1. POWER HALF HOUR: INTERVIEWING Center for Career Education East Campus, Lower Level 2007-2008

2. PURPOSE OF THE INTERVIEW Sell your strengths and skills. Learn as much as you can about the position and employer.

3. PREPARING FOR AN INTERVIEW Before the interview, you need to do four things: Research yourself Research the industry Research the organization - Vault Company Tracking Practice

4. TYPES OF INTERVIEW QUESTIONS Traditional: Requires you to relay factual information Case Based/ Technical: Specific Industries Behavioral: Offer concrete, specific examples to reveal skills ‘Tell me about a time when..’

5. TYPES OF INTERVIEW QUESTIONS For behavioral-type questions, the STARS framework can be helpful in structuring your examples: What was the SITUATION? What was your TASK? What ACTION did you take? What was the RESULT? SUMMARIZE and conclude.

6. KEY QUESTIONS Always be ready to answer four key questions: Tell me about yourself (personal “pitch”) Why are you interested in this field? Why do you want to work here? Why should we hire you? Other common questions: What are your weaknesses? Do you have any questions for me/us?

7. ON THE INTERVIEW DAY What to bring: Extra resumes Reference list Portfolio with pad and pen Professional Image: It generally takes most people two minutes to form their first impression.

8. WHAT ARE EMPLOYERS LOOKING FOR? Employers are looking for critical skills such as: Communication (verbal and written) Technical/Quantitative Analytical/Problem solving Drive/Motivation/Enthusiasm Team Player/Cooperative

9. AFTER THE INTERVIEW Send a thank-you note to everyone you met with. Follow-up during the appropriate time frame if you have not heard from them

10. East Campus, Lower Level (212) 854-5498 careereducation@columbia.edu http://www.careereducation.columbia.edu Mon – Fri, 9am-5pm Wed (term time), 9am–8pm Walk-Ins, 1pm-4pm careereducation@columbia.edu http://www.careereducation.columbia.edu