Put Your Skills to the Test: Interview Stream
Your job as the candidate is to (1) clearly communicate the unique combination of skills and experiences that qualify you to do the job or perform in the graduate program of your choice, and (2) determine if the organization is a good fit for your interests and goals.
Before the interview:
• Know Yourself - What are you good at? What do you enjoy? What are your values? What skills do you enjoy using? What kind of person are you? What is on your resume? • Know the Organization - What makes them unique in their field? What do they make/do/sell/teach? Who are their competitors? Google the company and your interviewer. • Know the Position - What would you be doing? How does this position fit into the organization's mission?
Traditional Questions The interviewer poses a question (often from your resume) and you respond. Typical questions include things like, "Why did you choose Muhlenberg?" "What did you do in your job at the library?" "What was the best aspect of joining a fraternity?"
The most effective way to answer traditional questions is to use the 1-2-3 method.
1 - State your answer.
2 - Give an example to back it up. (This is the proof that you have the skill or quality, plus the examples will also give the interviewer something to remember you by.) Tell a story.
3 - Relate it to the position.
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More common today is the behavioral style interview, in which the interviewer is trying to gauge your future behavior based on your past performance. The STAR formula will help you effectively answer behavioral questions. Tell a story.
S = Situation. Describe a specific instance that demonstrates the quality requested.
T = Task. Describe the tasks involved in that situation
A = Action. Tell what your role was or how you acted in the situation.
R = Result. Discuss the result of your action. Ideally this would be a positive outcome. If it is not, be sure to talk about what you learned from the experience.
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