Interview Advice 101

So, you have scheduled practice interviews with the Center for Career Development, utilized Interview Stream, and researched the company. You feel fully prepared...until you arrive and find 10 other students interviewing for your dream position. What now? Students tend to focus more on surviving the interview rather than strategizing on how to stand out during an interview. Here are some tips! 

1. Start off strong!  

Most undergraduate students tend to be nervous during the first few minutes of an interview and become more comfortable throughout the interview. By leading with a strong handshake and confident answers, the interviewer is more likely to remember you. Remember, first impressions ALWAYS matter.  

2. Highlight your experiences.  Undergraduates instantly reach for unrelated organizations or jobs to answer behavioral questions. Give yourself enough time to think about relevant experiences (related jobs, internships, co-ops, group projects in major specific courses, etc.) in order to highlight your exposure to the field.  

3. Be yourself...well the professional version of yourself!  

Websites and interviewing forums will attempt to persuade students to refrain from showing their personality during an interview. Although this is true in some cases, interviewers want to know who you are as a person and why they should hire you. Remain professional, but do not stage a false personality in order to land a job. Some of the most memorable interviews include students who are not afraid of showing their personalities.  

 

https://hbr.org/2012/09/stand-out-in-your-interview 

http://www.forbes.com/sites/lizryan/2015/06/08/how-to-stand-out-in-a-job-interview/#26e16b3a7a40 

http://www.theguardian.com/careers/careers-blog/how-to-stand-out-job-interview

Event Success

Event Success!

The Center for Career Development helps put on so many different events throughout the year to assist students in their professional development! We’ve had some great events this year and we’d love to share them with you!

STEM Career Carnival:

Here we have some Engineering/STEM students who are having a great time at the STEM Career Carnival! As you can see, after a day filled with speaking with corporate sponsors about fall recruitment, these students are enjoying sitting down and grabbing some well-deserved food that was given out at the Carnival.

Resumania:

In order to prepare for the upcoming job fair, last fall we put on Resumania, an all-week, multiple-location event, where students could come by and get their resume critiqued by our staff and receive job fair advice! Here we see two students taking the initiative and being proactive about getting their resume in top form before they show it to potential employers!

Corporate Info Sessions:

Throughout the year, many different corporate employers stop by the University of Tennessee to meet with students and make connections that lead to internships and full-time jobs! Right here is a particularly popular interest session with a consistent employer at our job fairs, International Paper!

These are just a few of the many events that the Center for Career Development puts on throughout the year. To see all of our upcoming events, you can check out our event calendar at www.career.utk.edu!

By: Sontoria King 

Success Story: Amy Huddleston

SUCCESS STORY:

Amy Brannon Huddleston

Amy secured an interview, and subsequently an internship, with TVA by using Hire-A-Vol to search for internships and schedule her interviews! Congratulations on the internship Amy! We asked her a few questions to find out a little bit more about her internship and how the Center for Career Development helped her out!

How have these resources prepared you for the internship, co-op, or part/full-time search process?

Hire-A-Vol allowed me to see all of the available internships that I was looking for in one place. I was able to submit my resume easily and was contacted by TVA to set up an interview for an internship opportunity.

What organization have you worked for or will you be working for and where?

I work for TVA in Financial Operations and Performance. I started my internship in June and will continue as an intern until I graduate in May.

What was you most enjoyable experience or what are most you looking forward to?

This internship has been a great experience, and I look forward to the possibility of coming on full-time at TVA after graduation.

Best of luck graduating this semester and going out into the real world!

Impact Careers Week

IMPACT CAREERS WEEK 2016

Are you seeking to make an impact on campus, in Knoxville, or in your personal careers? Join the Center for Career Development March 28^th - April 1^st   for Impact Week! These facilitated networking events are brought directly from employers and organizations who are apart of mental health, social services, environmental/sustainability, and non-profit organizations. You will have the opportunity to learn about career paths, volunteer, and internship programs.  Attached is a list of each day’s theme! The Center of Career Development welcomes you, and we hope to see you making an impact in not only your lives, but that of others as well!

By: Na'Sha Austin