Career Counselors in the Office of Career Services will be glad to work with you on interviewing skills through one-on-one practice interviews. This can be a great opportunity to get used to the give-and take of an interview, and practice handling what might be difficult questions. To set up an appointment with a counselor, call 617-353-3590.
Cultural norms can be tricky – differences appear when you least expect them to. If you are an International student, even if you have been here for a few years, you might make certain assumptions about protocol in interviews that are different from what an interviewer would expect. While most people are accommodating and understanding of cultural differences, there can sometimes be miscommunications that can hurt you – and neither party is aware that it’s cultural.
These things might not be true for you, but read over the list and see if any sound familiar. Then be sure to read the rest of this section on Interviewing, so you will be well prepared to show yourself in the best light.
- Making eye contact: In some cultures it is not polite to make eye contact, particularly with someone in a senior position. In the US however, a job candidate who does not make eye contact can be seen as lacking in self-confidence, or disinterested in the position. If this doesn’t come naturally to you, try making eye contact when listening in particular; this is when it is most important.
- Shaking hands: Hand-shaking does not come naturally to everyone. Your interviewer, however, will expect to shake hands with you, as will most everyone else you meet in the interview process. If you are not used to shaking hands, practice until you are comfortable. You want to give a brief, firm handshake; don’t give a limp hand, but don’t crush the other person, either. If you are not sure whether to shake hands with someone, you can wait until they extend their hand to you.
- Talking about yourself: In some cultures it is impolite to talk up your own accomplishments; that can be seen as boasting. In a job interview in the US, however, you will be asked about your accomplishments, and they really want to hear you give a realistic and honest response. Don’t overplay, or underplay, your accomplishments, but don’t be shy about telling the interviewer positive things about yourself either.
- Sending Thank-you notes: Some students have said that in their culture, sending a thank-you note after an interview would be like trying to bribe someone, or influence their decision in an unseemly way. They would never send a thank-you note, for that reason. In this country, however, it would be impolite not to send a thank-you note after an interview. If the interviewer does not receive a thank-you, they will probably conclude that you are no longer interested in the position, and you could well be dropped as a candidate. (Important: do not send a gift to the interviewer; that would appear to be a bribe.)
- Talking about your weaknesses: A common interview question is: “What are some of your weaknesses.” This is a difficult question for many people. If you have a heavy accent, however, this is one place you can talk about it. Acknowledge to the interviewer that your accent might be seen as a disadvantage, but that you are aware that you need improvement, and talk about what you are doing to improve. Of course, if you have a different answer for this question, or if your accent is not strong, by all means use a different answer.
- Talking about your strengths: This can be difficult for some people, and often is for international students. One thing you have going in your favor, however, is your proven ability to be flexible, and to operate in different cultures. You are dong it right now! You have already demonstrated your adaptability by moving to a new country for school, and perhaps studying in a language that isn’t your own. Not everyone can do that. These qualities can be very important to an employer, so when asked about your strengths, think about including these.
The Office of Career Services has purchased an innovative tool for student use in preparing for interviews. “Perfect Interview” is an interactive tutorial complete with a camera and microphone on which you can record your practice interviews and play them back to see how you did. You will have a private room in which to work, and as much time as you need. To schedule a time, call our office at 617-353-3590, and say you want to reserve a time for “Perfect Interview.”
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