Interviewing: Don't sweat the tough stuff!

I was giving a mock interview today to a student and afterward he said that he never expected such challenging questions and wouldn't have been prepared to give a good answer to some of them in an actual interview. It wasn't my intention to drill him or anything, but we do try to tailor our mock interview questions to get students thinking outside of the box and to see all types of questions a potential employer might ask.  

Interviewing for a possible job is a process, and not just a simple one time meeting. The interview process begins before you even greet the employer with a handshake and doesn't end when they have finished asking questions. By viewing each of your interviews in this way, you can be prepared and confident even for the unexpected, tough and dreaded questions!

Before the Interview:
-Research the company, organization and interviewers.
-Prepare relevant questions to ask the interviewers.
-Make sure your interview attire is properly pressed and appropriate.
-Have extra copies of your resume.

Addressing some tough questions during the interview:
"What is your greatest weakness?"
      Of course you don't want to reply with "I don't have any" or the over-used "I'm a perfectionist" but, at the same time, you are trying to market yourself in the best possible way. You do want to state a real professional-level weakness (time management, short deadlines, creativity, etc.) but remain confident in your ability to overcome it. Remember to tell the interviewer what steps you are currently taking to improve the weakness.

Behavioral Questions 
     These questions are aimed at getting you to provide specific examples of how you have developed the required skills for the job. For instance, they may ask "Describe a project where you used computer programming skills," "Describe a situation where you worked as part of a team," or "Tell me about a conflict situation you have encountered in the workplace."
     By applying the STAR method, you can give the interviewer all of the information they need. Describe a specific Situation or Task and give enough detail for the interviewer to understand but not be overloaded. Describe the Action you specifically took and not just the efforts of the team. And don't forget to state the Result by identifying what was accomplished and learned.
    
"Why should we hire you?"
     This question is commonly used to wrap up an interview and gives you a chance for a "final sales pitch" of your skills and experience. Try to highlight some unique skills or traits that would set you apart from other candidates and show your determination to succeed in the position. Don't be afraid to state that you are the 'best person for the job' but be sure you back it up with specific evidence!

After the interview:
-Be sure to ask your prepared questions.
-Ask the interviewer for a business card or contact information.
-Be sure you know how follow-up will be conducted (Should you call them? Will they call you?)
-Don't forget to send a thank you note to the interviewers within 48 hours!

If you are still feeling unsure or nervous about a big interview coming up, schedule a Mock Interview in our office or practice with a friend! These are only a few of the tough questions you may encounter- just remember to prepare before every interview!

-Courtney H

LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Oh My!

With all the buzz about online networking sites, have you ever thought about how they could help and hurt your job and career search?

I recently saw a comic that depicted a woman sitting at her office desk. On her computer screen, she was looking at her Facebook home page which read, "You have 17 requests to get on with your work." We have all probably been distracted from class, a job or studying with 'facebook stalking'  or 'tweeting' every detail of our day.Yet, even social networking can be productive if used the right way- especially when looking for a job, internship or career.


LinkedIn is an online social networking site that is getting a lot of hype lately and I think it deserves some attention from college students. LinkedIn is a professional site where you can connect to former colleagues, classmates and potential employers. Your profile basically looks like an online resume and there are options to search for other people on LinkedIn by career, company and university. What makes LinkedIn stand out? First of all- the people who are using it. LinkedIn seems to draw the professional and professional-wannabes so you won't see 30 picture albums and everyone's favorite quotes on their page. In fact, Members from all Fortune 500 companies are on LinkedIn. Secondly, LinkedIn features a Recommendation option where former employers can post a recommendation to your profile. Lastly, through LinkedIn, your connections can "forward" you to any of their contacts. This means anyone they know with a potential job opening can see your information in a flash (maybe even before the position is posted elsewhere)!

I also mentioned Twitter and you may be wondering just how you could "tweet" your way to a job. Twitter has gained a large popularity among companies and organizations for publicity and media purposes. As long as you avoid trivial content in your tweets, search out companies in your field or that you would like to work for. Not only do some employers post links to job openings, but it also serves as a great way to keep up to date with current news and activity within the company! Consider using Twitter's search tool to look for keywords that describe an ideal job. By posting a URL in your Tweet, you can also use Twitter as a branching out point to market any other online work you may have- blog, published articles, an online portfolio, features of your work, etc.

By now, most college students have figured out that monitoring your Facebook profile is also essential to your social networking image. Making your profile 'private' can help, but you still never know who could gain access to the notes, pictures and comments you post. Keep that in mind as you are adding content to your page!

Here is some additional advice when it comes to networking websites:

*Manage your online image. Once you put something out on the World Wide Web, don't assume that people won't be able to find it. Internet content has a long shelf life and may even be searchable after you think it is long gone.
*Monitor the comments and postings on your profiles and the ones you leave for others. I read a story about an friend who posted the following on an employee's Facebook wall: "I had so much fun hanging out today! We need to skip work more often!" The employee's supervisor happened to be browsing her page the next day and discovered the comment!
*Google yourself- employers do! A recent study by the executive search firm ExecuNet found that 77 percent of recruiters run searches of candidates on the Web to screen applicants. Check to make sure that anything you don't want a company to see is not out there!

If you want to find more about online networking, check out these articles:
10 Job Tweeters You Should Be Following
Tweet Yourself to a New Job
10 Tips to Enhance your Job Search on LinkedIn
Using Twitter and Facebook to Find a Job

-Courtney H