How to Prepare for the Placement Interview?
10 Tips On How to Secure Your Placement And Have A Successful Interview
Preparing for a J-1 interview with the host company of your dreams might seem intimidating at first, but getting prepared and practicing in advance will definitely help you boost your confidence and perform better.
If you are a current student or graduate with less experience in interviewing, it’s important that you prepare answers to the most common interview questions. Some of these questions are often asked in interviews and practicing them will help you not only when interviewing, but also when you answer questions in other environments, such as at networking events, career fairs and others.
Besides the common interview questions, there are also situational and behavioral questions that have the purpose of understanding who you are, and how you think and act in real-world situations. Here is a great article that provides examples of such questions and answers.
Now that we established the types of questions you might receive during your J-1 internship or trainee placement interview, let’s look into some of the tips we recommend you do in order to have a successful interview:
1. Perform Research on the Host Company: Researching the company you’re applying to is one of the most important parts of getting prepared for the interview. You will feel prepared to answer questions related to the host company, but also give context and provide thoughtful answers to the questions. Don’t be shy and show the interviewer that you have done your research.
2. Talk About Your Previous Experiences: Talk about your previous work experience and provide information on the skills you acquired and things you’ve learned. Even if you are a current student or a recent graduate and you don’t have much experience in the field or you don’t have experience at all, talk about extracurricular activities or projects you’ve done. The host companies know that you are applying for a J-1 internship or trainee program and they are more interested to get to know you rather than focusing on work experiences. When getting asked behavioral or situational questions, you may take advantage and give examples of previous experiences and stories.
3. Tell Interviewer About Yourself: Try to not be shy and show your personality. The interviewer is trying to get to know you and see if you would fit the team. If asked or if you get the opportunity, talk about your passions and hobbies.
4. Keep a Positive Attitude: Try to avoid saying negative things about previous companies or peers. Your goal is to show that you are positive and confident.
5. Dress to Impress: The first impression is everything. Select business attire for an interview. If you look good, you feel good!
6. Be an Active Listener: Look the interviewer in the eyes or look into the camera, not the screen, if the interview is online. It can be confusing for the interviewer if you're looking away as it might mean that you are not interested in the discussion. Try to make eye contact as much as possible and listen carefully to the questions. Your answers will be so much better if you properly understand the question and provide clear responses.
7. Practice in Front of a Mirror & Use English: Practice answers to questions in front of a mirror and watch your body language. This will help you improve your posture and help you to see yourself from the eyes of the interviewer when answering questions. Rehearse before you go to the interview as you don’t want to practice when you are already “on stage” with the recruiter. Since you are applying for a J-1 internship or trainee program in the United States, your interview will be in English. Practice English with friends, teachers, coworkers or online, so you are able to express yourself clearly and communicate the message you want to transmit.
8. Check Everything Before the Interview: If the interview is online, check your equipment and make sure your microphone and camera are working and that they are positioned well. Also, create the right setting for your background and check your internet connection. Make sure that you have everything ready at least 15 minutes before the scheduled time for the interview and don’t forget to double-check the timezone.
9. Ask Questions If Asked: Most of the time, the interviewer will let you ask questions about the training or the host company. Prepare in advance a few questions and ask them when you get the opportunity.
10. Don’t Forget to Smile: Smiling is a very cultural American aspect and a friendly smile will tell the interviewer you are easy going and enthusiastic.
Ultimately, it is important you remember that sometimes even if you consider that an interview was successful, the interviewer might have a different perspective. Sometimes, the competition for the openings is high or the interviewer is looking for a candidate with a different profile. You must not be disappointed and continue to secure interviews with your ITN & Odyssey representative.
ITN & Odyssey will send you information on how to prepare for your J-1 internship or trainee placement interview just before the interview, but you can start the preparation in advance. If you have any questions about your interview, feel free to reply to your representative in order to clarify them.