Interviews

The prospect of interviewing with an employer can be both exciting and anxiety producing; much will be riding on how you present yourself in this critical meeting.

The interview is one of the most important phases of the job search process. Your resume and cover letter are simply tools to get you to the interviewing stage. The interview is your opportunity to convince an employer that you are the right person for the job.

As the interviewee, the goal of the interview is to:

Communicate information about yourself, your experience, your skills and your abilities as they relate to the job for which you are applying
Seek further information about the position and the organization
Evaluate the match between your needs and what the job offers

The main purpose of the interview for the interviewer is to gather relevant information about the candidate’s:

Interview preparation - interest in and knowledge of the industry, the position and the organization
Qualifications to complete job specific skills – academic preparation; work, volunteer and other experience; training
Communication skills - oral and written skills and the ability to interact with others
Leadership potential and teamwork - demonstrated ability to work with others and to get others to work together
Clear and realistic career goals - future plans and awareness of career paths
Self awareness - realistic appraisal of self
Motivation and success potential - enthusiasm for the position; demonstrated patterns of accomplishment
Work ethic - acceptance of responsibility, ability to keep commitments and attitude of the importance of work