There are so many great things about being a senior in college: you are almost done with school, you have made so many wonderful friendships, and you are hopefully feeling prepared for your bright new future (if any of us ever really feels prepared)!
There are also some challenges at this stage in life. For example: what happens next? Where do I go from here? And the stunning realization comes to you. . . now you have to go find a job where you can apply all these skills you have developed these past few years! On one hand, it can be exciting imagining all the different possibilities for your future. On the other hand, it can be slightly terrifying thinking about how you are going to do a complete 180° flip on your current routine and become an actual fully functioning independent adult™. One of the biggest things on every graduating student’s mind is finding a job, so today I’m going to share with you my #1 tip for making an amazing impression during job interviews- even the scary ones. It may surprise you.
First, a little backstory. My first job interview was for my internship two years ago. I met with a lovely woman in HR and we had a great discussion. Feeling like we hit it off, I was pretty sure I would hear back soon to schedule a meeting with the hiring manager. Sure enough, I heard back quickly, and we made an appointment to meet over ZOOM. A few days later, after a couple role-playing interview question and answer sessions with my mom, picking out the perfect professional top, and triple-checking my Wi-Fi connection, I was able to meet with the manager on ZOOM. I was insanely nervous, but I felt like everything would work out how it was supposed to in the end, and it did!
The funny thing is, apparently, I made such a good first impression with the HR manager, the hiring manager thought I would be a great fit for the internship and had already decided to hire me. I didn’t realize this, so there were a few moments of confusion on both our parts before I understood that I already had the job if I wanted it. This was the best possible surprise, and I was stoked about getting the internship.
I realized something incredibly important from that experience. I didn’t even know that the first meeting was technically an interview, but something about it told that company that I was the right person for the internship. Often, we psych ourselves out so much for these moments that we build up in our minds, that we do not give ourselves enough credit. I had the right skill set, I was professional, and- probably the biggest thing- I was calm, because I didn’t know enough about the situation to get stressed out.
That’s my key message here, and what I have used to remain focused and level-headed for every interview and stressful situation since then. It may seem counterintuitive, but the most influential change in mindset for me has been pretending that I am doing a practice interview. Imagine you are talking with your friend. Be comfortable with your interviewer- not casual, but comfortable. This is an important distinction because you do not want to come off as though you don’t care about getting the job, but you should seem confident and sure of yourself. That is my #1 secret to having a successful interview. I hope it works as well for you as it has for me!