Interview With Confidence
A well written resume and cover letter is your gateway to a job interview. Just like you need to craft a well written resume, you should practice basic interview questions. Most interviewers will draw at least some questions from a general pool of questions. Take some time and practice your answers with family and friends. Practice weaving your study abroad experience into your answers.
Types of interview questions
Introduction and background
These are designed to get you engaged in a conversation with an employer, as well as give a sense of your personality and overall character. They may ask: what are your strengths and weaknesses? What are your career goals? Tell me about yourself.
Behavioral
The employer wants to see how you react to certain situations. They may ask: tell me about a challenging or difficult experience and how you handled it? Describe a situation when you had to make a quick decision.
Company culture
How will you be able to fit into the company's environment? Employers want to see how you will work with others. They may ask: what personal characteristics do you think are necessary to be a success in this position? What qualities should a successful manager, leader, or supervisor possess? What can you do for us that someone else cannot?
Job specific
You want to show the specific skills and abilities that will make you a good employee for the job you're applying for. They may ask: how would you describe your problem-solving ability? Have you ever been put on the spot by a professor or employer when you felt unsure of yourself?
Ethics
Employers want to see your personal code of ethics. In a growing global market, you need to show you understand, respect, and can work well with people with diverse backgrounds. They may ask: in what ways are your ethics in business different from your ethics in your personal life? What are the advantages of diversity in the workplace?
Interview tips
Always mention your study abroad experience! Use the reflection questions above to come up with stories that showcase the skills you gained abroad. Try using PAR (Problem, Action, Result) to present relevant stories during your interview.
Example 1: Talk about a goal you had and how you were able to achieve it.
"While in college, I minored in Spanish. Although I learned a lot in my Spanish courses, my goal was to become fluent in Spanish. I could write and read Spanish well, but my speaking abilities were only intermediate."
"I decided to study abroad for a year in San Sebastián, Spain. I was sure that being immersed in a Spanish speaking environment was what I needed to become a fluent speaker. I would be living with a Basque family and taking courses where only Spanish was spoken."
"After my year of studying abroad, I returned home able to communicate fluently in Spanish with not only my classmates, but also the with members of my community. As a result, I've gained more confidence in my speaking abilities."
Example 2: What has been your greatest accomplishment?
"One of my greatest accomplishments was my study abroad immersion experience in Viterbo, Italy. I was originally going to live abroad with other American students at first, but I wanted to learn more about the culture and integrate myself with the locals."
"I requested to live with local student who attended my university so that I could live and be surrounded by Italians. I also took advantage of intercambio (language exchanges) offered through my study abroad program and met with my intercambio weekly to practice my Italian and help him with his English."
"In this way, I not only gained better language skills, but also had a more authentic cultural experience, which improved my cross-cultural communication skills."
Additional career resources
Network with other alumni | Explore employment abroad | Update your resume and cover letter