By Maria Neathery
Job interviews can be one of the most nerve-wracking experiences in one’s young adult life, especially right out of college. It’s not only time to whip out your best attire and your polished résumé, but to put on that charm and charisma that’ll help you not only nail that interview, but get the job.
People pour months into creating and developing a professional résumé, but how far can a résumé get you in the actual interview? Your future employers are looking for more than just a piece of paper that has your GPA and skill sets on it.
They intend to observe and ask difficult questions during the interview to see if you have strong communication skills, good eye contact and solid social interaction.
Additionally, you must prepare yourself mentally, emotionally, and in some ways, physically in order to be as equipped as possible.
Here are 5 useful tips to help you nail those upcoming interviews:
1. Approach Your Interview with the Right Attitude:
This is important like anything in life, but in a job interview setting, it could make or break how you perform in the actual meeting.
Preparing the right mindset means to have confidence days, even weeks, ahead of the interview date. This way you’ll have time to believe that you are more than capable for this job, and to convince yourself that you will nail the interview. Chin up and be confident in your abilities!
2. Your Handshake is the Real Window to Your Soul:
Your handshake says more about you than you may think and plays a major role in superb first impressions.
Believe it or not, your handshake gives off nonverbal social cues to the employer about how you may fit into their work environment.
You don’t want to have a weak grip because that may feel like a dead fish in your employer’s hand, which tells them that you are sloppy and have an I-don’t-care-about-this attitude. When you have a firm handshake, it says that you are bold and makes the employer want to know more about this confident person.
3. Honesty is The Best Policy:
Interviewers seem to always ask the “What’s your greatest weakness?” question. First of all, don’t answer with the overused “I work too hard” answer. That is not a weakness, and you know it.
Dig deep and even ask yourself this question before you go into the meeting. Analyze your weaknesses, and don’t be scared to speak the truth about them. Answering honestly will also show great integrity and humility to them, while showing the employer that you are humble because you shared your weaknesses.
4. That One Question You MUST Answer:
“Why do you think you are the best person for this job?” question is similar to the weakness question. It will be asked, and you can’t avoid it coming. Just like your shortcomings, lay out all of your strengths on the table. Having much more than one reason is an advantage because it doesn’t just clearly state the reasons as to why you are the best, but it also says that you put thought and time into this question.
5. Show Your Gratitude:
No matter what the outcome of the interview was, showing your appreciation to the person who took the time to interview you is memorable for them. Writing a simple follow-up email is fine, but if you want to really impress the employer, handwrite them a thank you card. Try to do it as soon as the interview is over that way you can remember more about the person, thus making it more personal.
Whether you have been through a job interview or not, they’re just around the corner for us college students and we better be prepared to take them on. Welcome to the adult world students and soon-to-be graduates; I know you can nail those interviews and get the job.
Maria is a sophomore public relations and music business major from Greenwood, Indiana.