Talk to someone who regularly interviews candidates for entry-level jobs. Possible questions to ask include the following:
How long have you been interviewing for your organization? Does everyone on the management ladder at your company do some interviewing, or do people specialize in it?
Do you follow a set structure for interviews? What are some of the standard questions you ask?
What are you looking for? How important are (1) good grades, (2) leadership roles in extracurricular groups, or (3) relevant work experience? What advice would you give to someone who lacks one or more of these?
What are the things you see students do that create a poor impression? Think about the worst candidate you’ve interviewed. What did he or she do (or not do) to create such a negative impression?
What are the things that make a good impression? Recall the best student you’ve ever interviewed. Why did he or she impress you so much?
How does your employer evaluate and reward your success as an interviewer?
What advice would you have for someone who still has a year or so before the job hunt begins?
As your instructor directs,
a. Summarize your findings in a memo to your instructor.
b. Report your findings orally to the class.
c. Join with a small group of students to write a group report describing the results of your survey.
d. Write to the interviewer thanking him or her for taking the time to talk to you.