Allie writes:
I will graduate from college soon and keep hearing about the importance of gaining interviewing skills, but how am I supposed to get the experience without going on interviews? It’s confusing to me, and I’m afraid I am going to miss out on a great opportunity because of my lack of interviewing practice. Help!
The Career Doctor responds:
A few job-seekers are naturals at job interviews, but for the rest of us, the more experience we have with interviewing, the better we do. Unlike other job-seekers, however, you have a big advantage — you’re still in college.
Your first action should be to head directly to the career services office at your college and request a mock interview. Typically, one of the staff members will interview in the role of a potential employer and then critique your performance once the interview portion is over.
Next, most colleges have career fairs and recruiters visiting campus. You should find out when these events are happening and sign-up for interviews. Often the folks coming back are alums, and besides giving you an interview, some of them may give you some feedback on your performance.
While you are planning to do those two things, you should also be reading up on job interviewing as much as you can. Read up on strategies — the job interview is like a sales call, where you need to sell the prospective employers on your skills and fit — as well as familiarize yourself with typical questions that are asked at job interviews.
You’ll also want to be sure you have the appropriate wardrobe for interviewing. Ideally, you’ll have at least two suits for the interviewing process. If the suit is skirted, be sure to have the length of the skirt a conservative length — not nightclub length.
Finally, you can also ask others — family members, former co-workers, etc. — to also conduct mock interviews with you.
Looking for the best interviewing resources on the Web? Find them in this section of Quintessential Careers: Guide to Job Interviewing Resources.
