On-Campus Interviews

Find out all you can and be able to discuss products, services, etc. Visit the company's website, obtain annual reports if available and/or talk with employees if possible. Know what position you are interviewing for and obtain a job description.

Bring extra resume copies, a references list, letters of recommendation, and work samples or portfolio (if applicable).

The following are questions you can ask employers during an interview. These types of questions show the employer you are interested in the position and the organization as a whole.

• Please describe the duties of the job for me?
• What kind of assignment might I expect the first six months on the job?
• Are salary adjustments geared to the cost of living or job performances?
• Does your company encourage further education?
• How would I get feedback on my job performance, if hired?
• What products (or services) are in the development stage now?
• Do you have plans for expansion?
• What are your growth projections for the next year?
• Have you cut your staff in the last three years?
• How do you feel about creativity and individuality?
• Is your company environmentally conscious? In what ways?
• What are the department's goals for the year?
• Are annual sales for the company ahead of last year's sales?
• In what ways is a career with your company better that one with your competitors?
• Is this a new position or am I replacing someone?
• What is the largest single problem facing your staff (department) now?
• May I talk with the last person who held this position?
• What is the usual promotional time frame?
• What do you like best about your job/company?
• Once the probation period is completed, how much authority will I have over decisions?
• Has there been much turnover in this job area?
• Do you fill positions from the outside or promote from within first?
• What qualities are you looking for in the candidate who fills the position?
• What skills are especially important for someone in this position?
• What characteristics do the achievers in this company seem to share?
• Is there a lot of team/project work?
• Where does this position fit into the organizational structure?
• How much travel, if any, is involved in this position?
• Have you previously hired UL Lafayette graduates? Are they still with the company?
• What is the next course of action? When should I expect to hear from you or should I contact you?

Tell me a little about yourself.
Talk about your accomplishments, experiences, and qualifications, not your childhood, family or personal information.

Why do you want to work as a _____?
Talk about the interesting details of the job and why they fascinate you.

What qualifications do you have?
Using your fingers, name a skill, list your qualifications. Move to the next skill.

Tell me about my company and why you want to work for us.
Research before the interview. Be sure to find out company's mission, vision and values as well as competitors, products and services and current events and issues.

How did you learn about us?
Friend, relative, career center, job search website - anything to show that they are not a random choice.

How many other companies have you approached?
"Several for back-up, but this is where I really want to work, this is where my hopes are."

How many employers have you worked for during the last five years?
Tell the truth.

You seem to switch jobs a lot. Why?
Job stagnation, demotions due to downsizing, career exploration, school schedules or having made a bad choice are all good reasons.

Tell me about your current (or last) job?
List your duties and responsibilities. Explain your accomplishments.

What did you like most about that job?
Talk about responsibilities, challenges, accomplishments, and the people.

What would you change about that job?
Don't bad mouth the job. Explain that you'd want more responsibilities. It shows initiative.

Did you ever have a disagreement with a boss? Why? Why not?
Answer, "yes" and you're a troublemaker, "no" and you're a wimp. Find the middle ground: "Sure we disagreed. But we worked well together. For example"

Which courses in school did you find most difficult? Why?
The manager wants to know if you have perseverance: "I got a D in my first term in algebra. My study skills were all wrong. I joined a study group. By the third term I pulled it up to a B and kept it there."

What have you learned from participation in extracurricular activities?
This is important to most managers. They want to see your leadership skills, teamwork, and social skills.

Do you plan to continue your education?
Continuing education courses suggest growth, ambition, promotability - and may qualify for tuition assistance.

What do you plan to be doing for work five years from today?
Figure the promotions you should get if you work hard for this company over the next five years. Tell the manager you plan to be working for him or her in that position. Do not indicate that you hope to start your own business, change careers or go back to school.

Give an example of any major problem that you faced and how you solved it.
Think of something related to school, work, civic or leisure activity. Tell it as a story. The manager wants to see how you define problems, identify options, decide on a solution, handle obstacles, and solve the problem.

What was your greatest failure?
Fessing up to a failure shows maturity. Avoid examples that might reflect on your ability to do the job.

What is your greatest weakness?
Focus on work, not character weaknesses. Turn it into a positive, "I'm accused of being a workaholic. I like to stay and get caught up on the odds and ends before I go home."

What motivates you to do a good job?
Money is not a good answer. A good answer is something like, "having responsibilities and being acknowledged when the job is done right."
 

Reserve one through Handshake! Rooms are located in Agnes Edwards Hall Room 104. 

Room Availability (excluding holidays and school closings): Monday - Thursday: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. | Friday: 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Requests for an interview room must be placed a minimum of one business day in advance of the needed time. If not, the request may not filled. During peak employer recruiting seasons (Late Sept – Oct), there may be lower availability due to employer interviews. You MUST receive an email confirmation for your request. Until you receive confirmation, the room is NOT reserved.

Employers looking to book a room to conduct student interviews should do so via Handshake.

• Be on time - arrive 15-20 minutes early
• Dress professionally
• Relax and be yourself! You are interviewing the organization as much as they are interviewing you
• Greet the interviewer by name, smile, and give a firm handshake. Be friendly and show your enthusiasm
• Face the interviewer in a relaxed, open manner.  Maintain eye contact and be aware of your body language

• Keep the atmosphere pleasant, don't talk negatively about others or past employers
• Speak clearly using complete sentences and avoid one-worded answers
• Focus on your strengths, skills, and qualifications
• Sell yourself! Explain what personal attributes you can bring to the organization and how the organization would benefit from hiring you
• Use the STAR Technique
  • Situation: One or two sentences to set up the background of the event
  • Task: Describe the specific problem or event and your responsibility
  • Action: What was your response to the situation
  • Results: What was the outcome. Point out any successes and what you learned

• Send a thank you email addressed to the interviewer within 24 hours.
• If you haven’t heard from the company after the expected date, call them to ask if the position has been filled. 
• If you don't get the job but are very interested in working for the company, you might want to express your interest in future openings and check back periodically to find out if any new openings are available.
   

If the position was not the right one for you, don't despair. Review your job search plan and your presentation skills. Get help if necessary and continue your job search.