Rachel
what are some good interviewing skills/ pointers?
I am a junior in Queens College #career #career-counseling #career-choice
4 answers
Jason Wu
Jason’s Answer
Hi Rachel,
Went through a bunch of interviews this past summer & have done many interviews for various fields. Here are some of my tips:
-Take your time to think & answer once asked a question. You don't want to be too rushed, trip over your words and not communicate clearly.
-Can ask them to repeat the question if it's a long one. Try to do everything in your power to understand the question so you can give a great response
-Bring extra copies of your resume. As a reference for yourself, and you never know when another employee might drop-in on your interview (happened at a couple companies I interviewed at)
-BREATHE!
-Highlight your strengths and responsibilities from previous positions & try to relate them to the job you are interviewing for. On the interviewer side, it's good to hear not only what you know about the position, but also how your past experience can enable you to hit the ground running and thrive.
-Get a feel for your interviewers to maybe joke around with them, show some humor/personality
-If you get the chance, maybe talk about something that's not on your resume to show what other things you are involved in (there's only so much you can fit on a 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper)
Thank you! Your tips are very practical.
Rachel
John H. Noble, III
John H.’s Answer
Good of you to be thinking about interviewing as you finish up Junior year, heading into Senior year! First chance you get, find QC's career center. They have lot of tips about interviewing (http://www.qc.cuny.edu/StudentLife/services/career/students/job/Pages/interview_tips_and_resources.aspx) and they probably have the resources to provide practice or mock interviews. It's always good to practice.
My favorite piece of advice is to prepare a list of all the things you want to be sure to tell the interviewer -- actually write them down. That will make it easier to match your experience with questions coming from the interviewer. You need to really study your own resume and pick out good stories to tell about each item. Interviewers remember candidates who can illustrate their skills and strengths with genuine stories. Let's say an interviewer asks you if you have good problem solving skills. It's always best to say, "I think I have good skills because of the time I did . . . " That makes your answer unique to you and not just a generic statement that anyone could use.
So, if you can get to your career center they will help you get well prepared for any interview.
Thank you! I like your advice about writing things down beforehand that also makes a person calmer before the interview.
Rachel
Beth Kern
Beth’s Answer
Do NOT badmouth your former or current employer.
No need to tell your personal story, especially if you have a lot of drama in your personal story.
Keep the conversation focused on what you can DO in relation to what the job description is ASKING for.
Do not ask about time off or sick time that you will be entitled to in your first interview.
And some things to do BEFORE an interview:
Ask for help from someone you respect (AKA an older working person). Do a few mock interviews with that person. Ask if your chosen outfit is appropriate.
And something to do BEFORE you start applying for jobs:
Have a Career Counselor at your college - or one of your professors - read through your resume as a second set of eyes. It is hard to notice mistakes after you have poured over it a million times.
