Interview Tips!!!
Let’s be real: people who say they “love to interview” are lying. Ok, maybe not…but the majority of us do not spend our free time wanting to throw on our Ann Taylor suit and hit the hot seat. So, I am going to give you some of the tips that have helped me as I have interviewed for scholarships, campus organizations, jobs, and even medical school!
1. Do your homework.
It is always important to know what you’re getting into when you sit down to be drilled with questions. Before an interview, the easiest way to learn what the organization/job/school is all about is by finding their website. Most will have statements of purpose, values, a code of ethics, something of the sort that you can use! Know their values and relate them to your own experiences—the interviewers will love that you are interested enough to do your research on their establishment, and through your stories, you will show them that you belong there!
2. Know your resume.
You need to know every single thing that is on your resume…and more! With every single job, leadership role, research position, etc. you should have some personal stories/experiences of what it looked like on a daily basis, values and qualities that it taught you, or how you have grown from it. In other words, if it is on your resume, you need to have a reason WHY!!
3. Dress the part!
They always say “dress for the job that you want” which I think is true. However, you don’t wear scrubs to your physical therapy school interview…so that’s not always so helpful. It is most important to wear whatever is deemed “appropriate” for the interview, which will most likely be information that is given to you. With the criteria in mind—whether it be business casual, professional, or otherwise—have fun with it! Wear something you are comfortable in and that makes you feel like yourself. The last thing you want to be is so uncomfortable that you can’t think straight.
4. PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!
This is something that I only recently started doing because of virtual interviews, but BOY is it helpful!! Get some practice interview questions from a book or the internet (try not to peek at them before you start), record yourself on your computer or phone as you read, and then answer the question to the best of your ability. This will help you hear filler words you need to cut out (such as: like, um, so), it will teach you to look inviting, and it will simply make you want to practice more once you watch them. Warning, it is NOT the most fun thing to watch yourself answer interview questions but no pain, no gain!
Those are my BEST tips, I hope they help!
