Interviewing
Just the thought of being in an interview can make any person nervous. However, the more prepared you are in advance, the more likely these nerves are to go away. We are here to help prepare you and fine-tune your interviewing skills.
Practice your interview skills
- Practice interviewing online with Big Interview
- Make an appointment in Handshake
- Review these often-asked interview questions
- Periodically, employers visit App State to conduct practice interviews with students. Search and sign up in Handshake, just like you would for a real interview. Practice interviews are labeled as such.
- When you are ready, request an interview room to practice or conduct your next interview.
Know the employer
- Study the organization’s culture and make sure you review their mission statement, policies, website content, and printed materials
- Familiarize yourself with the job description
- Identify how you can add value with your skills and training to their organizational goals
Strategize your answers
- Focus on what you have to offer the employer
- Emphasize your skills and experiences to help identify how strong a match you are to the position
- Be detailed and substantive; quantify your success when possible (successfully met fundraising goal by 110%)
- Provide short anecdotes to illustrate your points
Plan your trip
- Create a travel plan that incorporates plenty of extra time for the unexpected
- Take the employer’s contact information with you in case of emergency
- Travel the day before to ensure you are already in town on the day of your interview
- Wear appropriate dress attire to make a good first impression
- Bring extra copies of your resume
- Be prepared for any technological needs you may have for showing your electronic portfolio or making a presentation
- Be prepared with cash for parking
- Manage your travel plans independently. Do not rely on the employer for directions, parking, or any other accommodations unless they offer
- Take medications or other personal essentials with you
- Turn off your cell phone immediately upon arrival
- Be courteous, professional, and friendly with everyone; anyone you meet could have input on the hiring decision
Campus interviews
Employers visit campus each semester to interview and hire qualified students from App State. Start applying to jobs in Handshake, and if the job is associated with an on-campus interview, you will be prompted to pick an interview time after applying. You can also check out this list of interviews happening on-campus.
Virtual and phone interviews
Oftentimes employers will conduct their first round interviews virtually or over the phone. These are used to get an initial impression of the applicant before bringing them in for an in-person interview. Learn these tips to make your next virtual or phone interview a success.
Lunch/dinner interviews
Being interviewed over a meal presents some unique challenges. While you may feel more relaxed in this setting, your meal is not a break. Employers are still evaluating your abilities and paying attention to your manners. Learn what to focus on when interviewing during a meal.
Thank you notes
Remember to always write a thank you note following an employment or internship interview. This acknowledges the employer’s time and demonstrates your professionalism and business etiquette. Learn what to include in your thank you note.
Virtual interview training
Big Interview is an online system that combines training and practice to help improve your interview technique and build your confidence. Check out this Student Guide to walk you through each aspect of the platform so you can get the most out of Big Interview. You have at your disposal a variety of tools including:
- Challenging, virtual mock interviews for all experience levels and dozens of industries
- A database of thousands of interview questions with tips on how to answer them
- The ability to rate and share your interview answers for feedback
- A comprehensive video training curriculum covering all aspects of landing a job
- A step-by-step interview Answer Builder for crafting answers to behavioral questions
Are you an App State alumni? Get started with Big Interview here. When registering, use Organization Code ‘appstate’.