Purpose of the Interview

The interview is one of the most important phases of the job search process.  Your resume and cover letter are simply tools to get you to the interviewing stage.  The interview is your opportunity to convince an employer that you are the right person for the job.

As the interviewee, the main purposes of the interview are to:

• Communicate information about yourself, your experience and your abilities
• Seek further information about the position and the organization
• Evaluate the match between your needs and what the job offers

The main purposes of the interview for the interviewer are to gather relevant information about the candidate’s:

• Interview preparation - interest in and knowledge of the industry, the position and the organization
• Communication skills - oral presentation skills and the ability to interact with others
• Qualifications - academic, work, volunteer and other experience
• Leadership potential and teamwork - demonstrated ability to work with others and to get others to work together
• Clear and realistic career goals - future plans and awareness of career paths
• Self awareness - realistic appraisal of self
• Motivation and success potential - enthusiasm for the position; demonstrated patterns of accomplishment
• Work ethic - acceptance of responsibility, ability to keep commitments and attitude of the importance of work

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UC Davis Career Management Toolkit

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Building a talented workforce through a culture of learning, discovery and engagement