Interview Tips for Students
You have recently graduated and you are now looking for a job in an industry that you have little experience in. Indeed, Junior candidates face an unfortunate paradox when entering the job market:
You need experience to get a job but you need a job to get experience.
Like the paradoxical chicken and the egg, this job/experience conundrum is a source of much frustration for junior candidates and recent graduates. For these job seekers, the answer to this question is neither the job nor the experience but the employer who took a chance on them. So when you get your opportunity you want to make sure that you have the best chance for success. We see many students struggle with behavioral questions since often students do not have much work experience to draw an example from. The questions below are sample interview questions that I have seen students stumble with:
So how should you handle these behavioral questions? Below are some job interview tips, specifically targeted to students and junior candidates. These tips have been developed based on our experience in hiring students for co-op programs and interview workshops with post-secondary institutions. While these tips cannot replace a more comprehensive training, it does provide a few simple and effective tips to help you improve your interview skills.
Some students report that behavioral questions are difficult to answer. Often the reason cited is that behavioral questions require an example, and students feel they do not have as much work experience to draw from. Many students make a common mistake of assuming that you can only use examples from paid work in their answer. By making this assumption, you will restrict your answer options. When answering behavioral questions or if the interviewer asks you to provide an example, use examples from school, sports and volunteer. While it is ideal to use examples from paid work, by broadening the experience base from which you draw examples, you increase your options for answers. Regardless of whether you draw your example from paid work or sports, the important thing is that you provide a good example to the interviewer that demonstrates the requirement they are trying to assess. When the students I interview struggle to find an example, I will often suggest using an example outside of paid work. While most experienced interviewers should do the same when interviewing students, don't rely on the interviewer's competency to ensure you provide a good answer.
Now suppose an employer asks you to describe your experience in an area that you have no experience, how would you handle this situation? Don’t panic and don’t lie. Lying in an interview will compromise your entire application and reputation. Recruiters and hiring managers can be a small circle, and all remember a candidate who misrepresented himself. If you do not have experience in the exact same area then simply acknowledge this to the interviewer but try to refer to an experience in a similar area. Most importantly, stress your willingness to learn and ability to learn quickly. And follow up with an example to support your statement. Sp if you are applying to job where you do not have all the required experience, it is worthwhile to have such an example ready.
Uncover the Motivation
If the employer asks you questions in an area you do not yet have experience in, uncover potential concerns and address them. For example, if the employer asks about you knowledge in XYZ technology and you do not have such knowledge, then you must uncover any concerns and address them. Do not lie or struggle since it will cause the interview to lose confidence in your response. Instead, if you do not have such experience in a certain area simply say so but indicate you are a fast and eager learner. Most importantly, be prepared to back up your statement with specific examples and results.
Leverage your strength
While the thought of competing against more experienced candidates may be intimidating for some students, remember the great qualities you have to offer an employer. It is a worthwhile exercise to look at the employers’ requirements and map them to your own competencies. When looking at the job posting, ask yourself, “How do I meet the requirements?” “What makes me well suited to the position?” Being a junior candidate, the answer can be as simple as your enthusiasm, ability to take direction, and relocation mobility. Perhaps you can offer fresh ideas and a new perspective to this position. Once again if you use any of these answers, have an example ready to support your response.
In summary, junior candidates and recent graduates face the challenge of entering into a field with little or no experience. Often students are required to compete against more experience candidates. So when your opportunity comes, give yourself the best chance for success and be prepared. In an interview, draw from the experiences you gained outside of paid work including school, volunteer, sports and so on. By doing so you will increase your chances of a having good answer available. Also, while students and junior candidates lack experience, they can compensate with their enthusiasm, eagerness, fresh ideas and so on. Know your own strengths and how you can utilize them to meet the employer’s requirements. By doing this you will be a step ahead.
Information provided by, HRinmotion.
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