MU - Information Technology Student Organization

IT Student Spotlight: Preparing for an Interview

I've been stressing myself out thinking about internships since the day I declared a business major. From that day forward, I have been reminded incessantly by my parents and advisors that a good internship experience to put on my resume will greatly increase my chances of getting a job after graduation. When I was thinking about internships, actually performing the internship wasn't really an intimidation factor for me. With a little training and some instruction, I feel pretty confident that I can do whatever job is given to me. Landing the internship, on the other hand, is a much more nerve-wracking part of the experience to consider.

When the second semester of my junior year arrived, the entire process became very real to me. I made a resume, had it reviewed, attended the ITSO "Java & Jobs" event to familiarize myself with some of the companies and recruiters, and finally applied for the internships I was interested in. Now, when I applied for these positions, I compared resumes with some of my friends (who had applied for the same jobs) and discovered that our resumes were exactly the same. Literally, they were identical. We had the same GPA, majors, work experience, and relevant coursework. I realized at this point that I had to distinguish myself from others in these interviews to get a job. The only thing that could differentiate me from all the other applicants was a forty-five minute conversation with a total stranger. To ensure that I could make myself stand out, I asked people who had been through the experience for advice. Following, I've included a few things I found very useful while interviewing, from both my own experiences and the advice of others.

Know Yourself
The interviewers I met with were not interested in how flawlessly I could present my performance in group projects, but they did evaluate me based on how well I know myself and my capabilities. One interviewer actually told me that he was much more interested in the way I learn than what I already know, and it was important that I could learn from my mistakes and demonstrate that. When describing a personal experience, I included some bad in with the good, but I also explained how I would have changed my actions if I were given the opportunity to do it over. A different interviewer told me it was nice that I had addressed a mistake from an experience, and he also expressed his dislike for situations where students claim their greatest flaw is "working too hard." (I thought that was just an overused example of what not to say, but apparently it is a very real example of what not to say.)

Be Prepared
All of whom I asked for advice agreed that one thing is very important; ask questions throughout and/or at the end of the interview! Asking questions shows the interviewer that I am inquisitive, which is especially important when considering a career in consulting. I wasn't totally confident that I could come up with questions on the spot, so I decided to do a little research before my interview and prepare some questions beforehand. I went to the company websites and tried to learn as much as I could about the companies and the work I would be performing there. I was delighted to find on one company's site an entire page of interview tips and advice. It was like an interview study guide, very helpful! I looked over the information a few times and came up with some questions that I didn't think the interviewer would cover. I remembered these questions when the conversation seemed to be lulling, and I even surprised myself by coming up with a few during conversation. The interviewers I met with answered me very thoroughly, and I think that this helped to keep the conversation flowing smoothly and prevented some awkward silence!

Take Deep Breaths..
So much of the anxiety that comes with interviewing lies in the anticipation of it. I reminded myself of this going to the interview and in the waiting room beforehand. None of the interviewers I met with tried to intimidate me. If anything, they went out of their way to make me feel as comfortable as possible. If you've done your research on the company and have thought about the skills and experiences you want to share with the interviewer, you can be confident that you will do just fine. Seriously, think about it. If you have to sit in a room and talk to someone for forty-five minutes about any subject, what could be more natural than talking about yourself? Walking out of a good interview is a great feeling, and getting an internship offer makes all the preparation and (hopefully minimal!) anxiety beforehand well worth it.

- MU Student

Read more articles in ITSO..GOOD Vol. 1 No. 7

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