Preparing for Your Interview
| Know Your Audience | Do Your Research | Value Your Worth |
| Connect your academic background, life, and experience to relate to the role. | Explore the organization’s goals, expectations, and vision. | Acknowledge that receiving an interview means your experience is valued and the organization is eager to learn more about you. |
| Highlight your qualifications and how they align with the job requirements. | Visit the organization’s website to gather information relevant to the position. | Recognize the potential value your background and experience can bring to their team. |
| Emphasize your uniqueness and how it matches with the opportunity. | Use this research to tailor your conversations during the interview. |
During Your Interview
| Use the STAR Method | Demonstrate Non-Verbal Behaviors | Ask Clarifying Questions |
| This technique provides a framework for your stories and shows how you have handled past situations. This acronym stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result. | Smile, make eye contact, and maintain a good posture to demonstrate an attentive attitude. Minimize distracting behaviors, such as fidgeting or overuse of filler words such as “um,” “like,” and “you know.” | An interview is a two-way street that allows you to learn more about the company. A good way to retain information is to take notes during your interview. |
| This can also provide insight into what attitude you can provide in a workplace environment. |
After Your Interview
| Follow Up With the Employer | Understand the Offer |
| A follow-up thank you letter or email is a professional way to show your gratitude for the potential employer’s time. | Understanding a job offer is an important part of the process. |
| This is a great way to express your interest in the positon, as well as use the notes form an interview to make the card personal to the interviewer. | Ask questions to clarify an employer’s offer before accepting it. |
| Respect timelines that are given by the employers before following up, unless there is a pending status with another job offer that has a deadline. |
Campus Jobs
Are you a student looking for a campus job? Or a Faculty / Staff member seeking a student worker?
Additional Resources
2024 Aggie Career Connections Aggie Blue Sponsors
Career Personality Testing
16Personalities
Free personality test, type descriptions, relationship and career advice
Career Events
Majors Fair
The Majors Fair is held early in the fall semester. This event is for any student who are interested in exploring majors and career opportunities within each major. Students can network with department faculty and staff. OPSU departments/major areas are invited to participate.
Aggie Connections
Aggie Connections is an event for area businesses, OPSU juniors and seniors. Juniors and seniors can network with area businesses, hand out their resume and make great connections. This event is held in the spring semester.
If you are interested in either of these events, please contact MaKenze Anderson at makenze.anderson@opsu.edu.
Aggie Career Connections
Contact
