Career counselors are available in the CSC to conduct practice interviews year round.

• Call 334-5454 to schedule a practice interview.
• At least 24 hours before your appointment, provide the career counselor with your resume and a description of the graduate/professional school and program you would like to use as your interview model.
• Prepare as you would for an actual interview. Practice typical interview questions (below).
• Research the organization/school with which you will be “interviewing” and bring along a list of questions (below) you would ask the interviewer.
• Dressas if you were actually interviewing (this usually means a suit!).
• Don't forget to arrive a little early as you would for a real interview and bring an extra copy of your resume.

• Tell me about yourself.
• Why are you interested in this field? This program?
• What do you know about our program?
• What was your GPA?  Does it accurately reflect your capabilities?  Why/Why not?
• What are your greatest strengths?
• What are weaknesses or areas for improvement?  How are you addressing them?
• What is your greatest accomplishment?
• What are your long/short-term career goals?
• Why did you choose your major/undergraduate college?
• If you are not accepted into graduate school, what are your plans?
• How do you handle stress?  What do you do for relaxation?
• How do you intend to finance your education?
• How would your professors describe you?
• Tell me about the most challenging project you worked on as an undergraduate.

Ask questions to learn about the program and see if it is the right one for you.  Also, you should ask intelligent questions that impress your interviewer and reflect that you have already done some research regarding the program.

Sample questions:

• What are the primary characteristics that distinguish this program from its competitors?
• Are experiential opportunities such as internships part of the program?
• Where are recent graduates employed?
• What types of financial aid are available?  Are assistantships available?
• Do most students publish an article or present at a conference before graduation?
• What characteristics or experiences are most important for gaining acceptance to this program?
• What are the expectations regarding research in this program?
• How long do most students take to graduate from the program?