Hey Guys,
Hope all is well! Last week we talked about resumes and cover letters. You all had some great questions and some even better answers to our questions. You all really showed how valuable you are going to be to your employers one day, and hopefully this class will help you to refine your skills. Hopefully, you all now know how crucial it is to not only have a resume and cover letter, but also extremely important to make sure yours is well put together and as informative as possible. This week we’re going to be taking the process of a little farther.
So what happens after you’ve submitted your resume/cover letter and your potential employer likes what they see so far? That’s right, interview! This week we’ll be talking about interviewing, networking, and the follow-up.
So now imagine this situation. You’ve found a job your interested in getting, and you’ve submitted your resume/cover letter. Then a few days later you receive a phone call from the employer and they tell you they’re are interested and want you to come in for an interview. Now what? Think about these question real quick and see how many you know the answer to.
_What behaviors should you avoid during an interview?
_Which topics should you avoid sharing during an interview?
_When is the time to talk about salary?
All of these questions are very important and if you equip yourself you’ll do just fine. However, if you had a hard time answering any of these questions, you’ll want to be sure to check out the UCF career services website. As Krista pointed out last week, the career service website has a ton of helpful resources. This website can help with the interviewing process by offering online resources to help teach you how to have the perfect interview. This website also allows you to schedule practice interviews with UCF staff or employers of actual businesses who have partnered with UCF to help students learn to make the most of the interviewing process. These practice interviews allow you to become familiar with commonly-asked questions and to receive feedback about your interviewing style. You can check this website out here:
http://career.ucf.edu/Students/Undergraduate_Students/Prepare_To_Interview/Practice_Interview_50_198.aspx
After you check out the UCF career services website a little bit and see what it has to offer, I’d like for you all to try taking part in the perfect interview exercise. This is a simple way to have a mock interview right now. I remember being in your shoes and after taking the interviewing exercise, realizing how just how unprepared I really was.
So maybe some of you have already been in several interviews and are used to that type of environment. You’ve taken the exercise and breezed through it. Or maybe you didn’t. Maybe it was a real challenge and you feel a little overwhelmed right now. It’s OK! Don’t be discouraged. It gets easier and just like the saying goes, “Practice Makes Perfect.” No matter what your situation, I’d like for you guys to reply to some of these questions below. When your finished please take a brief moment to add to your questions by sharing any tips or techniques you have used or heard about for remaining calm in an interview. We can all work together as a team, and help each other to learn and grow.
_What makes you nervous about interviews?
_How will you explain your Interdisciplinary degree in the interview?
_What are the different types of interviews you could come across?
_When and how do you follow-up after an interview?
I hope this exercise and information was helpful to all of you, and I wish you all the best of luck with your future interviews.
_Preston
1. The only thing that makes me nervous about the interview is that I don't know who I will be talking to. First impressions means a lot I always get tongue tied since I don't know the person I'm meeting.
ReplyDelete2. I will explain my degree by saying my degree is designed for my major journalism but it also gave me a chance to minor in something else that lets me add another skill that can pertain to this postion.
3. I believe we can come across group interviews or just nromal interviews.
4.I usual call with in four days if not the week afterwards to see what their decision was.
My trick for interview is have a mock interview with your family or friends. If you know you have a interview within two days get started right after you get the phone call. I use to wait to pick the right outfit out so I usually pick that out right than also because it use to stress me out.
Whitney,
DeleteNo knowing who you will be talking is of course very nerve racking. But think about an interview as a conversation. You’re not necessarily trying to sell yourself but you want to be yourself because they are trying to get to know who you are as a person and how well you will fit in to their company. So just be yourself and prepare before the interview and then everything will work out. And calling the interviewer is a great idea. At the end the interviewer will ask if you have any questions and I make it a point to think of questions to ask them to show that I’m interested. One of the questions I ask is when we find out if we get the job and if I don’t hear back from them that day, I call back the next day. I always send a thank you email for interviewing me also. It’s a great habit to get into.
Ismael
Whitney, I agree that interviews can be very overwhelming. I myself have only been in three and never did very well. That said, I would highly suggest utilizing the career service website. I hope you were able to do the perfect interview exercise. It was that which helped me to get better at interviews.
DeleteWhitney,
DeleteI also find that I tend to get tongue tied in interviews, especially going in not knowing who i am interviewing with! Its best to think before you answer, this helps with my speech. I'm sure it will get easier when we are more experienced!
1.)The thing that makes me most nervous about an interview is the anticipation leading up to it. People often create all of these scenarios in their heads and it really affects your preparedness for the interview. It is like my dad always says, "The anticipation is always the worst part of an interview."
ReplyDelete2.) I would tell the interviewer about my areas of study, why I chose them, and how I am able to draw on the various knowledge I have gained to solve multiple problems that others who focused solely on one discipline might not be able to.
3.)There are single interviews, group interviews, and interviews that happen in steps (i.e. you may have one interview with someone and then be called back to have an interview with someone else).
4.) I generally wait a week and if I do not hear from them after that I will give them a call or send an e-mail depending on their preferred means of communication.
My number one tip for having a great interview is to not project about what could happen. Once you start psyching yourself out you are in serious trouble. Be confident, not cocky, and sell yourself in the best way possible to them.
Robbie,
DeleteI agree with you. More than selling yourself, I think interviewees should be themselves and let the interviewer get to know a little bit about yourself. I feel that everyone today gives out cookie cutter answers and I think an interviewer would really appreciate the honestly and ginuineness.
@Robbie- I agree with you I think just sitting there waiting makes me anxious. I rather right when I get there like 5 minutes before or on time they make me sit there and wait. I hate that feeling.
DeleteYes if you come late to an interview they think you do not care and you are not taking the job seriously so you have to come in and sit and be nervous about the interview and sometime come to find out you did not get the job or some cases you did get the job
Delete@Robbie- I also get nervous with the antcipation of an interview. I know exactly what you mean about make scenarios in your head i do that to. I try to stay as calm as possible but it is really nerve wracking!
Delete1.The part that makes me nervous about interviews is the first impression and the overall anticipation of the interview. I know that interviews are a way of selling yourself as the best fit for the job. I want to make sure that I am marketing myself and being real instead of telling them what they want to hear. Finding that balance of marketing myself vs what the position requires is key.
ReplyDelete2.I would explain ach aspect of my degree and then explain how it allows me to utilize different subject areas to broaden my understanding of topics and come up with diverse solutions.
3.You can come across a one on one interview, group interviews, phone interviews, panel interviews and even interviews over a meal. The concept of the phone interview makes me nervous.
4.I usually allow one week prior to contacting them to check on the status of the interview and employment.
I really like your method for explaining your degree. Often times the best way to do that is by giving examples. I've done that several times as well. People can relate better to examples rather than fancy definitions. That's a very good approach.
Delete@Ashleigha- I never knew there was a thing called panel interview. I actually love phone interviews due to the fact I'm surrounded by my family and I feel less nervous unlike me meeting somebody face to face for the first time.
Delete1) You shouldn't seem shy...get out there give them a firm handshake, look them in the eye and tell them why you're the man/woman for the job. Don't seem fidgety or nervous...or unsure. Say everything matter-of-factly and answer all questions to the best of your ability. Answer all questions to the best of your ability and if you are unsure, don't show it, just let them know that you accept that as fact; end of story.
ReplyDelete2)Share how your unique experiences will make you a valuable asset to the company. Tell them about leadership roles you have undertaken, and a lot of cause and effect (I did X which was directly responsible for increases in Y.) Tell them the things you have researched about their company and why you are a good fit for it.
3)Talk about salary after you have discussed all of your strong points and you have gotten closer to the end of the conversation....I think that you should request the higher end of the pay scale to show them that you are really worth that.
4)follow up after a week or so to find out why you weren't contacted. Also, I would strongly consider this when deciding if the company is right for you...if they wanted you and didn;t contact you, what other problems are there beneath the surface?
ReplyDeleteI like that answer, Also yes doing some research is always good because sometime we apply for a job and it was not the best job to apply for in the first day so trying to see if it was the right company for you is a good thing to look at also
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWhat makes you nervous about interviews?
ReplyDeleteWhat really makes me nervous about an interview is when I have the interview think I did fine and come to find out I did not do as well and then I do not get the job. Or that simple fact that I do not know what kind of questions I may get you can do a mock interview all day but some employers will ask you random questions that you least expect.
_How will you explain your Interdisciplinary degree in the interview?
They way I would explain my degree is that I got to this degree because I have may interests and I have to majors and a minor which makes me more resourceful and knowledgeable about many different concretions.
_What are the different types of interviews you could come across?
I could get one for a law school, I could get one that helps me get a job at a law firm, or a job in a highly rated business.
_When and how do you follow-up after an interview?
In my opinion if the employer says I will be in touch after a week let a week go by then call to see what is going on and see if you were offered a position do not harass the employer.
'Wilkena
I get nervous when I'm asked a question I have no idea what to answer with. other than that I'm good
ReplyDeleteTo explain the inderdiciplinary degree is just to talk about the two (or more) focuses you have. I don't see to much complication beyond that.
You follow up with an interview when you haven't heard back from them when they say they were going to. Call them after a couple days to give them time. You need to let them know your really interested in the job.
Shane,
DeleteI am right there with you! I am so nervous that I will look like a dork if I don't know the correct answer. I agree that you call after a good amount of time has passed and the company has yet to get back to you.
1. What makes me nervous is how to properly answer their questions. What if I answer wrong and it totally destroys my chance at a job with their company!
ReplyDelete2. I am not worried about explaining my degree. I have already done so. I always say that I am studying Interdisciplinary Studies which allows me to study Public Relations, Advertising and Film at the same time. This way I am not in 2 different schools of study and get to focus on all my passions.
3. Phone Interviews, online interviews, face to face interviews, Skype interviews.
4. I follow up after an interview if it has been more than a week and I still haven’t heard from the employer. I call and
@lauren- i have never heard of a skype interview. that would be stressful for me. It would make me nervous to have to think about the interview and make sure the technology is working they way it should. I am a nervous nelly so the fact that i would have to worry about the skype connection that would stress me out even more.
Delete