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Answering Common Interview Questions	25 Networking Tips	Dressing Professionally
Sample Resumes & Resources	Making Business Cards

Answering Common Interview Questions

1. Tell me about yourself - This question calls for your one-minute commercial that summarizes your years of experience and skills and your personality in the context of the job for which you are interviewing. Get to the point and sell your professional self.

2. Why should we hire you? - The key to answering any question about you versus your competition is using specifics. Give real examples that show them you are best-suited for the job.

3. Why do you want to work here? What do you know about our company? - Research is important in answering these questions.

4. What are your weaknesses? - The secret to answering this question is using your weaknesses to your advantage. Just make sure that you do give a real answer to this question. None of us is without faults, so don't pretend that you do not have weaknesses.

5. What did you dislike about your last job? Why did you leave your last job? - You need to have a good understanding about the job for which you're applying to turn this question into a positive one. It may be best to say that you really enjoyed many aspects of your job, then focus on how this new job will give you the opportunity to contribute more in a particular area that is key to the position.

6. Where do you see yourself in five years? - You need to talk about goals you have that relate to the job. This will demonstrate that you understand the industry, the company and are motivated to succeed there.

Preparation is the key to answering any question with poise and confidence. Always keep in mind - whatever the question is - that the interviewer is trying to uncover if you are a good fit and can make a positive contribution in the job. (source: cnn.com)

Behavioral-Based Questions

Behavioral based questions are based on discovering how the interviewee acted in specific employment-related situations. The logic is that how you behaved in the past will predict how you will behave in the future.

Some examples of behavioral-based questions are:

Give an example of an occasion when you used logic to solve a problem.
Have you gone above and beyond the call of duty? If so, how?
Have you had to convince a team to work on a project they weren't thrilled about? How did you do it?
Have you handled a difficult situation with a co-worker? How?
Tell me about how you worked effectively under pressure.

Be sure to include these points in your answer:

S: the situation
A: the action you took
R: the results

(source: Allison Doyle, Behavioral Interview)

25 Networking Tips for Students (.pdf)

Making Business Cards (.pdf)

Dressing Professionally

professional dress

Tips:

Select apparel, fragrances, jewelry, hairstyle, etc. that do not detract from your professional image. The interviewer's attention should be focused on what you say and your qualifications.
Make sure your hair is clean, neat and professionally styled. Avoid styles that cover over more than your forehead or one that you have to brush back.
Apparel should be clean and neatly pressed.
Apparel should fit well and remain in place while sitting and/or walking.
Choose professional apparel that you like for which you receive positive feedback from people who are knowledgeable about the industry standard or specific company policy.
Less is more. Keep your look simple and successful until you become accustomed to the environment and learn about the company's dress code.

(source: Washington State University)