EN.663.618 Chap.9 Job Interviews and the SART Method
Job Interviews and the SART Method
Two interviews for one invented job
Two assignments in Professional Presentations are job interviews, worth 5% of the grade each and delivered without slides. You pick one position from the listings in the assignment packet, prepare real application documents and a recorded introduction, and then interview twice: first online, then in person.
The packet frames the task as a demanding public speaking situation, where you must answer questions on the spot, stay composed under pressure, show your strengths, come across as credible and connect with the people asking.
What SART adds to an answer
Among the packet's interviewing tips, adapted from the university career center, the central one is to build answers with SART: the situation, the action you took, the result, and a tie back to the employer's job.
A worksheet prepares the stories in advance through ten reflective prompts about values, dream work, companies you admire and your best and worst experiences at the university, followed by small-group discussion and a SART chart for your strongest positive and negative experiences.
The tie step is what separates a good story from a hiring argument.
How the rubric weighs the two rounds
Both rubrics split into demeanor, logistics and answers, and the answers section carries 45% in both rounds with identical lines. Demeanor counts for more in person, where eye contact with every panel member is added.
Logistics counts for more online, where lighting, background, camera and technology management join the outfit and preparation.
Reading from notes or leaning on an AI tool during the interview works against you in both rounds.
Dates, the panel and your second role
The packet places the online round in the week of October 19, but the course calendar puts the team pitch on that date, so check the online slot on Canvas. The in-person round runs on October 26 in the usual classroom, before a panel of classmates.
That day you also serve as an interviewer for a different listing, so you must read other candidates' documents, prepare questions and decide whom to hire.
What this chapter covers
- 01
The online and in-person interview assignments
- 02
Choosing one of the four job listings
- 03
The SART method: situation, action, result, tie
- 04
The Work, Work, Work reflection worksheet
- 05
Demeanor, logistics and answers on the rubrics
- 06
Asking two professional questions of the panel
- 07
Acting as an interviewer for another job
Worked example · free
A SART answer for the product manager listing
- 1Situation: set the scene briefly.
- 1Action: say what you did and how.
- 1Result: give the outcome and the lesson.
- 1Tie: link to a need in the advertisement.
Key terms
- SART Method
- An interview answer structure that moves from the situation to the action taken, the result, and a tie to the employer's job.
- Extemporaneous Speaking
- Speaking in response to an unseen prompt with prepared knowledge but no script, as interview answers require.
- Interview Panel
- A group of interviewers questioning one candidate together; in the in-person round it is made up of classmates.
- Thinking Aloud
- Reasoning out an answer in front of the interviewers in a structured way, without rambling, which the answers rubric rewards.
Job Interviews and the SART Method FAQ
What should I wear for an online job interview?
Dress as you would in person: the rubric asks for a professional, well-ironed outfit even on camera. The packet's dress tip rules out club wear, creased shirts and sneakers. Online, logistics also covers a clean, professional background, good lighting, looking into the camera and handling the technology smoothly.
What questions should I ask at the end of an interview?
Prepare two. Good ones explore career growth, where the company is heading, its culture, how long the decision will take and what the next steps are. Keep salary and vacation off the list in a first-round interview, since the packet calls them taboo at that stage; your questions should show interest in the company, the work culture and the job.
Can I use AI to prepare for a job interview?
For rehearsal, yes: the packet suggests trying an AI-based practice tool alongside practice with classmates, the teaching assistant and the communication lab. During the interview itself the answers rubric rewards forgoing any AI tool and not reading from notes, so rehearse until the stories come out naturally.
How long is each practice job interview?
The packet gives approximately 8 to 10 minutes per interview. That is long enough for an introduction, several questions answered with full stories and your two questions for the panel, so plan answers that make one point well rather than several points briefly.
Do I need to send a thank-you note after the interview?
In a real job search, yes: the packet recommends a handwritten or emailed thank-you after every interview. The packet's point is simply to make sure the note happens. For this course the step is waived, so the follow-up belongs to your real applications rather than the class interviews.
Assessment move
Fill in the Work, Work, Work worksheet early, then turn your top experiences into SART cards with the tie written in the listing's own words. Each day before the interview, draw two cards at random, answer aloud with a timer, and record one answer on video to check eye contact and endings.
