On Thursday, I attended the Rose Seminar on interview tips.  Although I have interviewed for on-campus and job opportunities since coming to Cornell, this event really solidified my understanding and offered many helpful tips.  We had the opportunity to discuss our own interview experiences with GRF Sara and ask her for advice based on her substantial interview experience.  

She organized the seminar into three main parts: before, during, and after the interview.  In the first part, she emphasized applying for positions broadly but not indiscriminately and thinking about how the jobs we are applying for fit our career trajectory.  Then, during the interview, she stressed taking note of the company’s culture and office mood, while carefully listening to the interviewer and asking him/her meaningful questions.  It is a good idea to ask your interviewer to explain his/her career progression and to show interest in learning about the role the person performs.  Lastly, Sara brought up an important point for after the interview: write thank you notes to everyone you meet.  A short and simple email goes a long way in leaving a positive impression.  

One of our talking points was whether we should carefully practice what we are going to say during the interview, keeping in mind what questions will likely be asked.  In my experience, I’ve always found it helpful to organize important examples and other topics/information you wish to discuss, while trying to avoid sounding rehearsed or artificial.  

I really enjoyed this Rose Seminar, as well as all the prior ones, since they will help me to put my best foot forward in my future career endeavors.  Sara ended the seminar with a list of potential interview questions.  A question that stumped me was, “If you were an animal, what kind would you be?”  I’ll have to get back to you on that…