1. IOWA STATE
Engineers’ Job Interviewing
UNIVERSITY
SPECIAL
POINTS OF
INTEREST:
Strategies
E N G I N E E R I N G C A R E E R S E R V I C E S
• Employers use
On-Campus Interviewing
Behavioral-based
Interviewing for on
campus interviews
• Smile often. You
are one of the
chosen few! ISU’s College of Engineering has interview time when they are on interviews can happen in other
active relationships with many campus. This whole process is places and formats. Career Fairs
• Reflect on the skills recruiters and holds around 4000 done electronically. Once you are a great place for a mini inter-
you have and relay interviews per year. The day have an interview time, you need view. Show up early to maximize
them confidently. after the Career Fair there are your time with recruiters before
over 600 interviews held. Our they get busy. Telephone inter-
• Anything on your
resume is fair game
recruiting season runs from mid views have become very popular
to be asked about September to the first week in due to cost savings. This is a
in the interview so December in the fall and from great opportunity for students to
be prepared! the first week of February to the expand their options of
first week of May in the spring. employers outside the regional
• Relax during the
The process to get an interview area. If the company has stages
interview!
has been made simple through of interviewing or if you are
ISU Career Management System applying for a more senior
Interview Suites
(ISU CMS). Employers post their position, sometimes an on-site
305 Marston Hall
INSIDE positions in ISU CMS and interview is requested. This is a
THIS ISSUE: students are able to determine great opportunity for the
their eligibility. Students then student to get a better feel for
On Campus 1 to show up 10-15 minutes early the employer and atmosphere
submit their resume, and possibly
Interviewing in 305 Marston Hall. Go in and and an opportunity for the
a cover letter and/or transcript.
Behavioral The employer will then be able have a seat in the waiting area employer to get to know the
1
Interviewing to review the qualifications and until your name is called. student better.
invite students to sign up for an Besides on campus recruiting,
Points of 1
Interest
Behavioral Based Interviewing
Verbals and 2
Nonverbals
Tough 2
Questions
Inside 2 Eighty-five percent of all conducted by trained human company culture and your level
StoryContact recruiters to ISU use behavioral resources professionals. of professional maturity.
based interviewing (BBI). It’s a BBI is based off of professional Example BBI Questions are:
process of asking you to explain competencies and very little on
your past behaviors so recruiters “Describe for me a time when
your technical competency. The you were the first person to take
can predict how you might questions will focus on skills such
respond in a similar future situa- action in a team project.”
as communication, planning, pro-
tion. Most of these interviews ject management, initiative, and “Tell me the details of the most
happen in the first round of team work. They are trying to significant oral or written presen-
interviews and are normally determine your “fit” within their tation you have had to give.”

2. PAGE 2
Verbal and Nonverbal Reminders
The way you dress and present cologne as they can be a great emotions during the interview.
yourself in verbal and body distraction in an interview. Make sure that you make
language are all important in Along with a great attire you regular eye contact with the
having a successful interview. should bring a positive attitude, recruiter, sit up and back in
Unless you are specifically told copies of your resume and your chair, and don’t fidget
otherwise by the recruiters, references, and a nice pad folio with any part of your body.
you should wear a professional to hold your documents. A Your verbal reminders are to
outfit to an interview. For positive attitude is first pause and think before
men that means a shirt and tie displayed in the greeting when answering questions and then
with nice dress pants, dress you should smile and shake answer them thoroughly.
shoes, and dress socks. hands with a recruiter. Look Recruiters want to hear
Women should be wearing a excited and interested in the detailed responses that tell of
business suit with matching job and the company. Being your actions and the results of
Students should make sure skirt or slacks. Neither men serious is ok but you need to your actions in a situation.
or women should have show some flexibility in your
they are 10 minutes early.
excessive jewelry or perfume/
305 Marston
Other tough questions
Interview waiting area
Sometimes recruiters will ask rect them always towards your When answering these types of
“Recruiters want questions that are not easy to strengths. questions remember to focus on
answer based on your past your skills and attributes that
to hear detailed experiences. You should be would make you fit well into the
prepared with some canned A few examples of these ques- company’s team. Professional
responses about answers for these types of tions are: skills such as communication,
your actions in a questions. As with BBI “How would you describe teamwork, strong customer
questions you should have yourself?” or “What are your focus, work ethic, and focus on
situation and the reflected deeply on your past in strengths/weaknesses?” or producing quality work are all
preparation for the “Why should I hire you?” strong points that you could
results of those interview. Try to answer these make about yourself. Have ex-
traditional questions with amples to demonstrate if they
actions.”
conservative and positive re- ask you to describe your answer
sponses that attempt to redi- in detail.
Engineering Career Services
Engineering Career Services provides services and programs to
302 Marston Hall, ISU assist College of Engineering students with their full-time or in-
Check the Web! Ames, IA 50011 ternship career search. Also,
www.engineering.
iastate.edu/ecs
• Access to online job postings through ISU CMS
515-294-2540
ecs@iastate.edu • Workshops and appointments for resume review, letter
writing, and mock interviews
• Two career fairs per year bring in 500 companies
• Professional skills preparation integrated into your
Imagine the Opportunities!
engineering curriculum
ENGINEERS’ JOB INTERVIEWING STRATEGIES