Santa Clara University

Preparing for the Interview

• Know Yourself

  Knowing yourself will enable you to be more successful in the interviewing process. Ask yourself the following:
  
  
  

  • In what kind of environment do I work best?
  • What are my career goals in five years? Ten years?
  • How could this job help me work towards those goals?
  • What are my strengths and weaknesses?
  • What skills and experiences do I have that related to the job qualifications?

• Know the Employer

  Research the employer and the position prior to your first interview. Examine the company's literature, visit the website, and if possible talk with its employees. Understand its products and services. Be able to answer the question, “What can I do for this organization?” See if you can identify three values the employer embraces. Think honestly about why you would like to be a part of this organization. Develop examples in advance that draw from your background and demonstrate your exposure and mastery of the employer’s values.Appropriately integrate what you know about the company into the interview.
  
  
  
  

  • Research Organizations

• Practice, Practice, Practice

  Develop your interview skills through practice.
  Just like preparing for a class presentation, preparing for an interview involves either talking out loud to yourself, in front of the mirror or to a friend who is willing to provide you with honest feedback. Practicing your responses helps to decrease anxiety.
  

  • Online mock interviews