As the school year winds down, students are starting to think about their plans for the summer. Some play sports, some simply sleep and others find jobs for the first time.
The professional workplace can be an intimidating place for young adults. The lack of human interaction between kids and adults can set students back in job interview situations.
“If you’re thinking of arriving at your job interview and allowing the interviewer to call the shots, think again. Job interview success often means taking the initiative, according to ProQuest’s article “Job Interview”.
Job interviewers have questions that test the confidence and poise of candidates, such as: “Tell me a secret about yourself?”, “What are you least proud of in your career?” or “What questions did you hope we wouldn’t ask?”.
Interviewers are also increasingly using more informal, or open questions, such as: “What do you like about our company?” which doesn’t offer obvious ways to talk about your strengths.
“I currently have three jobs. Two of them are year round and one of them is seasonal. I was fourteen when I got my first job and I am still with that company,” junior Mitch Albers said. “My advice to give to students looking to get a job is look for something you want to do, but don’t limit yourself. There are a lot of things you can do out there and you might find something interesting that you didn’t think was interesting.”
“Mature job seekers need to act their age” states: Show confidence, interest, and alacrity. Have a pleasant, relaxed look on your face and focus on meeting your potential employer with a firm handshake.
During the interview, do not forget to smile, meet the other individual’s eyes and try to refrain from mannerisms that might connote nervousness or insecurity, such as wringing your hands, picking at the material of your pants or skirt, biting your lip, etc.–and you want the person to know you are enthusiastic about the job opportunity.
“I was about sixteen when I got first hired. My application was online and I was able to complete it without the help of my parents,” junior Austen Luetmer said. “I wasn’t nervous when I went in for my interview. I came in with my best smile on my face and my best handshake and I got the position. My advice to students is to not lie on your application. They will ask you about the questions that you answered.”
If you are looking for a way to better prepare yourself for a job interview, there are many helpful apps that can help you.
A Denver-based company “Tap to It” has developed a simulation of real job interview’s with their revolutionary new iPhone and iPad app called Mock Job Interview(TM).
This app has a compilation of some of the toughest, most commonly asked interview questions and utilizes the iPhone or iPad’s built-in video recording feature to capture all aspects of the user’s answer to each question.
“I currently have two jobs. I nanny in the summer time and I work at Bruegger’s year round on the weekends. There were some questions that I asked my dad about, but other than that it was pretty easy,” junior Kasey Reese said. “I had an on the spot interview when I told them I wanted to apply, so I didn’t really have time to prepare for the interview.”
“From Interview to Job Offer” says before you go into a job interview, assess your interviewing skills with some role play. Ask yourself: “What are my strengths and weaknesses?”
Work on correcting your weaknesses, such as speaking rapidly, talking too loudly or softly and nervous habits such as shaking hands, saying “uh” or “like” to fill in silences or inappropriate facial expressions.
“I am employed at Burl Oaks Golf Club. It is a seasonal job. My application was more via email. I just emailed a guy and asked him if he was looking for work over the summer and he said yes,” junior Duncan Marquis said. “My advice is to apply early for your job.”
The next and most important part is to evaluate your strengths. Evaluate your skills, abilities, and education as they relate to the type of job you are seeking. Look professional and serious at the interview, according to “From Interview to Job Offer”.