Thinking Like an Interviewer

The Seven Point Plan
adapted from The Perfect Interview by Max Eggert

Preparing for an upcoming job interview?  During your preparation, take some time to think from the perspective of the interviewer.  If you'll be meeting with someone from Human Resources, it's likely they've had some training on how to conduct interviews.  The following seven points illustrate the areas interviewers are likely to examine during interviews with potential job candidates.

1. Attainment:  Do you meet the academic and professional experience qualifications? Does your experience make you the right person to be successful in the position?

2. Disposition: What is your personality like?  How will your personality affect the fulfillment of the open position? 

3. Special Aptitudes: Do you have any special aptitudes/competencies/talents that would benefit the company or position?

4. Interests: How do you spend your spare time/money?  What might this say about your potential to be motivated and successful in the position?

5. General Intelligence: How intelligent are you?  How will your intelligence be used in the position?

6. Physical Aspects: Do you have the appropriate health, build, and physical stamina to successfully fulfill the open position?

7. Circumstances: What effects have your personal circumstances had on your career development and success?  How will current and future circumstances affect your performance if selected for the position? 

By thinking through these concepts before the interview, you'll be better prepared to answer questions that may seem completely irrelevant but really examine one of the seven different areas.  Once you understand what the interviewer is looking for, you'll be able to provide an answer that summarizes your experiences and demonstrates that you're the right person for the job.

Want more information about interviewing? Interested in doing a mock interview? Contact IPFW Career Services at (260) 481-0689 or come to Kettler Hall Room 109 to schedule an appointment with a career counselor.  Drop-in availability: Monday-Friday 10am-2pm.   

Mock Interviews: Practice Makes Perfect!

Soon-to-be grad? Ready to obtain a full-time postion but anxious about the interviewing process? Why not schedule an appointment for a mock interview with a Career Services staff member?

What is a mock interview?


One of three interviewing rooms available
 through IPFW Career Services

A mock interview is a practice interview and a good place to make mistakes and learn interviewing strategies. A Career Services staff member will try to make the mock interview as realistic as possible by role playing the employer and asking typical interview questions. Mock interviews can be taped so that you can see and hear yourself being interviewed. After going through the typical interview questions, the staff member will review your answers with you and give you feedback and suggestions on how to ace your next interview!

Why do a mock interview?

• Practice makes perfect! A mock interview gives you the practice you need.
• Increase your odds of getting the job.
• Gain confidence, and more importantly, the knowledge and interview skills you need to sail throught the interviewing process.
• Idenitfy two or three of your top selling points and determine how to illustrate them in an interview.
• Practice your interviewing skills in a safe place and gain valuable feedback.

Ready to schedule a mock interview? Call IPFW Career Services today!

Do Career Fair Employers Just Blow Students Off?

SO, You dressed up, brought a fabulous resume and shook hands with a lot of employers who said "Go apply online." Is that it? Is this employer blowing you off? Couldn't you have applied online at home? Sure. So could everybody else. But by coming to the Career & Internship Fair you showed initiative. You showed up. Applying online is now the next step in the process.

The important thing after the job fair is to keep the ball rolling. Keep in mind that the minute you enter the job fair, you are in an interview and must act professionally at all times. Employers will either make notes on your resume, watch for your application to show-up in their online database, or will just be really impressed with the line 'when I met your representative at the IPFW Career Fair' in your cover letter. The most important thing for you to do is not wait for employers to follow-up with you but for you to FOLLOW-UP WITH EMPLOYERS, WITHIN 24 to 48 hours.

• Ask 'What's the best way to follow-up with you?' THEN DO IT.
• Send thank-you notes to employers with whom you met.
• File away the literature you have collected. It can be helpful later in writing application letters or preparing for interviews. Employers want to hire people who know the company.
• Improve your resume if you learned something which better reflects your qualifications or focus.
• Network: Every person you talk with has the potential to be a job lead. Other candidates can be very helpful. They may have interviewed with a company you had not considered. Share leads, resources and ideas with others
• And yes– GO APPLY ONLINE!

The IPFW Career & Internship Fair is Thursday, September 23rd from 10am-2pm in Walb Union Ballroom.