Career Launch 105: Be ready for interviewing

02/12/24 • 12 min

This is another installment of what I have come to think of as my Career Launch series of episodes. The need to record and publish this content is usually driven by trending coaching needs. When I find myself offering a particular theme of advice a lot, then I record. This episode addresses preparing to interview.

Actually being ready to interview can sneak up on you and might feel like something that is out of your control. But with some strategic preparation you can be ready for interviews and feel confident about how you will perform.

I recommend practicing answers to these commonly asked general questions:
Why are you interested in this position at this company?
What is driving your interest in this career path or line of work?
What led you to pursue a degree in XX?

Then take an inventory of situations to use as examples to answer behavioral questions and craft the story that sets the context for each situation:
Tell me about a time you had to make a decision without having as much information as you would like?
Tell me about a time when you had to share difficult news with a stakeholder about a project or deliverable?
Tell me about a time when you had to switch directions midway through a project or assignment?

You'll be able to match the situation that best fits the interview question. But also, be prepared to answer follow up questions that are designed to assess your learning agility like:
What other approaches did you consider but not take?
What did you takeaway or learn from that situation?
Tell me about time when you had to apply this learning to another situation?

And finally, practice, practice, and practice until you feel like you can consistently nail the interviews you have so diligently pursued. Ask for help from others to practice your answers and listen to the feedback you get along the way. Tap into your career services center on campus for assistance, that is what they are there for!

I hope this gives you a solid plan for preparing to interview. Good luck!

I hope this gives you a solid plan for preparing to interview. Good luck!

Previous Episode

Career Launch 104: Setting up your Linkedin profile

In this Career Launch series episode I share a check list to set up your Linkedin profile more fully. This episode provides you with insight into where to focus when building your profile. If you simply create a basic Linkedin profile without building out the key pieces then you will leave a lot of opportunity on the table. Linkedin can be a powerful tool working for you in the background while you are off being amazing in real life. Your profile will attract opportunities to you based on the content you load there. In this episode I explain these items on my check list:

1. Profile picture
2. Background picture
3. Headline
4. About summary
5. Experiences detail

Once you have these five things covered, you should work to build out your network by both adding connections and doing some active posting. I provide some suggestions regarding posting that will drive traffic and attention to your profile using posts that highlight work you are doing and including others you work or study with.

I hope this checklist motivates you to use Linkedin as a resource and tool in your job search! Check out the other Career Launch episodes for other foundational tips on 5 actions to get started, resume coaching, frequently asked questions about job search, and coming soon....preparing to interview.

Next Episode

Building resiliency through challenge with guest Brittany Onufrak

In this episode, my guest is Brittany Onufrak, a healthcare client operations professional with a passion for helping others. Our conversation focuses on ways to maintain a positive mindset and push through rejection to build resiliency within your job search. Whether you are a student trying to land your first job or a seasoned professional looking for your next opportunity hearing "no" or hearing nothing at all over and over again can be incredibly discouraging.

Brittany is an advocate for career development and is passionate about helping others reach places where they can thrive. But she has also encountered rejection and experienced feelings of self-doubt along her career path. During our conversation, she shared the practices that she uses to maintain a positive mindset, not take rejection personally, and create opportunities for action. Start with focusing on the things that are within your control. Your mindset has a strong influence on how you feel and also how you show up in the process. Seek and use feedback to reframe how you are interpreting the rejection. Use the challenge to build your resilience.

If you are feeling defeated by the current job search environment, know that you are not alone. Keep going, keep shining. Thanks for listening.