Interview Preparation

Preparation before any interview will help boost your confidence and help you shine.

How to Interview for a Job

Learn how to interview for a job with our two-part series. Our career counselors discuss how to prep for a job interview, how to dress, job interview etiquette do’s and don’ts, questions to ask, and how to answer common job interview questions. Boost your confidence and ace your next job interview!

Video Workshop, Part 1: Preparing for a Job Interview

Common Questions

You won’t know all of the questions you’ll be asked, but you can prepare for commonly asked questions. However, you don’t want to sound rehearsed, so don’t memorize your answers.

Commonly Asked Questions

  • Tell us about yourself.
  • What do you know about our organization and why are you interested in this position?
  • What experience and skills do you bring to this position?
  • What do you consider to be your strengths and areas for growth?
  • Tell me about a time you demonstrated leadership in school or work.
  • Describe a time you had to work under stress and how you handled it.
  • Tell me about a time when you demonstrated initiative in solving a problem. What was the result?
  • Tell us about a time you worked as part of a team. What role did you play?
  • Why did you choose this major/career path? What are your career goals?
  • Is there anything else you would like to share about yourself that hasn’t yet been discussed?

Prepare some concrete examples you can use in your responses using the STAR technique:

S = Situation you’re describing
T = Task you were performing
A = Action you took
R = Result or positive outcome

Video Workshop, Part 2: Job Interview Questions

Salary

Not every interview will include a question about salary or compensation, but you should be prepared to answer if asked.

The posting and/or the organization’s website may give you a possible range for the starting compensation rate. Remember that while you can negotiate if you receive an offer, organizations often start new hires in the lower half of the range.

Your answer should be feasible for you but also realistic for the role and the organization. Research average compensation for the area, the industry, and the type of role, as well as the cost of living in the area—including housing, transportation, food, and other essentials. Use Salary.com, Glassdoor.com, or others.

Attire

Dressing more formally for the interview is best, but what that means can vary depending on the industry, organization, and field. For example, business suits are more common in marketing or sales than in software programming. Research dress code and organization culture to get a sense of what will be expected.

Read more about professional attire, or make an appointment with the Professional Clothing Closet.

What to Research

Researching the organization, the role, and the interviewers is a key part of preparing for an interview. This knowledge will help you provide relevant answers to questions, understand more about the opportunity, and identify what questions you want to ask.

  • Posting: Refresh your memory for what they are looking for
  • Website: Look for how they describe themselves and their work, any announcements, any information on company culture such as employee quotes or videos, bios, or other information on the interviewers
  • News search: Look for any recent news about the organization and the industry
  • Social media: Get a sense of how they present the organization, how they engage in the field or industry, how they respond to other accounts
  • LinkedIn and/or BU Connects: Look up the interviewers to get a sense of their career path, see if there are any BU alumni at the organization

If you know anyone at the organization or who recently left, ask them what it is like to work there.

What to Ask

Usually you will have an opportunity to ask a few questions at the end of the interview. These questions should be informed by your research and help you determine if you are still interested in the organization or the role.

Sample Questions to Ask

  • What does training/onboarding look like for this role?
  • What professional development opportunities are available?
  • How would you describe the team culture/dynamics?
  • What is the history of this position?
  • What are the most immediate challenges of the position that need to be addressed?
  • What do you enjoy most about working at ________?
  • How will I be evaluated in my role?
  • What are the next steps in the interview/hiring process?

We recommend you don’t ask about these two items:

  • Compensation, benefits: You’ll have an opportunity to ask about these later if you move forward in the process
  • Public information: Questions that you can easily answer with a little research, such as the organization’s mission, products, or services

Location

Make sure you know what to do and where to go on the day of the interview.

For in-person interviews, check the travel route in advance. If you have time, test the route beforehand and adjust if needed.

For phone interviews, choose a calm and quiet location without distracting background noise and where you have a strong signal. Make sure your phone is fully charged.

For video interviews, choose a location that will allow you to focus and the interviewers to focus on you. You want to be sitting upright at a desk or table, facing the light from a window or lamp, and with the camera-visible room tidy and professional. If you have time, do a test run with a friend or family member.