Your customized resume and cover letter have worked their magic and you’ve been invited to interview with one of your target companies! So, how do you prepare? OCS offers a number of resources to help you be prepared and confident for whatever kind of interview you might encounter. The hiring process may include multiple rounds of conversations with different people at the firm, check out our tips below for the most common interviews you might encounter.
For all interviews, always make sure that you have prepared your own questions to ask at the end and *always* be sure to follow up with a thank you note to everyone you meet!
- Screening Interview
This will often be the first stage of the interview process where you will meet with a recruiter or HR representative for 15-30, typically via phone or Zoom. Have a 2 minute version of your ‘Tell Me About Yourself’ (TMAY) prepared and focus on talking through the experience on your resume as it related to the job requirements. In addition, be sure you are ready to answer:- Why you are interested in this function/industry/company/job?
- Your strengths
- Your areas of growth (weaknesses)
- Why you are a strong candidate for this position?
- Behavioral Interviews
In this interview, a hiring manager or other potential colleague will be asking you questions that typically begin “Tell me about a time when…” That’s your cue to share your SAR stories! Using your preparation from the Be Fearless summer course, have 2-3 minutes stories that address the question and describe your actions and their impact. Practice is key to ensure that you are providing the right level of detail and conveying your value as the hero in these examples.
For practice, you can schedule a mock interview with a career coach or take advantage of digital tools like Big Interview and Quinncia to gain experience with video interviewing. - Technical Interviews
For students seeking technical positions, you can expect to have a portion of the interview process where a staff member who holds a similar technical role to the one you are seeking will ask you to demonstrate your skills. For these interviews, know that the goal isn’t so much to get the “right” answer as to demonstrate your thought process and ability to communicate. Practice thinking out loud to explain your problem solving approach and get comfortable writing down all your steps to provide evidence of your skills.
To learn more about the kinds of questions you may be asked for different roles (e.g., product manager, data scientist, analyst), check out Exponent! This tool provides insights from hiring managers as well as the opportunity to practice different questions. - Case Interviews
Case interviews ask students to use their business skills to demonstrate how they would approach a challenging problem. Like technical interviews, the answer isn’t as important as being able to show clear organization in your approach and strong rationale for your recommendations. Check out our Case Interview Guide for an overview of best practices.
OCS hosts a case preparation workshop each fall to help students prepare and there are a number of digital resources available to students as well:- Management Consulted
- Video Vault
- Case in Point
It takes practice to become an effective caser – don’t wait until you have an interview scheduled to begin your preparation! If you are considering roles in consulting, finance, marketing, or, even government, you will encounter a case interview somewhere in your journey. Start early to be competitive!
- Fit Interviews
These are typically one of the last rounds of the interview process and may be described as more of a conversation with a senior leader rather than a true interview, but don’t take them lightly! The interviewer will be gauging how well you will fit in with the organization’s culture and whether you are the kind of person they can see growing with the company. The best way to prepare for these is by having informational interviews or coffee chats with current employees so you understand the values and priorities of the organization.
