Prepare for an Interview
An interview is your chance to show an employer your skills, experience, and enthusiasm, while also deciding if the role and organization are right for you. Employers use interviews to assess fit, communication skills, and potential – not perfection.
Types of Interviews
- Phone or Video Interviews
- This is often the first round, usually 20–45 minutes.
- In-Person Interviews
- In-person interviews are typically reserved for later rounds
- May include multiple meetings or panel interviews
- Pre-Recorded Video Interviews
- You record responses to timed questions on your own.
- Least common type of interview, but it is being used more and more by employers.
How to prepare for the Interview
- Use the company’s website to learn about their mission, values, and more about what they do.
- Review the job description carefully, what are they looking for?
- Understand the industry and the role you’re applying for
- What are your experiences that show how you would be a good fit for the role?
- Think about transferable skills from less relevant experiences, like teamwork, communication, leadership, and project planning
- Consider all your experiences, not just work or internships; you may have great examples of your skills from classes, projects, extracurricular activities, athletics, or volunteerism.
- Use the job description to anticipate potential questions or see the interview guide in resources below
- Practice out loud to build confidence
- Consider setting up a mock interview with Quinncia or a career advisor
Practice for your interview with a mock interview. You can either choose to meet with an Academic and Career Advisor to complete a practice interview or use our online interview practice tool, Quinncia , or both!
All current Fitchburg State students have access to Quinncia.io. Quinncia is an online tool that allows you to complete a virtual video interview, as if you are engaging in a real recorded video interview, and receive customized feedback on your content and delivery. You can review your results with one of our advisors, or schedule an in person mock interview by email careercenter@fitchburgstate.edu
Interviews are not just about the employer getting to know you, this is your opportunity to see if this position and company are a good fit for you. Prepare 3-4 questions about:
- The role or team
- Training and growth opportunities
- Department goals
- Hiring timelines
- DO NOT ask about salary or benefits. This should be discussed once an offer has been made.
Prepare a list of 3-5 people who can be references for you. They should be work, internship or volunteering supervisors or your professors, academic advisors or coaches. Reach out to potential references before you begin your job search to check if they are willing to serve as references. Then, create a document listing them with all of their contact information. Before an interview, reach out again to let them know and to check their availability for the coming weeks. Send a copy of your resume and the job title, company and description.
After the interview
Within 24 hours of your interview, send a brief thank you note or email to the individual(s) who interviewed you. If you had a panel interview, send individual thank you notes to all interviewers. Thank the interviewer for their time and highlight topics discussed in the interview to reinforce your interest in the position. If you are writing multiple thank you notes, each one should differ by referring to something specific you discussed in the interview.
What to wear and what to bring
If you are interviewing in an industry that adheres to formal business attire (i.e., finance, management, law), you should wear a suit in a dark color (navy, charcoal or black) with a pressed shirt or blouse and dress shoes.
If you are interviewing in an industry that follows a business casual dress code, you can wear a suit, dress pants with a collared shirt or blouse, or dress. No matter how formal, you want to look clean, polished, and professional. If you need an interview outfit, consider visiting the Professional Clothing Closet in Hammond to grab a few free staples.
Bring with you:
- Copies of your resume
- A list of 3 references that you have already asked to be a professional reference for you
- Notepad and pen (for note-taking purposes)
- Folder or portfolio
- Photo ID (for building security if applicable)
