Getting Ready for the Interview

If you feel nervous about your performance in an interview, you may want to consider preparing yourself in a mock interview that can be scheduled through the UNI Career Services. A mock interview is a 30-minute videotaped session of you in an interview with one of our trained peer counselors followed by a review of the tape with constructive feedback on your performance. The purpose of the mock interview is to help you practice your interview skills, and prepare and strategize for future interviews. Call Career Services at 319-273-6857 to schedule a mock interview with one of our Career Peers.

• UNI On-Campus Recruiting/Interviewing (UNI CS)
  
• UNI CareerLink (UNI CS)

• The second interview means that you did well on the first one, and they decided to have you back. You will be asked many of the same questions again by different interviewers. The questions for the second interview are more job specific because they are trying to see if you are right for the job. Prepare for the second interview much like you did the first with practiced responses and new questions.

• Second Interview Preparation Guide (Florida State University)
• Do's and Don'ts for Second Interivews (Quintessential Careers)

• Phone Interviewing Success (CollegeGrad.com)
• Phone Interviews (Michigan State University)
• Phone Interview Etiquette (Quintessential Careers)
• Phone Interviewing (Albion College)
• Mastering the Phone Interview by Peter Vogt (University of Idaho)

Feel free to send a follow-up letter within two days of the interview. This letter usually serves as a thank-you and a last moment selling point for your qualifications. A follow-up letter could set you apart from another candidate. Make the thank you letter personalized to your interviewer(s)

Call to inquire about the job if you have not heard anything within 7-10 days.

Sample thank you letter

• Research salaries before the interview. Know the general salary range of others in the field. This will give you a place to start negotiations. Avoid trapping yourself into a lower salary. Instead of volunteering a salary range, have the employer give a salary range first. If you have to give a salary bid, start on the higher end of your salary range. Employers always look at the lower end of a salary range, so you need to start out high. Give yourself some negotiating room by starting out a few thousand above what you currently make. If you make $30,000 start the bidding at between $38,000 and $42,000.

• Selected Resources from UNI Libraries
• Effectively Negotiating Salary Packages (JobTrak)
• 10 Commandments of Salary Negotiations (Salary Expert.com)
• Salary Information and Cost of Living

• Job Interviews(Videojug)