Flushed with nerves to ace the interview

by Morgan Ledermann, posted Oct. 23, 2009

Students file into Eckles Hall. Hands are sweating, lips trembling with memorized qualifications, dress shoes clicking on the hard tile floor.

Armed with nothing more than two papers handed out at the door — one read “Interview Questions” and the other “Mock Interview Evaluation Form” —  students settled into chairs lined up just inside a large café of tables. The five to 10 waiting students sat in the shadow of a narrow entryway, peeking around the corner to the bright area of interviewing taking place.

“Ace the Interview,” one of the fall semester seminars through the career services office, was held Wednesday, Sept. 30, in Eckles Hall. Stephanie Chipman, director of CAFNR Career Services, organized the event with assistance from Jane Loudermilk, Taylor Potts, and Whitney Wallace. They sent out e-mails to CAFNR students who signed up for time slots through www.hiremizzoutigers.com.

“I’m very nervous about how this is going to turn out,” said Rachel Longan, agricultural education major. “I’m only a freshman so I just want to gain experience for when I’m older and looking for internships and jobs, so this is to help me prepare and to know what to expect in the future.”

More than 40 interviews were scheduled through the afternoon and evening with seven interviewers.

“We filled our schedule,” said Jane Loudermilk from CAFNR Career Services and Alumni Relations, “and encouraged those that were still asking for times to go to the Student Success Center.”

A wide range of interviewers was available for the students. These are mentors or industry partners with the college from a variety of backgrounds from corporate to retail and someone from vet/med to help look over graduate school resumes and applications.

“It’s helpful for future employers,” said Wendy Swatzell, freshman hotel and restaurant management major. ”Hopefully this will help prepare for the outside world.”

The mock interviews aren’t based on a position, they’re based on the ability to answer questions, and the questions are essentially the same across industry, according to Loudermilk. She said employers still want to know how you handle conflicts, teamwork, and what managerial qualities you have. And these topics are the basis for the mock-interview questions.

The Career Services office generally doesn’t do mock-interviews, but in certain situations they make exceptions.  If a student gives the Student Success Center the information, they can tailor an interview for specific industries.

“It’s an opportunity to realize what I’m already doing well in interviews and realize what I need to work on,” said Brett Hatcher, senior hotel and restaurant management major. “I want to get an idea of what exactly interviewers look for and what I can do to match their expectations.”

During the mock interview, students handed the interviewer their resume and references.  They were asked questions and then asked to elaborate and discuss their experiences and future goals.  This process took about 30 minutes per person.

“It was probably easier than an actual interview because I know a job is not coming out of this,” said Jessica Park, senior hotel and restaurant management major.

Interviewers asked questions about strengths and weaknesses, where individuals see themselves in ten years, and how they have dealt with a specific conflict.

“I think situational questions are always harder to answer, simply because they’re harder to prepare for and weren’t really based off the resume,” Park said. “But overall, I think it was a good experience just having to answer those questions and talk to a stranger.”

Interviewers discussed with students afterward what they were looking for and their overall impression. The mock interview evaluation form was helpful for this step in the process. This sheet included criteria such as appearance, mannerisms, self-confidence, effectiveness in describing strengths and skills, as well as closing the interview.

“I think the most important skills are communication and leadership because with these skills people can generally get stuff done and it’s usually easy to put them in a higher level position,” said Mendy Bowlby, Buckle general sales manager.

To capitalize on these skills, mock interviewing can be very important to familiarize students with the interview process.

“You can totally get your nerves out and then you have time to practice before it’s the real deal,” Bowlby said.

She wants kids to walk away with a better understanding of the interview process because the more nervous they are, the harder it is to get a job.  Plus, the interviewer cannot really see through nerves to understand what kind of person they are interviewing and how well they will work together.

“With sound resumes and confident interviews, students are entering the job market well prepared and well practiced,” Bowlby said.

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