This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at TCNJ chapter.
It’s that time of year again, whether you are applying for full-time jobs for life after college, or an internship, you must survive the dreaded interview process. Here are a few ways to help you prepare for an interview:
- Be Prepared. Do not go into an interview and think you can just “wing it” because from personal experience, you CAN’T. Make sure you know who is interviewing you. Know the district/company/organization, etc. that you plan to interview with by going on their website and finding what they believe in, projects they participate in, their values, goals, and anything that will give you more insight on them.
- Professionalism. This is key! You have to look like you want it. Do not overdo it with the hair or the makeup. I live by the motto “you want to be remembered by the things you said not the way you looked.” You don’t want to walk away from an interview and the interviewers are talking about the way you looked- that should never be their conversation point; instead you want to sell who you are. Make sure you shake their hand before and after the interview, introduce yourself, sit properly, and smile. Nobody wants to interview a deadbeat. Let your personality shine, but do it appropriately. First impressions are everything!
- Ask Questions. Never end an interview without asking questions. They want to see that you are interested and want to learn more about who they are or what the job entails. Bring in what you researched and tailor your questions to that. For example, “while doing research about your school/company/organization I found… and I was hoping you could tell me how you exactly you implement it?”
- What to bring: Do not walk into an interview empty handed. Always bring a pad folio where you can store your extra resumes (bring them!), your business card, or a place to put their business card, and a pen. This way you can easily pull out what you need to, store anything they give you, and you have a place to write notes/answers to your questions. If you are a teacher, bring a portfolio to showcase all that you have accomplished through your teaching experiences.
- Relax: Remember they chose YOU to be interviewed, there was something on your resume that stood out to them and they want to find that. Take a deep breathe and remember whatever is meant to be, will happen.
Good luck to all of us going through this right now. We’ve got this!