Where to begin
The interview process begins at your placement office. To maximize your employment prospects, begin to become familiar with companies, preferably during your junior year of college.
Follow these guidelines:
- Register with your placement office at the end of your sophomore year.
- Become familiar with the placement office’s function and role.
- Determine when on-campus interviews are held.
- Determine when interview schedules are posted and refer to them frequently.
- Sign up early for interviews.
- Talk to as many firms as possible.
- Read employer literature.
- Keep your placement records up to date.
- Prepare a systematic job search plan.
- Get the best advice and assistance you can. Talk to faculty, employers and placement office staff if you have any questions.
- Become familiar with the recruiter’s name and interview location.
- Speak with recent graduates who have been through the process.
- Visit various firm websites.
In today’s job market, securing a job is a highly competitive activity. Employers seek the best qualified candidates for their limited number of openings. But being the best qualified is not enough. You must have the skills to communicate that effectively to the employer. Unfortunately, these two qualities do not automatically go hand in hand.
The job interview is the means by which you, the job applicant, and the employer come together and communicate to determine common interests. It also might be the first time you come into direct contact with each other. For these reasons the first interview is the most critical and should be the focal point of your job search.
