So you just landed your first big girl interview! Congrats! This is a big step towards success so it’s only right that you act accordingly! Now, I’m not talking about landing a position at your local fast food drive-up. You’re interviewing for an internship or a permanent position at that big company you’ve been researching for so long- nice! Use these tips to impress and persuade your future boss that you’re the right person to hire:
1) Don’t wear perfume or any body spray. The person interviewing you may not like the smell of what you’re wearing and it could be overwhelming for them! However, you should probably smell like you’ve showered recently… so, yeah, don’t forget to shower.
2) Don’t wear a watch. If you check the time during the interview your interviewer will feel insulted and you’ll seem bored and disrespectful. You’re on their time, not yours.
3) You should wear a little bit of makeup so that it shows you put forth some effort to look nice. A little goes a long way for a first impression and there’s a difference between going clubbing and meeting the exec to a huge firm- plan accordingly.
· Eye make up should be light and refreshing to look at. Stay away from black eye shadow and liner. Keep your look natural. If you use eyeliner, only line the top and not your waterline on the bottom. Do the same with mascara- only apply it to the top lashes. This will make your eyes look bright and awake.
· Your blush should be the same color as your cheeks right after you do a workout. A naturally flushed look is always better.
· Do not wear bright lipstick. Again, keep it simple and natural. Your lip color should be similar to the color of your cheeks.
· No bronzer
When you look nice and put together it shows that you care about yourself and your soon-to-be-boss will view you as a responsible, potential employee.
4) Speaking of looking nice, let’s talk clothing. Every girl’s obsession, weakness and vice involves clothing. There’s always too much to choose from, yet we still “have nothing to wear.” However, amongst all of your probably-never-been-worn clothing items, you should own these four times:
· Pencil skirt
· A Business Casual dress
· Dress pants
· Blazer
· Button down shirt
Your skirt and dress length should fall just above the knee, your button up shirts should be simple and classy with no graphics or words and all of your clothing should be tight enough to show that you’re a woman, but loose enough to show that you’re a lady.
5) Don’t chew gum during the interview. Do I even need to explain why? It’s, for sure, an immediate deduction of points from your interviewer if they see you chewing gum. They don’t want to hear you or see you chewing when they’re trying to ask you important questions.
6) Didn’t your mother ever tell you to “stop fiddling and sit still”?! Don’t bite your nails, play with your hair, twiddle your thumbs, bite the inside of your lip or pop your knuckles- don’t even breathe. Okay, just kidding on the last one- you can breathe. But, we all have those nervous habits! During an interview I was called out by the person interviewing me to stop “twiddling my thumbs,” he told me that next time, if I had to, I should separate my hands so that they’re not touching and that way I wouldn’t distract my interviewer. In case you’re wondering, yes, I still got the job and on top of that, I learned a valuable interview lesson.
7) Shake hands. Duh. A handshake during greetings and one during farewells is standard, of course.
8) Cover up those tattoos, ladies. It depends on the boss, but most would rather have them hidden. Our world is becoming more accepting, but hold on, we’re not there yet, folks!
9) When they’re done asking you all that they want to ask you, ask a few questions of your own. This shows that you’re sincerely interested in the job. Here are some of my favorites:
· What’s a typical day like for an employee in my position?
· How did you get started doing this type of work?
· What are employees typically looking for when they’re hiring for this position?
· What’s your favorite aspect of your job?
YOU’RE GOING TO DO GREAT!
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