39 Interview Preparation
Interview preparation is the process of getting ready for a job interview by researching, practicing, and planning your responses and approach.
Information
STEP 1: RESEARCH
Key points:
- Know the Job and the Required Skills
- Research the company
- Create/Copy Google Sheet to use for your answers. You will need to create a Google account before making your own file.
Research
1. Know the Job and Required Skills
- Carefully analyze the job posting
- Required qualifications and education
- Essential technical skills
- Soft skills mentioned
- Years of experience needed
- Key responsibilities and duties
2. Research the Company
- Location
- Size & Structure
- Product
- Customers
- Mission, Vision, & Values
- Recent Changes
- History
- Current Projects
Location:
- Physical address(es) of office(s)
- Whether they have multiple locations or are centralized
- If remote work is an option
Size & Structure:
- Number of employees
- Organizational hierarchy
- Departments and teams
Product:
- Main offerings or services
- Target market
Customers:
Where to Find This Information:
Company website (especially their “About Us” and “Customers” pages)
- Target demographics – (Who they’re trying to reach) – Example: If researching Nike, you’d find they target athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and casual wear customers across all age groups.
- Major clients – (Their biggest or most important customers) –
Mission, Vision, & Values:
- Company’s purpose and long-term goals
- Core beliefs and principles
- Corporate social responsibility initiatives
Recent Changes:
- Leadership transitions
- Mergers or acquisitions
- New product launches or pivots
History:
- Founding story
- Major milestones and achievements
- How the company has evolved over time
Current Projects:
- Ongoing initiatives or campaigns
- Research and development efforts
- Expansion plans or new market entries Example: A renewable energy company currently developing next-generation solar panels and expanding its wind farm operations in emerging markets.
Sample Research on “GreenTech Solutions Company”
Location: Headquarters in Austin, Texas, with satellite offices in San Francisco, New York, and London. They offer a hybrid work model, allowing employees to work remotely 3 days a week.
Size & Structure:
- 500 employees globally
- Flat organizational structure with 3 main divisions: R&D, Sales & Marketing, and Operations
- Led by a CEO and a board of directors
Product: GreenTech Solutions develops and manufactures smart home devices that optimize energy usage. Their flagship product is the “EcoHub,” a central control system that integrates with various home appliances to reduce energy consumption.
Customers:
- Primary target: Environmentally conscious homeowners, aged 30-55, middle to upper-middle income
- Secondary target: Property developers and smart home installers
- Key clients include several major home builders and a chain of eco-friendly hotels
Mission, Vision, & Values:
- Mission: “Empowering households to reduce their carbon footprint through innovative technology”
- Vision: “A world where every home contributes to a sustainable future”
- Values: Innovation, Sustainability, Integrity, Customer-Centricity
Recent Changes:
- Appointed a new Chief Technology Officer 6 months ago
- Launched a new product line of solar-powered outdoor smart devices
- Entered a partnership with a major utility company to offer integrated services
History:
- Founded in 2010 by two engineering graduates
- Received significant venture capital funding in 2013
- Went public in 2018
- Has won several innovation awards in the clean tech sector
Current Projects:
- Developing an AI-powered energy prediction system
- Expanding into the European market, starting with Germany and France
- Collaborating with a leading university on a study about the long-term impact of smart home technology on energy consumption patterns
STEP 2: MATCH YOUR SKILLS TO THE EMPLOYER’S NEEDS
Key points:
- The second step for preparing for an interview is to connect your skills with what employers are looking for. Different jobs and industries have different needs, so it’s important to know what those are.
- Even though the skills needed can change from one job to another, there are some basic skills that most employers really appreciate. Having these skills can make you stand out and do better at work.
- Create/Copy Google Sheet to use for your answers. You will need to create a Google account before making your own file.
10 Examples of Skills Companies Value
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/employability-skills“
- Analyze the job description thoroughly:
- Carefully read through the entire job posting
- Highlight or list all skills, qualifications, and experiences mentioned
- Note both explicit requirements and implied skills
- Categorize required skills:
- Separate hard skills (technical abilities) from soft skills (interpersonal qualities)
- Identify must-have skills vs. nice-to-have skills
- Self-assessment focused on the vacancy:
- Create a list of your skills and experiences that directly relate to the job requirements
- Rate your proficiency level for each relevant skill
- Identify concrete examples of how you’ve demonstrated these skills
- Gap analysis:
- Compare your skills list to the job requirements
- Identify areas where you meet or exceed expectations
- Tailoring your application materials:
- Customize your resume to highlight skills that match the job description
- Use the same terminology as the job posting where applicable
- In your cover letter, connect your experiences to the required skills
- Highlighting transferable skills:
- If you lack direct experience, identify transferable skills from other contexts
- Explain how these skills apply to the role
Step 3 – Prepare and Practice common interview questions
Key Points:
- Develop questions based on the job requirements
- Include traditional interview questions
- Include behavioral Interview questions related to the required skills
- Include situational Interview questions that reflect potential workplace scenarios.
- Sample Interview Questions and answers for various professions. Click here
- Create/Copy Google Sheet to use for your answers. You will need to create a Google account before making your own file.
Using Google Sheets for Preparation
- Research Common Questions: Use Google to search for “common interview questions in [your industry]” to find additional questions specific to your field.
- Practice and Refine: Use Google Sheet to write out full answers to each question. Practice saying these answers out loud and refine them based on how they sound.
- Prepare Questions for the Interviewer: In your Google Sheets document, create a list of questions to ask the interviewer based on your research.
- Use the Google Sheet Tracker to track your interviews
Conduct a Mock interview (Optional)
Interview Questions Preparation Guide
How to answer each Categories of Interview Questions.
1. Traditional Interview Questions
Traditional questions often focus on your background, motivations, and qualifications. Examples include:
- “Tell me about yourself.”
- “Why are you interested in this position?”
- “What are your strengths and weaknesses?”
How to Answer:
- Be Concise and Relevant: Provide a brief overview of your professional background, highlighting experiences pertinent to the role.
- Align with the Role: Connect your skills and experiences to the job requirements.
- Prepare Examples: Have specific instances ready to illustrate your points.
Example:
“I have five years of experience in digital marketing, specializing in social media strategy. At my previous company, I led a campaign that increased engagement by 30%. I’m excited about this role because it offers the opportunity to leverage my skills in a new industry.”
2. Behavioral Interview Questions
Behavioral questions assess how you’ve handled situations in the past, based on the premise that past behavior predicts future performance. They often start with phrases like:
- “Tell me about a time when…”
- “Give me an example of…”
How to Answer:
Use the STAR method to structure your response:
- Situation: Describe the context within which you performed a task or faced a challenge.
- Task: Explain the actual task or challenge involved.
- Action: Detail the specific actions you took to address the task.
- Result: Share the outcomes of your actions.
Example:
“In my previous role, our team faced a tight deadline for a major project (Situation). I was responsible for coordinating with multiple departments to ensure timely completion (Task). I organized daily check-ins and streamlined communication channels (Action), which resulted in the project being completed two days ahead of schedule and receiving positive client feedback (Result).”
3. Situational Interview Questions
Situational questions present hypothetical scenarios to assess your problem-solving and decision-making skills. Examples include:
- “How would you handle a conflict with a coworker?”
- “What would you do if you were assigned a task outside your expertise?”
How to Answer:
While these questions are hypothetical, you can still apply the STAR method by drawing parallels to similar past experiences:
- Situation: Briefly describe a similar past situation.
- Task: Explain the challenge or task at hand.
- Action: Discuss the actions you took.
- Result: Share the outcome.
Example:
“If faced with a conflict with a coworker, I would first seek to understand their perspective by scheduling a private meeting to discuss the issue openly. In a previous role, I had a disagreement with a team member over project priorities. We met to discuss our viewpoints and found a compromise that satisfied both parties, leading to improved collaboration and project success.”
SUPPORT/FEEDBACK
- MEC Career Management Center – Career Management Contact Information website: https://www.mec.cuny.edu/student-success/career-management/resources/
- For those in AGRO 103 course ( Career Readiness Course), you can get feedback from your Professor.
- SEEK Academic Support Center (ASC) system. Click here to complete the survey.
- Contact your advisors for assistance:
Dr. Rebecca Cenatus – rcenatus@mec.cuny.edu
Ms. Takisha Randall – Trandall@mec.cuny.edu
Dr. Jewel James – jjames@mec.cuny.edu
