Interviewing Overview

An interview is a structured conversation between you and an employer where you ask each other questions to determine if you would be a good fit for the job. There are two main pieces of information an employer wants to get during an interview:

1. Why you want the job
2. Why they should hire you

All the questions the employer asks during the interview are designed to get more detailed information about these two things. So, to have a successful interview, you must convince the employer of these two things. In addition to your qualifications, the interview is about determining if you will “fit” into the organization.

Types of Interviews

• In many job searches, the first interview is a phone screening. This is often conducted by an HR representative and is intended to better understand your qualifications and background. One-sided video interviews are starting to fulfill this function as well.
• The face-to-face interview can involve one or multiple staff, asking questions and assessing your candidacy.
• A group interview features multiple candidates for the same or related roles. Typically, you are asked to deliver a group activity or work as a team.
• Technical interviews are common among engineering, science or IT roles. Essentially, they assess your technical knowledge—as well as your analytical thinking skills.
• In a case study interview, common for some business and consulting roles, you will be presented with a challenging business scenario to investigate and propose a solution.

Interviewing with confidence

Being prepared will give you the confidence you need to successfully highlight your skills and accomplishments during the interviewing process. Because so much of the interview is based on performance, we recommend that you schedule a mock-interview with Career Center staff or peers. You might even find it helpful to script answers to possible questions as a way to prep.