The Alumni Speak

What’s the best interview you ever had?

One in which I had “chemistry” with the interviewer. We had a lot in common and the conversation was easy. Note: there is not much the interviewee can do about this one besides look for common interests.
The best interviews I ever had have been characterized by a comfortable conversation between the interviewer and me (just like talking to a friend or professor).
Interviews where I took the pressure off. {Interviews when you have an offer from another company are the easiest 🙂 } When I could have a conversation and speak the language of the interviewer.
What I remember from my best interview ever was just being completely relaxed and using every opportunity available to inject a little humor into the interview. At the end of the interview the hiring manager said that I did a wonderful job and that he knew I was capable of doing the work – because of the rigorous NCSU ChE curriculum – and that he just wanted an engineer with a personality.
Being so excited and so passionate about the company and the position was probably the best thing that I did during my interviews at school.
The best interview I ever had was one of the interviews I had to actually get the job I am in now. I had a really great chemistry with the interviewer, and I focused on my experience and why I would be great for the job but I was also able to make the guy interviewing me laugh and we had a 5 min conversation off topic of the interview. Since I have become an interviewer, likability of the candidates is really high on my list, experience and education is the most important but don’t underestimate the like-ability factor – I don’t ever recommend anyone for hire that I really don’t feel will fit in with the group on an experience/education factor or a likability/personality factor.

What’s the worst interview you ever had?

The worst interview I had was the behavioral type, “What would you do if this or that.” The interviewer was not personable at all and seemed to be in a hurry to get out of there. If you notice this, be as straight to the point as possible.
A worst interview doesn’t stick out in my mind. What does stick out is a brief conversation that I had with Babcock and Wilcox at a career fair. I was trying to strike up a conversation about the company, but apparently all my research was on Babcock and Wilcox Technologies – same name but a different company. I finally had to walk away with my tail between my legs.
This particular company, in order to save time, brought the candidates interviewing for one position in together. We took a plant tour together and had lunch together. It made for a very awkward day. If this were to happen, you should definitely be prepared to stand out in a positive way.
The worst has been one in where my interviewer did not read my resume before hand, and he spent more time reading through it than asking questions. He even said bad comments about my GPA and how I was not qualified for the job because of that.
When I really didn’t want the job. Don’t interview with companies that you know you don’t want to work for or if they are in places where you don’t want to be.
I interviewed for a co-op position with what was then called Mitubishi Films in Spartanburg, SC, after my freshman year at State. It was an awful interview; I was absolutely NOT qualified to be working in engineering at that point. They never should have brought me in, but the tech boom was on (1999) and companies were hard-pressed to find bodies. My advice from that situation would simply be that if you think you might be too inexperienced or the position is out of your league, don’t interview. It was a terrible experience, because everyone in the room knew I wasn’t qualified.
It was the middle of summer and I had no a/c in my car. When I arrived for the interview I was soaked in sweat and it never stopped pouring. There was nothing I could do to appear relaxed and in control. It was a horrible experience.
The worst interview was then I did not show interest at all in the job and just sat there kind of quiet answering questions from the interviewer.
The worst interview I’ve ever had was when I was asked an extremely hard technical question and said “I don’t know”. I should have told them how I would go about finding out.
Intel interview that involved demonstrating my understanding of a high-school level chemistry example (aka the car-battery). I had triple integrals and mass flow balances on the brain – not car batteries. Companies have all sorts of neat but annoying ways of determining what kind of person you are, how you solve problems, and how you will function in the workplace. Lots of companies “screen” candidates in droves with off-the-wall questions and goad you on by saying “there is no right or wrong answer.” My only words of advice are be creative and don’t second guess your answer or exude a lot of misgivings about your answer – put it out there “right or wrong” and roll into the next question.
The worst interview I ever had was also to get the job that I currently have. This guy grilled me from the get-go on Chem-E facts and principles. It was very stressful. How did I get through it – well I answered the questions I knew, explained the principles about the questions I may not have known exactly and asked for one of his reference books in his office to show him how I would get the information I didn’t know from memory. Later after I was hired the same person pulled me aside and said that I was the first person to actually ask for his reference book and that is a major reason he recommended me for hire. His entire purpose for that type of interview is to gage your knowledge yes – but to also see how you respond to stressful situations, and how you think on your feet. He never expected me to know every single answer – he wanted to see how I responded to the questions. ! Thinking out of the box can help in interviews.

How important is it to research the company in advance? What type of information should be obtained?

Researching the company ahead of time is the most important thing you can do to prepare for the interview. Websites are great. The best way is to create a relationship with an alumnus who works at your target company. Do this well ahead of time and with no pressure for a job, etc. This is the best way to get info on the real side of the company. You get to be the interviewer. It’s the hardest way, but the best. The person doesn’t have to be the CEO. They won’t always be able to do more than give you info, but sometimes it can be the difference in getting an interview and not.

It is very important to research the company AND the position. Use information that you can gather to tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight experiences that will be beneficial to the company for said position. Types of ‘hard’ information includes job duties, market that the company is in (chemical processing, food processing, consulting, research etc.). ‘Soft’ information could include any information that will give you an insight into the company ‘attitude’ or ‘style’. You can use ‘soft’ information to help determine the most appealing way to layout your resume and how/what to write in the cover letter. The same info can be used to help get an insight into your appearance and questions on interview day. Loads of ‘soft’ information can be found by looking at websites (don’t just look at content, look at layout).
You MUST know all you possibly can about the company, and know something about their process if possible. I don’t expect people to know everything about my company, but it makes it much easier if they have some idea of what it is we do and how we do it. Don’t ever go into an interview blind — it will show.
Be sure to know at least a little about the background technical/scientific knowledge used by a company. A GPA only says so much about how much you know, but being able to use their language will help you ask intelligent, non-generic questions, which will demonstrate some understanding of their field. Or, if not that, then at least it will save you from instantly glazing over when they start getting technical.
At the end of your interview they ask if you have any questions, and this is a great opportunity to ask questions about the company — it shows you are interested and have done some research to learn about the company. If possible, learn what the company makes, or if they make parts that go to something else – know what products they help support, any details about the company’s products really help out in an interview to make sure there aren’t any awkward silences where you have nothing to say or ask.
It is important to know basic information about the company such as some of the products they make and maybe even their general corporate philosophy. It is helpful to be very familiar with the job description of the job you are applying for. This helps you ask questions of the interviewer, which is viewed positively.
You could use your research to prepare a list of questions about the company’s vision and culture, promotion policies, benefits packages, and history (if you really want to impress).
The company I work for right now is rumored to be for sale. Supposedly, two different Indian companies have made bids to purchase all our US manufacturing plants. We recently interviewed for two technology-transfer engineer positions (similar to process-development work.) None of the candidates we spoke with seemed to be familiar with the buy-out rumors, and none of us who were interviewing them would ever bring that up during an interview. The best/quickest place to find out stuff like that? Finance.yahoo.com – check the company profile, stock prices, current news stories, and the message board. This will take about 15 minutes at most.
Need to go to the press releases section on the company’s website to know the latest news of the company. Also good to know the CEO’s name and where the company operates and their major or most successful product.
At least know what type of business they’re in and who their main customers are. If you’ll be working within a large company or corporation, find out who your group’s customer is (internal or external). You should find out about their benefits even though you should probably save those questions until a second interview or after an offer comes.
Look for basic information about the most recent technology breakthroughs in that industry. Know enough to ask questions, but do not try to tell the interviewer facts about the company that you pulled off of their webpage, they already know that.
One of the better sites I came across recently was www.vault.com. It contains a lot of information about interview techniques, corporate culture, and starting salaries for individual companies. Most of the postings from that site are provided by current employees, so you can get a better idea how day-to-day life is like working for a firm. A lot of the content requires a small subscription fee, but the NCSU career center may have free access to the site. Otherwise for general interview prep, most company websites offer a lot of useful information to a potential applicant, things like the focus of the industry, types of positions available, locations of offices, international opportunities, etc. Putting these things together can give you a feel of whether or not a particular company fits your goals and what you want out of your working life.

What types of interviews have you encountered?

I have found that you get one of two interviewers. First, the person who was told at the last minute to interview you and is only reading standard questions given to them by the HR representative. (Most of these questions are the standard ones you find on the internet) Second, the seasoned interviewer who gets all the information they need by asking questions about yourself and your life experiences. They make you feel comfortable, but never ask a question where a “canned” answer would work.
Situational analysis seems to be the most popular. “Tell me about a time when…” This is sometimes called the STAR method: they ask you about a Situation, then about the Task or Action that followed, and finally about the Results.
I have been through the interviews with both Human Resources (the worst in my viewpoint) and engineers which obviously is a bit easier for most of us. The human resources type interviews seem to ask questions straight from some handbook and don’t know a whole lot about the technical job, they are simply there to profile you.
Behavioral interviews are the most common. One firm I interviewed with called their interviews “riding in a car.” The test was, can I ride in a car with this person to another plant or a conference and not hate him?
Case interviews are also out there. I had these types of interviews with McKinsey & Co., Accenture, and PWC. People interviewing at consulting firms should seek practice on this type of interview.
Exams. Sometimes firms will give you an intelligence or aptitude exam. Don’t sweat it.
Another type is the anti-interview. These are the interviews where the primary focus is on the questions you have about the company. This typically means the company wants to base its decision on resumes and candidates who know and are interested in the company.
All of my interviews have been based on my previous job experiences (co-op and internship) and been individual interviews with various people that I would potentially work for.
All of my interviews were informal discussions indirectly trying to feel me out rather than trying to get an understanding of me through pointed questions. From my experience, by being invited to an interview, they had already determined that I was “smart” enough for the position, but, even in the cloistered world of academic labs, being “smart” enough isn’t everything; being able to demonstrate that you can work with others by listening and communicating effectively are the real keys to a successful interview.
I had interviews in where I only had 1 person up to roughly 10 (that one was exciting). On a one to one interview, just focus on your strengths and try to answer the interviewer’s questions. Try to don’t avoid them. If you cannot directly answer them, do it indirectly. When there are multiple interviewers, I think that they try to look for self-confidence and the way you handle yourself in front of a group of people.
I’ve had interviews that consisted of traditional, one-on-one meetings all day long. The company I work for always does team interviews, where the whole department or team that a candidate would be working for interviews the candidate at once. At my company, the team interview tends to have more weight than managerial interviews.
All of the interviews that I have encountered have been basically the same; the only difference has been how many technical layers the interviewers want to peel back.
Behavioral (95%), technical, and “personal”. I consider a personal interview one where they simply have a conversation with you to see how you handle yourself and interact. I experienced this when I was interviewing for a sales position.
“Student rushes” are a popular way of bringing in lots of candidates to be screened all at once. At rushes, don’t act like a jerk to the other students or act like a shoe-in during the rush. It just an interview rush, not Survivor. Also be attentive and understand that despite being surrounded by 20-40 college students it’s not a frat party – it’s an interview that needs to be taken seriously and be concerned with how you do (not how everybody else does). Party after the interviews. 

What question were you invariably asked on every interview?

The most common was probably the open-ended, “So tell me about yourself..” This one was actually my favorite because it offers you the chance to subtlely sell yourself and steer the direction of the interviewer’s follow-up questions.
What can we tell you about Firm X? — This is the most important question typically because it reveals where your interests and knowledge are.
Be prepared to explain everything on your resume. Nothing will be overlooked.
Each job listing will post a description of required skills and desired skills. Be able to explain, through specific examples, how you have those skills.
Same as above, be prepared to answer why you want this job and why you want to work for this company.
Be prepared to answer questions about yourself. Companies want to hire people who not only can do the work, but fit into their company culture. Let them know you have a personality. Plus, you won’t be happy at a company that you don’t fit in either.
“Tell me about a time when you had to work with someone you didn’t get along with.” You can tell a lot about a person by how they handle personal conflict. (CHE 330/331 are EXCELLENT references to use in answering this question)
What are you hoping to do for yourself by working here?
Companies want to hire people who really want to work for them. They spend a lot of money in recruiting and relocating people. They do not want to hire people who will leave them in two years. In all of my interviews I have been asked what I know about the job and the company, and why I want to work for them. You need to be prepared to answer these questions with specific knowledge of the company and the position. Company “Core Values” and “Mission Plans” are always a good start, but even a recent news publication of a company success shows you have done your homework.
Are you willing to relocate? What can you bring to us?
Name a time when you were given a seemingly impossible problem. How did you solve it?
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Interviewers always ask questions such as “Tell me about a time where you were working in a group and you didn’t get along with someone.” Or “Tell me about a time when you had to be a leader, even if you weren’t the ‘appointed’ leader.” Most of the questions are situational and they want to know about a specific time that something happened. It’s easy to prepare for this type of questions if you know to expect them. Think about your worst and best experiences in a group situation and try to remember the details so when you are asked you can have a thorough, but concise answer. NEVER EVER talk bad about a person, professor, etc….even if the question asks you to talk about a negative experience.
Interviewers will also ask you about your grades if they aren’t 3.6ish or higher. They will ask you “what happened with Diff Eq?” Once again, don’t ever bad mouth the professor. The best explanation is that you had a difficult time understanding the material, and even though you repeatedly went for help, etc… you struggled. You want to show that you consistently tried hard even if you didn’t get the best grade.
Do you have any questions for me? – This is always the toughest question for me, but it helps to come up with a list of 5-10 questions before the interview, write them down and take them with you to the interview, so when this question is asked you have them already written down. This shows that you are interested enough in the company to take the time to research.
“How can you benefit the company?” I think they all asked me that because I allude to ‘benefiting the company’ in the objective statement of my resume. Maybe I should remove that statement so I can stop getting asked that question – I hate answering it.
Why should we hire you instead of the next person sitting out in the waiting room?
The one question that is always asked is when they ask you to describe how you work in teams. This question may have a few twists where they ask how you deal with conflict in teams or when do you take leadership roles. However, ultimately it comes back to how you handle working with others.
What are your strengths? What are you weaknesses? (On that one, try to give a positive answer like, I do not have a trait I consider a weakness, I just have certain traits that I am currently working to improve them like for example, XXX, YYY, etc.). On that question, the interviewers are trying to find how you overcome obstacles and your problem solving process. My favorite answer: “I like to look at the positive side of things. Anything negative in my life, I try to improve it or learn from it”.
Tell me a situation in where you had a problem with a co-worker, what happened, and how you solve it? Tricky question. Do not mention names, company name, etc, just mention the situation really broadly and answer it. A good thing to say is that you talked to the person and agreed to talk about those situations from now on, etc. Remember, this is an individual answer based on your ethics as a person. If you had not gone through a situation like that, just say it. If the interviewer keep asking for an example in a different way, just tell him/her that you had not gone through the situation but that you think that you will handle the situation like this……. because that is how you currently handle similar ones.
GPA. It is recommended to don’t list the GPA on your resume if it is below 3 or 3.5 (depending on who do you talk to). This is really important because sadly, a lot of companies focus themselves onto the candidate’s GPA without considering anything else. I never listed the GPA, but if the interviewer asked, I told him/her. Sometimes they will ask the reason of the low GPA and sometimes they will not. If they request more information, tell them. (On my situation, I said that I came from a foreign country, English was not my main language, etc) and before you finish, make sure to emphasize learning as one of your strengths.
I’ve always been asked about my strengths and weaknesses; example of a time I solved a problem; how I dealt with a problem with a peer. Those are the magic three for entry-level positions.
Any questions involving my co-op work – make sure you can explain what your work involved and potentially how it benefited the company.
Why did you choose chemical engineering as a major?

What is the strangest question you were ever asked on an interview?

If you could be an animal, what would you be?
What is your favorite guilty pleasure movie? — I said Shag{Law firm recruiting 2005}
“Tell me about something that you’ve done to help a friend out of the kindness of your heart”. Boy did that one catch me off guard. That answer was laden with so much BS I’m ashamed of myself.
I was asked at a recent interview “Why would a NCSU graduate with a 3.74 G.P.A. ever choose to work for the company I am currently employed with?” Apparently this company is well known throughout South Carolina.
Someone from Shell asked me what I would put in a brochure to invite tourists to North Carolina. I didn’t get called back for a 2nd interview, so I guess my answer was wrong 🙂
Anything proprietary to a previous employer. On something like that you need to tell that you have a confidentiality agreement between the company and you.
It’s a tie between “Name a time when you had to earn somebody’s trust, how did you do it and what makes you think you have their trust? What do you do to make sure you keep that trust?” and “Can you please explain Le Chatelier’s Principle”
I was asked to solve a (ridiculously vague) process problem that went something like “say you have a process that has always worked well, achieved a yield around 97%, and then you add some process control elements, which should have increased the precision of the process, and your yield drops down to around 90%. What would you do?” It was pretty awkward; I struggled with it for a while, and it seemed like the questioner just wanted to see me squirm and see how I reacted. There was no way he expected me to solve his process problem.
Describe of how you think future technologies will enhance or hinder our lives (a “no right or wrong answer” question from an oil company). Apparently the suggestion of alternative fuel sources for cars didn’t go over so well.
If you could take one book on a deserted island which would it be?

What about dress or appearance? Any no-no’s?

Men:

Dark suit {grey, grey pin stripes, blue, blue pin stripes, only}. Starched White shirts. {Rare exception for light blue} Strong tie {color is not that important, but nothing obnoxious, no NC State ties}. Black shoes. Always black shoes. Black socks {no patterns}.
No-nos: No light-colored suits. No seersucker suits. No sport coats. No casual shoes. No lapel pins.
Wear a suit, not a sportcoat and slacks. If the company says business casual, wear a sport coat and a collared shirt. This is the safe way to make sure you are in their business casual rule.
I am the wildest dresser ever and I follow these rules. I own 4 seersucker suits and 3 or 4 khakis. They never come out in the interview environment. You feel like you are wearing a uniform, but don’t worry about it. You feel like you are wearing the same thing all the time, but never fear — each company is seeing you for the first time. {NOTE: be mindful of what you wear to a first round interview so if you are called back for a second, you won’t wear the same thing}
Do not wear your earrings. Shave. No wrinkled clothes
Polish your dress shoes.
Short hair cuts are best. Ponytails, long or messy hair will send a negative message.
Always wear your jacket and tie and to only remove the blazer if asked to do so.
Be sure to understand the culture of the place you are interviewing. I showed up in slacks and a nice button down shirt at Rockefeller, and that was bordering on too formal. People that were interviewing me felt slightly uncomfortable because of the disparity between my level of dress and their jeans and t-shirts, and because relating to others at interviews is so important, this barrier might have hurt my interview.
Avoid suit and Birkenstocks or anything that screams I’m a slob or I don’t own any nice clothes.
Actually the biggest no-no I saw was from an interviewer from a well known chemicals company. He showed up for an on-campus interview with sunglasses, a Loony Tunes tie, and a wicked hangover–not exactly an impressive representative for his firm.
Look professional. You would think that this is a given but I have interviewed someone wearing a Hawaiian shirt and tennis shoes – I decided against him before we even got to the first question.

Women:

If you are interviewing for a job in a manufacturing area, don’t wear a skirt and don’t wear high heeled shoes. It makes area tours (with metal grating) very difficult.
I find a huge no-no is the excessive make-up or jewelry worn to an interview. It is a job interview, not a night out on the town. It is also very frustrating for a female to come in with a low cut top on under her business suit, or I have even come into females who don’t even wear a business suit and go for the skirt and sweater – I strongly suggest a suit for both males and females. Also, wear closed toe shoes for females, for purposes of a potential plant tour and they just don’t look professional.
Do not wear a skirt suit. It can give the impression that you are “too girly” to work in a plant environment and it is difficult to have a plant tour in a skirt, especially walking up stairs and sitting professionally in chairs. Do not wear high heels for a plant interview either. If you choose to wear heels, find wide chunky heels that will not fall through grating, etc. Go light on the jewelry and accessories because they can detract from your professional appearance.
I think women should never ever ever wear a sleeveless or otherwise revealing shirt.
Ladies, please make sure that if your button-up shirt gapes open, wear a camisole underneath, and make sure not to show too much skin, that seems to be a BIG problem with ladies still in college and many people comment negatively about it. This has been a growing trend that is getting a lot of attention lately.
Remember that from the time you are picked up from the airport to the time you are dropped off, you are being evaluated. Make sure that you are dressed in no less than business casual for dinner. I had someone come to dinner in jeans one night and it left a bad impression.

How should students prepare for a plant trip? Tips on traveling.

For a plant trip, you should definitely talk to the HR representative for any types of clothing requirement so that you can go on a plant tour during your interview. When traveling, try to travel light. If they take you out the night before for dinner, be sure to dress appropriately, not a business suit, but definitely business casual.
Travel light, but don’t skimp on your suit attire either. Carry your bags on with you. [I have known of people who had to interview in sweatpants because their luggage did not make it, but who needs that kind of stress?] Plan to wear comfortable shoes if you can. You will mostly likely walk around the plant and it might be dirty, hot, or smelly. Be flexible and make sure you have a contact with the people you are interviewing with incase you flight gets delayed, etc….
Research the area just as you do the company so that you can ask questions about the schools, health care, etc.
In one trip I had to do a 15 min. presentation on a technical project.
Be sure to wear clothes that travel well – ones that don’t wrinkle and probably something darker that won’t show stains and marks you might pick up along the way.
If you don’t know how already, learn how to iron so you can press your shirt or suit in the hotel room if needed.
Ask about PPE (personal protective equipment) requirements (usually steel toes, long pants and sleeves, hard-hats and earplugs are provided) and any plant restrictions (no cell phones, plastic products [paper mills], no lighters, matches, tobacco etc.). Be careful in the plant, don’t touch ANYTHING and be sure to stay with your guide.
Plants always have safety rules that govern dress code. If possible, ladies – stay away from open-toe or –heel shoes (it’s tough, I know) and remember that you may have to walk across a grate-floor while other employees are working on the floor down below. Pants are best. And remember you’ll be wearing a hard-hat.
When visiting a plant always ask a boatload of questions about the processes, about everything. Those guys love curiosity, they really eat it up.
Get to your destination early enough to scout out the plant, unless you are being picked up from the hotel. You don’t want to be late to the interview because you were lost. Never looks good. I had a manager tell me that my first test was finding the plant. He said they didn’t want to hire anyone who didn’t know how to get to work.
You should ask for details on the agenda. The HR department is a good resource for that. If you are a woman, as a rule of thumb, take a business pant suit and close toed shoes. No heels or open toed shoes because of safety issues.
If the company takes you to lunch or dinner, do not ask for alcoholic beverages or order something pricy. I know it is tempting, especially on a student budget, but do not do it. That is part of the interview, believe it or not! Keep good manners as well. Try not to discuss politics or religion during the meal conversation.
Take a plant trip with AIChE before you go on one for real. At least you will be familiar with things like ear plugs, anti-static equipment, hard hats, etc.
Get there early! Then you can relax in your car and look over resume, notes, etc.
Be prepared to get interviewed by a lot of people. I met all the people up the ladder and they remember you…just expect to have to sell yourself to those who run the company.
Make sure you get some coffee (or whatever it takes to keep you awake) before the interview — sitting down all day talking about yourself can be very boring.
Remember that your host/hostess (in the car, at meals, etc.) is also evaluating you during your site visit. You are always being interviewed, even if it’s a casual conversation.
Always fill out a travel expense report – just because you are a student doesn’t mean they can’t reimburse you for a couple of meals while traveling.

Should you specify a salary if asked?

Yes. Everyone has a price and you should know what your price is. Research what the industry average is for the specific area and your experience level. You don’t want to be underpaid, but you also don’t want to lose the job opportunity because you want more than they are willing to pay. Most companies will ask you your minimum salary requirement. Be prepared to answer that without hesitation.
I say yes. I don’t know of anyone who has gotten turned down for a job b/c they asked for too much money. But don’t ask for the world…It’s helpful to know what you’re worth and where. There is a website, www.salary.com that will tell you what you’re worth in different areas of the country. I do not know how accurate this is, but it might be a start.
Just know the range that an entry level ChE makes, most employers will be within that range with a few exceptions. Talk to anyone you can who is working now to get a good idea of salary ranges.
A good answer, which I learned from the Career Center at NCSU, was to say: Fair market, industry comparable or negotiable. If they insist, give them a range (you need to do research on that and come up with an average).
If asked, then you probably should. Research this before the interview and come up with a reasonable range based on comparable positions, living costs etc. I found it comforting to be able to justify WHY I had specified a given range. Be sure not to be accidentally aggressive here (unless you really want to).
No. Tell them you are looking for a place that fits your professional goals and interests that has a competitive salary. I doubt they will press after that. It is good to know the ranges for jobs in which you are looking.
I don’t think so. I would tell them if they made an offer it can be discussed at that time, but don’t specify a salary up front – especially if this is your first job where you have nothing to base it off of besides the statistics of the average engineering salary.
Only after a job offer is made.
I find that most companies already have a system in place for salary calculations and it is probably safer not to specify a number.

Any other general tips that might help?

Students must intern or co-op if they want to be competitive in today’s job market. There is a distinct difference in the quality of interview between those that have industry experience and those that do not. The ones that have worked in industry have so many more experiences to draw on and are much more comfortable interviewing. We will not even consider a student for a plant visit unless they have interned or co-oped unless there were extenuating circumstances. Students can not rely on their GPA, it is only a small indicator of performance; for our compnay it is a minor component in the decision making process.
Know your strengths as well as your weaknesses. Companies want to know what you have to offer, but they also want someone who is able to see their faults and work to better them. When you go on an interview you are truly trying to sell them something; yourself. Be prepared.
Do your research, especially in terms of the type of job you are interviewing for. If you know you’re interviewing for a job in a plant as a process improvement engineer you won’t be as likely to talk about how you love doing computer models and calculations.
If you interview with more than one group in a company and HR asks what group you like the best, don’t be afraid to pick one. The group you like is more likely to pick you if they know you like them!
Do not feel ashamed of saying: I do not think is appropriate for me to answer that question, or No.
Take your time to answer questions (just like in the beauty pageant contests!) It’s OK to take a few seconds to think about your response.
The first few minutes are critical. When you get to the room, try to find a comfort zone (wall, picture, etc.), pray before the interview, or just take deep breaths. During the interview, try to listen to what the interviewer(s) are saying, and answer accordingly. If you are thinking about your next question or worrying about your last answer, you may lose track of what they are saying.
Know your resume from top to bottom. Interviewers, if they did not read it beforehand, will scan your resume in 15 seconds.
It’s OK to smile and laugh (try to avoid belly laughs or hysterical giggles). Smiling will take the tension from your face.
When greeting, shake hands firmly (but not too hard) and look the person in the eyes. Do the same when you are leaving and say thank you.
Go on every interview possible, the more practice the better you become!
Attitude! If you came from NCSU you probably have a good technical background, but being able to work well with others and having a good attitude are key. Make sure that you do not give a negative or neutral attitude, keep it positive.
If you have any good (really good) examples of work, you may consider having them with you as resources in case the interview warrants (e.g. senior design project, undergraduate research paper, etc).
Consider reading/browsing some of the industrial publications, such as Chemical Engineering Magazine to get a grasp on the lingo etc.
Always carry a leather folio with you to interviews. Have a pen and some paper in it as well as an extra resume or two, just in case you meet someone new.
Get some business cards. This is helpful for networking and it is a professional thing to do. If you offer a business card, you can get their card in return. {Make sure you know the appropriate business card etiquette}
If you are interviewing for a business-focused position, brush up on buzz books. Such as: The World is Flat, Good to Great, Lexus and the Olive Tree, etc. Managers read these books. Don’t throw this out unless you really can talk about it, however. Even if you don’t talk about it in the interview, these books help understand where businesses are coming from.
Make sure you fully understand the position you are applying for – if you are unsure, ask lots of questions in the interview to learn what the expectations are for you and what the job functions include. If you wait until they give you an offer to ask about the job functions it will be too late, but during the interview it is expected for you to ask questions about the position.
Be yourself. Most of the time they know from your resume if you can do the job and have the right qualifications – they wouldn’t interview if you didn’t. They are more looking at your personality for purposes of being able to work with other group members or various groups at the company.
Try to have at least an internship on your resume that is useful. It is so hard to bring somebody in for an interview that is fresh out of college with no relevant internship experience. If you don’t have any and finding it hard to get a job before graduation, consider doing an internship after graduation. The company might see it as a trial period for the summer and they might make you an offer by the time the summer ends, or if not, it gives you something to build off of for future interviews.
Be confident, make eye contact, shake hands and smile after each interview. If you enjoyed the interview and really want the job, send hand written thank you letters (if your handwriting is legible). Remember that they are looking at personality and competence, so try to demonstrate both.
The only other advice that I would have to offer is when applying for a technical position and asked a technical question, completely inundate the interviewers with numbers and equations. Make them tell you to stop because they can’t take it anymore and they are starting to get dizzy. Other than that, have fun, it’s not that serious, it’s just a job, it doesn’t define who you are.
Remember to answer questions in a way to show your assertiveness in addressing and solving problems without seeming like a “my way is the best way” type. You want to show that you can work in groups and work alone. In a plant environment, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR AN ENGINEER IS TO BE ABLE TO GET ALONG WITH OTHER PEOPLE, EPECIALLY THE OPERATORS. The operators will make or break you, so the interviewers will be trying to address your ability to work with others. They will also try to asses your technical skills, but will most likely do it subtly. Most importantly, you want to show that you have learned the curriculum you have studied well, but you don’t want to come across as a know-it-all.
One of the ways to ensure a good interview is to have a good resume. Interviewers will ask you questions from it. Make sure you include job experience, even if it isn’t relevant to the job you are applying for, it still shows responsibility. Also include leadership, extra curricular activities, and hobbies. Not only will it give the interviewer a chance to ask you some questions, it will give you a chance to show them more of your qualities outside of the classroom.
Have certain examples that can be used to answer a few types of “tell me about a time when…” questions. I had a team example that I could use for leadership, problems among the teammates, and problems moving forward with the project. It helps to be able to use a few of the same stories, especially when you have 10+ interviews in one week!! Trust me, it will happen.
Career Fairs are important, make sure to go to the booths of the companies that you are interested in, the extra face time will help.
Don’t mention anything that you don’t wish to discuss in detail. You don’t want to get stuck in a topic that you don’t know very well or would represent you poorly.
2 interviews have gone very well for me and both were post-college permanent positions that I got (MIT Lincoln Laboratories and Micron Technology). What made the interviews great was that I was allowed to demonstrate more than what was on my resume by explaining to the interviewers concepts, projects, and answered there technical questions by using a dry erase board and marker. I found that concrete examples and exuding confidence in my ability to convey technical and non-technical info to an interviewer greatly helped my chances at the job. When an interviewer asks you to explain something on your resume or asks a technical question, don’t sit there and make hand gestures. If possible ask for a pen and paper or better yet say, “Can I show it to you on the dry-erase board?” Be thorough, informative, interested in what you are explaining, and remember to explain it to the interviewer in a manner that anyone can understand.
Pay attention to your interviewers – they are usually the people you will work with and if you don’t like how they carry themselves in an interview, salary is the last thing you need to worry about. Pay attention to how they view there job or whether they seem interested in what they do. I turned down a job in Raleigh because despite my potential boss raving about the position, the people in that position were less than enthusiastic about it and were looking to move on in the company.
Go beyond the career center. Post a resume on Monster or Hotjobs (I have gotten both of my positions off the internet and got phone screened by a guy in London!). Don’t be afraid to talk to headhunters. And check out the News and Observer Sunday jobs section – I know how night-vision equipment is manufactured from an ad I applied for in the N&O.
Perseverance pays off. The classes of 2002 and 2003 had terrible times finding jobs in a poor economy. It took me 24 interviews, 4 weeks on my parents’ couch after graduation, and a week long stint at the local mall before I got my first post-college engineering job offer at MIT Lincoln Laboratories. My peers and I felt that we could potentially be the best person for each job we interviewed for (regardless of how good or bad the job was) and it drove us all crazy that we were denied at every opportunity. But we all found jobs in one form or another because we didn’t give up looking and interviewing.
The attitude you take with you to an interview is everything. I would always go in thinking that I had to EARN this job, I had to convince them I was great for this job. If you go in thinking you won’t get it that attitude will bring you down. If you come in thinking it is in the bag, you may not try hard enough in the interview. Go in with a positive/hard working attitude and try your best.
Be positive and present yourself like the best candidate, try to show something special about yourself that the interviewer will always remember about you. GPA’s and grades are important but your ability to convince and to come across like the perfect candidate can land you a good job. Think about what you want for your career. Always choose what is best for you and your family. The money will come later if you are happy and in the right place.

Acknowledgements: Thanks to our awesome CHE alumni Iris Alvarado-Santiago, Amanda, Burris Ashcraft, James Carnell, Kevin Caudle, Steven Clark, Amanda MacIntyre Clark, Carl Creel, Sarah Guttu, Dustin Herrmann, Ryan Kellogg, Natalie Killmon, Josh McCall, Brian Pridgen, Lucas Revellon, Neal Robbins, James Russell, Tracy Beavers Schoolcraft, and Thomas Williams for their contribution. They must have done something right – they got the job!