The Selection Interview

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If you’re a fan of South Park, you might remember the episode in which Stan, Kyle, and Cartman hold a series of interviews and competitions to fill the open slot in their group left void by Kenny’s demise. Silly as it may be, it’s an example of a selection interview, the primary goal of which is to secure or fill a position within an organization. Selection interviews usually involve recruiting, screening, hiring, and placing new candidates (Baker & Spier, 1990; Joyce, 2008). Members of an organization (such as a university, company, sorority, fraternity, or volunteer organization) and candidates evaluate one another by exchanging information to determine if they’d make a good match. Usually both parties want to make a good impression: the interviewer wants to persuade the interviewee about the value of the position or organization, while the interviewee wants to sell his or her unique qualities and abilities.

The job interview is one of the most common types of selection interviews in business, government, and military organizations, with the end goal of filling a position of employment (DiSanza & Legge, 2002). Since job interviewing is usually very important to college students, we devote much of this chapter to helping you become more competent in this context.