From Campus to Classroom: Stories That Shape Education
- Use interviews to assess fit, not just skills; prioritize strong alignment with the work and workplace.
- Weave your personal values into stories about teamwork, learning, leadership, and impact throughout the conversation.
- When asked Do you have any questions?, lean into values by asking how the company fosters an inclusive workplace and continuous learning.
- Ask about common values and listen for clarity and consistency; verify they match practice rather than marketing language.
- Know your values in advance; intentional candidates are less risky, stay longer, contribute more, and show career resilience.
Dr. Marcia F. Robinson is a senior certified HR professional, diversity strategist, and curator of TheHBCUCareerCenter.com. She advises organizations on building inclusive talent pipelines and improving diversity recruiting outcomes.
At The HBCU Career Center we spend a lot of time helping candidates articulate their skills, but not nearly enough time helping them express their personal values. In The Real V.I.S.A.™ Career Framework, values are not akin to soft-skills – rather, they help us strategically guide career decisions, shape workplace behavior, and ultimately determine whether your work will be sustainable.
A strong interview is not just about proving you can do the job. It’s about assessing your alignment with the work and the workplace.
Throughout the interview conversation, you should be weaving in what matters to you: how you approach teamwork, learning, leadership, the impact you have made and the impact you plan to make.
So when the interviewer asks, “Do you have any questions for me/us?” – that’s your cue to lean into your values.
Come prepared with these kinds of questions the next time you hear that question in a job interview (or for that matter, it could be a networking event, a coffee chat etc.):
Q1. “I really value an inclusive workplace and a culture that promotes continuous learning. How would you say those are reflected in this organization?”
These are two values I care about — find a couple that matter to you to make your own statement.
This question does two things.
It signals what you stand for and it invites the employer to show—not just tell—how those values show up in the company’s practice.
Here’s how you can go deeper:
Q2. “What are the common values across the organization?”
Listen carefully here.
Are the values expressed consistent with what you have read about the company? Or do they sound like statements from a website? Alignment requires clarity and consistency.
Don’t hesitate to make it more personal to the interviewer. Remember, they invited the questions and you really want to hear the answer.
You can ask:
Q3: “How does working here support your own personal values?”
This question shifts the interview dynamic. They learned about you and now you want to learn about them. This is important information for you to make the best decision for you.
You’re no longer just evaluating the company, you’re evaluating the real experience of the person(s) sitting across from you.
Your goal is not to interrogate. I’ve seen people do that and blow a really good opportunity to learn about the organizational culture. In most cases, the interviewer works for the organization where you are trying to work. You may never get another opportunity to speak to someone there before a decision is made.
Your goal is to seek information, absorb it and understand it.
Candidates who know their own personal values and ask about them directly are not risky hires – they are intentional ones. They stay longer, contribute more meaningfully, and navigate changes with clarity because they know what is important to them.
At The HBCU Career Center, we say this all the time: it’s not just about what you can do, it’s about what you’re willing to stand for while doing it.
That’s where real alignment and career resilience begins.
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