Upcoming Interview? Think ACC

By Richard Combs, Assistant Director, Business Consultant

“Knowledge is a commodity and is free. The world and employers do not care about what you know.  They care about what you can do with what you know. ”

- Tony Wagner

In a typical interview process, it is common for an organization to receive hundreds of applicants, phone screen 10-20 individuals, and hold face-to-face interviews with upwards of 5 candidates.  On-campus interviewing can provide even greater numbers as companies will often interview 10+ candidates per interviewer.  With these numbers, how does one stand out from the crowd?  Be memorable.

So what can you do to distinguish yourself in an interview?

Here are 3 key skills (ACC) that you should demonstrate in your story to help you be memorable:

1. ADAPTABILITY – ability to “roll with the punches” and adapt to change

The world of work is changing.  Many of the jobs most desired now did not even exist 5 years ago.  The ability to adapt is critical for all employees as it demonstrates flexibility and brings added value to the employer.

2. COMMUNICATION SKILLS – ability to organize and articulate thoughts effectively, good listening skills

Despite all the changes in technology, communication skills are still highly valued.  In addition to written and verbal communication skills, the ability to listen is important.  

3. CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS – ability to use logic and reasoning to identify strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems

Your story during the interview must demonstrate your critical thinking skills.  How do you accomplish this?  Reflect on your experiences and demonstrate how you improved a situation.  People are hired to solve problems.  Your job is to make your boss’s job easier.  In order to do this, you fix problems.  

Remember that an interview is a two way street.  The employer is interviewing you, but you are also interviewing the employer.  Also to become more skillful at interviewing it takes practice, practice, and more practice.  Take advantage of the opportunity to participate in mock interviews at the Toppel Career Center and sign up for the EPIC program once you return to campus in the fall.

Phone Interview Preparation

By Vinessa Burnett, Toppel Peer Advisor

For most people, phone interviews can be a huge source of angst and awkwardness –and rightfully so. It can be hard talking to a stranger over the phone while trying to portray your best self. Somehow you have to say all the right things without using eye contact or a smile to help get your message across.

While phone interviews can certainly be difficult, there are definitely ways to prepare beforehand that can make them a little less stressful. Here are several tips that you’ll be able to use to your advantage next time you have a phone interview!

Useful Phone Interview Tips:

Relax and be yourself 
This is by far the most important tip! Before you answer the phone call take a couple of deep breaths and tell yourself, “I got this!” Once you’re on the phone, speak how you would normally speak and stay true to who you are when answering each question. Even through a phone line, if you relax and be yourself, your awesome personality will still come across!

Print out everything you need
The best part about a phone interview is that (unlike an in-person interview) you can have all the documents that you need right in front of you! Be sure to print out the following documents beforehand and have them visible so that you can refer to them throughout the interview:

• Print out your resume
• Print out the job description
• Print out any documents that you submitted as part of your application (ex: essays, cover letters, supplemental activities etc.)

Look up the company on Glassdoor.com and read what questions other people who interviewed for the position were asked. Copy these questions and type out your answer to them before the interview. When asked one of those questions, all you have to do is look on the page and your response is already there!

Take notes
Have a sheet of paper and a pen to take notes throughout the interview. Be sure to write down the interviewer(s) name(s) so that you can mention them towards the end. You never know what useful information your interviewer might have for you, such as important dates and next steps! Also, if you take notes as the interview progresses, you may be able to refer back to something that was previously stated.

Close it the right way
Remember that a phone interview is also a chance for you to get to know the company. Always ask your interviewer(s) at least two to three questions at the end of the interview. These closing questions can be related to the position, the company, or the timeline of when you can expect to hear back. Lastly, make sure the interviewer hangs up first – do not hang up or say goodbye before they do!

Next time you have a phone interview… don’t freak out! Stay calm, cool, and collected by referring to the above tips. Best of luck!