Tag: Interview

Buon viaggio!

by Sue Russoniello

By the time you read this blog post, I’ll be in Italy for the first time.  Usually my preparation for a vacation means rushing around at the last minute, throwing in everything I think I might need, which means I over pack and/or forget something vital.  I have vowed that this trip is going to be different.  Since we’ll be traveling by train and carrying our own luggage from place to place, I’ve checked the weather, carefully considered the activities we’ve planned, and tried to line up a minimal collection of the right clothes and accessories.

As I started making a list for my trip, I thought of other aspects of life where I (and you) should make a concerted effort to plan ahead.  For instance, maybe your search for a summer internship, full time job or graduate school applications could use some tweaking. Perhaps you approach important things in your life the same way I pack for vacation — on the day of an interview you throw on a suit, grab your resume and rush out the door thinking you’re ready.

 

 

Even now my palms begin to sweat when I remember one particular interview I had many years ago.  When I got out of bed that morning, I discovered that it was snowing, and began to panic.  I not only had to dress more carefully than usual, but also had to find my boots.   Once I got out of the house, I discovered that traffic was horrendous, parking in the city a challenge; I arrived late, rushing up to the receptionist who was waiting for me.  She had to wait even longer while I awkwardly exchanged boots for dress shoes and attempted to smooth my hair, feeling discombobulated rather than calm and prepared.

You’ll not be surprised to hear that the interview went terribly.  I was so rattled by then, that when I was asked what my then boss would say about me that would make the interviewer want to hire me, (not a terribly difficult or unusual question) I totally froze.  Instead of having the composure to carefully promote myself, the few ideas I babbled about just emphasized my lack of readiness and self confidence. I was embarrassed and just wanted it all to be over.  On the way home I beat myself up with a dozen things I should have said, and tried to incorporate them into my thank you note.  But of course it was too late.  In these situations you don’t get a do over, and needless to say, I did not get the job offer.

So what should I have done differently? Why didn’t I plan ahead — listen to the weather report, lay out my clothes (including my boots and gloves) the night before and set an earlier alarm?  I should have anticipated the slow traffic and arrived with enough spare time to be able to organize my thoughts as well as my appearance.  Setting aside some time to review the job description, my resume and sample interview questions would have helped my chances of landing the job.   If only I had scheduled an appointment with a Career Counselor which would have armed me with the self confidence I needed to put my best self forward.

I encourage you to learn from my mistakes.  Career Services is open all year, even during the summer, so please call us for assistance with your job or internship search, or graduate school admissions process.

I realize that advance preparation for events, whether it’s a vacation or a job interview, is well worth the time and effort invested.  It usually leads to a better outcome, better feelings about yourself, and a much more relaxed and enjoyable journey.

Arrivederci!

Held Hostage—and Ode to an Interview

by Anne Guldin Lucas, CAS Counselor, Penn Career Services


In honor of my son’s 31st birthday this weekend, I’m sharing a family story with you. In the summer of 1997, J.T. and I got in the car for an eight-hour drive to visit colleges. Since this was The Dark Ages, a time before Blackberrys and iPhones, most families listened to music or books on tape (yes, tape) during long trips. Remember, though, I am Career Counselor Mother, so naturally I insisted that we practice interviewing. J.T. was filled with joy at the prospect of eight hours in the car with his mother AND practicing potential admissions interview questions with me.

J.T. fielded my questions more expertly as the hours passed, and we only missed one turn. (This was also the Time Before Navigational Systems.) After arriving on campus. J.T. went for the interview while I sat in the Admissions waiting room, reading glossy college publications. (Somehow we survived without Kindles and iPads too.) Eventually J.T. entered the waiting room smiling, followed by a laughing Admissions counselor. Apparently J.T. had told her, in amazement, that she had asked him the very same questions that he and I practiced during our long car ride! Viewed as a capable and forthright young man, J.T. was accepted to that college and enrolled about a year later.

That college trip was almost 14 years ago, and yet to this day, J.T. remains confident in his interviewing skills. My MBA son knows that if he can just land the interview—through the powers of a strong resume, sparkling cover letter, and all-important networking, he stands a very good chance of acing the interview and winning the job offer.

No, I’m not recommending that you schedule a road trip with me–although that might be fun. Rather, I do recommend that you take advantage of our many Career Services resources to help you polish your interviewing skills. Check out our web site. Schedule a mock interview. In case you haven’t noticed, we also offer a new interview practice experience called Interview Stream. You can find it on our web site, in Penn Link.

If you have a web cam on your computer, you practice interviewing on your own time and then email the interview to family, friends—or even CS counselors—for review. I’m offering a prize to the first student who sends me his/her Interview Stream session. Please remember that since I grew up and even raised children during the Dark Ages, I may not know what to do with it. However, I will give it a shot!

In the meantime, I’d like to propose another deal. If, in the spirit of Valentine’s Day poetry, I make a fool of myself by closing with a few common-sense interview tips—in verse, will you please join this blog by sharing your favorite—and/or most dreadful—interview questions and stories?

Ode to an Interview

Yahoo—an interview!
Do your prep,
Comb your hair.
Got a tattoo?
Cover up there.

Get some rest
To do your best.
Get there on time,
Keep answers succinct,
No need to rhyme.

Relax and smile,
You’re doing great.
Stay positive in all you say,
The “fit” is the thing
That wins the day.

Practice makes perfect
So make an appointment.
CS counselors or Interview Stream
Will help you achieve
The job of your dreams.

Now it’s YOUR turn! Please submit
those “unique” interview questions and anecdotes. Blog away!

Tweet Your Way to a Job

by Shannon C. Kelly

Are you on Twitter?  If you are, you may have an advantage over your fellow job seekers, or at least the UK’s Lancaster University Management School said so in a recent article.  The 140 character limit that distinguishes Twitter from other social networks has tapped into individuals’ talent for being succinct in their writing.  How does this factor into your job search? The bullet points on your resume, introductions at networking events, or answering questions quickly and concisely in an interview are a few examples of moments where you need to be brief.

Social media platforms like Twitter are great tools to utilize if traditional avenues are falling a bit short in your job search.  They can also be useful in not only building your professional skills, but showcasing them.

If you’re on Twitter, follow us for career advice – @PennCareerServ.

The articles that inspired this blog post can be found at:

http://thenextweb.com/uk/2010/07/01/twitter-users-more-likely-to-get-job-interviews/

http://www.myjobgroup.co.uk/media-centre/press-releases/twitter-users-top-of-the-pile-for-job-interviews.shtml

Curiosity & Careers: How Informational Interviewing Can Build Your Network

By Sharon Fleshman

Wherever you are in the career planning process, it never hurts to chat with people in careers that have piqued your curiosity.  Informational interviewing is a great way to build your network, gather helpful insight on a career, and receive advice on moving into that career.  Assuming that they don’t have major time constraints, most people are glad to talk about the work they do and offer their own perspective on what it takes to be successful in their field.  Why not schedule some interviews during the summer?   Here are some tips to get you started:

1) Be open to the many opportunities to engage people.

You may want to start with Penn alumni, who are generally happy to help.  The Penn Alumni Career Network (PACNet) was designed expressly for the purpose of facilitating informational interviews. The alumni advisors have volunteered to speak with Penn students and other Penn alumni, so don’t be shy about contacting them. You can also identify alumni with careers of interest by way of LinkedIn alumni groups and Penn Regional Alumni clubs.

Don’t feel like you are limited to alumni.  It is often tempting to overlook those closest to you, such as family, friends of the family, and relatives of friends.  If you have a summer internship, check with your supervisor to see if you can sit down with managers and other employees who are working in other areas that interest you.  Peruse the website of an organization that you respect and see if you can locate staff biographies and identify those doing work that you could see yourself doing in the future; if any Penn alumni are working there, all the better.

Once you develop a list of potential contacts, send an e-mail message introducing yourself and stating how you became aware of the person’s work.  Mention that you have developed an interest in the contact’s career field and that you would like to talk with him/her for 30 minutes to glean insight and advice.  Informational interviews can be conducted by phone or in person, depending on what is most convenient.

2) Prepare well.

Once the informational interview is scheduled, make sure to read up on basic information about the career field as well as the organization at which your contact works.  Good preparation is key to asking thoughtful and focused questions that spark informative and engaging conversation and leave a great impression.  Helpful sample questions are available on the Career Services website and career counselors are available to help with preparation. Though you will not be going to a job interview, professionalism is still important. If you are meeting your contact in person, be clear on what attire is appropriate and where the contact’s office is located. If you are talking over the phone, you should be in a quiet place during the interview.  Be sure to send a thank you note after the interview, and keep in touch periodically.

3) Respect the boundaries.

It is crucial to remember that an informational interview is neither a job interview nor the venue to ask for one.  The purpose of an informational interview is to gather information and advice as well as more networking contacts.   That being said, a contact who is very impressed with you may choose to offer additional job search assistance at his or her discretion.

4) Enjoy!

Informational interviewing allows for an intentional conversation where there is relatively little pressure to convince someone that you are totally committed to a given career or the best fit for a job.  The process offers a great opportunity for you to learn from another’s experiences and get clarity regarding your own career goals. It can be one of the more enjoyable aspects of networking, even for those who typically see networking as a daunting task.

Recruiters reveal their deal breakers

I am old enough that most of my friends have become bosses in their jobs.  So, they make decisions about who will work for them.  Recently, I got to learn more about what they consider to be deal breakers in a job application. Here are four of them:

– Deal breaker: Resumes longer than one page. This is a bigger issue for the corporate employers than the nonprofit employers.  To be safe, keep your resume to one page at least until you turn 30.  If you need help choosing what to include on the resume, meet with a career counselor in Career Services.  Exception: resumes for positions in the federal government are often 2-3 pages long because they require more detail.

– Deal breaker: Not showing understanding of what the job entails. Apparently, employers can spot generic cover letters in 10 seconds and eliminate a quarter of applications this way.  How to get your application to the “interview” pile?  Write to the employer about the job and how you will use your skills and experiences in the position.
– Deal breaker: Apologizing for not being able to do the job. I come across phrases like this a lot in cover letter critiques: “While I don’t have a lot of experience in the field, I ….”  Since you’ve only got a page to cover a lot of ground, focus on what you have done and what you can do.

– Deal breaker: Not dressing up for an interview. It seems obvious that we should wear a suit to a job interview, yet Penn grads have reportedly shown up for an interview at a nonprofit organization dressed in khakis and polo shirt. It did not make a good impression with the interviewer, who had already interviewed three suited-up candidates that morning. Lesson learned: Score some easy points by dressing the part.

I hope that by sharing these insiders’ tips, you will avoid some common job search mistakes.  Good luck!