Interviews
What
is an Interview?
Generally,
interviews are held after your résumé
has been reviewed, and a company has found you may have the skills
they're looking for. An interview allows the company to meet the
real You and see if you're truely what you've represented yourself
as in the résumé. It also allows them to ask questions
about your experiences, your interest in their particular company,
and other information. They can also observe your oral communication
skills, overall organization, and other skills you cannot display
adequately in a résumé.
Why do
Chemical Engineers need to have good interview skills?
An interview
is an essential part of getting a job. Being prepared for your
interview ahead of time by having good interviewing skills gives
you a better chance of having a successful interview with your
desired employer in the future. Preparing also allows you to have
"prewritten" answers to some questions which are standard in most
interviews. You also will be less off-guard when an interviewer
asks you an odd, unexpected question, such as, "Tell me a joke."
*
Where
can I get help preparing for an Interview?
As with
résumé writing, the Campus Career Network is a good
place to start. You can also contact
Kym Whitehead,
Associate Director for Field Experience
College of Engineering
126 Marston Hall
Phone: (413) 577-0419
Fax: (413) 545-0724
kwhitehead@acad.umass.edu
Clark
Edwards, Associate Director for Career Planning
College
of Engineering
119 Marston Hall
Phone: (413) 545-6251
Fax: (413) 545-0724
cse@acad.umass.edu
There are
also several websites with information on preparing for an interview,
such as:
* The "Tell me a joke" question comes from the
Monster.com
Virtual Campus Interview. The answer they were looking for
was an example of a clean, nonracial joke such as "What do you
call a Boomerang that doesn't come back? A Stick."
[Brainstorming] [Technical Writing] [Orally Communicating and Presenting]
[Résumé Writing] [Interviews] [Using Computers]
