.
• What software programs are you most familiar with?
• Tell me about your computer hardware experience.
• What problems have you solved in your previous positions?
• Give me an example of a situation in which you were part of a team to solve a technical problem.
• What did the team accomplish?
• Organizing projects so that they stay on time and under budget is important for our employers.
• Please tell me about the work-related (or campus)project that you organized most successfully.
• My company values initiative and creativity in getting the job done.
• Give me an example of a proactive action you took when something was not going right.
• Tell me about your experiences inn doing oral presentations to groups of people.
• Tell me about a decision you have made that had a strong impact on your organization.
• Tell me about an incident in which you took quick and decisive action to solve a significant problem at work (or with a campus organization).
• Have you ever received any work-related acknowledgements for outstanding performance? Explain.
• Describe a situation where you received a new procedure or instructions with which you disagreed. What did you do?
• What did you learn from each of your professional experiences?
• How would someone else describe you?
• What factors do you base your decision about the job on?
• Are you ready to start as a leader of a group as soon as you start your job?
• What surprises you about our company?
• Why do you want to be part of the fast track (high potential)program instead of starting in a typical position ?
• what are the benefits/disadvantages?
• If you had to design a graduate program (high potential program) what would it look like?
• Where do you see yourself within our company in 5 years?
• Describe your career evolution within our company
• What was your biggest failure? If you could go back and do things differently, how would you change things?
• Why do you want to work for our company and not our competitors?
• What choice are you most proud of?
• Are you courageous?
• Have you already managed a team?
• What situations make you lose your patience?
• What would you improve in yourself?
• Give a reason to our company to hire you?
• Give us 3 qualities, 3 drawbacks
• What is the most imaginative or innovative idea that you've implemented at work or on any other project?
• What is the maximum amount of time that you would want to travel?
• Are you willing and able to relocate? Are there any geographic locations to where you would not relocate?
• Do you plan to return to school for further education?
• Where do you want to be in five years? Ten years?
• What are your salary requirements?
• Why should we hire you rather than another candidate?

J. Questions to ask employers
Questions regarding the organization:

• What do you like best about the company? Least?
• In what areas do you feel your company is most competitive?
• Who are the company’s primary competitors?
• What are some upcoming major changes?
• What is the greatest challenge, from your perspective, that the company faces during the next year?
• What are the short-term and long-term strategic directions of the company?
• How would you describe the company's management philosophy?
• How would you describe the company culture?
• Does your company provide any financial assistance for further education?

Questions regarding the position:

• What qualities are you looking for in the candidate who fills this position?
• What skills are especially important for someone in this position?
• Please describe the duties and responsibilities of this position.
• What kinds of assignments might I expect the first six months on the job?
• Is this a new position or am I replacing someone?
• Please describe the performance review process.
• What is the typical career path of persons in this position?
• What type of training program/orientation do new employees receive?
• What are some of the expectations for a new employee during the first six months on the job?

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