Have three go-to interview questions prepared
During most job interviews, you have an opportunity to ask the recruiter or hiring manager questions. The good news: you don’t need to exhaust yourself by trying to come up with unique questions for each interview. Dalton recommends these three:

What’s your favorite part about working here? “It doesn’t require the person to have to sum up the company culture,” says Dalton. Simply asking “what’s the culture like?” often leads to a generic answer.

How do you think the market will be different three years from now? “You’re asking for the person’s expert opinion and that shows respect,” says Dalton.

If you had to attribute your success to one skill or trait, what would it be? “You’re essentially asking the person why they’re good at their job, which is flattering,” Dalton says.

YOUR INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Too many students overly focus on matching the qualifications and requirements listed within job postings and end up missing the implicit skills needed to succeed. A well-written posting will weave both the essential hard and soft skills into the job description—and both of these are equally important. Some postings make it easy to identify these essential skills, others might take a bit of detective work.

Begin by highlighting the active verbs within the job description. If you have experience in using any of those skills listed, highlight them in the cover letter and mention them in interviews.

1. WHAT ARE AI VIDEO INTERVIEWS?
Technology has advanced rapidly. Major companies have been conducting virtual interviews for years via platforms such as Skype, BlueJeans, and more recently Zoom. This is the next logical step.

Your responses to interview questions will be interpreted by artificial intelligence to determine if you are a good fit for the company. For many companies, your interview will not receive human review unless the AI determines that you meet their preset criteria.

2. HOW DOES IT WORK?
Most AI-based systems allow you to interview at any time within a window of a couple of days. The questions are preselected, and often recorded in video form. Some companies just provide the text of the question for you to answer.

Usually, there is a countdown timer after each question is read before you can record your answer. This is the time to make sure your camera is focused correctly, you are centered on the screen, and that you have a professional background.

Himal Ahuja, founder of the career readiness platform, Quinncia, a leader in the use of AI for career readiness, stressed that proper lighting is essential for video interviews. The system must be able to see your face. A source of light behind your computer is usually the best way to go.

Be aware that normally, your computer screen will show you answering the question during the recording process. Look directly at the camera. Ahuja recommends putting a book under your computer and keeping it at arm’s length, so the camera is at eye level.

Many employers allow you two or three attempts to answer each question before they are submitted, but that is not universal. Multiple attempts will allow you to restart if you make a mistake in an earlier iteration. Be aware that companies can keep track of the number of attempts and can use that in their assessment. Instructions provided with the interview should clarify how many attempts you have per question and how long your answers can be.

3. WHAT DOES THE AI DO?
This is advanced technology. The AI system dissects your video and judges your performance based on preselected criteria set by the company. These are very smart machines. Believe it or not, they claim that they can measure things like mood and attitude in addition to things like the use of keywords, the structure of your answers, your use of language, filler words, and face and body language.

The system analyzes the video of your face so they can interpret even the smallest movement of your lips and eyes. Believe it or not, the system will analyze whether it believes you are being truthful, or exaggerating based on small movements in your lips and eyes. That is why the lighting is so important. The AI will not get a reading if it cannot clearly see your face.

4. HOW DO I PREPARE FOR AN AI INTERVIEW?
That is the golden question! Every company has the ability to set the criteria to determine what factors they consider important in terms of determining a successful interview, so there are no absolute answers to the question.

In addition to the standard preparation you need to make for any virtual interview, you have to focus on trying to give the AI what it wants to see. AI transcribes your answers, so try to speak a little slower than in standard conversation so that the system doesn’t miss any of your words.

Most likely, the AI is looking for the use of certain keywords. Often the job description will contain most of those keywords. Make sure to use them during your answers, but remember the system is also judging you based on the content of your answers, so you will have to weave those keywords in.

AI claims it can judge your mood. Whether they really can do so accurately is a matter of debate, but the AI system does include that interpretation in your analysis. Try to choose a time when you are relaxed and happy. It can be a good idea to watch a short video that puts you in good spirits before you start (watching Patrick Kane’s Stanley Cup winning goal from 2010 works well for me).

Stay focused and attentive and be wary of your facial expressions and body language. Smile, but be genuine and real. AI is very smart. Small differences in the movements in your lips, nose, and eyes can mark the difference between a real smile and the smile you give during that last photograph after five hours at your cousin’s wedding.

5. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE
My best advice is to practice video interviewing to get a better feel for how it works and how you present yourself. As opposed to standard virtual interview, you will see yourself on your computer screen while you are recording your answers. That takes getting used to.

The best idea is to record your answers so you can watch them and assess your performance. An even better idea would be to submit your practice interviews to career services so they can give you feedback.

Fortunately, LinkedIn has a free virtual interview preparation tool found here that allows you to record your answers and share them with experts who can give you feedback.

LinkedIn recently made the exciting announcement that they will be rolling out a free AI evaluation of the video interviews you record on the platform. Every company sets different criteria for their AI, but this new LinkedIn system will allow you to evaluate things like your sentence structure, use of filler words, pauses, words per minute, increases or decreases in the speed of your answer as well as the use of nonprofessional words and culturally insensitive words.

This is an exercise I call “Your Greatest Hits.” This will give you a quick visual depiction of approximately 30 success stories across your skills areas and is a great prompt for those behavioral, “Tell me about a time when…” questions. They are based on the premise that the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior.

On one sheet of paper write 10-15 skill areas (for example, leadership, teamwork, cultivating client relationships, demonstrating initiative, customer service, project management, problem solving, data analysis, persuasion, communication, presentation, mentoring, product management, budgeting, coding, and other technical/non-technical skills. Select those five skill areas represented in the job description (from step 1), plus soft skills and other skills applicable to your field/industry.

For each of these skill areas, write two to three Challenge, Action, Results (CAR) stories. Challenge (what was the challenge you encountered), Action (what were the specific actions you took to address the challenge), and Results (what were the positive results). The answers to these should be 90 seconds to two minutes long and demonstrate your using that skill.

When doing this exercise, don’t write out long answers. You know your experience and should not memorize the answers, rather use keywords and phrases to trigger your memory. For example:

Adaptability
C: Wedding planner for outdoor ceremony/reception in Florida in July; forecast called for showers

A: Encouraged couple to consider party tent; called frequently-used vendor and secured tent days before ceremony; worked with other vendors to adjust to new configuration for reception. Ordered umbrellas.

R: Sunny for ceremony, but rained most of reception. Tent in place, dry guests, good time had by all. The couple was happy and guests commented on beautiful event in spite of weather.

Normally, when an interviewer asks this question, the response is … I am from (________) state. I went to (_________) university and studied (_______). This is a boring answer and the information is on your resume.

There is a much better way to answer that question. First, you need to understand why this position is open. And remember, the hiring manager needs to fill this job, so they can move on to their next project.

Your job is to solve the hiring manager’s problem. For example, let’s saying they are looking for a marketing person.

When they ask you to tell about yourself, the answer should have three parts:

Show understanding about the job
Demonstrate knowledge about the company
Exhibit your fit for the opening and how your experience can move the organization forward

Example Responses:

“I have been working/studying in marketing for the last two years.” Then describe a project you have been working on so they know you are familiar with that field. (This is about you and your interests.)
Employers love to know you know something about the organization. This is your chance to show your knowledge and compliment the company. Think of this as having fun facts to prove that you know the value of working for this kind organization. (Proves you are a serious candidate.)
Explain why this job is a good fit for your skills and how your experience can assist the organization moving forward toward its goals. This is helpful in keeping the interview focused on what you can bring to their team. (Shows you are part of the solution.)

Many interviews might as well be over after the first question because some candidates do not understand that the interview is not all about them. The goal for you is to be offensive minded in the interview. Many people who are new to interviewing think this conversation is like one you have with a friend.

Wrong! The interviewer is the gatekeeper for the organization and will make recommendations on who moves forward in the process. You have one job—to prove that you are qualified for the position. If you take the interview questions on an unrelated tangent, you lse control on the interview and probably won’t receive the job offer.

Control the narrative of your story. You have no reason not to ace this interview question. Prepare an answer to the first question that makes them notice you as a candidate that they will want on their team.

Chelsea C. Williams, founder and CEO of College Code.

Williams offers a list of thoughtful questions that students might ask recruiters during interviews or other interactions to assess their organizations’ DEI priority and commitment:

How does your organization define diversity? What lenses of diversity has your organization made a direct commitment toward?
Does your organization have a chief diversity officer (CDO) or a designated leader to drive DEI and engage internal and external stakeholders?
What social causes does your organization support?
Does your organization actively support diverse suppliers, contractors, and small businesses?
Has your organization made any formal commitments in support of racial equity?
How does your organization center diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging?
Does your organization offer any formal employee training around biases, anti-racism, or general DEI?
How has your organization prioritized executive accountability toward DEI advancement?
Does your organization have any affinity groups or committees to support diverse populations? If so, how do these groups contribute to the culture of the organization?
Does your organization complete annual compensation equity analysis?
What resources has your organization provided to its employees in support of COVID-19 and racial injustices?

Tell me about a time when you had to make a decision, but didn't have all the information you needed.
Use a real anecdote from your experience to answer this question. The answer doesn't have to be great and grand. It could be a simple situation that was handled well. It could demonstrate ability in your field. For example: You may want to tell the interviewer how you selected your college from among all the colleges you applied to. Were you satisfied with your choice? Why or why not?

What suggestions do you have for our organization?
Let's say you're interviewing with a retailer and you're asked this question. Don't answer with the expected answer—anything to do with upkeep of the organization's stores. Instead, talk about merchandise that you might want to add...or how you would rearrange the stores' layout and why. Your answer should reflect your creativity.

What is the most significant contribution you made to the company during your internship/co-op?
Tell a story about an accomplishment that added value to the company, demonstrating skills that show initiative or resilience. Tell the interviewer about the options and the outcome of your work.

What is the biggest mistake you've made?
Be honest. You'll show credibility and integrity. While mistakes aren't rewarded, sometimes making a mistake can show that you've pushed yourself to the limit. Be careful, however, to concentrate your answer on describing what you learned from your mistake.

Was there anything today that you were afraid I was going to ask you? Why did it make you uncomfortable?
The trick here is to keep your cool. Many people blurt out the question that they didn't want asked—and that could raise new questions in the interviewer's mind.

Don’t mistake memorization for preparation or else your elevator pitch and interview answers sound flat and…well, memorized. It can be difficult to break yourself of the memorization habit. Practice talking about your passions and interests during a career center appointment (without trying to answer any of the standard practice interview questions). Feel confident when articulating your strengths. During practice sessions employing more structured interview questions, answer these types of questions in a more natural style, and be more willing to include both hard and soft skills in your responses (and, in today’s virtual recruiting and interviewing environment, naturalness is a plus).

At the same time, it’s important to stress to students that brief hesitancies or stumbling over words when talking to employers does not mean that your job candidacy is doomed. Answers do not have to be perfectly recited and flawless to be considered great responses. What is more important is the “authenticity” of your answers—to what extent are your responses truly reflective of who you are and what you have to offer?

Focus and Tailor Your Efforts

Everyone’s career is a story, even for you who is just beginning your career. And these career stories are usually not merely statements of fact—they feature obstacles and setbacks to overcome, adaptations and adjustments made on the fly, and achieving hard-won goals.

Unfortunately, too many people relate accurate but bland descriptions of experiences when answering interview questions and leave out those elements which would have given the story more power and interest. For example, you shouldn’t shy away from talking about failures or setbacks in interviews (unless specifically asked to provide such an example). This reluctance deprives you of opportunities to describe instances of resilience, and of lessons learned the hard way. This is of course not to say that every interview question will lend itself to a response full of drama—sometimes the simplest answer is the best one to give.