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Counseling News
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CAREER CLUSTER OF THE MONTH:
Learn more about this career cluster by visiting the Midlands Education and Business Alliance (MEBA) website.
Interview Tips for the First Job Interview
You may be in the market for your first summer job. It is more important than ever to exercise great practices during the interview. This is your chance to sell yourself. Here are some useful tips:
1. MAKE A POSITIVE FIRST IMPRESSION
Arrive at least 10-15 minutes early, make sure that your cell phone is powered off and out of view, and greet everyone that you see with a warm smile.
2. DRESS APPROPRIATELY
Consider the job that you are interviewing for. If the work environment is more casual, for example, wearing khaki pants or knee-length skirts and a button-down shirt may be ok. If possible, visit the location beforehand to see how the employees are dressed. Go easy on the perfume or cologne.
3. KNOW YOURSELF
Be in a position to sell yourself. Know what skills you have and how they match up to the job for which you are interviewing. Make sure that you include your natural strengths in the conversation. Be prepared to respond to a possible question about an area where you can improve.
4. RESEARCH YOUR EMPLOYER
It is a great idea to know key information about the company where you have an interest in working. Explore the company’s website, prepare good questions to ask then speak with present employees, and become familiar with the company’s mission and vision.
5. PREPARE YOUR “C.A.R Stories”
This is an opportunity for you to share a story about something that makes you unique, a specific skill that you can highlight that is in line with the tasks you will be required to do in the job or simply take just a moment to brag about yourself. You may share a story about an accomplishment that you did not mention on your resume. Keep the stories simple, relevant, and meaningful.
6. HAVE QUESTIONS PREPARED
Ask questions that are relevant to the tasks that you will be expected to perform. This is an opportunity to show that you did your “homework” about the company. Prepare two to three questions to ask the interviewers at the appropriate time during the interview. Be sure that you don’t turn the interview around to the potential employer by asking complex questions. Remember that the purpose of the interview is for the company representatives to get to know you better, hear skills and talents you will be able to bring to the organization, not the other way around.
7. DETERMINE "FIT"
Be sure to find out important information about the company including the hours that you will be expected to work, the goals for employees, lunch/break policies, and supervision styles. This is an opportunity for you to learn more so that you have the chance to determine whether the job opportunity is the right fit for you.
8. EVALUATE YOUR FEELINGS
Is this a place where you would want to spend the rest of your career? Do you see this job as a “temporary” stop on the road to the path to your destiny? It is very important to know why you are accepting the job if you make the decision to go for it.
9. MAP OUT YOUR FUTURE
Show interest in how employees are promoted. Ask why the position is open. Seek to know more about the company’s training policy and the potential career path(s) for the person that is selected for the job for which you are interviewing.
10. FOLLOW UP AFTER YOUR INTERVIEW
Send a handwritten thank-you note after your interview. Summarize your impression of how well you did in the interview; be honest with yourself about the things that went well and the areas in which you can improve. Reach out to the company after seven days if you have not heard back regarding a decision. If you were previously told that it may take longer, be patient. This shows that you were listening during the interview.