Career & Tools

At an “Interviewing Skills” workshop at UCSB's Career Services Center, Career Counselor Molly Steen explained the “three P’s” of job interviews: Preparation, Practice, and Presentation. You might even say there are five P’s, as Steen repeated the mantra: “Practice! Practice! Practice!”

By Patricia Marroquin, Graduate Division Communications Director
Wednesday, May 30th, 2012 - 2:53pm


Grad student job applicants, are you ready to board that elevator, make your pitch, and take the stage? At an "Interviewing Skills" workshop at UCSB's Career Services Center, Career Counselor Molly Steen explained the "three P's" of job interviews to the nearly 30 attendees: Preparation, Practice, and Presentation. You might even say there are five P's, as Steen repeated the mantra: "Practice! Practice! Practice!"

Steen said it is important to present your "professional personality" to potential employers. One of the ways this is done is via an "elevator pitch." No, you won't be interviewing for a job while riding up 20 floors to the penthouse office suite. An elevator pitch is a clear, succinct 30- to 60-second message that describes who you are as a professional. This pitch, she said, is often an excellent response to what is often a first interview question: Tell me about yourself.

Steen compared the interview process to performance art. You must be able to tell stories about yourself to your interviewer "audience" that articulate your strengths and abilities. "Telling stories," however, doesn't mean making up things or stretching the truth. Steen urges honesty in all answers to interview questions, on applications, and in resumes.

Molly Steen leads an 'Interviewing Skills' workshop. Credit: Patricia MarroquinPreparation includes taking the time to develop a number of these personal stories that you will be ready to share about your skills, strengths, and accomplishments. It is also crucial, Steen said, to research and study the company, its products and/or services, and its culture. You are bound to impress employers by your knowledge of the company in your interview responses. Knowledge is power, Steen stressed. The end of the interview is generally your chance to ask questions of your interviewers. Prepare several questions beforehand, including what the next step will be in the hiring process.

Practice comes into play because interviewing is not spontaneous, Steen said. You control the information. If you want to be a shining "star" among job applicants, Steen suggests employing the "STAR" method to help develop and deliver your responses to interview questions. STAR is an acronym for Situation, Task, Action, and Result. If, for example, you are asked to talk about the most challenging team experience you have had, briefly tell your story about the Situation or Task you confronted, the Actions you took, and the successful Results you achieved.

As part of your presentation, you need to look the part of a professional: dressing in clean, pressed business attire and covering tattoos; and bringing along a nice pen and a pad folio containing extra resumes and reference lists. It is never acceptable to be late to an interview.

Within 24 hours of your interview, send brief thank you notes to each person who interviewed you. The notes can be either handwritten or by email, whichever seems most appropriate. This is your chance to get your name out in front of the interviewers one last time.

Recruiters who come to UCSB tell Career Services staff that a couple of the main reasons some students are not hired are: a lack of research about the employer, and an inability to articulate short-term career goals.

What are the top 10 mistakes interviewees make? Steen said they are: being unprepared; lack of interest; inappropriate attire; lack of knowledge of what is on your resume; poor body language; lack of punctuality; unprofessionalism; rambling answers; use of cellphones; and poor listening.

Steen told the students that it isn't always the most qualified person who gets the job, but rather the person who fits into the organization the best. So if you can show the employer how your skills, abilities, and personality traits are a good match, you will have an advantage.