ECS

Interview Preparation

Engineering Career ServicesUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison

ECS

NOTE: ECS Interviews• Two types of interviews through ECS– Career Connection interviews

• Employers create their own scheduled on students they meet at Career Connection

– Campus interviews AFTER Career Connection• Sign-up occurs through your myECS account

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NOTE: MyECS Sign-up• All sign-ups begin promptly at 7 AM on

your MyECS account• Preplan your priority sign-up requests

and sign-ups • View interview listings from the

Datebook (Recruiting Calendar) and Job Postings features daily

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Interviewing Preparation

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Be Proactive in your Approach• Interviews don’t

happen to you– you play an active role

• View it as a business meeting

• Be able to answer, “Why are you interviewing with us today?”– If you can’t, you shouldn’t

be there!!!

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Prior to Each Interview• Know the specific employer’s needs• Assess your skills & qualifications• Anticipate the topics & questions• Develop 3-5 themes about which you will

NOT leave the interview without discussing• Practice responses – yes, out-loud!– Do not, however, memorize responses!!

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Know the Employer’s Needs• Review MyECS job

posting for the employer

• Research the employer website

• Highlight key words and phrases

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Anticipate Employer Perspective

• Can I do the job? – Am I a qualified candidate for this employer? Why?– Resumes, papers and documents support the

“can’s”

• Will I do the job?– The interview itself provides evidence about the

“will’s”• Examples of motivation, ability to listen, present and

persuade, integrity, maturity, team player, leader, ethics and values

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Anticipate Topics

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Anticipate Questions• ECS Job Search Guide, pages 50 – 68

• Proper interview attitude• 25 worst interview mistakes• Typical interview questions• Questions for you to ask recruiters• Behavioral interviews, Case interviews and

Brainteaser interviews• Telephone interviews

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Prepare Responses• Think about the employer’s perspective• Develop responses based on specific

examples• Use structured responses - STAR method

• Situation – Task – Action – Result

• Summarize response with “what I learned from this experience…”

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Anticipate Topics & Questions• TIPS:

– Make each response personal to you– An answer that is generic or hypothetical is

NOT a good response– Use all of your resume when using examples

• Do not only use your internship or one work experience

– Examples of things that did not go well, or were difficult are good to use, but stress what you learned

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Develop 3 -5 Themes• Be determined that you not leave the

interview without emphasizing your 3 – 5 themes or strengths– Help the employer clearly see what

differentiates you– Use to form a good summary statement for

the interview close

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Bring a Portfolio• Resumes• List of references• Unofficial

transcripts • Lists of

Publications/Presentations

• Notes• Binder of Visuals

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Practice Responding to Questions

• It’s not… the best prepared student who gets the job, but the… student who is best prepared at getting the job.

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Practice Out loud!• Become adept at telling the story behind

your experiences and skill development• Never provide a simple yes or no response• Past behaviors are the best indicators of

future behavior– Work related– Academic related– Community related

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Take responsibility• Leave nothing for assumption– Explicitly make your qualifications and

interests clear to the employer

• 30 - 60 minutes is a very short time to discuss all that is important about your qualifications

• Be present in the interview by listening carefully to the questions

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Successfully Close the Interview• Ask questions• Summarize your

themes and strengths• Thank the recruiter• Ask what the next

step will be• Restate your

interest in the job• Obtain a business

card

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More Tips: Appearance• Body language,

eye contact, posture, handshake, smile

• Welcoming• Confident, not

arrogant

Aim between being frightened and overly confident

Aim between being frightened and overly confident

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More Tips: Vocal• Vocal pitch,

volume, speed, and tone

• Particularly for a phone interview

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General Tips: Communication

• For brief interactions, what is remembered:– 7%, is verbal (what you

say)– 55% of communication is

visual (body language, eye contact)

– 38% is vocal (pitch, speed, volume, tone of voice)

Business Week Feb 07

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Professional Dress• Suit or jacket with

pants or skirt• Collared shirts• Tie for men• Dark socks and

professional shoes

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Professional Dress & Grooming• Fresh hair cut• No facial hair, unless

nicely trimmed• Hair held back, away

from face• Minimal make-up

and jewelry• No cologne

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Professional Dress• Jacket buttoned

when standing, unbuttoned when seated

• Always leave bottom button unbuttoned

• Stilettos are not appropriate!

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Business Casual• No suit jacket• Perhaps no tie• Otherwise, very

similar to business dress

• Ironed khaki’s or pants or skirt

• Collared shirt

• What is NOT business casual:– Jeans– Flip flops– T-shirts– Wrinkled anything!– Tank tops and

spaghetti straps

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Feedback from Recruiters• Improve

handshake• Make eye contact

when responding to questions

• Be confident, but not arrogant

• Know what my company does

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Feedback from Recruiters• Don’t be too

mechanical• Be genuine; show

me your personality

• Relax

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After each Interview• Assess yourself• Send a thank you

email with 48-hours• Prepare for your

next interview• Follow-up every 2

weeks until you receive an answer

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Questions?