This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at App State chapter.
I wouldn’t say I’m an expert on interview tips and tricks, in fact, I’m nowhere near being an expert. However, I’ve had a few experiences and a lot of advice given to me on how to have a successful interview. This could be an interview for a summer job, an internship, or an actual job you want to be your career.
Advice:
- Do your research on the company before you go in for the interview
- When you arrive at the location you are interviewing at, your interview has already begun, smile, hold open doors for others when necessary, DO NOT have road rage in the parking lot
- Practice interviewing, video yourself, so you can see if you twirl your hair or you repeat “like” or “um” way too often
- Prepare yourself for questions that could be asked, you don’t want to over prepare and sound like a robot but you do want to make sure you have a well thought out answer (question example: tell me about yourself?, why would you be a good fit for this job?, etc.)
- Do not be afraid to ask questions back. If you don’t understand a part of the job description, ask them to elaborate. Also ask the interviewer questions like what’s a day in the office like?, what’s your companies values?, etc.
- Bring your resume and make sure it is up to date
- Follow up with an email or a “thank you” card (so important, especially if you want the interviewer to remember you)
- Do not be afraid to talk about yourself, you are here to impress the interviewer, you are worth it. If they offer you a salary and you think you are worth a little more, it’s okay to counter offer, as long as it’s a reasonable amount
- Have a good handshake and wipe off your hands before doing so (nonchalantly) if they get sweaty
- Smile and stay positive throughout the interview
- If it’s a phone interview: sit up straight or stand up so your voice appears open, eliminate any distractions around you
- Skype/ Face Time interview: Dress as you would going in to a face-to-face interview, what if you forget something and have to get up to go and get it and only have on underwear because you thought they wouldn’t see your bottom half?!
Appearance:
- My first suggestion in whatever you decide to wear is to make sure you are COMFORTABLE! This is not a good time to try out those new pair of heels. This is also not a time to try out that new contouring technique or bright lip color you just got from Sephora.
- If you want to kind of make a unique impression, look up the company’s colors (if they have any) and incorporate one of those colors in your outfit
- If you have longer hair, I’ve often heard to either pull it back in a bun or at least wear it half up half down
- Do not wear perfume, this could give your interviewer a headache or just overwhelm them
- DO take a shower and put on deodorant
- Keep things simple and not distracting, especially your jewelry, for example, stud earrings and at maximum one ring to each hand.
- You don’t have to spend a lot on an outfit, get a few pieces that you can mix and match as well as wear more than once
- A few key clothing items I would suggest to have in your closet: a blazer, flats, dress pants, or a dress suit, and a few blouses.
- Try to aim for close-toed shoes
- Make sure you lint roll and iron your clothes beforehand
- Here are a few appropriate outfits (in my opinion):
I hope these serve as some necessary tips and tricks that will aid in a successful interview!