The Career Development Center and the Office of Alumni and Parent Relations are pleased to present current, matriculated Binghamton students the opportunity to practice their telephone interviewing skills with Binghamton Alumni! This is an excellent way to sharpen your interview skills and gain confidence for your “real” interviews. In addition, this offers a great opportunity to begin networking with professionals who have a connection to you – Binghamton!
Alumni have graciously offered their time, expertise and energy to assist you. Therefore we have high expectations of student participants. Practice interview applications must be approved by CDC staff before alumni contact information will be shared. In addition to having your job search documents reviewed by others, be critical of your own work. Look at your resume and cover letter, put yourself in the employer’s shoes and ask, “Would I want to interview this person?”
Before Applying for a Practice Interview, Upload these four documents into your eRecruiting account:
Access your account, click the “Documents” tab, and select “upload a document”:
1) An updated, top-notch resume. For assistance in creating this document:
2) A position listing for a job or internship for which you would like practice interviewing. Please find an actual position- DO NOT CREATE ONE OF YOUR OWN!
To apply for an alumni phone practice interview:
Once your application has been submitted:
Alumni Practice Phone Interview Process (164.5 kb ppt)
Contacting your Interviewer
Conducting a phone interview
While there are some subtle differences in how a phone interview is conducted compared to an in-person interview, the basic concept remains the same; the interviewer wants to understand how you and your particular skills and talents will fit in with the needs of his/her organization. While the mock interview is a vehicle for you to practice your interviewing skills, you should still approach the experience seriously and be sure you have prepared to answer questions articulately and effectively. The Career Development Center has a number of resources that can assist you in preparing for an interview and we highly recommend utilizing all these resources prior to your practice interview:
Phone interviews can pose a challenge because there is no opportunity for either you or the interviewer to make use of the visual cues non-verbal communication provides. Much of what we typically communicate to others is through our body language and facial expressions. When conducting a phone interview we must rely exclusively on tone of voice and actual verbal messages. For more tips and information on conducting a phone interview, please read:
The interview itself should last between 20-30 minutes, after which feedback will be provided by the interviewer. The interview may include general questions (i.e. “tell me about yourself”), specific questions (i.e. “what would you consider two of your greatest strengths?”), or behavioral (i.e. “tell me about a time when . . . “). You will be rated on your ability to answer these questions effectively and articulately. Remember to speak slowly and provide examples in your answers. The interviewers will use the following form to evaluate you. We recommend printing this form so that you may make notes during the feedback portion of your mock interview:
After the Practice Interview
Following your interview you are expected to send a thank-you to the interviewer. This may be done by email or regular mail. This is a standard courtesy during any interview or networking situation and is an important step in your interview process. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP! The How to Write a Cover Letter Quick Reference Guide includes a sample thank-you:
