✔ Job Search Preparation
✔ Build Your Network
✔ Know Yourself
✔ Research Jobs and Organizations
✔ Apply for Jobs
?? Rock the Interview
You’ve done everything right up to this point and you’ve landed an interview. This is your time to showcase yourself as well as see if this is really the job you want and the organization you want to work for. Here are some tips so you can rock your interview:
- Think of your answers to possible questions ahead of time. Now, you can’t possibly come up with every possible question that will be asked and have every single answer to those questions. However, you can think of about 6-8 topics that you expect to be covered and develop responses for those topics.
- Tell stories. After you come up with your 6-8 topics, you want to develop your responses into compelling stories. Use anecdotes and concrete examples. You’ll be remembered better if you can tell a good story about yourself and how you awesome you’ll be for them in the job. If you just spew out a list of skills and accomplishments, you’ll bore them quickly.
- Practice. Practice answering interview questions. Practice out loud. Utilize your college’s Career Development Office (many offer services to alumni). Most Career Development Office will even do mock interviews, the ultimate practice.
- The standards: dress well, be on time, good eye contact, firm handshakes, turn your cellphone off, no gum, etc.
- Be yourself. Be honest. Be Sincere. Focus on the positive, even when discussing negative experiences.
- Pay attention to non-verbal cues. These can help you know whether you’re talking too long, you’ve said something confusing, you’ve said something that clicked with someone, and whether an answer you gave went over well.
- Ask good questions. Prepare some questions in advance (afterall, you’ve done plenty of research). Don’t hold all your questions until the very end. Ask questions all throughout the interview, unless, of course, you really don’t care about the job (but then why did you apply?)
Those are a few things that have worked for me in interviews. At the end of the interview, when asked if I have any questions for them, I like to end with a question. If I am still very interested in the position I will let them know that and then I will ask if they have any concerns that they would like me to address.
Then celebrate afterwards. Interviews are hard and you’ve made it through, so celebrate that!
