For everyone, fall semester means quality time being back at school with our friends, Halloween parties, and powering through another round of classes. But for upperclassmen (and sometimes some lower classmen), it means career fairs and internship or job searches. For many students, it can be their first experience going through a professional interview process as opposed to the interviews we have all gone through for the part-time jobs that we have to help us pay the bills and loans. That being said, here are a few tips and tricks to successfully make it through a professional interview:
Dress the part.
It is so important to dress appropriately, usually business casual or professional. A formal and modest dress with a blazer will work as well as neutral colored dress pants and a blouse. Flats or loafers work as well for footwear; heels can be an option, too, but as we all know, they are not the most comfortable option.
Comfort is key.
Be comfortable in what you wear- even if business casual is not your primary choice of style, try to work in pieces that make you feel comfortable and make you feel like yourself. In addition to being comfortable in how you look, be comfortable with your resume and speaking to the job experience, skills, and coursework that you have listed on it as well.
Know your strengths and weaknesses, too.
Interviewers like to hear you speak to your job experience and resume but also about what you feel are your strengths and weaknesses. Honesty is key- you do not want to be the person who says that you are perfect in everything and then falls short if you are offered a certain position, but do not sell yourself short either. Embellishing slightly on a resume is common, but being unable to speak to what you have written will only set you back.
Prepare beforehand.
Research the position you are considering and weigh its benefits for you and your career goals. Also, researching the company is great as it allows you to get a better feel for where you would be working and what they are about, and it provides you with information to hold an impressive and informed conversation with your interviewer. It also shows them that you cared to prepare before, too.
Be yourself!
As cliché as it is, being yourself is the best way for you to feel comfortable and speak to your skills in an interview. Putting on a front for an interview by pretending to be something you are not will only add to your list of things to do and say during the interview, which in turn can only make you more nervous.