For many college students, interviews can be intimidating. Drawing from personal experience, I find it stressful to think about the right things to say and how to market myself effectively. Regardless of how much practice one has, the process remains stressful and awkward. First impressions matter, so being prepared is essential to nail an interview and leave a lasting impression on the hiring manager. As a college student, it's crucial to market yourself properly to set up for success in the future. Based on my interviewing experience, here are my top five tips and tricks to create the best impression.
Research the company
Review the job description
Prepare speaking points
Practice typically asked questions with a friend
Have questions to ask
1. Research The Company Researching the company is crucial before heading into an interview. Having a solid foundation of knowledge not only enhances your impression on the interviewer but also enables you to strategically link your strengths and skills to the company's values. For instance, in my past internship, community engagement was a core value of the company. Armed with this insight, I tailored my answers to highlight experiences related to community engagement. Researching doesn't have to be a time-consuming process. Utilize the company's website and social media platforms. This typically takes me about 20-30 minutes to gather key information and jot down bullet points. Understanding these details will significantly boost your confidence throughout the interview.
2. Review The Job Description Before your interview, go back and review the job description. Compare job duties, education, strengths, and skills to your resume and experiences. I used this tip with my most recent interview and I was able to connect a ton of my experience to specific duties and skills from the description. It made it very easy to market myself and I believe it was one of the reasons I got my internship. You can even use the same language from the job description to describe why you are qualified.
3. Prepare Speaking Points You don’t need to prepare a whole script or write out your answers for an interview because most of the time, you won’t use all of it. Just having a few key bullet points for typically asked questions like “Tell me about yourself” or “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” is a great way to prepare. Most people already have a general idea of what they want to say by just using bullet points so this will make you more comfortable during the interview.
4. Prepare Typically Asked Questions With a Friend I’ve done this before to prepare for interviews and it has made me way more comfortable in front of the interviewer. By rehearsing it with a friend, you can work out the kinks, see what sounds the best, and you’ll gain more confidence the more you practice. Here are some common questions hiring managers could ask that you can practice:
- Tell Me About Yourself - What Are Your Strengths and Weaknesses? - Why do you want this job? - Give an example of where you've been able to use your skills
5. Have a Question To Ask 9 out of 10 times an interviewer will ask if you have any questions. Asking questions is a great way to show that you did your research about the company and that you’re taking this seriously. It’s also a great way to see if this role and company are a good fit for you. Here are some questions you could consider asking:
- Can you explain some of the day-to-day responsibilities this job entails? - How would you describe company culture? - How will you measure the success of the person in this position? - What departments does this position regularly work with?