Interviews

I am currently in Chicago interviewing with a couple companies for a summer internship. By no means am I a veteran interviewer, which if I was would probably just mean I have been turned down that many times, but one thing I have definitely learned quickly is that it is best to prepare. I am only posting on this subject because it is fresh in my mind but here are my five tips to a succesful interview.

1. Do your research. Don't just know the company and position you are interviewing for, KNOW the company and position you are interviewing for. Why are you interested in the company and why do you want this position. How will it effect you long term, short term, what do you expect to learn.

2. Have a story. What makes you so special? Give them something that will make them remember you 30 minutes after you leave the room. The very beginning is probably the best time to tell it so they are engaged with you the rest of the way. Don't make anything up either, it could come back to bite you if you rattle off some tale of being a marathon runner and your target mark is 2 hours and 30 minutes. If that was the case you'd probably be training for the Olympics and not interviewing for a job.

3. Ask questions. After they are done interviewing you and ask if there are any further questions, think of it as your opportunity to interview the company. Most likely they will see it as a sign of your interest and make note of it. Make sure you get all of your questions out. I have an offer for an internship and I forgot to ask if it is paid, usually a large part in the decision making process.

4.Explore the interviewers background. How and why did they end up where they are now, and maybe even their interests outside of the job. Not only will it give you insight to the environment you might be working in but also give a sincere component to the interview. Maybe you can relate with the person and as with tip 2, they will remember you the next day.

5.Be humbly confident. Know your strengths and don't be afraid to admit them. Also, know your weaknesses and don't be afraid to them as well, so long as you can elaborate on what you can and plan on doing to strengthen them.

Well with those 5 tips and 50 cents you can buy yourself a bag of chips. Maybe this post is more of a reminder to myself than anything else. Writing something down usually translates to memory much better than just thinking about it.