On 11/30/21, Katy Ananian, Senior Account Manager, Randstad Sourceright & Clinical Coordinator, HRI, presented to the group on preparing for job interviews. Group members shared their difficulties around interview prep, including addressing the employment gap, explaining why you are looking for a new job.

The group members discussed various interview situations that they found challenging in the past and the possible alternatives to how the interview questions might have been answered. For example, instead of saying that “the company was going downhill,” reframing it as “my values did not align with the new direction the company was taking.”

To organize thoughts when answering behavioral questions, Katy suggests using a STAR method, which includes addressing the following in your answer: Situation (setting the scene and describing the context), Task (what is the purpose, what was the task in that situation), Action (what did you do), and Result (what was the outcome).

One of the group members asked the question about approaching group interviews for competitive interviews. Katy suggests considering that most of the people being interviewed for such positions probably have similar resumes and backgrounds, so it is important to express in the interview what sets you apart from your competition and what makes you unique.

Finally, Katy emphasizes that it is important to prepare questions for the interviews; otherwise, you might come across as not prepared or too preoccupied with presenting yourself in the best light rather than following the conversation. She also strongly suggests following up with the thank you letter after the interview.

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