Employer research

• Primary mission/purpose of the organization
• Major competitors
• Organizational culture (management style, work environment, structure)
• Principal services and products
• Tips and resources for researching employers

Dressing for the interview

As a general rule, avoid perfume or cologne, clothing and accessories should not distract the interviewer, and good hygiene and grooming are important.

Practice, practice, practice

• Know your skills, including strengths and weaknesses, and be prepared to respond to related questions with examples.
• Practice answering interview questions with impact by using the STAR Technique outlined in our Interviewing Techniques handout.
• Attend a Mock Interview Day at UWRF either Fall or Spring semester.
• Common interview questions are available in our Interviewing Techniques handout.
• Schedule mock interview appointment with a UWRF Career Counselor.
• Prepare questions to ask the employer to show you are interested in the position and organization.
• Map your destination and know where you are going.

How  to interview

• Non-Verbal Communication: Practice a firm handshake, sit up straight and do not cross your arms, maintain eye contact without staring, do not tap nervously or move around too much.
• Verbal Communication: Never talk negatively about past employers, don't talk too much or ramble, eliminate non-words i.e. ("you know", "um", or "like"), speak in a clear and audible voice.
• Common interview questions, and how to use the STAR technique for responses that have impact, are available in our Interviewing Techniques handout.
• Using a portfolio effectively during an interview is covered in our Interviewing Techniques handout on the handout page.
• Phone interviews are used by recruiters to weed-out candidates prior to a face-to-face interview. Learn phone interview techniques in our Interviewing Techniques handout.
• Dining interviews are common - learn helpful tips in our Etiquette Tips handout.
• Illegal questions by the interviewer, and how to handle those, can be found in our Interviewing Techniques handout.

Find the Interview Techniques and Etiquette Tips handout on the Career Handouts page.

Questions for the interviewer

• Questions for the interviewer indicate interest, initiative and forethought by the interviewee. Example questions for the interviewer can be found in our Interviewing Techniques handout.

Send a thank you to the recruiter(s) who interviewed you

• Learn how to write an effective thank you in our Professional Letters handout. Did you fail to mention something critical about your skills and experience during an interview? Here's your opportunity to mention it.
  

Research salaries

• The topic of salary should be initiated by the employer, which typically occurs after an initial interview or during a second/third interview.
• Research salaries using the Occupational Outlook Handbook or Salary.com.
• View UWRF employment statistics to view earnings for recent UWRF graduates.
  

Evaluating and negotiating job offers

• View our handout Salary Information: How Much Are You Worth?
• Estimate appropriate salary ranges with the NACE salary calculator.
  
• View examples of how to respond to job offers.
• Additional resources for job offer negotiations available on CollegeGrad.com.