Tips To Make Your Interviews A Little Less Painless

Interviews are the most dreaded part of the job search (apart from, I would assume, the first day on the job).

Each interview will be different, and each person will be a different kind of interviewer, some are emotionless, others are talkative, others want to know you, while others just ask routine questions. You have to be prepared for any situation.

Here are some tips on how to prepare and what to do during and after an interview:

1. Practice: Ask people you know who have recently been on interviews what they were asked, make a list and bribe ask nicely, if they could ask you the same questions. However this technique would benefit you even more if you could ask someone that has a high ranking position at a company, or school, or who works in HR. But you can always Google some routine questions and ask yourself those questions in front of a mirror and answer. You'll probably feel like a crazy person talking to yourself, but I'm sure crazier things have been done to get a job.

2. Dress appropriately: Even if you know it is a casual work place, wearing that suit and going the extra mile, will definitely  make you stand out. Remember first impressions cannot be made twice. Make the first one count.

3. Have questions ready for the interviewer: From the many interviews I've had the pleasure to participate in, I have a few go to questions that I routinely use. Make sure these questions are relevant do not ask how old their kids are or how many years they've been married. Ask questions such as: "How can I become an asset to your company?"; "What traits do you think I will need to be successful in the position I'm applying to?", "What can I do to better prepare myself for this position?" (Such as extra classes, courses), "Do I need any sort of certification?"  You can ask more questions specific to your job title or industry at this point during the interview.

4. Get enough sleep/ eat a balanced meal: I know this was probably beaten into you during grade school, especially before tests, but thinking about the interview process as a test. Every thing you've learned is now being tested. And it definitely helps to get enough sleep the night before. Make up can only cover up so much, and if you're constantly yawning during the interview  it will make you looked bored/disinterested. You should always "put your best foot forward" -Yawning is not one of those feet, you'd put forward, just sayin'.   You may not have time for a full blown 5 course breakfast, but at least have something to eat, you don't want your stomach making all sorts of unearthly sounds during the middle of an interview...how embarrassing! Make sure to sit up straight and smile :)

5. Print out extra copies of your resume: It is a great idea  to have at least 1 extra copy of your resume handy when you show up to your interview, have 2 just in case you have the pleasure to interview with two people. Sometimes managers will send you to general managers, or you could be interviewed by two people. You never know. Make sure you edit, spell check and update any information on your resume at this point. If you can get a hold on "resume paper" which is a little thicker and has some texture to it, go ahead and invest in it, it sets your resume some what apart (and you need as much of that as you can get when there's 600 people applying for the same position).

6. Get there early: Allow yourself enough time, so that if you get lost you are still able to make it to your destination 30 minutes before the actual interview. It is a good idea to do a "dry run" and visit the place before your actual interview. Make sure you print out directions just in case you get lost, or have your GPS charged up and ready to go. Always make sure you have enough gas in your tank, you never know what may happen, and stand still traffic is common in large cities. Whatever you use, just make sure you're prepared.

7. Ask for their card: It's always nice to get a person's business card, they usually have all of their contact information on it. You can add that to your "I'm growing up and need to expand my network" card holder. You should name it that, it has a nice ring to it, besides card holders at Office Depot, Walmart or Target are all reasonably priced ($5-$10). They are really an asset when you're constantly meeting new people, especially those that can eventually find you a job. If you do not land the position, do not throw the card away either, this person will be a direct contact to the company for you if, down the line, you're still looking for a job.

8. After your interview: Thank your interviewer for taking the time to interview you and meeting with you.  Most companies will send your an acceptance or a "I regret to inform you," email or phone call after your interview process (although, when they will call/email is really hard to determine). Since you made sure to get their card before/after your interview, make sure you send them an email, thanking them for their time. This will allow you to keep in contact with the person if say, another position opens up.


My last and final tip, is this: Assume that  your degree means absolutely nothing. Each job has different requirements and ways they conduct business, all of these you will learn. Some jobs will have corporate training, others will have online training, and others have hands-on-learn-as-you-go training. I'm sure however, that experience in a field will fare much better than us entry-level newbies. Make sure you ask these questions, many will be answered for you by the person who is interviewing you or your employer, so that you have a clear idea of what you're getting yourself into.

We are all probably going to go through dozens of interviews before we find the right job for each of us. If you receive an offer that day, ask them for some time to think about, talk it over with your family, close friends, and or trusted mentors about the opportunity, tell them what you're worried about and what you enjoyed. They will help you make a decision, but remember, you'll be working there not them, and if you're not comfortable you can always say NO.

I hope this helps during your interview process.

N

Are Unpaid Internships Worth Your Time?

I have a Twitter account, as I'm sure millions of other people do. I use it mostly to keep up with current events around the world, and follow NY Times, The Economist, NPR, BBC World News, and many more to keep me up to date.

While browsing my account, I ran across this article, "Unpaid Internships Don't Always Deliver" in The New York Times, for those of you who hate to read, I'll sum it up for you:

It says that unpaid internships are on the rise, and though many argue they are a great way to gain work experience, it is not always the case. Because of the decline in paying jobs, and the increase of unpaid internships,  it has brought up a lot of questions about whether unpaid internships violate the law, since many argue that the positions available include only menial work, such as getting coffee or picking up dry cleaning.  And have nothing to do with learning anything valuable about the industry they're working in.

Recent graduates are now concerned that there aren't any viable alternatives, as "job growth is weak, and the unemployment rate for 20- to 24-year-olds was 13.2% in April" (which, for those of you keeping up at home, is more than 5% higher than the nationwide unemployment rate of 8.1% in April). 

The article goes on the explain that because of the "menial work" done at internships some interns have sued the companies, because they were not properly compensated for their work. Many argued that being and unpaid intern, just didn't give them the experience or tools they had originally thought the internship promised.

There's more, but that's the gist of the article. I do however encourage you to read the comment section of the article. Now, I wholeheartedly believe that when you start working, you begin at the bottom and work yourself up the ladder. This only  happens after you have you put in your time, sweat, blood and tears into a position and a lot of these people feel entitled to earn the same wages as people that have been there for years, and that's just not the case.

Now, I don't want this to ever happen to any of you, so I have compiled some tips to find out if an internship is right for you:

-Is the company reputable? Are they able to work around your school schedule? What is their mission statement? Make sure you know all of these, if they stand for something you don't believe in, why would you want to work for them to begin with?

-Most college departments have lists of companies their students have worked  for, if not, search your university's career resource center, they usually have internship and job postings.

-Find out whether or not there is a possibility to be hired on for a position after your time as an intern. Check to see what positions you'd be interested in working for that company, if that is a possibility.

-Make sure that the company you're thinking about working for is in a field you'd like to work for in the long run. You wouldn't want to waste 3 months in a field you absolutely hate.

-If it is unpaid, are there other benefits that come with the position, such as meeting people who could potentially hire you, or do they host networking events for their company, that you could attend.

-Use social media to find out more about a company. Sites such as LinkedIn, which are sites that connect people to their professional networks, are a great way to find people who are currently working at a particular company. You could ask them questions about their time at the company, what to expect or what you could do to potentially be hired. Twitter and Facebook are other such sites.

-Use your own family/friend network, to see if there are any positions available at a company. Family is (for the most part) always willing to help you out in your journey after graduation, don't feel ashamed or burdensome if you ask them for help. They probably did the same thing to find a job.

-Finally, always keep a positive attitude when you're looking for an internship, have faith (or hope or an open mind) that the internship or job that is right for you will eventually come along, but until then you just have to keep looking. 

I'd love to hear some of your experiences at an internship, or if you have any tips for those looking for an internship.

N

Recent Grads and Job Searches

My name is Nelda, I recently graduated from the University of St. Thomas with a degree in International Development and a minor in Economics. Fancy, huh?

So what IS international development? 

Great question! International development is the social aspect of international business. It addresses issues, such as poverty alleviation, politics and governance, economics, human rights, education, healthcare and environmental issues, that plague developing countries.

This wonderful degree, is not however technical by any means. Most of the courses you take are theoretical, and although you take some of the same classes as your BBA counterparts, its is (I repeat) NOT TECHNICAL.

So you're asking why does this even matter?

Another great question! Well, this is the reason for this blog: As a recent graduate from a prestigious university, I have yet to find a job that encompasses the qualifications of my development degree. Most jobs now-a-days (you know after the whole economy almost collapsing thing) are technical, business oriented, you know making money, which for the most part, are NOT in the business of making the world a better place. So far I have a $100,000 degree with nothing to show for it. I'm either over qualified for a position, or not qualified enough. And at times, I feel like a complete and total failure.

I wanted to write this blog to vent my frustrations in trying to find a job after working so hard to finally receive my degree. I wanted to do this to help those who are in the thralls of the job search, in the hopes that they can be reassured that they are not alone in this struggle. There are so many recent graduates in the same place, still looking for a job, feeling like a burden on their parents, or working at a menial job, because nothing better has come along.

I am fighting that same fight.

I hope that you continue to follow my blog, as I tell the blog world of my trials and tribulations in finding that perfect job, my daily struggles and about my life in general.

See you soon,
N