What does it take to be successful in a recruiting interview?

The CWSGuest Blog / Jobs / Recruiting

HoLum Kwok ’13, a CWS intern on the CWS recruiting team, has put together information she learned recently while reading an article in the New York Times on recruiting and interviewing. 

Take a look at what HoLum discovered below:

While I was reading the New York Times online, I spotted an article by Tom Szaky, the chief executive of TerraCycle, a company that recycles hard-to-recycle wastes. In this article, he talks about the qualities that he looks for when hiring people for TerraCycle. Some of his information was less applicable to those who are interviewing for entry-level positions, but he made three points that are true for all undergraduate recruiting. I have highlighted them here:

  1. Make sure you know why you want the job. This is when the self-reflection comes in handy. They will surely ask you this question in any interview. Definitely think long and hard about the why, and make sure that your answer is unique to your past experiences, skills, personality, and goals in life. Hint: do not say it’s because you want to be rich.
  2. Think about how you would respond to more difficult questions. ex. “what is your biggest mistake?” or “what is your biggest weakness”. Make sure that you always end on a positive note. For example, you can tell them honestly what your biggest mistake was, but make sure you found some way to fix it in the end. Similarly, make sure that you tell them about a weakness that you have already overcome. Hint: do not say your biggest mistake is that you are a “perfectionist,” this answer can and will likely activate the interviewer’s gag reflex.
  3. Answer every (appropriate) question. The more ridiculous the question is, the more room you have to play with the answer. Be creative, think outside the box, but most importantly: Structure your answer. Make sure to state plainly and clearly your assumptions, and how you came to your conclusion. They want to know how you think, and also how you hold under pressure. Do. Not. Ramble. Bottom line: you can qualify your answer by saying that you don’t have much expertise in the field, but never, ever say “I don’t know.”
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