With this being my last semester of my undergraduate degree, interview season is in full effect to finding a job for postgraduate. It can feel very overwhelming at times to apply for many jobs, schedule interviews and continue to keep on top of all of your everyday tasks and school. Below are some tips that can maybe help the spring semester of senior year be a little less stressful.
A good place to start is to create a cheat sheet for yourself. What I mean by this is to create a document that has bullet points about your resume that you would like to mention, common questions with your answers types and most importantly questions to ask your interviewer. Having a few bullet points typed out to answer the “Tell me about yourself” question can help prepare you to answer that question smoothly and with confidence. The next step would be to type out some common questions and have your answers in bullet form so that you have prepared what you are going to say. For example, one common question is, “What is your biggest strength and weakness?” By having already thought about these questions ahead of time you will be able to answer them without thinking as much about it. Lastly, and most importantly, have questions to ask the interviewer prepared. From what I have experienced and heard is that asking questions to show your interest and knowledge is very important in employers eyes.
Once you have prepared by looking at the companies website and also preparing your questions then the next step would be to prepare the day of the interview. For me, the most important thing is feeling good and confident in whatever I am wearing and remember that being overdressed is always better than being underdressed. I also put on my bright blue shirt under my black suit because blue is a “power color” for me and I feel very confident in it. If the interview is on zoom, I even suggest wearing nice pants too because it puts you in a good mindset and feeling.
One of the most important things you can do is post an interview. Send thank you notes! Sending a quick email or even handwritten note goes a long way with the interviewer and company and it shows you are appreciative of the time the person took to interview you. It leaves a lasting impression of you in their mind. It also usually leads to them responding with next steps. This is probably the most important thing you can do.
To any seniors out there who are graduating in a month and are feeling the pressure to find a job. Just take a breath. Keep in mind that opportunities are everywhere and using your connections can take you very far. Good luck interviewing!