First Things First

Be prepared for the following:

• A review of all documents necessary (resume, cover letter, application, etc.)
• Face to face OR a virtually set up interview

The process will be fair and equal to all students who apply. It cannot discriminate based on sex, race, color, national origin, religion, disability, or sexual orientation and must comply with the Equal Employment Opportunity Act and Americans with Disabilities Act.

Get To Know Your Company

Get to know who you’ll be working for! Do a quick Google search about the company beforehand. Some questions to ask yourself while researching may be:

• What products or services do they offer?
• What other kinds of jobs are at the company?
• What is the history of the company?
• If they have a “news” or “press” section, read that also.

Another great preparation tool would be to research the person/people who will be interviewing you via LinkedIn! This will help you build a sense of who will be interviewing you and their role(s) at the company. It’s a good idea to think of questions you might want to ask them about their specific role or about the company itself.

Building Professional Languages and Behaviors

We recommend keeping your answers to interview questions brief and specific. Here are a few more reminders when it comes to in person interviews:

• Avoid using repetitive filler words such as “like”, “you know”, “right”.
• Body Language is just as important, avoid knee bouncing, pen clicking or any other physical indicators of nerves.
• Over a virtual interview, avoid distractions, outside noises, chair spinning, etc. Practice developing a confident and professional behavior

Be Prepared

When going to an in person interview, make sure you’re prepared! Here are some tips on how to make sure you’re prepared:

• Always bring copies of your documents. (Resume, awards, applications, cover letters, etc.).
• Practice interviewing with a family member or friend, this will help your confidence grow when asked questions, or engaged in a professional discussion.
• Reach out to our friendly CareerWise staff member, Johanna, to set up a mock interview! Remember, practice makes perfect. You can reach her by email: jcaplan@sayyesbuffalo.org

What if your interview is virtual? Check out our tips here for virtual interviews!

Take Some Time to Practice

Curious about what your interviewer may ask? We’ve compiled a list of the most commonly asked interview questions below. Before your interview, go through each question and prepare your answer!

• Tell me about a goal you set for yourself and accomplished.
• Describe a time you have felt really proud…
• Think of a time you felt someone was being treated unfairly. What did you do?
• When have you felt very angry or disappointed yet dealt with the situation in a mature and successful manner?
• Tell me about a class you have taken that is relevant to the work you will do here…
• Can you walk me through a team project you have worked on?
• When have you wanted something and had to work hard for it?
• Can you walk me through a team project you have worked on?
• When you have a big project due, how do you plan and organize?
• You will have the opportunity to work with many different types of people. What do you think you will learn by working with people of different races, religions, ages, etc.?