Interviewing

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College Essay
Exams
Interviewing
Resume Writing
Time Management
SAT, ACT

Once they've sent out their resumes they're eventually going to get a job interview. You can help your students know what to do when that big day. Giving an entire workshop on interviewing may be impractical so you can just print the following information out and give it to interested students.

What to Bring to an Interview

• Several copies of your resume.
• Your portfolio, if applicable.
• Pens and pencils
• Notebook.
• References (name, address, and phone number.)
• Anything else that will help you feel more comfortable, including combs, mirrors, etc.

The armed interviewers
Watch out: many times interviewers are armed with tough questions.  Be prepared!

• Open ended questions- These questions expect more than a simple yes or no out of you.  It gives interviewers a sense of your knowledge in the area.
• "Prove it!" (Specific questions to show you really have those skills you've listed.)
• Silence. (Do you get rattled easily?)
• Plural Questions
• Compare/Contrast Questions

Remember: Don't get too comfortable.

Major Do's and Don'ts

Do

• Relax and act naturally.
• You should look professional, but still be able to breathe.
• Have a positive tone
• Prepare for the tough questions
• Research companies before you interview
• Ask intelligent questions. All that research you did will come in handy here, as you impress them with your interest in what they do, and your knowledge of how their company works.
• Focus on what you have to offer a prospective employer, not what you want
• Learn about your rights as an interviewee
• Follow up with a note or a phone call

Don't

• Attempt to use an informational interview to land a position
• Talk about money in the first interview
• Beg for a job!
• Lie on your resume

Remember! You are interviewing the company you hope to work for as much as they are interviewing you. You are trying to find the best place to work and learn, and they are trying to find the right employee. You should be examining your interviewers and the environment to see if you would feel comfortable working there.

How much should I know about my career field or industry as a whole?

How much research do I need to do on the company I am interviewing for?  Since the reason for researching the company is to become familiar with it and the industry it is in, you should research it until you have enough information to hold a conversation about it with someone.  You should know your short and long-term career goals and what in your background has contributed to these goals or prepared you for the position you're interviewing for.  Lastly, you should be familiar with some current trends or issues related to the field or industry which have been prominent in the news lately.

Talk to anyone and everyone who knows about your field, position, organization and current events of interest. It’s a good idea to take down all the information you learn through reading, talking, and researching on to a interviewing cheat sheet, that will help you organize your knowledge.  You can use these sheets to prepare for interviews and even bring them with you for quick reference before or in between interviews.

What if the interview comes up suddenly and I have only a day to do my research?

First off, you should try to schedule the interview at least a couple of days ahead so that you have ample time to do your homework, but for some reason you cannot, you much do the best you can.  A quick trip to the library, a scan of Internet resources, and a brief conversation with a few key people who know about the organization and/or industry can help you ace the interview.

Following-through

Step 1
Feel positive about yourself even if you don’t feel the interview went well. Each interview you go through is a learning experience, and it will get easier and easier the more practice you get. You won’t click with every possible employer, and they many not click with you, but you can still get a good idea of what type of work is out there, and learn how to give a better interview.

Step 2
Send a polite follow up letter thanking your interviewer for the opportunity to speak with them. This can leave a very good impression with that company, and they may think of you in the future, or even refer you.

Making the most of your work experience

When you get a job you should try to get the most out of your experience. Every company has something to offer you, but you have to know how to find it. Here are some of the most important things you can take with you when you leave a job.

Skills
Take any opportunity that you can get to learn a new skill, especially computer and communication skills.

Good skills to work on include:

• Researching
• Time management
• Specific software skills such as a command of Word or Excel
• Analysis
• Putting together a proposal, or meeting

Don’t be afraid to work hard. If someone you work with knows something that you’d like to learn, ask them to show you, or at the very least, observe them.

Networking
It is very important that you utilize your co-workers to help you solve problems or make your work better. Get to know the people you work with, because people almost always work better together than they do alone. Also, your co-workers might give you good leads on opportunities in your field, or might even refer you to someone else long after you’ve stopped working with them.

Confidence
Learn that you can accomplish any project you choose to finish. You’ll find that working makes you see just how much you can do, and how well you adapt. 

Try to learn from every project or bit of work that you do, and figure out how you can do it more effectively the next time. Always take pride in your work.

Finally, always keep in mind that resumes and interviewing are both part of a process that is there to weed out who is disciplined and motivated and who is not in the work world. Your goal should be to learn this process so that you can find a job somewhere where you can feel comfortable, respected, important, and most of all, happy. No matter what the outlook is, or what people might say to you during your job search, always aim high.