Tell me about yourself? I am down-to-earth, sweet, smart, creative, industrious, and thorough. 2.

How has your experience prepared you for your career? Coursework: Aside from the discipline and engineering foundation learning that I have gained from my courses, I think the design projects, reports, and presentations have prepared me most for my career. Work Experience: Through internships, I have gained self-esteem, confidence, and problem-solving skills. I also refined my technical writing and learned to prepare professional documents for clients. Student Organizations: By working on multiple projects for different student organizations while keeping up my grades, I've built time management and efficiency skills. Additionally, I've developed leadership, communication, and teamwork abilities. Life Experience: In general, life has taught me determination and the importance of maintaining my ethical standards. 3. Describe the ideal job. Ideally, I would like to work in a fun, warm environment with individuals working independently towards team goals or individual goals. I am not concerned about minor elements, such as dress codes, cubicles, and the level of formality. Most important to me is an atmosphere that fosters attention to quality, honesty, and integrity. 4. What type of supervisor have you found to be the best? I have been fortunate enough to work under wonderful supervisors who have provided limited supervision, while answering thoughtful questions and guiding learning. In my experience, the best supervisors give positive feedback and tactful criticism. 5. What do you plan to be doing in five years' time? Taking the PE exam and serving in supervisory/leadership roles both at work and in professional/community organization(s). 6. What contributions could you make in this organization that would help you to stand out from other applicants?

In previous internships, my industriousness and ability to teach myself have been valuable assets to the company. My self-teaching abilities will minimize overhead costs, and my industriousness at targeting needs without prompting will set me apart from others. Additionally, one thing that has always set me apart from my scientific/engineering peers are my broad interests and strong writing abilities. I am not your typical "left-brained" engineer, and with my broad talents, I am likely to provide diverse viewpoints. 7. What sort of criteria are you using to decide the organization you will work for? Most importantly, I am looking for a company that values quality, ethics, and teamwork. I would like to work for a company that hires overachievers. 8. What made you choose your major? My academic interests are broad, so I sought civil engineering to achieve a great balance of mathematics, chemistry, biology, physics, and writing. 9. Have your university and major met your expectations? The College of Engineering at MSU has exceeded my expectations by providing group activities, career resources, individual attention, and professors with genuine interest in teaching. My major has met my expectations by about 90%. I would have enjoyed more choices in environmental courses, and would have preferred more calculus-based learning. 10. What made you choose this college? I chose this college for the following reasons: my budget limited me to in-state schools, I was seeking an area with dog-friendly apartments, the MSU web site impressed me, I saw active student groups, and the people were very friendly. 11. List 2-3 of your greatest achievements since you've been in college and why? Receiving the SWE Outstanding Member Award and College of Engineering Student Service Award I got involved with student activities to overcome my debilitating shyness. Receiving these awards signified that I had accomplished a transition from dragging myself to participate to feeling energized by it.

Receiving the SWE Web Site Award Without training in web design, I competed against not only the other student sections, but professional sections around the nation. Despite competing with more HTML-experienced people, I brought this award to my section. After getting so much from SWE, I was able to give something back. Earning the highest grade in an organic chemistry class of ~200 people I worked very hard for this grade and loved the subject, so it was a great feeling to see that the hard work paid off. 12. Which subjects have you enjoyed studying the most and why? I have enjoyed hydrology, fluids, solid & hazardous waste management, water and wastewater treatment,

and oceanography because I love water and environmental topics. Calculus and linear algebra excite me because I love logic. I enjoyed the writing and analysis in economic history. Business law thrilled me because I have a strong interest in legal matters. 13. Which subjects did you dislike and why? Introductory soil elicited little interest in me, most likely because the professor was inexperienced, the book was ineffective, and I had little spare time that semester to look into other resources. 14. Do you have plans to continue your education? Yes, but not immediately. I plan to continue part time with either an MBA or an environmental engineering masters, depending on which will be more beneficial to my work. 15. How would a professor who knows you well describe you? One who does not know you well? A professor who knows me well would likely describe my personal qualities: sweet, down-to-earth, smart, hard-working, and conscientious. As specific examples of those who did not know me well, my soils professor and soils teaching assistant each considered me smart and respectful, and both thought that I must have enjoyed the class a lot, due to my performance. 16. Given the chance, how would you alter your education? Knowing now what I like the most, I would have used my electives for extra math and psychology classes, since I tend to be well-rounded enough that a variety of classes are unnecessary; my personal reading is diverse enough. I have found that mathematics and psychology are helpful to all career and life paths. 17. Which part-time job did you enjoy the most and why? Working for PM Environmental was most enjoyable to me, since I felt like I was significantly contributing to the company, and I enjoyed learning on my own. 18. Interests: Some of my interests include dogs, hiking, snow-shoeing, water sports, writing, reading (especially Charles Dickens' novels), skiing, drawing, crafts, and computers. 19. What are your strengths? My strongest strength is the ability to teach myself difficult material, regardless of the subject (with the exception of theater and drawing blood from dogs, which I have no talent for). Additionally, I have always excelled verbally and look forward to writing opportunities.

20. What are your weaknesses? I tend to try to do too many things, leaving little time for myself. I have worked on balancing myself for the last several months. I am also working on improving my public speaking skills. 21. What sort of serious problems have you experienced, and how have you handled them? My apartment building burned down at the end of January during one of my semesters at MSU. Before the fire got too bad, I was able to rescue my pets and the neighbor's dog, as well as my textbooks and backpack, but I lost most of my mementos and possessions. While the firemen were preparing their hoses, I drove to school (with the animals in the car) to meet my lab partners, who were waiting for me. I explained the situation, emailed my professors, and rushed back to the apartment. Fortunately, I had renter's insurance. I missed about a week of school to deal with the insurance matters and find a new place to live. In order to salvage my grades and sanity, I dropped a course and honored my existing student group and research commitments. Staying active socially and keeping myself wellrounded were the best healing tools for me. Within a few weeks, I was caught up and had recovered reasonably from the loss of sentimental items. 22. Do you or have you in the past experimented with illegal drugs? No. My only addictions are caffeine and sugar. 23. Would you be willing to take a drug test? Of course. 24. Do you drink alcohol socially? No, but I enjoy Shirley Temples quite a bit.

25. If you had your whole life to live over, what would you do differently and why? I was always good in math, but I wish that I would have focused on math more. I feel that mathematics can lead one anywhere, and is the basis of most disciplines. On a personal level, I would have ensured that, despite pre-teen angst and insecurity, I would have been nice to everyone, even on especially bad days. 26. Which is more important to you, your salary or your job? Salary is important, but I couldn't stay with a job that brought me misery when I could support myself doing something else; hence, my job is more important. 27. What have you found to be the biggest source of motivation in your life? Taking advantage of my strengths so that they are not wasted. Since nobody is lucky enough to be strong in every area, I think it is important to make good use of one's strengths. 28. What sorts of things cause you stress, and how do you deal with them?

Lack of organization throws me off. To deal with this, I come up with some kind of system to organize things, even if it is only in my head, in the case when chaos is desirable. 29. What is your definition of success? Being a good person by improving the quality of the lives of others, whether it be through work, doing sweet things, improving the environment/community, taking care of one's family, etc. Superficially, I tend to measure success by level of education and abilities within one's career; however, I try to remind myself of the things that are more important. 30. What qualities should a successful supervisor possess in regard to job requirements and those who report to him/her? A successful supervisor should be able to tactfully give criticism, guide, motivate, encourage and foster a positive work environment. 31. How would you develop team spirit among the people that you supervise? My experience in student groups has taught me that people work best when their friends (teammates) are counting on them to do well; therefore, I believe that bonding motivates people. I would also foster team pride by promoting our team's assets. 32. Do you like to work independently or as a team? I like to work independently towards a team goal. 33. What kind of work environment do you like the best? I enjoy working with friendly co-workers who can share a laugh while working hard and overachieving. 34. How would you resolve conflicts with employees, coworkers, and supervisors? If possible, I would refresh my memory on what I've learned about conflict communication, and then I would discuss things, honestly and tactfully. I am a big fan of kind sincerity and honesty, as well as humility (when appropriate). 35. In what ways have you learned from your mistakes? Upon getting myself overwhelmed with involvement in too many projects, I changed my approach. When possible, I now start with less than I can handle and add more only as time allows, and in small increments. 36. In what areas do you need to improve your skills? I would like to improve my public speaking skills.

Tell me about yourself. Why should I hire you? What are your strengths and weaknesses? Why do you want to work at our company?

What is the difference between confidence and over confidence? What is the difference between hard work and smart work? How do you feel about working nights and weekends? Can you work under pressure? Are you willing to relocate or travel? What are your goals? What motivates you to do good job? What makes you angry? Give me an example of your creativity. How long would you expect to work for us if hired? Are not you overqualified for this position? Describe your ideal company, location and job. What are your career options right now? Explain how would be an asset to this organization? What are your outside interests? Would you lie for the company? Who has inspired you in your life and why? What was the toughest decision you ever had to make? Have you considered starting your own business? How do you define success and how do you measure up to your own definition? If you won $10 million lottery, would you still work? Tell me something about our company. How much salary do you expect? Where do you see yourself five years from now?

On a scale of one to ten, rate me as an interviewer. Do you have any questions for me?
Eight Job Interviewing Mistakes To Avoid by Nathan Newberger 1. - DON'T SHOW UP LATE. There is no easier way to lose points with a prospective employer than to show up late. First impressions do last. And unfortunately, showing up late screams things like "I am unreliable" or "your time is not important to me". Is this what you want a prospective employer to think before you even have a chance to utter a word? Make it a point to try to be early to every interview. That way, bad weather, traffic and that last minute phone call stand less chance of ruining your entrance. If the unforeseen 18-wheeler does happen to dump 10 tons of tomatoes across the interstate, upon arrival, apologize first thing, offer a quickexplanation and move on. (Ideally you would have called from your cell phone as soon as you caught sight of the delay.)

2. - DON'T ACT DISINTERESTED. No matter what the circumstance never act disinterested during an interview. If 10 minutes into the meeting you become certain that nothing on the planet could convince you to take a job with the company continue to pay attention and act like you care about the conversation. Remember that the interviewer does not exist in a vacuum. He or she has friends, relatives, and associates who may influence future job opportunities. If you behave poorly, the interviewer will remember and will share the story of you and your unprofessional behavior with others. Havent you shared bad job search experiences with people close to you? The interviewer is probably no different.

3. - DON'T BE UNPREPARED. Being prepared has many facets. Interviewers expect you to know something about the company and the position you are seeking. Having this knowledge makes you appear both motivated and truly interested. So make sure you do your research! Excellent sources of information include, the Internet, periodicals and people already in the field. Another facet of being prepared is being ready for the types of questions that may be asked. There are numerous articles on the web and in bookstores with practice interview questions and answers. Make sure to utilize all such resources available to you. And finally, dont forget to have extra copies of your resume and references on hand should they be requested.

4. - DON'T FORGET YOUR MANNERS. No matter how old fashioned it appears to use word like "please", "sir", "maam" and "thank you", do not delete these words from your vocabulary. These simple words can work wonders towards making a

positive impression. Always use a respectful tone of voice. Do not unnecessarily interrupt the interviewer. Maintain eye contact and a pleasant expression. Leave the slang, slouching and gum chewing at home. Good manners signals respect for yourself and the people around you; never underestimate their importance.

5. - DON'T DRESS INAPPROPRIATELY. Whether you like it or not, the job interview is not the time to express your individuality. Always remember that your goal is to gain employment, not to make a fashion statement. Accordingly, you should not dress in any way that will distract attention from you and your qualifications. Things to avoid include unconventional hair colors, excessive jewelry and makeup and any clothes that you would wear to a nightclub. Prior to the interview, contact the companies HR department and inquire about the company dress code. Do your best to dress accordingly. If there is any doubt, err on the side of being overdressed.

6. - DON'T BE UNTRUTHFUL Never, ever lie during an interview. Mistruths have an uncanny habit of catching up to people. If the interviewer catches you in a lie during the interview, you have seriously damaged your chances of being hired. After all, would you hire someone that you couldnt trust? If your employer finds out you lied after you have been hired, it could be grounds for dismissal. Even if they do not dismiss you, you are still in serious trouble as you have damaged your integrity in the eyes of your boss. The bottom line is that you should always be truthful when interviewing.

7. - DON'T BE MODEST. When searching for the right job, put your modesty aside. Dont be afraid to confidently describe your skills and accomplishments. After all, if you dont sing your praises to your potential boss, then who will? Dont count on your resume to do all the work; it is only a tool to help you land the interview. Once you get your foot in the door, it is up to you to convince the interviewer that you are the ideal person for the job. Worried that you will come across as conceited instead of self-confident? Then practice how and what you will say with a friend or family member who can provide honest feedback.

8. - DON'T FORGET THE "THANK YOU NOTE". Once the interview has concluded, take a few moments to jot down your impressions of the interviewer, what you talked about and any interesting points that were brought up during the meeting. The ideal time and place to do this is in your car a soon as you have exited the building, as your thoughts will be most fresh at this time. Use this information as you compose a well thought out thank you note to the interviewer. Mail this note no later than the day following the interview. Remember promptness signals interest.

CONCLUSION By avoiding these 8 simple mistakes, you can improve your chances of having a successful interview and landing the job of your dreams. Sincerely, Introduction Okay, so you have managed to hold your nerves in control and brave the questions of the HR. You are now at the end of your interview session. What next? The answer is, there are a few more steps to go. For instance, the HR person may ask you if you have anything to ask of him/her. How do you respond to that? It is quite likely that you are stressed out and nothing comes to your mind. This article deals with this situation and gives you a few intelligent questions that you may ask. The Rationale First of all let us try to understand why the HR person puts you in such a situation. Is he/she simply being nice to you or is there more to it? One possible reason is that the company wants to project an image of transparency. The company wants you to know that it encourages two-way communication between the top management and the subordinates, an atmosphere where everyone can ask relevant questions and expect to get answers. In other words, the company respects the employees need to know about matters that affect him, no matter where he is in the hierarchy. Next, and more important, this situation checks your presence of mind and ability to form intelligent questions. So far you have been simply answering questions asked of you. How do you behave when you are in a position to ask questions? What kind of questions do you ask? It also shows how serious you are about the company and the job. Let us get on to some questions now. Some Useful Questions Before you set out to ask questions, keep the above reasons in mind. It would be good to sincerely thank the HR person for such an opportunity. You can start with something like I have really enjoyed this opportunity to meet you and your team at .. (the company name). Yes, there are a few things I would like to know, thank you for asking However it is not wise to ask the HR a volley of questions and turn it into a counter interview. Consider the questions below and choose one or two from them that you find the most useful to you. What do you personally find the most enjoyable part of working for this company? May I ask why or how you joined this organization? / What brought you here? I would like to know about the work atmosphere here

Would you be able to tell me about this companys vision/philosophy? How would you evaluate this organizations strengths and weaknesses? I would like to know a little about my day-to-day responsibilities. Is this an immediate requirement? How soon would you be taking people on board for this position? I would like to know how my skills compare with the other people who have applied for this position. I am really interested in this opportunity and I feel I have the required skills for this position. What would I have to do next? Now that our interview is coming to close, is there anything you would like to know about my ability towards this job? Would you be able to tell me a little about what the company expects from its employees? What are the most important assets and skills for this company? Does the company follow a structured path in promoting the employees? How does it go? If the company finds me good at the job, how would it advance me? What would be the next step in my career growth? If I performed well in the current position, what are the additional likely opportunities for me within this company? Are there any special areas in this company that the top leaders emerge from?/ Are there special areas like say sales or engineering that have more prospects for growth within this company, or do the leaders come from a cross section of different areas?

The company has decided to recruit for this position from outside. How does the company choose between recruiting from within or outside? How far does this particular position contribute to the bottom line? What advice would you give to someone selected for this position? What are the current challenges of this position/department within the company? Before I leave, can I have a formal/written description of the position? This would help me to review the activities and evaluate what is expected of me. Is this job likely to lead to other positions in the company? What is the usual route? Would you be able to tell me a little about the people I will be working with? Before I take your leave, let me check my understanding of the position. The designation is ., the responsibilities are ., it is in the .. department, and I would be reporting to . Please correct me if I have got it wrong anywhere.

How does this company promote equal opportunity and diversity? Would you be able to tell me who the company regards as its stars? What have been their most important contributions?

How do the subordinates address their seniors in this company? Could you tell me about the management style of this company? If you selected me for this position, what assignment would I be starting on? Does this company have a formal mission statement? Am I allowed to see it? What are the most important parameters along which this company evaluates an employees contribution?

1.Tell

Me about yourself.

Ideal Answer: It's time to make a brief but systematic statement which highlights your education, professional achievements, future goals and also covers a description of your qualifications for the job and potential contributions you could make to the organization.

2. "You want to work here because"

Ideal Answer: Work up a little enthusiasm and unless you're in sales, don't say 'money'! Show the interviewer your interest in the company. Share what you learned about the job, the company and the industry through your own research. Talk about how your professional skills will benefit the company.

3. "You left your previous job/want to leave your current job because?"
Ideal Answer: Don't launch into a diatribe against your previous/current employee. The interviewer is trying to find out if you had any problems on your last job. If you did not have any problems, you could opt for the following answers: relocated away from job; company went out of business; laid off; temporary job; no possibility of advancement; wanted a job better suited to your skills. Now, if you did have problems, be honest. Show that you can accept responsibility and learn from your mistakes. You should explain any problems you had (or still have) with an employer, without switching to the 'bitching' mode.

4. "What are your best skills?"

Ideal Answer: If you have sufficiently researched the organization, you should be able to imagine what skills the company values. List them. Then give examples where you have demonstrated these skills.

5. "What is your major weakness?"

Ideal Answer: Be positive; turn a weakness into a strength. For example, you might say: "I often worry too much over my work. Sometimes I work late to make sure the job is done well."

6 . "Do you prefer to work by yourself or with others?"

Ideal Answer: Flexibility is the key, but if you'd rather be honest, go ahead. Give examples describing how you have worked in both situations.

7 . "Career Aspirations?"
Ideal Answer: Answer this one with caution as your interview is comparing your plans and the company's goals, to

see if the twain meets. Let him know that you are ambitious enough to plan ahead. Talk about your desire to learn more and improve your performance, and be specific as possible about how you will meet the goals you have set for yourself.

8."What are your interests other than work??"

Ideal Answer: Your interviewer is obviously looking for signs of skills outside of your professional experience. For example, hobbies such as chess or bridge demonstrate analytical skills. Reading, music, and painting are creative hobbies. Individual sports show determination and stamina, while group sport activities may indicate you are comfortable working as part of a team. He/she may also be curious as to ascertain whether you have a life outside of work. The common observation is that those with a creative or athletic outlet for stress tend to be more pleasant and more productive.
THE 9. "Salary Expectation?" BIG QUESTION

Ideal Answer: Before going for the interview, find out the current salary range is for the profession. Talk to people in the profession and get an estimate. Negotiate for the best package. Try not to answer this one with a figure. You could ask the interviewer what he is planning to pay the best candidate. Let the employer make the first offer and then if it is not good enough, make a quote. 10. "Is There Something I Have Forgotten To Ask You?" Ideal Answer: Use this as a chance to summarize your good characteristics and attributes and how they may be used to benefit the organization. Convince the interviewer that you understand the job requirements and that you can succeed