KCKCC Career Services offers one-on-one guidance and assistance to help students prepare for and practice interviewing skills.
The interview is where an applicant and an employer figure out if there is a good fit for the position and the organization. It is common to feel nervous about interviewing, but there is a lot students can do to prepare!
Make an appointment or contact career services with questions. Workshops are also available throughout the semester, and the interviewing guide is available in Handshake - in the app, go to Account → Career Center → Resources.
Prep Before the Interview
Know Yourself
- What are your skills, abilities, values and strengths?
- Why are you qualified for this position?
- Review behavioral/situational interview questions - you can have a few situations/examples ready ahead of time that you are comfortable talking about
Know Your Potential Employer
- Research the organization – know their mission and culture, think about how you will fit in
- Read up on any new, upcoming or exciting products/services/initiatives going on
- Know what role the interviewer is in at the organization and what type of interview it will be
- Review the job description, HR benefits and any other materials that are sent ahead of time
Practice, Practice, Practice
- Attend a mock interview with career services
- Ask career sServices to help come up with answers to questions that you're unsure about
- Video record yourself practicing, practice in Zoom with a camera on or practice in front of a mirror
- Practice with a friend, spouse, parent, mentor or other trusted professional
- Becoming familiar answering different types of questions to bring more ease during the interview
Things to Remember
- Arrive 10-15 minutes early and do not bring anyone
- Treat everyone as if they are making the hiring decision - receptionists, custodians, etc.
- For virtual interviews, set up lighting and background beforehand, make sure all technology is working
- Maintain good eye contact – with all interviewers
- Bring paper and pen to write down names of interviewers for following up after the interview, along with any other important information about the position they share
- Do not use slang or abbreviations that aren’t specific to their industry/company
- Be concise: do not ramble, make sure to use complete sentences and know when to stop
- Be honest, but always in a positive light - even when describing any shortcomings
- Be friendly and engaged – don’t be afraid to show enthusiasm!
- Turn phone off
Common Questions and Topics
- Tell me about yourself (or some form of this)
- Create an answer for this ahead of time, and practice! Give an overview of the things that make you a great fit for the position (a combination of education, skills, experience, and strengths) and how/why you are excited about this opportunity. Do not include personal information.
- Greatest strengths and/or achievements
- Be ready with examples of strengths, work or projects that you are proud of.
- Questions asking how your skills, education, and experience make you great in this position
- Know why you would be great in the job, practice talking about each of these areas.
- The negatives: weakness, conflicts, challenges
- Always flip to a positive! Use a professional example, not one about your personal life, and start by saying that you used to struggle with/dislike/get nervous about ______, but over the last couple of years (or during your time at KCKCC), you were able to learn and work on it, and now it's not really a problem anymore.
- See STAR method below for explaining situations.
- Behavioral/Situational Questions - "Tell us about a time when..." or "What would you do if..."
- Keep answers relevant to the job/industry – practice talking about challenges or other situations ahead of time.
- Use STAR method.
- Why should we hire you?
- This is going to be similar to the "Tell me about yourself" answer - a combination of education, skills, experience, dedication/passion for the field and personality.
- Why are you leaving/have you left your current/previous position?
- Be positive. Focus on why you want to move into the new role instead of why you left/are leaving. Do not badmouth your previous company or supervisor.
- Be positive. Focus on why you want to move into the new role instead of why you left/are leaving. Do not badmouth your previous company or supervisor.
The STAR Method
- First, describe the SITUATION and context for what happened.
- Next, describe the TASK, or what challenge/issue needed to be addressed.
- Then explain the ACTION performed - what did you do? What resources or tools did you use? Did you collaborate with anyone?
- Finally, make sure to describe the RESULT or outcome. How did it all turn out? Give specific numbers or other facts about the results if possible.
Questions for the Interviewer
Always prepare 3-5 questions to ask at the conclusion of the interview to gather information and see if the employer will be a good fit for you.
It is not a good idea to ask about salaries or benefits during the interview. Wait until an offer is made to ask for specifics, that's when you have the most negotiating power.
Good questions to ask might include:
- What characteristics are most important to excel in this role?
- What are some future goals or projects for this organization/department?
- What are your expectations/plans for the first 30 days, 90 days, and year for this position?
- What do you think is the best (or most challenging) thing about working here?
- How would you describe the work environment/culture at your company and in this office?
- Specific questions related to their mission, company principles, etc.
- What is the timeline for hiring this position, or what are the next steps in the hiring process?
After the Interview
- Record your observations - Doing this helps if you need to ask the employer additional questions.
- Self-Evaluation - How did you feel during the interview? What questions did you answer well? Are there any questions you stumbled over? Did you learn new information about the organization? Do you think the interviewers now have adequate knowledge of your background and skills?
- In case there is a second interview or if this doesn't end up being the job for you, this is a really good way to help you prepare for your next interview.
- Record any information they gave concerning salary, benefits, other job information, etc.
- Always write a “thank you" email after an interview. Do not turn in a pre-written note at the end of the interview - it needs to be specific to the interview just completed.