Interviews: Let’s talk about it!
The HRL Blog March 17, 2021
Speaking from personal experience, interviews can be intimidating. Let's talk about it! I know many of us have done interviews for clubs, co-ops, and other jobs. It can be very overwhelming entering a room with people that are listening to your responses and writing everything down with no expression on their face whatsoever.
Here are some tips that I find are very helpful when preparing for an interview:
-
I always like to pick out my interview outfit the night before. This might sound super simple but it really allows you to be prepared for the next day.
-
I like to do all my research the night before as well. I make sure to go through LinkedIn, the company website, and even search for the interviewer. This always helps me to make points and prepare some things I want to add to my answers
-
It is also a really good idea to review the job/club posting beforehand to make sure you can incorporate the things they are looking for in your answers during the interview
-
It is also super important to prepare some questions to ask at the end of the interview. You want to customize these to the company or interviewer based on your research.
Here are some tips that I find helpful during the interview:
-
If they ask you the classic question: “tell me a little bit about yourself”, use this as an opportunity to introduce yourself and also a buffer question before the interview actually starts. This is a good way to also show your personality to the interviewer.
-
If the interview is being conducted through zoom, have some notes beside you so that you can refer to key things you want to include in your answers. If the interview is in a physical location, bring a printed copy of your resume with you and use that to glance at if ever lose your train of thought.
-
Try to include as many examples as you can in your answers. This is a good way to demonstrate the skills that the interviewer is looking for.
Overall, interviews can be tough and they may not always go as well as you want them to, but that’s okay. I know I have had my fair share of bad interviews but just use that as an opportunity to learn. Going forward I highly recommend you use the mindset: Thank you, next!