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 The Art of Interviewing: A Guide for CAS Students The Basics Day of the Interview Types of Questions An interview is a conversation between you and a potential employer. Ideally, it will be a mutually informative dialogue within which each of you benefits from learning about the other. The candidate uses the interview as an opportunity to share information about her/his background and qualifications, to express interest in the hiring organization, and to pose questions to the interviewer. Likewise, the interviewer uses the conversation to promote the hiring organization and to determine if a good match exists between the candidate and the position. While this exchange of information is an integral aspect of the conversation, the “fit” between you and the interviewer(s) – how natural the conversation is, how much you enjoy one another’s company, how confident and positive you seem, and how interested they are in being stranded at an airport with you for 5 hours – can be just as important. The following guide to interviewing aims to assist you in preparing for both aspects of an interview by addressing (1) information you should know and be able to discuss, and (2) techniques of social interaction useful for communicating poise, maturity, reliability, and enthusiasm. NB: The following advice applies generally to positions in the U.S. with U.S. employers. For interviews with foreign firms/organizations in U.S. offices, for jobs abroad, and for U.S. jobs where staff members may use culturally-specific social customs, research the cultures and traditions of that country or group. For instance, some Muslim women do not shake hands with men, some Native American people use a very light handshake rather than a firm one, and French people tend to address one another more formally than Americans do. Being able to answer the following 4 questions well is essential to thorough preparation for an interview. Thoughtfully preparing responses to these questions will make the rest of the preparation process quite easy. • Why you? Why You? • Become comfortable talking about yourself and all relevant aspects of your background (academics, professional experience, extracurricular activities, interests, hobbies, personal characteristics). Be able to describe yourself in concrete terms using specific examples and well-selected language. • Contextualize yourself to the interviewer. Don’t leave it up to them to figure out how you and your background fit into their frame of reference, and more specifically, into their organization. (For example, while you may deliver a brilliant description of your scholarly work in philosophy, it is nonetheless important to demonstrate to the New Yorker magazine how your observation skills and penchant for giving a witty philosophical gloss on seemingly mundane events will make you a superb columnist.) Liberal arts students who are looking for business and finance jobs can certainly succeed in finding jobs in these fields, but must take responsibility for showing employers how their skills translate across disciplines. • Be confident and 100% unapologetic about your past decisions and your background. Embrace your experiences and your record and present them in a positive light. (e.g. Why are my grades so low? Actually, I am quite pleased with my grades. A particularly challenging event occurred during my sophomore year relating to my family and I spent most weekends traveling back and forth between Washington D.C. and Penn that next year, doing my homework on the bus and studying at home. I was able to maintain a solid B+ that year. I like to think of that year as a time when I learned how to succeed despite quite unexpected adversity. It was a great learning experience both academically and personally.) • Know your resume by heart – go over it line by line by line, word by word. Be able to talk honestly, confidently, and coherently about anything you include on your resume. • Your resume may well be the only (or one of the only) pieces of information the interviewer will have about you. Use it to think about what questions they will ask. Think also about what the gaps are that they might zero in on. • Keep in mind that you are leaving yourself wide open by saying that your interests include, for instance, “current events” or “investing.” Be ready for both specific, open-ended, and/or follow-up questions in these areas. This is a question most Penn students research and answer very well. • Know the employer’s website inside and out – major divisions of the organization, vocabulary choices, highlighted products and services, recent achievements, organizational philosophy, etc. • Has the organization been in the news recently, and if so, in what capacity? Do a Lexis-Nexis search to find articles in the paper or in journals on the business or organization. • Keep in mind that you are not expected to know minute, trivial details (e.g. Firm X’s 1997 revenue in the keychain market in Toledo, Ohio).
This is an area of knowledge many students overlook. • Why are you interested in this field? How does working in this field fit into your long-term goals? • You should be able to answer questions along the lines of: What’s big in Industry X these days? What are the most important trends or items of notes going on in field Y this week, this month, this year, this decade? How do current events and/or trends outside the field influence this particular industry? Who are the key players? Who are the competitors? Who are key people? What are the scandals? • If you’re interviewing in finance or business:
Employers tell us that when interviews go wrong, they go wrong (typically) for these reasons: • The student didn’t really know why s/he applied for the position and how it fits into her/his career path. • The student is confused about what the organization does. • The student is not enthusiastic. The Basics • Arrive at the office or waiting area about 10 minutes early. Allow PLENTY of extra time for traffic, forgetting something, running into someone, getting lost, etc. • BRING extra copies of your resume, extra copies of your unofficial transcript, a portfolio, a pen, and an unobtrusive and professional bag, satchel, or briefcase. • Be very gracious and friendly to administrative staff. • DRESS depends on the job for which you are applying. Most corporate interviews call for: Men: suit (conservative business and finance firms prefer black, navy, or gray), dress shoes, dark socks For jobs in some work environments where dress is very informal on a daily basis (e.g. a social services agency serving the homeless, a laboratory, a greenhouse), you might consider wearing a “business casual” outfit or an outfit that would be one level above what you would wear for work on a daily basis. If you are uncertain, err on the side of being overdressed rather than underdressed. You could also consult a Career Services counselor or a contact you have in the field to gauge what level of dress is appropriate.
• Greet the employer with a firm handshake and good posture and make eye contact. • Once seated, find a middle ground between rigidity and relaxation. Sit slightly forward in your chair with good posture. • Keep your portfolio (with pen tucked inside) nearby in case you need to write down some information or pull out a resume or other document. Don’t take notes as you would in class. Use the pen and paper to jot down only very specific items (e.g. the name of a journal or person if it comes up in conversation) or to assist you in answering a case question. Quantitative questions in finance or related interviews (e.g. “What is 12.5 squared?” ) are meant to be done in your head, not on paper. You can think through them out loud, however.
• If the interview process includes two rounds, the 1st interview tends to cover general questions, while the 2nd interview frequently focuses more directly on the position. Nevertheless, expect both general and focused questions in either round. • Within a single interview, employers frequently begin with a general question / icebreaker, and then move on to more specific and targeted questions. • For all questions: It’s OK to ask for clarification if you don’t understand the question • Be prepared for the “onion” style of interviewing. Like a chef peeling away the layers of an onion, an interviewer may pose follow-up questions based upon your responses in order to get to a deeper or more specific level of conversation on a given topic. 1. “Tell me about yourself.” A good response is a BRIEF overview of your resume. Do so in a narrative fashion: highlight the transitions from one part of your resume to another and fill in some of the reasons behind your choices. End with a summary-type sentence, perhaps one that links your resume with the job you are presently interviewing for. 2. Questions about anything on your resume. An interviewer may probe for more information or just a general discussion of something you listed on your resume: “I see you are an IR major interested in current events. Isn’t it fascinating that Shirin Ebadi was chosen for the Nobel Peace Prize this year?” (You are then to give a brief analysis of and/or reflection on this news item.) An interviewer may also look for gaps in the resume and ask you to account for them: “You played the violin in high school and then for two years in college. Why did you give up that interest?” 3. “Give us an example of a time when _____”: Behavioral questions ask you to discuss through the use of a specific example the way you exhibited a certain characteristic or dealt with a certain type of situation. An interviewer may ask you, for instance, about a leadership role, a successful project, a conflict with a supervisor, a conflict within a group, teamwork, problem-solving, a failure, creative thinking, etc. Prepare some examples in such categories ahead of time. Don’t use all of your examples from one experience. Speak to a specific situation rather than provide a projection of what you would do in a given setting. 4. “What are your strengths?” Prepare a response to this question before the interview. Tell the truth and discuss strengths that relate to the job in some way (e.g. in a marketing interview, you might talk about your intuitive flair for graphic design rather than about your inborn ability to rock-climb). 5. “What are your weaknesses?” This is a question students commonly cite as among the most difficult to answer. Give it some serious thought beforehand. Select a “negative” feature of your personality or background that is not a cliché (e.g. avoid “I’m too much of a perfectionist!”) and does not expose you unnecessarily (e.g. avoid “Honestly, I’m actually rather lazy.”). Then, present the negative quality in a positive light and/or show that you are working on rectifying it. One way to come up with some weaknesses is to think about something that might be perceived as a hole in your resume: “You may notice that I haven’t had professional experience in this area, which I imagine will make the learning curve somewhat steeper for me as I begin in this field. I do find that my extracurricular experience in directing the university orchestra has nonetheless contributed to my skills in management and I look forward to applying such experiences to my learning process in a new position). Another approach is to consider an aspect of your personal style as it relates to the position: “On the Meyers-Briggs, I tend to be categorized as more of an introvert than an extrovert, and find that I need some personal time to collect my energy and focus my thoughts for work responsibilities that require a great deal of interaction with others. While some may therefore perceive me as shy initially, I find that the high quality independent work I produce as well as the energetic and thoughtfully prepared presentations I give and interactions I have end up being quite valuable to my supervisors and clients.” One helpful tip as you do your brainstorming: Try to think about personality and personal style traits as operative along a continuum rather than being either “strengths” or “weaknesses”. Many traits have both positive and negative implications depending upon the context. Think about central aspects of your personality or style and how they may be either a benefit or a challenge within the work environment that interests you. Remember that your job in discussing weaknesses is to select something noteworthy and honest, but to put a positive light on the trait and to show how you are working on it. 6. Stress questions put you on the spot with a complicated, very pointed, challenging, or seemingly accusatory question. They are often as much about how you respond to being asked such a tough question as they are about the answer itself. Particularly if you are applying for a high-stress job or a position in which you will be handling complaints, the employer needs to know how you deal with conflict. What better way than to pose a stressful question at the interview? Such questions may focus on your grades, work experience, choice of major or school, interest in the position, etc. In addition to preparing for challenging questions using the information in this guide, the key is to answer these questions as if they were asked graciously and warmly. Give the interviewer a positive, confident, unapologetic answer that gives no hint whatsoever of any anxiety, frustration, or resentment you might be feeling at the moment. 7. “How many cheesesteaks are eaten each day in Philadelphia?” Case questions (for consulting interviews, generally) test your ability to reason through a complex question and your awareness of the factors that will influence the situation at hand. Practice these ahead of time – resources are available on our website in the interviewing section, in our library in the consulting section, and on the websites of McKinsey and Boston Consulting Group. A case question may involve a complex business scenario, or it may take the form of a straightforward question (such as “How many grains of sand are there in an hourglass?”) or an open-ended question (such as “Why would 2 companies merge?”). • Make sure you understand the question and what information is being sought 8. “Are there any questions you have for us?” Ask about something that cannot be answered on the organization’s website or has not be covered at the employer presentation. Examples might include asking about:
What if an interviewer poses a question that catches you so completely off guard that you cannot come up with an answer at all? Ideally, you can use some of the following suggestions to buy time and come up with a response: • Stall for time – ask to have the question repeated, repeat it yourself … and if all else fails … • In a gracious and polite way, say something like “May we return to this question later on? I seem to be at a loss at the moment.” (Then think of something to say as the interview proceeds!) … and if they interviewer returns to the question and you still don’t have an answer … • “This is a question that has really stumped me for some reason. May I have your card so that I can follow up later on today with an email?” (This is a last resort, of course, but if you go this route – make sure you follow up as promised!)
• Be positive and confident throughout the interview. Don’t be defensive or apologetic about anything. Frame any negatives, weaknesses, or gaps positively and leave it at that. • Maintain eye contact as you speak, have good posture, and avoid “um,” “like,” and “uhh”, etc. • Silence is OK – taking a moment to consider your answer is certainly appropriate. It can be a sign of thoughtfulness and intelligence, in addition to giving you time to collect your thoughts. • Never lie in an interview. Don’t be comparative or give excuses. Don’t be negative and don’t say an uncomplimentary or judgmental thing about anyone. • At the first interview, do not ask about salary or benefits. Wait until you have an offer to negotiate. There are many places to research salary trends in the meantime (www.bls.gov, Career Services surveys, etc.). •Convey professionalism, maturity, and poise in all interactions with the organization. In a sense, the interview process extends well beyond your actual interview to include all interactions with the organization, employer presentations, night-before events, and correspondence. • Provide a great first and last impression – firm handshake, good posture, smile.
• The interviewer will give you a clue that it’s time to wrap things up:
Send a thank you letter within 48 hours! In this note, state specific things you discussed during the interview, and if you are interested in the position, use this opportunity to convey your excitement to the interviewer. Email notes are acceptable as well, and are frequently preferred by recruiters who are on the road and not receiving their mail until the 1st and 2nd rounds are well over. Now Prepare, Relax, Be Yourself, and Smile! |
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