I’ve been walking around silly-happy for the past couple of days, because, after months and months of job-hunting and resume-sending, I have a job interview tomorrow (yay!) Now, though, with about 19 hours left to go, it’s starting to really hit me: oh no, I have a job interview tomorrow … what am I going to do? What am I going to wear? (Where is the other half of my business suit?) What am I going to say? How am I going to avoid looking like a complete idiot?
They’re going to torture me with all kinds of questions I don’t know how to answer, and I’ll go “um, well, I dunno” a lot until I get all embarrassed and panicky and burst into tears and humiliate myself. See, I’m already talking myself into a panic attack! Help! Somebody please offer some words of comfort and/or advice to get me through tomorrow!
heck, c_c, I know what you mean. I’ve been unemployed for ulp… almost a year (another victim of the telecom bust) and have just had 2 interviews in the past 2 weeks, and another in 2 days. Wear something decent and don’t stress over the details. These folks are more concerned with who you are than what you wear. Be yourself. Be honest. Relax. Take a deep breath. Be humble, yet professional. Do your homework on the company and don’t be afraid to ask questions of THEM. Stress your people skills, and have a few stories ready to illustrate how you approach difficult situations. Relax. Take a deep breath. Quiet confidence is what you want to project. Fake it if you’re nervous. Relax. Take another deep breath. Sending good karma your way. Let us know how it works out. Good luck. And relax.
Smile. Don’t fib, if you don’t know something, admit it, promise to learn it and move on. Know something about the company. Dress professionally (I was amazed at candidates that came in jeans.)
Luck to you!
Look at the ad you replied to and work out what they expect of you. Formulate some questions you think they may ask and mull over prospective answers to them.
Retain your sense of humour and remember at the interview that the interviewers are giving you a chance to show how good you are not trying to trip you up. Treat them as underlings who are asking you things because they don’t know the answer but they know that you do.
First, have some spare resumes with you just in case.
Second, relax (I know this is hard, but try)
Third, have a 30 second speech prepared on your background and how that background matches their need.
Fourth, stress your accomplishments, not just your skills and how they improved the bottom line at your previous company.
One common question that can be difficult is: Tell me your greatest weakness. Do not lie, but instead turn your weakness into a positive thing. You: I am forgetful so to compensate I have to be very organized and detail oriented.
Dress professionally, have nothing wrong with what you wear (no stains or rips) and act professional (no nose picking!). The main reason for this is that unprofessional behavior or dress can be distracting to the interviewer and if that happens all that (s)he will remember is the distraction and not what you talked about.
After the interview send a note thanking them for the opportunity to meet with them. Restate what you talked about and summarize how your skills meet their needs. I once hired someone just because they sent me a thank you note!
I also would suggest you get some books on resume writing and interview skills. If you have been 19 months sending out resumes and this is your first interview, either you are applying for jobs that you are not qualified for or the resume is poorly written.
Good luck!!!
Remember that you have something they want (skills) this is why they called you in for the interview. You’re also testing the waters to see if you want to work for them. Try to enjoy the conversation while selling yourself.
Don’t be afraid to take a moment after being asked a question to take a breath, look away as if composing your thoughts before answering.
I also agree on having the 30-second speech memorized for the “tell me about yourself” question. This should detail your professional background, rather than a Dr. Evil-style biography.
Best of luck!
Just thought you’d like to know, I survived my interview … I think I did OK, will hear back from them in a week or so.
Do not forget to send a thank you note!!! It will make a difference.
Good deal. Let us know how it goes.
I’m not sure that I agree with norinew (no offence norinew!) However, it sure won’t hurt to send a thank you, so you might give it a try.