You spent hours (days?) perfecting your one-page resume. You circulated it within your network and through a structured on-campus recruitment program. Fortunately, it has been successful in securing interviews. Now what?

INTERVIEW PREPARATION

Career advisors say that you need to do only three things in advance of your interviews: Prepare. Prepare. And prepare some more. Interview preparation is not like cramming for an exam; it's an extended process. Your preparation began long ago and has been developing as you have made important choices: college, major/minor/concentration, co-curricular activities, internships, summer jobs, and work study. You started preparing specifically when you began working on your resume. With interviews now scheduled, there are only two more things you need to know.

First, know yourself—your abilities, attributes, values and attitudes. Assess your skills and determine specifically what you have to offer the employer. As a mathematics major, consider your skills in quantitative and analytical reasoning and how they helped you to become an effective problem-solver. Prepare examples illustrating each of the various skills you want to market.

Second, know the employer. Research the industry in general and the employer in particular. You'll find literature and resources in your career development center as well as in college and public libraries. Request the employer to send corporate/organizational literature. Network with current employees (especially alumni of your institution) as well as your professors. Arrange information interviews by telephone or in person.