Acing the Interview

With recruiting season quickly approaching at JMU, students will have the opportunity to meet with employers and take part in on campus interviews. Participating in interviews may seem a bit intimidating, but there are ways to eliminate a lot of those nerves. Whether it be on the phone, via web chat or in person, the best way to be confident in an interview is to make sure that you're fully prepared. Here are some steps to take to make sure you are more than ready to ace that interview:

1. Check out the interviewing portion of the Career and Academic Planning website. Here you will find steps to take prior to the interview, different types and styles of interviews, what to talk about during the interview, what to do when it's over, and basic interviewing skills. You can find all of these things here: http://www.jmu.edu/cap/job_intern_search/job_interviewing.htm .

2. Sign up for a mock interview on campus. Practice your interviewing skills with real employers without the concern of impressing or disappointing. Get useful feedback for when you do the real thing. Sign up for mock interviews ahead of time on Recruit-A-Duke (https://jmu-csm.symplicity.com/students). Students are each allowed one mock interview per semester.

3. Practice with your friends! Often times employers will ask at least a few standard questions during interviews, so coming up with answers to these ahead of time will be highly beneficial. You can find a list of frequently asked interview questions here: http://www.jmu.edu/cap/job_intern_search/job_inter_employerquestions.htm.

4. Try out Interview Stream, a program newly featured on Recruit-A-Duke that allows students to practice interviews online and share with friends, family, professors, etc. The program allows viewers to leave feedback that can be very useful for students.

There are so many tools and outlets students can use to perfect their interviewing skills. If you put any or all of these to use, you'll be well on your way to becoming an expert interviewee!

By: Kelly Gooch
contact: goochke@jmu.edu