Foundations of Interview Preparation

This unit establishes core skills for successful job interviews, including researching opportunities, assessing interviewers and culture, anticipating questions, and creating a structured preparation strategy. Students will practice applying professional appearance and format-specific techniques, understand ethical and legal considerations, and produce targeted speaking points to prepare for advanced interview practice and performance units.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze job postings, company information, industry trends, and interviewer profiles to determine alignment with personal goals and to identify key topics to address in an interview
• Apply a structured preparation strategy to draft concise speaking points, anticipate common and behavioral questions, and adapt responses to multiple interview formats (in-person, phone, video) including quick-prep scenarios
• Demonstrate professional appearance, nonverbal communication, and effective use of technology appropriate to the job and interview format through prepared examples and checklists
• Evaluate ethical and legal issues (including honesty, candidate rights, and organizational culture claims) and interpret interviewer signals to make informed decisions about pursuing or declining opportunities