Yay! You’ve walked across the stage, collected your diploma, and said goodbye to your home for the last four years. This is such a big stepping stone in your life as it will take you to new and exciting opportunities. After you have finished perfecting your resume and LinkedIn profile, it’s time to start applying to jobs and lining up interviews. Here are 10 interview tips for the new college grade to help you get the job!
Congrats, you got an interview! This is an exciting new opportunity and you want to go in knowing everything you possibly can. Start off with a simple Google search of the business or company to get some background info. If you are going to work here, you want to know all the things from the current CEO or boss to the roots of the business.
If possible, especially for a larger company, look and see how other’s interview and hiring processes have gone in the past. You might get lucky and find some interview questions as well as interview tips to help make a good impression. You also never know if you right get trivia questions thrown in the mix of your interview about the business!
Of course, you want to pick something for your interview that comes across as professional and put together. That is the first rule! But the second rule is that you should pick out something that you feel comfortable and confident in.
If you don’t normally wear or feel comfortable wearing a pencil skirt and kitten heels, then opt for some nice slacks and an oversized blazer to make you feel comfortable. One of our favorite interview tips for picking your outfit is to have your mom verify that it is professional and put together! She is always right about literally everything.
It might seem sort of silly to even bring in your own copies of your resumes and cover letters when you submitted them prior to the interview, but every little thing counts. This is one of our favorite interview tips because not only does bringing in these resources give you something to do with your hands (we have all been there) but it also shows that you are prepared for anything and everything.
If your interview is for a specialty position where you need to show your work, make sure to bring copies or a portfolio to reference during your interview. You might enter the interview and find that they already have your resume sitting right in front of them, but that is okay too!
Google is going to be your best friend during your interview prep! While you might be able to find some information on the interview process with this company, for the most part, you typically run into similar interview questions while meeting! This is where all of the interview questions articles come in to help you out!
Have a friend or partner help you out with running through some interview questions to get the gears moving and to help you construct your answers in a professional manner. If you have never interviewed before, this is one of the best interview tips to help you know what to expect.
Before you even walk into the interview, you should first go over things with yourself. For example, if you are interviewing for a position out of town from your hometown or college town, are you willing to relocate? Analyze your personal finances and goals with the position you are interviewing for and determine a salary that would be fair for the work you would be doing.
You never know how the interview is going to go, so one of our interview tips is to anticipate everything! This might the first interview of many, or they might offer you something right then and there. But before you walk into that office, you want to have everything straight on your end so you can flawlessly fall into this position with any issues!
Once you get to your interview, you should be in game mode or at least professional mode. If you are arriving at a bigger building, make sure that you are treating everyone from the doorman to the receptionist with a lasting impression.
Extend a smile and kindness to everyone before you set foot in the interview. You might be coming into contact with them a lot more if you nail the interview, but also, you never know who will be watching you before you actually answer any questions or negotiate any terms!
Plan to arrive at your interview at least 10 minutes early to show your timeliness and coordination for important events. Make sure that you consider traffic, commute, and the parking situation at the place you will be interviewing at so you can factor that into when you need to leave your house.
It’s better to sit in the parking lot for 30 minutes than to be running 30 minutes late and stuck in traffic! While you are waiting in the waiting area, it is probably best to not pull out your phone at this time. Maybe run through some of your practice responses or how you are going to greet your interviewer!
The time has finally come! This interview tip is probably obvious, but take a deep breath because you’ve got this! Make sure to give your interviewers your best and firm handshake while introducing yourself. Make strong mental notes on their names and their positions in the company because hopefully, they will be your future coworkers!
At the end of the interview, the typical question that the interviewer will ask you is if you have any questions. Absolutely do not say no! If you have any questions while they are talking, keep note of that or go for something simple and sweet. For example, ask the interviewer what their favorite part of working there is or how the dynamic is among coworkers. Level up the questions by asking how your day will look in this position to better understand if every day is different or if you are sticking to a schedule!
Regardless of how the interview went, or how you think the interview went, go ahead and send a quick email! This can be short and sweet, but it will let your interviewers know that you are thinking of them as much as they are (hopefully) thinking of you! Let them know that you enjoyed meeting with them and that you look forward to meeting with them again!
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