re: Job Interview

I’ll admit, that’s been the area I’ve struggled with the most in interviews. I never thought of it as a determined factor. Moving forward, I’m definitely going to put more focus on improving in that area.

A lot of helpful tips. The OT never fails to come through!

Research the company beforehand, so you can ask specific questions

Show up 15 mins early

If they throw industry jargon at you, throw it back times two

Express willingness to learn, and leave them with the impression that you're going to help achieve their vision for the future

And when they ask if you have any questions for them, have two ready to go (nothing relating to pay or benefits)

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I’m graduating in December and currently interviewing for roles in the construction industry. I’d like to hear from those who conduct interviews or are involved in the hiring process about what makes a candidate stand out. Given how competitive this field is, any advice on how to differentiate myself during an interview would be greatly appreciated.

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Think of it like an FBI interview lol.

Actually, being interviewed means you have the skills or knowledge they are looking for.

Now its all about fit. Questions are designed to get you to talk but be careful offering too much.

For example, if lifting was a requirement. They can’t ask you if your back was ever hurt. But if they ask “can you lift 70 pounds unassisted”, you say yes or no. If you add “well, I tweaked my back recently but should be able to”, then you offered unasked info. And you won’t get hired.

Be early. Be confident. Take a few seconds before answering all questions. Be honest. They are getting to know you to see if you can work with their team.

I mostly agree with you, but there is also something to be said for explaining that you will listen to the old salts that have been doing the job longer than you’ve been alive.

15 minutes early is not enough, especially if the interview is anywhere close to rush hour. The last local project interview I went on, I got there 30 minutes ahead of time and sat in the parking garage until 20 minutes out. Went into the lobby, waited a few minutes, and then called the interviewer to come get me 10 minutes before schedule. Never, ever, ever, put yourself in a position to have to make an excuse.

Tell them you love waking up early and getting to work early and that you especially like working on the weekends. Your welcome

Have you done an internship, any manual labor? What have you done in the workforce?

Next, if and when you take a job, pad your resume, continue to get the education.

Take notes. Study the company that will be interviewing you.

When I interview college grads, I'm mostly looking for a good person with some social skills and a personality that fits the culture. Outside of the top 5% of the class and their rotational programs at huge companies, nobody expects a college grad to blow their socks off. Be genuine, professional and respectful. Mention any relevant work experience you have, demonstrate that you want to work.

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Look up STAR responses for job interview questions. Situation, task, action and result. Be prepared to answer some questions in this format

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Unfortunately this is the way

A lot of companies now focus on behavioral type interview questions so I saw the STAR technique referenced in an earlier reply. So the days of, what are your biggest strengths, where do you want to be in five years, etc are somewhat old school.

The questions you could possibly get are more along the lines of: tell me about a time that you had to deal with a difficult co-worker. The answer is not vague as in; that has happened before and I’ve just had to work through it or something similar to that. It has to be specific and that’s where the STAR technique comes in to play - a specific situation, the task, action that you put into place and then the result.

I would do an interview search for possible behavioral interview questions and then think about situations you’ve been through at work or in school that match those. My daughter just went through the same process as you as a recent college graduate and really did well in her interviews due to being dialed in on the STAR technique. She interviewed for two different sales jobs in Dallas and got offers for both.