Internet Resources for Researching Companies:
1. Hoovers Online: www.hoovers.com 
(Offers extensive corporate profiles)
2. American Journalism Review: http://newslink.org (Searches newspaper websites for information on both small and large organizations)
3. www.corporateinformation.com (provides industry and company write ups)

Prior to the Interview: Think about the job description and the position you are applying for. Anticipating what type of questions might be asked in an interview and practicing your answer will better prepare you for the real thing. Develop a list of sample questions and practice answering them out loud, with a friend, and on paper. You should also schedule a Practice Interview session with Student Development to get feedback from a professional Career Counselor. Seeing how you come across during the interview situation can be very useful.

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Common Interview Questions:
How does your past work experience relate to
this position?
How does your education relate to this position?
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
What are your short-term and long-term
career goals?
Why should we hire you?
Why do you want to work here?
Do you have any questions for me?

Behavioral Interview Questions:
With a behavioral interview question, the interviewer asks about how you acted in a past situation similar to one you would encounter in the target position. They will follow up with questions like “How did you respond?”, “What was your role?” “Were you pleased with the results?”

Sample Behavioral Questions:
Tell me about a time when you were on a team, and a team member was not pulling his weight (evaluates teamwork experience).
Give an example of a time when you had to make a difficult decision (evaluates decision making ability).
Give an example of how you identified a small problem and fixed it before it became a major one (evaluates problem solving skills).
Describe a time when you had to discipline some one you were supervising (examines supervision abilities).

What to Expect: The actual interview may be conducted by one person, several people on a team, or a search committee comprised of representatives from various areas in the organization (this is common in higher education). You may have one interview, or several in a row. Tours of the facility may be included. Ask how much time to allocate for your interview when scheduling it with the employer so you can plan accordingly .

Interviewing: A Two-way Street: You are interviewing the employer as well as being interviewed. It is important to have a list of questions ready to ask the employer. This is an opportunity for you to gain more information, which will help you evaluate if the job is right for you. Most employers will ask if you have any questions. Having well thought out questions to ask will allow you to learn more about the employer and will also demonstrate that you are serious about the job.

Sample Questions You Could Ask:
How would you describe the ideal candidate?
What are the main problems/challenges facing the person in this position?
What are the performance criteria? How will I be evaluated? How often? By whom?
What is the department’s environment/culture like?
When will you make the hiring decision?

Solution to “Illegal” Questions:
Hopefully, you will never encounter an illegal question in an interview. However, you may wonder what would be considered “illegal” to ask. Interview questions that delve into your personal life, religious beliefs, race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, political views, citizenship, physical and mental health, and marital and family status are generally out of bounds. You should also be cautious about volunteering such information. The interview questions should focus on your ability to do the job.

After the Interview:
No later than three days after the interview send a letter thanking the potential employer for the interview and to reconfirm your interest in the position.