So you’ve graduated and now you have to step into the real
world. You have to be an adult and find
a job. Whether it be starting your own
business (in that case you’re lucky!) or applying to your corporate world
jobs. This is your moment to shine. I remember when I first graduated and it was
extremely hard to find a job due to the economy but I made due. Of course there would be a few things I wish
I would’ve known or understood better which is why I wanted to write this
post. When I first started blogging
again back in 2013 I wrote a post about how to ace your interview and I used
actual research and from my own experience at the job I have now. At the time I had only been working at this
job for about 6 months. Since then I’ve
gained a lot more experience with having meetings with both the CEO (even
though I didn’t speak at the podium having to speak from my seat was scary
enough!) and customers, and going to conventions which is
why I want to give some helpful pointers.
applying. You really need to know some
background information for the company you’re interviewing with. Before I started the job I have now I went
online typed the name into Google and started reading. I read their whole website then went on to
look at other websites. If I didn’t know
what something meant on their website I researched and this is how I had a gist
of what they do and where they come from.
It’s important to know about the company because what happens if the
person interviewing you asks “Have you heard about us?” “Why do you think you
will benefit us in this field?” “What interests you about our company?” If you didn’t do your research yes, you can
find a way to answer those questions without knowing anything BUT it’s more
impressive when you can say I find it interesting that you have developed a new
way to do (insert rest of the sentence here). It’s things like that that truly catch the
interviewers attention and makes you stick out.
true. You need to dress the part and you
will be taken seriously. Let’s imagine
something. Imagine you’re sitting in the
waiting room for some corporate company in NYC and you’re the only one dressed
in a suit and the other people are either wearing casual clothes or even worse
JEANS! Of course you are going to look like you really WANT the job because you took the time to prepare your appearance for it. Depending on the job try and
cover up any tattoos that you may have.
When I was interviewing I made sure all of mine were covered whether it
be by jewelry or makeup, they were covered! I actually still cover all of my tattoos just so no one gives me any problems.
initial last name not what your instagram name is for example!
interview. How do you think you’ll
benefit us? Why did you decide to apply
with our company? What kind of
experience do you have that can be used in your daily tasks? What interests you about this industry? If you have no experience they may ask you
what to do in a specific scenario so make sure to be prepared with whatever
they throw at you! Also, don’t talk too much about yourself. The person interviewing you doesn’t want to know that you have a dog and that you are their fur mama. Yes, that’s adorable and speaks very well about you as a person but they want to know facts like where you went to school what you studied and if you are a good fit for them. You can even practice with your parents. They are the most critical people you know so if they don’t like an answer they won’t be afraid to tell you and they will be able to HELP you figure out a way to have a great answer.
a few pens your phone and your ID. Make
sure you ALWAYS have a pen or two sitting in this. It reflects poorly on you if you don’t have a
pen, it makes you look disheveled and unprepared.
interview and their phone starts ringing.
I always turn mine off and used to leave it in the car until I started
needed some numbers from my actual phone.
Also, while you are waiting DO NOT take out your phone. Even if you see everyone in the office with
their phone out leave yours off and in your pocket. The problem with today’s world is everyone is
glued to their phones, you want to stand out.
Thanks to technology the younger generations have a different type of
communication and at times can be seen by adults as a weakness because they don’t
communicate in person anymore. I know I may be putting too much psychology into this but you never know, that may be what the interviewer feels.
isn’t a birthday party or wedding. BUT,
my professor told me a long time ago in college that this is the best way to
catch someone’s attention. The fact that
you took the time to thank everyone for the interview and their time is a big
deal. This makes you look sincere and
truly makes you look like you want the job.
person” attitude. Some people may not
agree with me but let me explain myself first.
You never know, that person waiting to get interviewed sitting across or
next to you may need this job more than you.
Maybe they worked harder, maybe they have more people to feed and they
lost their job, maybe they’re in the process of losing their home, maybe they’re
sick, and so many other “maybe’s” can be involved in this. It’s ok to be confident and say I deserve
this just as much as the next person but do not walk in there with an “I’m better than everyone” attitude, it will reflect in the way you handle yourself and the way you speak
whether you believe that or not.
Now, I hope this helped a little bit for those of you on the hunt for a job. If you ever need any type of advice or help I am more than happy to help! I know how tough it is out there, I mean I didn’t get my first “real” job for quite some time. If you really need someone to talk to right this second just email me at mejmoda [at] gmail [dot] com
If you missed the first three installments of the “So You’ve Graduated!” series please see below!
So You’ve Graduated! Mani Monday
So You’ve Graduated! OOTD 1
So You’ve Graduated! OOTD 2
