Interview Assignment

Interviews can be the most stressful part of job hunting, and for good reason - an interview can be the most important step in the process of getting hired! If you're lucky enough to get some face time with a potential employer, we want you to be prepared! As you know, explaining the ESP program to others can be challenging. Add in other difficult questions, and then sprinkle nerves into the mix, and things can get messy quickly! Penn State Career Services says, "The keys to interviewing success are knowing yourself, researching the employer, and preparing for and following up after the interview" (2015). The SWOT analysis assignment will help you with knowing yourself, and this interview assignment will help you prepare for the main event - the day when you're in the hot seat, interviewing for the job of your choice!

You will be interviewed by an ESP alumnus. This is an amazing opportunity to connect with someone who has already graduated and may be utilizing their degree or pursing grad school. You will receive an email from me, with your interviewer's contact details. Email them your job announcement, cover letter, and resume. They will respond asking, inviting you to schedule a job interview. You will be attending the interview via Zoom. You will need a working microphone, speakers, and web camera in order to participate. TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY, be respectful, and do your best. Dress as if you were going to an interview. Make sure you're in a quiet space without distractions. Be respectful to the person interviewing you and show up on time, prepared. 

NOTE: I am providing these for you to review and get a feel for the typical interview questions. Answer them out loud to yourself (or you kids, or your cat, etc). Practicing the answers out loud is critical and can really help you better identify gaps in your responses.

The interviewer may or may not use these questions!

• Tell me a little bit about yourself.
• Tell me about your degree in ESP and explain how the courses you’ve completed will make you successful in this position.
• What interests you about this job?
• Do you think that developing renewable energy technologies makes sense? Why?
• Describe a failed project that you have been involved in at work, in your courses, or even with a local non-profit group, and explain why it was not successful.
• Why should we hire you?
• What questions do you have for me?

NOTE: Make sure your camera shot is in close enough so that it only captures your upper torso and face, thereby allowing the interviewer to see your face clearly. 

Additional Interviewing Resources

Penn State's Career Services Office has put together some very helpful tips to help you be successful on an interview. Visit the interviewing page to learn more about how to properly prepare, make a good first impression, and how to follow up after the interview. They have also listed some common interview questions that could be directed at the candidate, as well as some examples of questions candidates can ask the interviewers.

Lynda.com also has a wealth of useful resources. This business skills tutorial regarding good body language is especially helpful in ensuring that you are sending the right message, even when you aren't speaking a word! This snippet is part of a larger course called "Acing Your Interview." Feel free to watch the whole course if you'd like! Log onto lynda.psu.edu. Use your PSU username and password to log on. Then use the search window to find "Demonstrating good body language." If you have difficulty accessing it, please be sure to let me know!

You can also check out 50 of the most common interview questions (and how to answer them).

References:

Career Services interviewing page