Interviewing

Interviewing can seem like an overwhelming process, especially when you're preparing for your first interview. Our team is here to help you understand the process from start to finish, develop your skills, and gain confidence.

Types of Interviews

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.

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.

Watch an Interview in Action

Review Interview Resources

Practice with Sample Questions and Answers

  • LeetCode - Great sample questions, discussion board, and mock technical interview questions.
  • Pramp - Get paired with a peer to practice together.
  • HackerRank - Technical interview prep kits and mock questions.

Take or Watch a Short Online Workshop

Attend Career Center Events Related to Technical Interviewing

Project Management Interviews

Product management interviews often have unique questions. Practicing these questions ahead of time will help you feel prepared and confident.

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. 

Preparation Resources

Interview Preparation

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).

If you're not sure about the format or the interview or who you'll be talking to, don't be afraid to ask for more information about what you can expect the day of the interview. The company will recognize that you want to be as prepared as possible!

Revisit and 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.

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.

Common Questions

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.

It is also a good idea to ask your interviewer some questions at the end of an interview. Here are some examples. There are many great resources online to find more questions to practice with.

Day of an Interview

From your appearance to how you communicate, navigate the day of the interview with these tips and use these 7 Tricks to Help You Sound Confident (even if you're not).

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.

4 Non-Annoying Ways to Follow Up After an Interview (Tip: Always send a thank-you note within a day or two of the interview)