Interviews can be intimidating. Prepare ahead so that you can exude confidence rather than self-consciousness in your interview. The attached interview handout outlines all that you need to know about interviewing, including highlighting various types of interviews.
Practice Interviews
Would you ever compete in a sports event without practicing? Why compete for a job without a honing your interview skills? Our office offers free practice interviews with a career counselor. Call (616) 526-6485, or stop by to set up your practice interview. You'll be asked to dress as you would for a real interview and to submit this form 24 hours prior to your appointment.
What is an informational interview?
Informational interviews are used to find out more about a field you're interested in; they provide a chance for you to speak with someone who has insider information about your field of interest. For example, if you find out that a Calvin grad is working in a job similar you'd like to have, you could request a brief meeting with that person. Informational interviews can be great networking tools as well as means for finding out more about your future profession. See our handout for more details.
What should I wear to an interview?
Our handout entitled "Best-Dressed" will thoroughly answer this question. Generally, you should dress the part that you hope to play; dress as someone who has the job would on her most important day in the office.
Do you have any tips for dining with prospective employers?
Sharing a meal with employers can be intimidating; trying to remember all those manners your mother taught you isn't always easy! Our handout should prove a good refresher to get you through a meal in style.
My interviews have gone well, and now I must negotiate a salary. What should I do?
It's important to do your homework before attempting to negotiate a salary. Make sure you've considered the minimum you're able to accept, and research the national average for your type of work online. See our handout for details on salary negotiations.
On-campus recruitment schedule
Who |
When |
| Beene Garter interviews |
Sept 25 |
| Hantz Group interviews |
Sept 25 |
| Ernst & Young |
Sept 26 |
Maner, Costerisan & Ellis
interviews |
Sept 29 |
| Capin Crouse |
Sept 29 |
| Deloitte |
Sept 30 |
| MI National Guard |
Oct 1 |
| Rehmann Group interviews |
Oct 1 |
| Peace Corps |
Oct 2 |
| Plante Moran interviews |
Oct 2 |
| VanderPloeg Bergakker |
Oct 2 |
| Adamy |
Oct 3 |
| Crowe Chizek interviews |
Oct 6 |
| CRWM |
Oct 6 |
| Melton & Melton interviews |
Oct 7 |
| Dolinka VanNoord interviews |
Oct 7 |
| Lutheran Volunteer Corps |
Oct 10 |
| Hope International Schools |
Oct 14 |
| Northwestern Mutual Financial Network |
Oct 14 |
| Coalition for Christian Outreach |
Oct 15 |
| Spring Hill Camp |
Oct 16 |
| Teach For America |
Oct 21 |
| Mid-America Seminary |
Oct 23 |
| DeVos Graduate School of Management |
Oct 30 |
| RCA Camps |
Nov 3 |
| Christian Reformed World Relief Committee |
Nov 3 |
| Christian Reformed World Missions |
Nov 3 |
| New City Church |
Nov 3-6 |
| Taylor University Master of Arts in Higher Education and Student Development |
Nov 7 |
| English Language Institute/China |
Nov 10 |
| Valparaiso University School of Law |
Nov 10 |
| YouthWorks |
Nov 13 |
| Reformed Theological Seminary |
Nov 17 |
| A Chrisitan Ministry in the National Parks |
Nov 20 & 21 |
| Snow Mountain Ranch |
Dec 1-5 |
| International School of Tegucigalpa |
Feb 4 |
| International Schools of China |
Feb 26 & 27 |
Keep an eye on your e-mail (especially student-news) for interviewing opportunities. For more information about these visits and to sign up for an interview, go to CalvinLink (sign in with your KV username/password), click "jobs," then on the "show me" drop down menu, select "all interviews."
If you sign up for an interview, you must adhere to the following cancellation policy: Cancellations of an interview must be made no later than 4:00 p.m. the day before the interview. If you cancel after this time, or if you don’t show up, Career Development services will be revoked, and you will be required to write a letter of apology to the recruiter, to be mailed through our office. At that time you can schedule an appointment with the director of Career Development to explain the reason for not keeping your interview, after which these privileges may be reinstated.