Develop your interviewing skills

We want to help you prepare for your next interview, no matter the style of interviewing questions or the location of the interview.

Resumed-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.

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?

Behaviorial 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 another great example of how to use the STAR technique in your interview answers.

Here are 5 tips for behavioral interviewing from Heather Palmer, some typical behavioral interviewing questions to prepare for from TheMuse.com and here are more practice questions from the UVA HR department.

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

Example Technical Interview Questions

Entry Level Software Developer Technical Interview Questions from Reddit

Practice Technical Interview Questions by Skill

 

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 Tech Interviewing Tips from UVA Career Center

5 Smart Moves to Make in a Technical Interview - Be sure to check out the slides at the bottom of the article.

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. You also have free access to the Vault Guide to Case Interviews through the Resources section of 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:
Bain & Company

McKinsey & Co

Deloitte

Tips for completing consulting digital Problem-Solving Game 

Case interview resources from MConsulting Prep (Includes practice questions and case guides from top MBA programs)

Additional interviewing tips

Ace your Video Interview

5 Tips to Acing Your Phone Interview

Guide to Acing Your Skype Interview

How to Prepare for a Phone or Skype Interview

Tips for various interview formats, such as On-Grounds Interviewing (OGI), on-site interviews, panel interviews, and group interviews

Prepare for your interview in three stages – know what to do before, on the day-of, and after the experience.

BEFORE AN INTERVIEW

Research
Review the company's website, LinkedIn page (follow the company on LInkedIn too!), Glassdoor and Handshake reviews and sample interview questions, and other web presence (e.g., news articles, blog posts, twitter).

Revisit & Reflect

• Revisit the description of the job you’re interviewing for. Identify the technical and non-technical skills this employer wants in a candidate - the questions they ask will likely revolve around the skills in the job description.
• Reflect and find a story that demonstrates you possess each skill. If there is a technical skill you don't have, think about a similar skill/tool/technology that you do have experience with. You can talk about how experience with this related skill will make learning the new skill easier for you. 
• Review common interviewing questions below and think about how you would respond.

 

Practice 

Once you have some responses in mind, practice talking about your stories out loud, even just to yourself. Practicing our delivery boosts confidence and helps us develop clear, concise responses. TIP: Use the STAR technique to help structure your responses to behavioral and resume-based interview questions.

You can also practice your answer to the "Tell me about yourself" question on VMock. Click on the Elevator Pitch module to record your answer and receive instant AI generated feedback.

Many first round interviews are done using a service called HireVue now where you'll record your answers to preset questions. Hirevue has a number of blog posts and videos to help you prepare for this type of interview. Google also has a video resource to help you get ready for an online assessment for technical interviews.

One of the best ways to practice your interview skills is to do a mock interview. Make an appointment with the career center to schedule a mock interview in Handshake.

DAY-OF AN INTERVIEW

From your appearance to how you communicate, make a positive impression with employers on the day of your interview. Navigate the day with tips 9-26 here and use these 7 tricks to help you sound confident (even if you're not). When you know what to expect, you'll make a positive impact throughout the process.

AFTER AN INTERVIEW

Knowing when to check in (and how often) after an interview can be confusing. Review these tips for recommendations on email etiquette and timing.

After the Interview: follow-up and thank you notes

4 non-annoying ways to follow up after an interview

Do you need to accept or decline an offer? Ask for more time to make a decision? Review these tips and schedule an appointment in Handshake if you'd like to discuss your unique situation with an advisor.

Gain interviewing experience before your first (or next) interview with an employer! Schedule a mock interview with one of our advisors, where you'll practice answering a variety of questions and we'll offer individualized feedback and coaching. Select our office and "Mock Interview" in the appointments section of Handshake. 

You can also gain practice with alumni and employer volunteers throughout the year. You'll find both interview skill-building workshops and individual mock interviews in the Events section of Handshake. Just search by keyword "Interview".  You can also practice your answer to the "Tell me about yourself" question in the Elevator Pitch module within VMock. VMock will give you immediate AI generated feedback! Practice as many questions as you wuld like by recording yourself on zoom - it's a great way to make yourself practice your answers out loud.

While every interview is unique, there are a number of interview questions that are asked frequently asked. Even if you do not encounter these in each interview, we encourage you to anticipate them and be prepared.

• Tell me about yourself.
• What do you know about our company/this role? Why are you interested in us/this position?
• Why/how did you choose UVA? Your major?
• Share 3 strengths and 1 weakness.
• What are your short and long term goals?
• Why should we hire you?
• What questions do you have for us?

 

Be prepared to share examples of times you demonstrated initiative, teamwork, leadership, and problem solving skills. And, have an example of a time something didn't go according to plan, as many employers want to understand how you troubleshoot, bounce back, respond to constructive feedback, and tackle challenges.

More Common Questions

50 Most Common Interview Questions

Behavioral Interview Questions by Skill

Strategies for answering common questions

How to answer 30+ common interview questions

30 common questions based on skill set

4 common questions with sample responses

And, don't forget that an interview is a conversation. Almost all employers will ask if you have any questions for them at the end of the interview. Find your favorites from this list of 8 or this more extensive (50+) list, and bring them with you to the interview.