Interviewing

Phone- non-video Call

• Typically this is a getting to know you conversation.

Video Interview- Face to Face

Video Interview-Recorded

• HireVue is one very common video recording software that companies use.

Technical

• Can be a coding interview (done on a computer or traditional white board).

In-Person

• Usually done on-site at the company’s office.
• Be prepared to meet with two or more company representatives.

Research the Company

• Review company website, Google and search social media to learn about the current events, projects, or transitions within a company.
• Follow the company on LinkedIn and like their content to show interest.
• Search the company on Glassdoor, see if you can find previous interview questions that former candidates have been asked in interviews.

Practice

• You can anticipate a decent number of questions you may receive at any interview. For example:
  • Tell me about yourself.
  • Why do you want to work here?
  • Why do you want this position?
  • Do you have any questions for us?
• Outline answers to “Tell me about yourself,” “Why this job?” and “Why this company?” weaving in how you and the company align.
  • You can even outline answers on paper to help you practice.
  • If the job description calls for detail-oriented work, and the company is looking for an engineer who knows AutoCAD, talk about those specific skills in your responses.
  • Do not assume every interviewer has your resume in front of them! Make sure to provide detailed responses with specific examples to interview questions.
• Prepare to answer behavioral interview questions by using the STAR Method: Situation, Task, Action, and Result:
  • Situation: “what was the problem?”
  • Task: “what needed doing?”
  • Action: “what steps did you take?”
  • Result: “what was the outcome?”
• Schedule a mock interview if you need more in-person practice.

Personality Test

• Can be a personality test, usually online and multiple choice.

Technical questions test your technical skills, problem-solving, and knowledge of the job/role you’re applying for.

For technology-related majors like CS, you’ll be asked to write code to solve a problem on a physical whiteboard or a digital equivalent. Interviewers may ask you to write your code on a whiteboard during an in-person interview, or on a computer/tablet during a virtual interview. Whiteboarding isn’t as common as it was a few years ago, but it is best to practice and be prepared just in case.

When practicing technical interview questions, practice solving problems out loud, by writing code, and talking through the process of solving it.

For technology-related majors, prepare for technical interviews with these coding sites:

–Interview Cake

–LeetCode

–InterviewBit

–GeeksforGeeks

–CodeChef

For other engineering majors, we recommend looking for technical questions correlated to your major and the role you are applying for using google and/or ChatGPT.

On ChatGPT, follow these steps:

1. Search for Common Interview Questions for a [Your Engineering Major] student applying for [Job Title]
2. ChatGPT often pulls up both behavioral and technical questions. If it doesn’t pull up technical questions, search [technical interviews] questions for [Your Engineering Major].
3. If you are applying for a specific role with a specific company, ask ChatGPT. For example, Search for Technical interview questions for [job role] at [company].

ChatGPT is not guaranteed to bring up exact questions that will be asked during your interview. It may not bring up relevant questions, depending on the company you’re applying to and on the search terms you use. ChatGPT is a tool to help you practice and prepare for interviews; like any resource, it has its limitations.

• Tell me about yourself.
• Why are you interested in this position?
• Why are interested in working at this company?
• Tell me about a recent group project you worked on.
• What would you do if you were placed on a project without a lot of direction?
• What is your greatest strength?
• What is your greatest weakness?
• How do you manage multiple projects/deadlines?
• Tell me about a time you had to work on a project with a difficult team member. What happened?
• Tell me about a time when you failed.
• Do you have any questions for me?

Questions to Ask:

• What are your expectations of me in the summer internship?
• What does a typical day look like in this role?
• What are you expecting of me (things completed) by the end of the internship?
• What is the work environment like? (physical, cubical, shared office, etc.)
• What projects will I be working on specifically?
• What will my training look like?
• Tell me about the structure of the team.
• How do you define success?
• Tell me about the next steps/timeline for decision.

Questions Not to Ask:

• Do not ask about your possible salary.
• Do not ask about benefits, vacation/sick time, etc.
  • You may ask salary and benefits questions after you have received a job offer.
• Do not ask about any required background checks.
  • You will find out about any required background screenings once you have received a job offer.

• Bring a pad-folio, with extra copies of your resume, a copy of the position description you applied to, and a list of questions to ask your interviewers.
• Brush your teeth, or pop a breath mint right before your interview.
• Arrive 10 minutes early. Make sure to plan extra transit time for in-person interviews. Assume there will be traffic and buses/trains may run late.
• Review the resume to give yourself a confidence boost. Remember that the company would not be interviewing you if they weren’t interested!

• For in-person interviews:
  • Greet any staff you meet and your interviewers in a positive manner.
  • Give everyone you encounter at the company a firm handshake.
• Maintain good eye contact.
• Be personable, enthusiastic and genuine. Employers can tell if you’re embellishing or not expressing interest.
• Be sure to take notes during the conversation. Looking down, pausing and taking notes, are all acceptable behaviors during the interview.
• Have 3-5 questions prepared including, “what are our next steps?”

• Write everyone you met or spoke with at the interview a kind thank you note, incorporating notes you took from the interview.
  • If you forgot to take down emails or obtain business cards, do not worry. You can always send your thank you email to the person who organized your interview and ask them to kindly forward.
• Look at a calendar and map out the exact date when they said you should hear back. If you don’t hear back from the employer by that day, check in with them the following business day.
• Try connecting over LinkedIn to elicit a response if email doesn’t work.
• Be patient. Often times the selection process can take a long time.