Interviewing 101

***BEEP BEEP BEEP***

Its your alarm going off and you wake up in a panic. It’s the day you’ve been waiting for all summer, its interview day. Today is one of the most important days for your future and you don’t even know where to start. What should I wear? What should I say? What should I do? Your mind is going in a million different directions. There are multiple reasons to be nervous, but I am here to tell you the ways of getting through your interview and being successful while doing so.

First and most important is to BE CONFIDENT

Be confident is number one always. As nervous as you are, you must remember you are talking about yourself! You are the only person who knows everything about yourself, don’t be afraid to brag about your accomplishments, they are important even if you don’t think so. Confidence is key during your interview you are trying to sell yourself so if you look like you’re not even sure if you would be good at this job, then the employer won’t think you are right for the job either. Go in there with your head high and believe in yourself, if they don’t choose you for the job that’s OK! Use it as a learning experience and as practice for your next interview. The job that was meant for you WILL work out in the end.

Research

Before even going into your interview do your research on the company. See what their goals and objectives are and what you would be doing day in and day out. Try and find out what their likes and dislikes are and see if you can relate. Relating to the employers is important because they will like you for something more than just your good grades and the clubs, you’re in, but instead they will connect with you on a personal level. Someone they can connect to on a personal level makes you stand out because they will want to work with a person who is likable and easy to manage and get along with. A way to find out some personal aspects of their life to relate to, is by looking up who the key decision maker is in this company. Dig through their LinkedIn to see their interests, if they like baseball and so do you talk about it, connect with them in more than a way then just statistics and what GPA you had in college. Talk about things that aren’t just on your resume that they could have read with their own eyes after you leave, instead talk about your passions and goals in life and what made you want to work for them. Show them how you believe in yourself and that their company will help you excel and how you plan on helping them excel.

Be prepared

Be prepared and I do not say this lightly. When walking into your interview you should be prepared in many different aspects. The first being to dress business professional, always. After you get the job, you can ask them what they wear daily but until then, go to the interview in your best and most professional outfit you have. The next way to be prepared, is to have your resume with you on a nice professional paper, have multiple copies as well. Another way to be prepared, is by having questions for them that stand out. These questions may include “What does your day to day activities look like?” What will I be doing?  What is the most important quality to have in this position I am applying for? What advice would you give someone trying to go into this field when getting started? All these questions make the employer believe that you truly care about what qualities are necessary and that you are trying to make yourself into the person that’s best for this job.

These are just a couple of the ways to have a successful interview and make you stand out from the rest of the interviewees. Be confident, be prepared, ask questions, and dress your best. I hope these suggestions will help you feel more comfortable and confident when going into your interview. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me or comment on this post. But until then, Good luck!