What’s worse than sitting across a conference table with one or two people staring you down, interrogating you? Nothing.
There are a few things I dislike more than interviews– Monday mornings perhaps is one of them. But at the end of the day, it’s a necessary part of growing up (unfortunately).
Take these tips and go crush that interview. YOU’VE GOT THIS.
- Become interested
You can’t expect to land the job if you have absolutely no idea what you’re signing up for because a) it shows you lack interest and b) it tells the interviewers you weren’t prepared.
Enter the interview with a clear understanding of who this company is and what your intentions are. It doesn’t have to be a week’s worth of research. It can be an hour you set aside 2-3 days before the interview.
2. Prep the day before
Don’t leave everything till the day of the interview. I can assure you, it will make you more anxious than you already are. Instead, take time the day before to pick out your outfit, find your resume/portfolio, etc.
3. Dress to impress
First impressions are EVERYTHING. Make sure that when you are picking out your outfit that it is appropriate and correlates with the job you are interviewing for.
I once went to an interview for a entertainment agency and dressed in a neutral blouse, black sparkly flats and a statement necklace. Because the interview was in a more casual setting (Starbucks) I “spiced” up my outfit a little. Professional with a little bit of edge.
When I met the interviewer, I felt completely out of place. Wearing a hat sideways, with stilettos and a tight black shirt that read “Bebe” in sparkles, she looked like she came straight out of a 2002 Missy Elliot music video. I felt overdressed and knew from the second I met her this was probably not the job for me.
Just like I concluded that this job was not for me by the outfit, the interviewer can do just the same to you.
Another tip for dressing to impress is wearing a “conversation starting” piece. Early in 2015, I interviewed for a hotel and wore black flats with gold studs on them. The woman at HR immediately made a comment about my shoes and we talked about them for a good five minutes. It seems irrelevant but it’s little things like your accessories that will get your potential employers to say, “Oh yea, that girl with the sparkly shoes. I loved them/her!”and remember you again.
Here are a few of my favorite conversation starting pieces:
Chiara Ferrangi FLIRTING Slippers || ZARA Flat Shoes With Bow Detail
Giuseppe Zanotti Snakeskin-Embossed Metallic Leather Point-Toe Pumps || BaubleBar Majesty Crystal Bib
J.Crew Cluster Earrings || ZARA GOLDEN LEATHER BUCKET BAG
Kate Spade New York ® imagination monster hallie || BaubleBar Druzy Cocktail Ring
4. Print out multiple copies of your resume
The interviewer will most likely already have a copy of your resume but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Bring a few copies of it and put it in a cute folder/binder. That way if the interviewer brings in someone else to meet you (which in my case has happened EVERY single time) you’ll smile, take out that adorbs folder and hand them your clean, professional resume.
Poppin® Copper Soft Cover Folio ||Sugar Paper® Document Envelope
Kate Spade New York Bikini Dot Folio || Rifle Paper Co.® LIVELY FLORAL ASSORTED FILE FOLDERS
5. Be Yourself
Don’t oversell yourself or try to be something your not. How horrible would it be if you finally got the job, get there on the first day and they ask you to do something you said you could do but really had no clue about it?
DON’T: SAY YOU KNOW HOW TO USE THE LATEST VERSION OF PHOTOSHOP
DO: ADMIT THAT YOU’RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH IT BUT THAT YOU ARE WILLING TO LEARN.
6. Reconnect 
This is something I learned from a LinkedIn rep a couple of semesters ago and I can promise you it really works.
Her suggestion was to add the people that interviewed on LinkedIn a couple of days after the interview. Think of it as one last “Hey, I’m super interested in this position and I really want to work with you” reminder.
It just another easy and effective way to just get your name in there one last time.
x,
P.S.
Becky Diaries 