Interviews
Preparing for your interview
Congratulations! You have been invited to interview for a job you applied to.
Preparing for a job interview
Preparing for a job interview can include:
Requesting accommodations
If you request accommodations for your interview, you should do so as soon as you receive notice that the employer wants to interview you. See the section on ‘interview accommodations’ below for more information on how to do this.
Researching the company
Spend some time looking at the company’s website, LinkedIn page, and more. In your interview, communicate why you are interested in this specific role at this particular company. Doing so will help you stand out from other candidates.
Reviewing the job description
Make sure you have a firm understanding of the job duties for the role and be prepared to demonstrate how your skills and experience have prepared you for that work.
Preparing your elevator pitch
An elevator pitch is a quick summary (60 seconds or less) of your professional self and can be an efficient way to answer a question like “Tell me about yourself.” In an elevator pitch, you (1) introduce yourself, (2) list your industry experience, (3) state your professional goal, and (4) express your specific interest in this position/company.
- Example: “Hi, my name is Alex. I’m a finance professional from New Orleans, Louisiana. It’s very nice to meet you all. I graduated from Tulane University with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics in 2023 and recently completed an internship at a private equity firm. I’m currently looking for an entry-level position that aligns with my ultimate goal of managing hedge funds. After researching [Insert company name] and the [Insert job title] position, I believe this opportunity aligns with my interests, skills, and professional goals.”
Bringing 3-5 questions
Regardless of the interview type, your interviewer(s) will most likely give you some time to ask any questions you have.
Preparing your outfit
Dressing in business casual attire is a good standard to follow for most interviews (unless you work in a more formal industry)
Plan to arrive early
Arrive ten minutes early for an in-person interview and 2-3 minutes for a virtual one. Consider testing your mic and camera before the interview starts for virtual interviews.
Common interview types
There are a number of different types of interviews, including:
Screening call
A screening call may be the first step of the interview process you encounter. This is usually a phone or video call with one person. This may be the hiring manager at a smaller company, whereas at a large company, this will likely be a recruiter or someone from talent acquisition. The purpose of a screening call is to ensure you meet the necessary criteria to move further on in the application process.
| Tip: If you are being screened by a recruiter or someone in talent acquisition, they may not know the ins and outs of the role you’re applying for. They will know general information about the company, location, working environment (hybrid vs. remote vs. in-person), job benefits, salary range, etc., but may not know specifics about the role and work you will be doing. For this reason, we recommend keeping your questions more general during this interview (such as, “What is the salary range for this position?” or “What is the balance of remote vs. in-person time for this hybrid role?”). You can ask more specific questions (for example, “What would a typical day for someone in this role look like?”) if you are invited to another interview where the hiring manager is present. |
Traditional interview
A traditional interview is a longer interview usually conducted by the hiring manager and occasionally includes others (HR representatives, other colleagues the hire would be working closely with, etc.). In addition to questions about your technical skills and experience, behavioral interview questions are common in these interviews. These include questions like, “Why are you interested in this role?” and “Tell me about a time you…” style questions.
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Tip: The STAR method can be helpful in answering these types of behavioral interview questions. STAR stands for: S - Situation (set the scene, provide the who/what/when where) T - Task (describe your responsibility in that situation) A - Action (explain what steps you took to accomplish the task R - Result (share what outcomes your results achieved |
Technical interview
A technical interview is a longer interview in which you are given a task to complete or a problem to solve to demonstrate your technical skills. For some technical interviews, you are given the task ahead of time and can spend time working on it before the actual interview. Other times, you will be given the task and asked to complete it during the interview.
| Tip: Practice before a technical interview. Review the fundamentals, find industry-relevant challenges online, and time yourself to practice time management. |
| Tip: During the interview, ask questions beforehand to make sure you have a clear understanding of what you are being asked to do. Take a few minutes to think it through. Talk through your process out loud, and explain vocabulary and concepts, even if they seem simple. |
The number of interviews you can expect and the interview timeline will vary depending on your experience level and industry.
Interview tips
Think through a handful of projects and/or anecdotes ahead of time that you’d like to highlight during your interview. If you have a portfolio, you can bring it (or screen share if it’s a virtual interview) to demonstrate the project as you discuss it.
During the interview, ask for clarification as you need to.
It’s okay to take your time before answering a question. If you need a moment to think, have a phrase on hand like “That’s a great question. I need a moment to think about my answer,” and give yourself time to think through what you would like to say.
After the interview, it is good practice to send a thank you email (ideally within 24 hours). tfolio, you can bring it (or screen share if it’s a virtual interview) to demonstrate the project as you discuss it.
Follow up with the interviewer if you haven’t heard back in 1-2 weeks following the interview.
Interviews are an opportunity for an employer to see if you are a good fit for a job. It is also your opportunity to determine if it is a job, company, and team you want to be a part of. Ask questions, gather information, and if any red flags show up that indicate this employer is not the right fit for you, you get to decide whether or not to accept an offer if one is extended.
Interview accommodations
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, disabled job seekers and employees in the United States are entitled to reasonable accommodations that make working or applying for a job accessible to them.
For more information about workplace accommodations, see the Job Accommodation Network (JAN).
When it comes to the application and interview process, examples of accommodations folks might request include:
- Receiving application materials in alternative formats.
- Providing alternate ways of submitting applications if the online systems are not compatible with the assistive technology someone needs.
- Having an ASL interpreter present at an interview.
- Ensuring that an in-person interview takes place in a location that is wheelchair-accessible.
- Ensuring that virtual interviews take place on platforms where live closed captions can be enabled.
- Receiving interview questions ahead of time.
How to request interview accommodations
- Determine what accommodation you need.
- Once it is relevant (for example, requesting an accommodation for an interview once an interview is offered), inform the employer that you need a reasonable accommodation as soon as you can.
- Depending on the request and the hiring timeline, the employer may (1) approve the request, (2) ask you for documentation to verify that the accommodation is necessary, or (3) reject the request or not respond (if this is the case, contact JAN for further assistance)
- Depending on the request and the hiring timeline, the employer may (1) approve the request, (2) ask you for documentation to verify that the accommodation is necessary, or (3) reject the request or not respond (if this is the case, contact JAN for further assistance)
- (If necessary) Get a doctor’s note (from any health professional who has worked with you) verifying that the accommodation you are requesting is necessary, and submit it to the employer.
Privacy, disclosure, and your rights
Generally, employers cannot ask you any medical questions during the application process. The exception to this is verifying if an applicant needs an accommodation that they have requested. They can only use this information to verify that the accommodation is necessary and cannot take this information into consideration when making their hiring decisions.
Employers cannot refuse to consider you for a role because you need accommodations.
Sample language for requesting accommodations
Reaching out to the prospective employer
Hello (NAME),
I recently submitted an application for the (ROLE) position at (COMPANY). I am writing to request a reasonable accommodation related to a disability to support me in (THE HIRING PROCESS, MY UPCOMING INTERVIEW, ETC.).
The reasonable accommodation I am seeking is (NAME ACCOMMODATION).
Please let me know if you have any questions about my request. I can provide you with documentation of my disability if needed. I would appreciate a written response to this email. Thank you very much.
Sincerely, (NAME)
Reaching out to your doctor for documentation
Hello (NAME),
I am in the process of applying to a job at (COMPANY), and have requested reasonable accommodations from the company’s HR department to assist me in the hiring process.
The specific accommodation I have requested is (ACCOMMODATION). This accommodation would help make the hiring process accessible to me.
(COMPANY)’s HR department has responded to my request and let me know that they need verification that this accommodation is necessary in order for it to be approved. Would you be willing to write me a note for this purpose? I am also happy to schedule an appointment with you to discuss this further if needed.
Thank you for your time, and please let me know if you have any question.
Sincerely, (NAME)
We offer these tips and more in our Job Search Guide,
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