[CMacDaddy]

I've done interviews before, but this time I actually feel pressure. I need an internship this summer. I dont wanna be the senior with no experience hoping to get hired.

I've never been nervous about this kind of thing before, but now I'm dreading it.

I've got 3 interviews next week. Can anyone give me some quick advice about how to stay calm, what to emphasize, and what to avoid?

Is it neccessary to wear a suit? or would slacks and a tie be acceptable?

any advice is appreciated!

 

[viator122]

What kind of internship? If it's finance/banking, etc. definitely wear a suit, otherwise a sportcoat and nice slack are probably OK. Whatever you wear make sure it's tasteful and understated.

Do not wear cologne.

Arrive 15 minutes early with at least 2 clean copies of your resume.

Treat the interview, if possible, as a conversation about the job and what you'll bring to it, i.e. do not just answer questions with yes or no.

Relax, you'll do fine.

 

[grawk]

#1 rule of interviewing: don't oversell yourself. Be honest. If you don't know something, admit that. Be relaxed, because even tho it's the end of the world if you don't get the unpaid job, it's still just a job, and you could get work under a bridge for $5 for 2 minutes work, etc. Let your personality show, but don't try and overpower the conversation.

 

[gshan]

Also...remember people's names! It seems silly, but believe me it can cause some awkwardness and problems if one forgets. When you meet someone, repeat their name in your head and that outa do it.

-good luck man!!

 

[CMacDaddy]

thanks for the quick responses!

I'll work on remembering names ( gshan )

Try not to oversell myself (although on behavioral interviews, this would seem hard to do)

a few more details:
- these are all engineering interviews with energy companies
- one company said a suit is not neccessary and to go business casual (do i believe them?)


and 1 more quick question: wheres a good place to get a suit on quickly? Can they alter/taylor it there same day?

 

[wakeride74]

Always dress to impress, I'd recommend a suit for every interview.

Also remember you are interviewing them too so express your interest and ask questions! Stay calm and confident but don't be too passive or overly assertive.

Thank you cards should be sent out the same day to all that you met with.

Good luck!

 

[AlanY]

Except in the case where they ask you to wear business casual, you should wear a suit, not a sport coat and slacks. It's not inappropriate clothing, but the chances are that they're interviewing several people on the same day, and 85%+ of the applicants will be wearing suits. You'll stand out (in a way that could be neutral but may not be beneficial) if you're not wearing a suit. I did the business casual thing for an interview once and felt quite out of place among the other applicants. Not again.

If they tell you to wear business casual, you can follow their directions, but you may still decide to wear a suit.

 

[bobeau]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CMacDaddy - one company said a suit is not neccessary and to go business casual (do i believe them?)

Yes. I'm a software engineer and have conducted interviews. The few people I've seen come in suits were made fun of afterwards. Do _not_ dress in a way that you will never dress on the job; it makes you come off as phony IMO. Remember that 2 things must be accomplised - 1) you prove an aptitude at a certain set of skills and 2) that you will fit in and work well with the people on your team.

One trick I always do to take control of the interview (as an interviewee) is to discuss my opinions on techonology and industry and of course explain in detail the projects I've done which can be applicable to the job I'm seeking. I try to make every question an opportunity to engage in a 5 minute conversation. Try not to go too far off on a tangent, and if you do apologize with a sheepish smile - the reaction you get almost always is "no, no we appreciate your candor". When it gets to the point where they ask _you_ if you have any questions, essentially switch roles with them. Ask them where they see the company going, how projects are managed, what projects you might be involved in, how the work environment is, what happens during a typical day on the job. Also show that you've researched the company but try to do it in a sly way... for instance, talk about a product you might be involved in, but instead of asking for an overview ask about how one particular detail works - this communicates "I understand what you do, and I'm curious to learn the finer details".

 

[grawk]

How to dress for an interview is totally based on the corporate culture where you're interviewing. And where the company is. And what the job is.

 

[bobeau]

Quote:

Originally Posted by grawk How to dress for an interview is totally based on the corporate culture where you're interviewing. And where the company is. And what the job is.

Right - and if a company tells you to go casual, then do it. Always dressing to impress is silly.

 

[Wmcmanus]

I agree that you shouldn't try to oversell yourself, but if you're a confident person, this should come across. I think the key is to be yourself as much as possible and to be able to demonstrate that you're the type of person who would be easy to work next to and get along with. Being dynamic/energetic is one thing, but being "over the top" is quite another. If they didn't think that you would be capable of doing the job, they wouldn't be interviewing you, so what they're really trying to figure out is what kind of person you are and whether you would fit in with their organization. This is especially true of summer internships; they're not expecting you to be working there for the next 30 years, so coming up with the next "breakthrough" vision for the company's future will not be your immmediate task.

Learn as much as you possibly can about the company, as this shows an interest/eagerness, but don't try to "demonstrate" this knowledge in a way that is forced or doesn't fit into the conversation. What seems to work is a matter of fact approach, where they will immediately understand that you're demonstrating your preparation for the interview but won't be rolling their eyes and thinking, "Here we go again, another kid who knows everything..." Try something like, "Oh ya, I was reading about that on your website... but what I was wondering is..." in response to a comment or quesiton that an interviewer poses. This way you are showing respect for the flow of the conversation without trying to force anything. But always have a couple of company specific questions ready to fire off when they ask you, "So what other questions do you have?" The more you can show that you understand their business envoronment, and the issues they face, the better off you'll be.

Interviewing is kind of like going on a first date, but the advantage that you have is that you've seen the girl and know that you're interested in her. She hasn't seen you yet but has heard good things about you (i.e., like your resume that the company sees) so she's willing to give you at least one chance based on a recommendation from someone she trusts (i.e., like your references). You've got an entire life of stories to tell (some interesting and funny, and some that you would rather not tell her quite yet), but on that first date, she's not wanting you to "impress" her so much as for you to be yourself so she can see if she feels a connection to you as a person. So be yourself, but be your "good" self!

 

[Jahn]

interview aside, after it's over, write a thank you letter within 24 hours. it should spell out...

1)thanks for the interview, i enjoyed our talk about "XYZ" - it shows you were listening, and reminds the interviewer, in case they weren't listening hehe. you don't need to repeat your resume here, just emphasize things that you liked about the internship that you learned at the interview, and how you fit into that because of "ABC".

2)2nd paragraph should address all the stuff you didn't get a chance to say, and stuff you thought of later as a result of the interview. show them you do follow-up well, and are filling in the gaps and covering for mishaps during the interview. spotlight aspects of you that didn't shine during the interview.

3)a quick thanks and i look forward to speaking with you again. you can reiterate your interest in the position here as well "as a result of our conversation" but some folks see that as a bit too needy, your call.

 

[jjcha]

Only one way to get better at it. Practice. Practice with your friends. Practice with your career office. Practice with your dog. Make sure to ask yourself the hard questions, the ones that they will want answered from their perspective. After a dozen (and I do mean a dozen, 3 or 4 don't cut it, at least for me) practice interviews, the real one should be a lot easier and you'll have the confidence to implement everything mentioned above.

Anyway, lots of other good advice to give, but I find without practice it's hard to implement it.

Best,

-Jason

 

[Oski]

Really great advice already from all the above, make sure you take them to heart. The only things I'd like to add is that by the time they've scheduled the interview with you, they've already figured you are qualified based on your resume. So you should be confident that they thought you made the initial cut. Now you have to demonstrate personality and knowledge in person and to establish chemistry. You do this by making it as interactive as possible, feel free to ask questions as you go and get a better understanding of their perspective on the industry, the company, the specific group, their own background and experiences, and what they are looking for in the candidate. Imagine that you are just getting to know each other (but still keep in mind this is a formal meeting). This perspective will make you less nervous, make the situation seem less forced, and you'll come across as someone they'd like to work with.

 

[grawk]

It really depends on the interview. I've interviewed people for all kinds of reasons, when hiring. To see if they knew what was on the resume. To see if they were worth hiring even tho the resume was lacking. Or because they were the only people to apply, and we needed someone, and the only way they'd not get the job is if they were awful (they were). So always be prepared to be technically interviewed. Always wear a suit unless they tell you not to. Be prepared to ask a couple of good, well thought out questions about the job, be it work environment, company style, management style, something. If you don't ask questions, the impression is you don't care. Always seem like you have other options, even if you don't