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Topic: Interviewing -- Help?!
| Author | Message |
| redrosie | Posted – 12/8/2007 9:32:09 PM | show profile I'm a recent college grad still on that elusive hunt for the first job. I've had a few interviews, but no offers yet. I think what's holding me back is my interviewing skills. I have a great resume. I graduated with honors. I was editor of my university's paper and completed several media internships. I look great on paper, but I get so nervous at interviews. I stumble over my words and just generally don't feel very confident during the interview. So does anyone have any advice for aceing an interview? Thanks. |
| ferdinand | Posted – 12/8/2007 10:26:58 PM | show profile Hi redrosie - I can really empathize, I suffer from pretty severe interview jitters as well. In the past I've resorted to taking half a xanax before an interview, but I have figured out some things that have helped a great deal. The main thing - practice. I think that the best thing for nervous people is to be over-prepared. That way, you really are comfortable with the basics around presenting yourself, so you're grounded for when you have to think off the cuff. You can pretty much predict some of the questions you're going to be asked, so write them out and practice saying them. Not just alone, though alone is a good start. But you really need to see how your responses sound to an outsider. Have a few sessions with a friend who will give you honest feedback. Literally, ask this person to do a practice interview with you. If you have people who are in the types of positions that a future interviewer might be in -- editor friends, or even instructors from college -- ask them to do a mock interview. Figure out what your habits are - do you look down and pick at your fingers? Do you lose your train of thought? Do you just try to cram too much into a response? Another thing I did in my last round of interviews (which did end in a job offer) is have four sessions with a career coach. One of my professors recommended this when I consulted with him about the problem. It rocked. We talked about what exactly was making me nervous, and then we practiced, and recorded the practice sessions so i could listen to them later, and he gave me great feedback. It was sooo worth the money. Interviewing is a skill - it was great to find out that it's possible to learn to be better at it. Good luck... |
| foodlit | Posted – 12/10/2007 11:37:14 AM | show profile | email poster Redrosie, If you shoot me an email, I will send you my word doc on interviewing tips! These are tips that work, that I've seen over many years of working with candidates, preparing them for interviews and hearing feedback from the candidates and hiring managers on what does and doesn't work. Pam |
| jkdscribe | Posted – 12/10/2007 2:58:51 PM | show profile One thing I've learned... is to think of it this way. Keep in mind that you are both in the same field, you know a lot of the same things and for the most part run in the same circles. If you were to run into this interviewer at a bar, not knowing who they were until you started chatting, you would probably sit there and talk shop like old colleagues. So talk shop. There's no mental trick to it. Just remember the truth. This is what you do, and you're good at it. Go in there and talk, have a CONVERSATION. If you think you're the right person for the job, go in there with that in mind. |
