Interviews, Resumes and Correspondence

You never get a second chance to make a good first impression! This theme is especially important during an interview. Your grooming and dress are important aspects of putting your best foot forward. Always remember that the clothing you wear should enhance your personal style and identify you as a person the employer would want to represent his/her company or organization. Unless the employer specifically states otherwise, you should dress in corporate attire.

Suit Choices

• Observe what management professionals wear in the field of employment you wish to enter, and choose your professional dress accordingly.
• Choose a good fabric with a tight weave that drapes well in neutral colors such as gray, tan, black or navy. Navy blue and medium to dark gray suits are considered staples. A good business wardrobe includes several suits of varied weights and conservative colors.
• Suits should be properly tailored and freshly dry-cleaned. Stick with a classic, conservative suit; avoid fashions that will go out of style.
• Important notes on pant and skirt lengths: Men’s trousers should be hemmed appropriately for wear with dress shoes. Women’s skirts should be of sufficient length for modesty. If you have no skirts of appropriate length, it is preferable to wear dress slacks.

Shirt/Blouse

• A white shirt or blouse is the preferred color. However, tasteful, neutral, solid colors are acceptable. A professional wardrobe includes several shirts or simple blouses in white, blue and other neutral colors.

Grooming

• Hair should be clean and conservatively styled. Men should generally be clean shaven.
• Keep cologne or aftershave to a minimum because scents can be overpowering in a small interviewing room. If you use cologne or aftershave, it is best applied at least two hours prior to your interview.

Shoes

• Traditional dress shoes are your best choice. Avoid trendy heels. Shoes should be freshly polished or shined.
• Men should make sure their socks match their suits and are preferably darker than their suit color.
• Women should consider a practical pump-style shoe. Women’s hosiery choices should be neutral to their skin tone.

Jewelry

• Jewelry should be kept to the minimum and be tasteful.
• Women should not wear any more than one, small, conservative pair of earrings.
• Men should generally avoid earrings altogether for an interview.
• Nose, tongue, eyebrow and other visible body piercing should be removed for an interview.

Jobs are seldom secured during the first few minutes of the interview. You can, however, kill your chance for success during that initial critical period. Here are examples of negative factors to avoid. Each has resulted in rejections during job interviews.

• Lack of planning for career – no purpose or goals – no interest in employer.
• Lack of interest and enthusiasm – passive, indifferent
• Lack of confidence and poise – no eye contact.
• Lack of courtesy – ill mannered.
• Lack of social understanding – radical ideas.
• Lack of knowledge in field of specialization.
• Dress and grooming not compatible with vocational standards.

It is the interviewer’s responsibility to investigate and evaluate your qualifications and suitability for employment with his/her company. Be positive in your responses to his/her questions.

• In what college activities have you participated? Why?
• What courses did you like best? Least? Why?
• If you were starting college all over again, what courses would you take?
• Why did you decide to go to this particular school?
• How did you rank in your graduating class in high school? Where will you probably rank in college?
• Have you changed your major field of interest while in college? Why?
• Do you feel you have done the best scholastic work of which you are capable?
• Do you feel that your grades are an accurate reflection of your knowledge and ability?

• How do you spend your spare time? What are your hobbies?
• What extracurricular offices have you held? What motivated you to seek these offices?
• Do you think your extracurricular activities were worth the time you devoted to them?
  Why?
• How did you spend your vacations while in school?

• In what type of position are you most interested? Why?
• What qualifications do you have that make you feel you will be successful in your field
  of interest?
• What are your long-term goals?
• Do you prefer working alone or with others? Why?
• What kind of boss do you prefer?
• What have you learned for jobs you have held?
• What have you done which shows initiative and willingness to work?
• Why do you want to work for our organization/company?

• Tell me about yourself.
• Who are your best friends? Why do you value their friendship?
• Describe your value system.
• What is your major weakness?
• What type of people seems to rub you the wrong way?
• Do you think employers should consider grades? Why? Why not?
• Who or what had the greatest influence on your life?
• Have you ever used or tried liquor? Drugs? To what extent?
• What are your major strengths?

If weaknesses exist in your experience or academic background, don’t try to hide them if questioned directly. Mention them in context with, or relate them to, factors of strength. Talk about what you are doing to improve areas of weakness.

Occasionally, an interviewer may pose personal questions that you consider inappropriate. For example, questions about race, religion, marital status, political affiliation, age, sexual preference, and physical and mental status or condition are generally illegal as grounds for making employment decisions. How you respond to such questions, should they arise, is up to you. Keep in mind, however, that the nature of your response may affect the outcome of your interview.

Career Services and Placement expects employers interviewing on campus to maintain the highest possible ethical and legal standards in their recruiting activities. If you are asked questions that seem inappropriate during a campus interview, please call the SIRC office immediately after the interview. For more information, please see the “Pre-Employment Inquiry Guide” published by the Michigan Department of Civil Rights. Since laws vary among states, you may want to check with the civil rights department in the state in which you are looking for employment. Also refer to the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, 1990.

Don’t assume that the interview is, or should be, a one-sided affair. The initiative should remain with the interviewer as s/he tries to gain insight into your character, job aspirations and preparation, and how you might fit into the company in general and the job in particular. However, you should also ask questions. Your questions should be designed to help you evaluate the job and its organizational environment to see whether they match your needs, aspirations and aptitudes.

Stay alert for clues that you are on the right track and have the interviewer with you. If the person seems interested and relaxed, and is following closely and encouraging you with comments, nods and expressions of interest, you’re probably right on. If the interviewer appears puzzled, stop and restate your reply. If s/he obviously has lost interest (starts doing things not related to the interview, such as sorting through papers or looking around), try getting the interviewer back by asking if you covered the point adequately. Maintain eye contact at all times to try to aid in holding interest. Watch for indications that the interviewer has received enough information and is ready to close the interview. S/he will make this evident. Don’t try to extend it unless you have an extremely important question to ask. If so, make it brief or you run the risk of overselling yourself and losing the good impression you have made.

Finally, your objective is to create a job opportunity. Conduct your portion of the interview in this vein. Don’t waste precious minutes talking about job security, sick leave, retirement benefits or salary. If you are successful in the interview, you’ll have plenty of opportunity to investigate these aspects of the job at a later date.