STEMskiller: Skill Set Map for Mentors of Early Career Researchers

CAREER MANAGEMENT: Placement and job searching/seeking

[Non-academic positions]

Interview techniques for non-academic positions

Definition:

Actual interviewing techniques in the private sector vary across organizations and cultural boundaries, but general “rules of thumb” typically will prepare a candidate for any situation they may encounter. If a mentee has not conducted an interview before and institutional career services are unavailable, mentors or groups of peers may wish to practice in front of one another to improve interviewing skills.

Useful resources on Interview techniques for non-academic positions:

MIT Career Advising & Professional Development. (n.d.). Interviewing. https://capd.mit.edu/channels/interview/

Outlines steps for “acing” an interview: do research, practice, and plan ahead. Tips for online interviews and typical questions.

University of California Davis Internship and Career Center. (2020). Preparing for the Interview for Careers in Academia, https://icc.ucdavis.edu/mpp/academia/interviewing. Also: Potential Interview Questions for Positions in Academia, https://icc.ucdavis.edu/mpp/academia/interviewquestions

Preparing: Determining whether you fit, collegiality, links to additional resources.

Potential Questions: List of typical questions to prepare for in different areas (general, on teaching, on research).

University of Southern California Career Center. (n.d.). Interviewing & Follow-Up. https://careers.usc.edu/channels/prepare-for-an-interview/

Description of different types of interviews, preparation, typical questions, and writing thank-you notes (with an example).

Tags: CompQ

Peer Review: None

Table of contents:

3.4.1.2. Interview techniques for non-academic positions

 

Author: Stephanie Krueger

Peer Reviewer(s): None

Last Updated: June 30, 2022

 

Editor: Stephanie Krueger Last modified: 30.6. 2022 13:06