Written By: Senior Campus Recruiter, Laura
First off, congratulations! You should be incredibly proud of yourself — you have worked hard at networking, put yourself out there, and now you’ve landed an interview! As a Campus Recruiter, I know how much time you've put in to get to this point, and it is a huge accomplishment.
Now, you are probably sitting in your seat pretty nervous about what's to come. You really want the role that you're interviewing for and are trying to anticipate the questions that will be asked so that you make a great impression. We've all been there! Well, I'm here to tell you that it's a good thing to be nervous! Having the pre-interview jitters means that you care about the employer that you're interviewing with, and the job you're interviewing for. The key is to channel that nervous energy into excitement, and I’ve shared some simple tips to help you feel prepared and confident going into your next interview.
1. Practice Your Pitch
One of the most common questions an interviewer will ask is, "Tell me a little bit about yourself," so it is always a great idea to have your elevator pitch ready to go! An elevator pitch is a short (no more than two minutes) snapshot that captures some key points about you and why you are great! The best points to include in your pitch are your education, current year of study, degree, recent work experience, and what you are looking for in your co-op, internship, or career. If time permits, you can include a specific, relevant project from your past experience that you are proud of, or why you are passionate about that line of work. Depending on your audience, you could also throw in a fun fact or two at the end!
This pitch will set the tone for the interview, so it's important to have your points prepared ahead of time to make a great first impression. This is an easy way to help build your confidence and calm those interview nerves!
2. Come Prepared
This seems like an obvious tip, but the type of preparation you do before an interview matters. Being prepared doesn't mean memorizing answers to some questions you found online and then regurgitating them in your interview. Interviewers can tell when someone is too rehearsed and it definitely comes across as unauthentic!
If you predict that your interview will be behavioral-based (i.e., "Tell me about a time when..."), there are always similar themes that come up in the questions asked. The themes of these questions are usually centered around teamwork, leadership, innovation, organization, problem-solving, working with clients, etc.
When preparing for an interview, think of an example or story from your experiences that relate to these themes, and practice saying it aloud a few times. Questions can be asked in slightly different ways depending on the interview, so it's a good idea to think of examples that can be easily adapted depending on how the question is asked. Practice telling each story a few times in different ways so that you remember the key points you want to get across without memorizing your answers word-for-word.
If your interview is online, avoid reading your answers from your notebooks, laptop screens or looking through other open tabs during the interview. Interviewers can tell when someone is not engaged, and your answers can come off as ingenuine. Make sure to stay focused on the interviewer and close other tabs to minimize distractions!
3. Be Yourself
This tip might sound cliché, but is probably the most important one — be your authentic self! If you land the job, you will be the one that comes to work every day, and you want to make sure you're bringing your full self to the table. The interviewers want to know who you are and why you are passionate about joining their team, so make sure your personality and passion shine through.
I always recommend leveraging your differentiators and building them into your answers. What makes you different than all the other candidates being interviewed? Everyone has varying life experiences that make them unique and those experiences are what add value to a team! Identify those key differences and find ways to explain how they would make you an asset if chosen for the job.
4. Ask good questions!
Finally, remember that you are interviewing your interviewers as much as they are interviewing you! You want to make sure that the company, role, and team are the right fit for you, as well. This mindset always helps calm my nerves and adds to my confidence!
Prepare ahead of time a few key questions you want to ask your interviewers. Do you want to know more about the company or team culture? Do you want to know about any development opportunities or potential career growth that the job can provide? Feel free to also search your interviewers on LinkedIn beforehand to see what they have done in the past. They may have been involved in projects or have had roles that can inspire some of your questions. Think of 2-3 questions beforehand that will give you more clarity about the job and whether it will be something you will enjoy!
Interested in our student programs and for the chance to put these interview tips into practice?
Make sure to check out our Campus Careers page to learn more and apply today!