We want to help you prepare for your next interview, no matter the style of interviewing questions or the location of the interview.
RESUME BASED INTERVIEWS
Many employers will include resume-based questions in an interview. With this style, interviewers may ask you to discuss in detail any experience from your resume. You may be asked to elaborate on a project, leadership position, or summer job in depth. Before an interview, be sure to revisit your resume and refresh yourself on details you may have forgotten. Save a copy of the job description in case the posting gets taken down before you finish the interview process.
For EACH experience on your resume, ask yourself:
What was the best part of that experience? What was the most challenging?
- What am I most proud of from this experience?
- What are 2-3 things I learned or improved upon as a result of this experience?
How has this experience helped prepare me for THIS job?
BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEWS
No matter what type of position you apply to, you're likely to encouter at least one behavioral interview during your job search. Many employers believe that the best way to predict your future performance on the job is to learn more about your previous behavior and experiences.
You'll be asked to tell a story about a situation in which you've demonstrated a particular skill, for example "Tell me about a time you worked effectively with a team". If you've exhibited strong teamwork skills through course projects, summer jobs, or involvement in committees and clubs, employers have confidence that you can bring those same skills to their organization.
We recommend using the popular STAR technique as a model for answering behavioral interviewing questions. Here's a great worksheet to help you prepare your STAR answers.
Behavioral Interviewing Resources:
5 tips for behavioral interviewing from Heather Palmer
Typical behavioral interviewing questions
Video recordings from past behavioral interviewing workshops:
Behavioral Interviewing Workshop Winter 2022 - presented by Heather Palmer
Behavioral Interview Tips - Presented by Accenture
Behavioral Interview Workshop with Accenture from Fall 2021 Career Week
TECHNICAL INTERVIEWS
If you're interested in programming or software engineering, you'll likely experience one or more technical interviews with any given employer. Questions may range from your level of experience with certain technologies to writing code on a whiteboard to explain a technical concept or solve a puzzle.
1. A good place to start is to watch one in action:
Google sample whiteboard interview question
Sample Whiteboard interview question and solution
Google Technical Interviewing Workshop
2. Books and resources to read and study
Cracking the Coding Interview (available to check out from the Center for Engineering Career Development)
Big Tech Interview Prep - Newsletter on technical interviewing with lots of great advice and practice questions
Meta Technical Screen and Interview Guide
CodePath Technical Interviewing Guide
3. Read sample questions and answers and practice!
Leetcode.com - Great sample questions, discussion board and mock technical interview questions.
Pramp.com - Get paired with a peer to practice together
HackerRank - Technical interview prep kits and mock questions
Entry Level Software Developer Technical Interview Questions from Reddit
4. Take or watch a short online workshop
Technical Interviewing Workshop presented by '20 CS grad, Andrew Ni
How to Ace a Developer Interview from LinkedIn Learning
Technical Interviewing Workshop presented by Women in Computing Sciences at UVA (WiCS)
More UVA Technical Interviewing Workshops on our YouTube chanel
Girls Who Code and Forage - Technical Interview Prep Virtual Experience Program
5. Other helpful bits of advice
5 Smart Moves to Make in a Technical Interview
Personal Account of Facebook Developer Interview Process
Google Technical Interview Prep
6. Attend Career Center events related to technical interivewing
Technical Interviewing programs and events on Grounds
CASE INTERVIEWS
Most consulting firms use case interviewing, in which candidates analyze a problem and propose a solution or recommendation.
Every year our team invites employers and alumni to Grounds to conduct mock case interviews and case interviewing workshops, and you can find upcoming events in Handshake.
Learn more about how to ace the case with these tips or consider reading a book that guides you through various sample cases, such as Case in Point, which you can borrow from our office.
Case interview prep from:
Management Consulted
Bain & Company
McKinsey & Co
Deloitte
Tips for completing consulting digital Problem-Solving Game
Additional interviewing tips
Ace your Video Interview
5 Tips to Acing Your Phone Interview
How to Prepare for a Phone or Skype Interview
PRODUCT MANAGEMENT INTERVIEWS
Product management interviews often have unique questions. Practicing these questions ahead of time will help you feel prepared and confident.
Typical Product Management Questions