For my first career service event, I attended a seminar on how to successfully interview. Early on the seminar seemed like a re-run of information I've been taught for my entire life. Little things, such as dress code, attitude, and preparation were discussed.
At first it was a bit underwhelming, but as I pressed on Damian (the host) brought up some really good points that I wouldn't traditionally think about while interviewing. One of the interesting things was to Google yourself before you interview. It is known that employers may check your social media to see what you're like, but social media is only a small part of the internet. When you Google yourself you are seeing everything else that may be out there about you, which could be very positive but also very negative.
An obvious interview trait you should possess is confidence and doing your research. You should go into the interview with a pretty great idea of what the company you're applying for does. This will help in may aspects, especially in you're ability to answer questions intelligently.
Mock interviews are an important and useful tool in preparing for an interview as well. I had no idea that ASU offers mock interviews on campus, I think that's great. Mock interviews of any kind can help prepare you to answer open ended questions. In my experience, employers rarely ask yes or no questions, instead they focus on specifics. Tell me why you're qualified, what are you're best qualities, tell us a story... etc. When you go into an interview prepared to answer these questions it will go much smoother. This was something that Damian pointed out during the seminar that really hit home for me.
Another aspect that was interesting was the importance of a strong first impression. It's obvious that you should dress nice and wear clothes that fit, but equally as important is the way you present yourself when you first meet a potential employer. Smiling, showing good posture, and confidence are crucial.
The last, and potentially most important part of this seminar was the ending when Damian stressed how important asking your interviewers questions are. I always knew this was important, however I usually asked the same kinds of questions. Damian provided some great examples that will come in handy during the future such as, what's it like to work here on a typical day? and what has your experience been like since you've been here? Moving forward I will definitely keep what I learned here in mind for future interviews.
If you need to get a hold of Damian for any questions, feel free to email him and ask. He would be glad to help
dgudino1@asu.edu
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