University of California Berkeley Career Guide - Flipbook - Page 32
Interviewing
Interviewing is a two-way street; it is an opportunity for you to demonstrate your career readiness competencies, as
well as for you and the interviewer to get to know each other. Interviewers do not want to intentionally ask you difficult
questions just to see you make a mistake. In fact, employers want you to do well during the interview.
Think about it...:
Interviewers invest a lot of time and money screening and recruiting candidates. The sooner they can identify the right
person, the sooner their job is done.
What Should You Look For During The Interview?
Just as employers interview you to see if you are a fit,
you are interviewing them as well. By being attentive
and thoughtful, you can learn important things about an
organization during the interview. Some things you may
want to consider include:
What Do Employers Look For During The Interview?
Employers typically want to know three things:
Can you do the job?
Will you do the job?
Will you fit in with the organization?
Your job is to provide enough solid information to
answer an unequivocal “YES!” to all three of these questions. To do so effectively, you will need to be aware of
the specific characteristics employers seek in new hires.
According to the National Association of Colleges and
Employers (NACE), who surveys hundreds of employers
each year, the attributes most highly sought after are:
• How does the organization’s mission match with
your interests?
• Does the nature of the job sound interesting?
• How is the organization run; does it seem
well-organized?
• How do the other employees interact with each
other?
• Are you excited about the possibility of this position?
• Does the job match your career interests?
• Do the organization’s values support your own
value system?
1. Communication skills
2. Honesty/integrity
3. Interpersonal/teamwork skills
4. Motivation/initiative
5. Strong work ethic
What To Bring To The Interview?
• A professional portfolio with a pad and pen
• Several copies of your resume or CV
• Letters of recommendation (optional)
• Work samples (optional/based on industry)
Berkeley Career Engagement Interview Resources
Online resources for interviewing are located at
career.berkeley.edu. Big Interview is an interactive tool
that enables students to prepare for interviews using
pre-recorded interview questions and webcam recorded
answers. Use your CalNet to log-in to Handshake to
access these resources and more.
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