August 4, 2009

MIT Career Development Center

http://careers.mit.eduMarilyn Wilson

• Research the organization• Review your experiences • Practice likely interview questions• Write follow-up Thank You notes

Communication skills (verbal and written)Honesty/integrityTeamwork skillsStrong work ethicAnalytical skillsFlexibility/adaptabilityInterpersonal skillsMotivation/initiativeComputer skillsDetail-orientedOrganizational skillsLeadership skillsSelf-confidence NACE 2006

• Persuasively present your strengths and skills as they relate to the employer and position.

• Learn as much as you can about the position and the employer - are they a good fit for you?

• Two (or more) people getting to know each other, in an intentional way

• Would we be good work partners, good work colleagues?

Different Venues:• Telephone• First Interview (on-

campus recruiting)• Site-Visit/Second

Interview

• Conventional: questions about you/your experience, skills, interests

• Case-Method, Cased-Based• Job Specific Cases

Make sure you know:

• The correct time of the interview• How long it will last• Who will interview you:

• How many people• Their positions in the company

• Research the organization• Prepare answers to likely

questions• Identify questions you want to ask• Travel to location prior to

interview• Obtain appropriate clothing

Develop a target list of companies and organizations, learn about each of them.

Where can you learn about a company?• Company website• Annual reports• News articles (about company & executives)• References: Wetfeet online (CareerBridge)• Employees (MIT alumni, others) • MIT Library databases: see Locating Companies’

Profiles and next few pages: http://libraries.mit.edu/dewey/CompanyResearch.ppt#320

Some things you should know about a company:

• Size and locations• Years in business • Products and services• Competitors• Financial condition• Values • Organizational climate • Reputation • Any recent developments• Future outlook

To prepare for answering questions, review your experience in detail:• projects you have worked on? • people involved? • what did you do?• challenges, conflicts (project itself,

funding, interpersonal, etc?) • what were the results?• skills you used/acquired, both

knowledge-based and transferable?

Practice! 

• Be prepared to describe your research in a way that can be understood and appreciated by both:

•Scientists•Nontechnical people

 

• What are the main points you want a potential employer to know about you?

• Where will you have opportunities to discuss those points?

 

• Be prepared with 3-5 questions you would like to ask the interviewer at the end of interview.

• What would you like to know? 

Women

• Suit: skirt or pants acceptable• Skirt: not overly short or tight• Makeup: minimum, nothing too bold• Jewelry: nothing too large or noisy

that would be distracting. • Perfume: lite application, if any• Nylons/dress socks- in similar color

tone to clothing. • Shoes- no sneakers or sandals

Men

• Suit preferable- jacket, tie, & slacks acceptable

• Cologne- lite application, if any• Jewelry- nothing too large or

noisy that would be distracting. • Dress socks- try to closely match

the color of your dress pants• Shoes- no sneakers or sandals

• Arrive 15 minutes early• Bring extra copies of your

resume• May bring pen and paper• No food, bags, notes• Turn off cell phone

Typically about 30 minutes long:

First few minutes: • Greet, shake hands, perhaps some small talk

Body of Interview: • Questions assessing your skills, strengths,

weaknesses, goals, character, experiences, etc.

Last few minutes: • You ask a few questions of the interviewer• Get contact information• Shake hands, “thank you,” and good-bye 

Traditional

Direct questions about you - your skills, your experience: • Tell me about yourself.• Why did you choose your major?• What is a weakness you have?• Why are you interested in this position?

Behavioral/Story Telling

Questions that ask you to give examples of past experiences.

Employer is making assumptions about future behavior based on past behaviors and attitudes.

• Tell me about a time when you worked on a team. What was it like? What role did you take?

• Give me an example of a time you confronted a challenge; how did you deal with it?

Behavioral/Story Telling

Use the STAR model for effective answers:

• S: What was the SITUATION:• T: What was your TASK?• A: What ACTION did you take:• R: What was the RESULT?

Think about what the interviewer is trying to learn about you, address that.

• Always speak positively about yourself and others

• Use body language to show interest

• Defer questions about salary, benefits, etc, until later, but know what you are worth

• Strong and confident closing – restate your interest

• Get contact information for all interviewers – correct spelling of names

• Next steps – what happens next, and when?

• Thank the interviewer

  

• Soon after the interview, write/email each of your interviewers.

• Thank them for the opportunity to interview with the organization

• Restate your interest in the position/org.

• May restate your qualifications for the position

• Try to refer to an interesting idea that your interviewer raised, or that the two of you discussed

• May add something relevant about yourself that you didn't bring up in the interview

• Provide any information you told your interviewers you would provide

 

Preparation

• Research the organization • Clarify the time of interview and

duration• Find out who will make the phone

call• Ask how many interviewers, and

their titles

Day of the Interview

• Be ready 15 minutes before the interview • Quiet space – alert roommates, no music• No food, gum, smoking • Lay out reference material in front of you

Resume [transcript, references] Company information, notes Job description Pad of paper for note taking

Additional Tips

• Smile – you’ll sound friendlier• Position phone 1 inch from mouth• Take notes about questions being asked• Keep answers succinct• Pauses are okay – interviewers may be

making notes• Defer questions about salary, benefits,

vacation until later• Be prepared to ask questions in the end

If you are having difficulty expressing yourself in English, or are worried about your accent:• Slow down, decrease your speaking speed• Organize your thoughts before answering

If you don’t understand a question:• Ask the interviewer to repeat it, or• Ask for clarification, or• Confirm your understanding

Practice rephrasing answers to questions!!

1. Do your homework on the company2. Practice sample interview questions3. Be prepared to discuss weaknesses that

may hinder your candidacy (low GPA, apparent lack of experience)

4. Prepare questions to ask the interviewers5. Prepare your interview clothing - try them on6. Clarify the logistics of the interview7. Know what you are worth

See salary negotiating workshop: web.mit.edu/career/www/workshops

8. Practice practice practice!!!Role play with a friendSchedule a mock interview at the CDC

 

Best wishes! Andespecially remember these four things:

Research the organization Review your experiences Practice likely interview questions Write follow-up Thank You notes