Job Interview Tomorrow!! Eek!

erniegurl00 · #1 05-31-2002, 07:03 PM

Hi everyone!

I was wondering if anyone could give me some good job interview advice. Surprisingly, I've never had a job before at my age!

LOL Therefore, I've never been in this situation. Are there any questions I should ask? Things I should do or say (besides shaking the manager's hand)?

Thanks all,
Erin

Dionysus · #2 05-31-2002, 07:30 PM

What kind of job is it?
If it is a restaurant job I have LOTS of specific tips of getting your foot inside the door.

In General:

*Smile!

*Lean slightly forward, that indicates interest.
*Always make good eye contact.
*If you're going to lie about something, believe your lies, otherwise s/he will see right through it!
*Show up a little early.
*MENTION YOUR GREEK AFFLIATION!
*Mention other orgainzation affliations, especially if it is service or professional oriented.
*Let him/her know in some way that you're a hard worker.
*Let him/her know in some way that you have good ethics, they look for integrity.
*Don't talk too much about your personal life!
*Shake hands firmly, but not too hard, a good handshake indicates confidence.
*Don't drink soda or chew gum before your interview.

lifesaver · #3 05-31-2002, 07:31 PM

Just pretend its like you had to go talk to a professer. Be professional, be direct and give them the feeling you know what you are doing. They arent looking for you to know everything, just an ability to learn, and handle solving problems on your own. Convey that you have this ability. That and they want someone dependable. They dont wanna have to tell you 15 times to do somethring. They wanna know they can tell you once , and it gets done.

Be clean and kind and put your "recruitment" face on. You'll do fine.

Good luck.

KappaStargirl · #4 05-31-2002, 07:32 PM

Some advice from my way-too-many job interviews:

1) WEAR A SUIT. It doesn't matter what kind of job you're applying for. If you don't have a suit, wear a skirt, pumps, button-down blouse, and your pin. You can never look too conservative or overdressed in a job interview. Even if it's a casual company, they'll be impressed that you took the time to dress up and take them very seriously.

2) Look at the company's website, and think about the company's assets. Employers are impressed when you can say why you want to work for that company, and I bet you can find some questions unanswered by the site. Before I had my job interview, I got some generic questions that helped me choose which job I picked (ok, I picked the wrong one, my bad, but I learned from my mistakes). For example, I asked whether their libraries filtered, the size of their collection, what programs they offered, and what made their library special. All are easy to answer but really tell me a lot about the company.

3) How you sit is important!! Sit up on your tailbone, navel pulled to the spine, shoulders back, think of a string pulling the crown of your head to the ceiling, chin level. Cross your legs at the ankle.

4) In general, think of it as Rush. You don't want to wear too much makeup, be fake, or overdo anything. In THE BAD GIRL'S GUIDE TO GETTING WHAT YOU WANT they say to treat a job interview like a talk show (that is, you're the voice of reason among all those people shouting "Y'all don't know me!").

5) Send a thank-you email or letter the same day of the interview, thanking them for considering you for a position at their company.

6) DO NOT be afraid to take a minute to think about a question after they ask it. Better to make them wait a minute and give them a well-thought-out answer than to jump right in and start rambling.

I hope this helps, let me know if there's anything else I can do! Best of luck to you, and let us know how it goes.

Silverblue · #5 05-31-2002, 07:45 PM

KappaStargirl, you gave great advice.

I would add to wear only a couple of nice, conservative pieces of jewelry. Small stud earrings, like pearls. Maybe a watch, but don't look at it during the interview! Think conservative. You want your interviewer looking at you (the entire package), not having his or her eyes being drawn over and over again to your jewelry/hair/makeup. Wear clear or light-colored nail polish, or none at all. Make sure your nails are neatly filed. And I don't care how hot it is, wear pantyhose. Look your interviewer in the eye, but not to the point that he thinks you might start stalking him. Don't fidget.

Take a breath before you answer a question to give you time to think. And send a thank-you note, not just an e-mail. Trust me, it makes much more of an impact.

Best of luck, Erin, and let us know how it goes.

PPL,
Silverblue