Are you an ECU student preparing for a crucial job, internship, or graduate school interview? East Carolina University’s Career Services offers a comprehensive career services interview stream designed to help you hone your interview skills and boost your confidence. Practice makes perfect, and Career Services provides various avenues for you to refine your technique, ensuring you are interview-ready for any opportunity. Whether you prefer face-to-face interaction or the flexibility of virtual platforms, ECU has you covered.
Diverse Interview Practice Formats at ECU
ECU Career Services understands that interviews come in different formats. To prepare you for any scenario, they offer practice sessions in various modalities:
In-Person Interview Practice
Experience the traditional interview setting with in-person practice. During these sessions, you’ll engage with a Career Counselor or experienced volunteer who will simulate a real interview. They will pose standard interview questions, guiding you to understand the underlying intent behind each question. Feedback will be provided on the substance of your answers, your delivery, and your non-verbal communication cues – crucial elements for making a strong impression.
Telephone Interview Practice
Telephone interviews present a unique challenge as you lack visual cues. ECU Career Services offers dedicated telephone interview practice to help you master this format. A Career Counselor or volunteer will work with you to sharpen your listening and speaking skills, develop strategies to articulate clearly and concisely over the phone, and maintain engagement without relying on body language.
Video-Conference Interview Practice
In today’s digital age, video-conference interviews via platforms like Skype or Google Hangouts are increasingly common, especially for initial screenings. These virtual settings come with their own set of nuances. Career Services provides video-conference interview practice to familiarize you with the technology and etiquette involved. You’ll learn how to present yourself effectively on camera, manage technical aspects, and maintain a professional demeanor in a virtual environment.
Virtual Interview Practice with Interviewing.com
For self-paced and in-depth practice, ECU Career Services utilizes Interviewing.com software. This virtual interview stream allows you to record yourself answering pre-recorded interview questions. You can choose from pre-designed interview scenarios or customize your practice session using a vast database of over 7000 questions. Interviewing.com provides an initial assessment of your performance, and you can further benefit by scheduling a follow-up appointment with a career counselor to review your recorded interview together and gain personalized feedback.
Preparing for Your Career Services Interview Stream Practice
To make the most of your practice interview session with ECU Career Services, some preparation is key:
Select a Relevant Job Posting
Prior to your practice interview, you should research job and internship databases, such as Handshake, and choose an entry-level position in your field of interest. This will serve as the basis for your practice interview questions, making the experience relevant and targeted to your career goals.
Dress Professionally
Just as in a real interview, professional attire is essential for all practice sessions, including in-person, video-conferencing, phone, and Interviewing.com practices. Dressing in a suit or professional business attire helps you get into the right mindset and reinforces professional habits.
Plan for Parking
If you are attending an in-person practice interview at the main Career Services office, be aware that student parking is not available directly at the location. Allow ample travel time to find parking and arrive punctually for your appointment.
Ready to take your interview skills to the next level? Schedule your career services interview stream practice session today! Login to Handshake and navigate to “Appointments” under the Career Center link on the homepage to book your session.
