“Tell me about yourself.”

“Why should I hire you over all the hundreds of candidates applying for this position?”

Picture this: You’re about to graduate in a few years and then enter the workforce. You may not be sure how to answer tough interview questions, what career path you want to pursue, or what preparing for your future looks like now. Thinking of where you will be in 2-4 years is scary amid piles of assignments and fast-encroaching deadlines.

You’re not alone. This is the transitional period in life that every person faces. Our small community contains a diverse body of individuals, each with a unique set of talents, gifts, endeavors, background, etc. Some experience the pressure to meet family and/or cultural expectations to pursue a specific profession. Others fear not being able to pay off student loans or finding a financially stable job.

Whatever your year, major, and career path, the University is invested in its mission to educate you to serve Christ as a biblically-minded, well-educated, and professionally competent man or woman of character. As a viable extension of this mission, the Career Center seeks to help students and alumni serve Christ in their career calling. The department’s mission statement reads:

“The Career Center exists to coach, counsel, and partner with undergraduates, graduates, and alumni as they strive to pursue or advance their career calling in the church, society, and the world.”

Luckily, there is a wealth of valuable, and often unknown, treasures for you to utilize.  

Ideally, an interview Serves as an exchange of valuable information for both the potential employee and the employer, allowing both to learn from one another. Even more, it’s an opportunity for the potential candidate to earn the desired position and apply his/her skills and talents. Even if the candidate is not chosen for the position, he/she gains interviewing skills and could receive a referral to a different position that better suits his/her skill set.

Thanks to the School of Business and Cairn Enactus, students have a wonderful opportunity to practice their interviewing skills at the annual RIDE seminar with professionals from a variety of positions and professions. While I encourage you to consider attending this seminar, I also want you to be aware of the resources provided by the Career Center.

The Career Center offers a mock interview module via Career Explorer. It provides online practice interviews that can be taken in the comfort of your dorm at any time you find convenient. In this module, you can select the interviewer, choose the number and type of questions you would like to answer, and record the interaction. Afterwards, you can watch yourself in this video interview and/or send the recorded URL to a professor, the Career Center Director, or a friend for a critique of your interview performance. Everyone can use the help available to build confidence and succeed.

• Written by Jennica Mandoza