Interviewing

**Make an appointment with a Career Counselor for a more in-depth discussion of interviewing tips, techniques and practice.

Pre-Interview

  1. Perform a self-assessment – The U of R resume is a great resource for evaluating your strengths, weaknesses, qualifications, education, and experience. If you did not use the U of Resume format, compile a list of your education, skills, accomplishments, strengths and weaknesses as they relate to the position you are seeking.
  2. Research the employer – Get to know the employer and the position by doing as much research as you can.
  3. Exercise your interviewing techniques – Rehearse how to describe qualifications, experience, and goals.
  4. Check out resources with common questions and how to tackle them – These include Glassdoor, QuintCareers and others listed below in the Interviewing Resources section.

During the Interview

  1. Attitude counts - Have an open and positive attitude from the beginning. Greet the employer warmly with a firm handshake while making appropriate eye contact.
  2. Relax and share - Look at the interview as an exchange of information between you and the interviewer. Relax and share relevant information by backing up every statement with specific examples of experience and outcomes and solutions to problems and assignments you faced.
  3. Express confidence through body language - Nonverbal communication is just as important as your answers. Be aware of eye contact, posture, hand gestures, and facial expressions.
  4. When appropriate, ask questions - Be prepared with questions to clarify information from your research of the company and position. Exit with confidence – Thank the interviewer as you are leaving, walking confidently from the interview.
  5. Do a “Dry Run” - The day before your interview, you might want to consider driving to the place your interview will take place, making sure you know where to park, how long it will take you to get there, and how to enter the building.
  6. Prepare yourself – Know the name and title of your interviewer, dress to project confidence (see our tips on Dressing for Success), arrive at the interview 10-15 minutes early, bring extra copies of resume, cover letter, and other materials as appropriate.

Post Interview

  1. Look back on the experience – Debrief yourself, making note of positive experiences, areas for improvement and information you can include in your thank you letter.
  2. Let them know it was a great experience through a thank you note/email - Send a thank you letter or email personalizing your experience, reiterating your qualifications, and confirming the next step in the process.

Interviewing Resources

UR Career and Internship Center guides to Interview Prep


Database of real interview questions searchable by employer and job title, submitted by candidates after their interviews.

On-campus Interviewing

Quint Careers Interviewing Resources – includes an interview question database, a guide to researching companies, interview questions specifically for college graduates, and information on case interview questions.

WetFeet.com Guide to Interviewing – including ideas for informational interviews, group interviews, dress and etiquette guidelines and more.