SMU’s Hegi Career Center helps students ace the interview Monday through Friday. (SMU/Kelly Gilliland)
Upon graduation, many students at Southern Methodist University want to earn a job “with purpose and tangible daily progress,” says SMU Junior, Connor Flynn, who wants a job he will be proud of. Though he is confident that he can get a job after graduation, he worries whether that job will be a good one.
Everyone wants a job when they graduate from college. What most people don’t realize is how important it is to prepare each step to getting a job… any job. Before graduating, hopefully a student will have applied for 10-20 positions in his or her desired field. If they are lucky enough, some companies will extend an invitation for an interview.
From a survey of 1,200 students who graduated from Southern Methodist University, 65-85 percent report being offered a job or acceptance to graduate school within six months of graduation. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, approximately two-thirds of seniors in the class of 2012 expected to have a job right out of graduation. But now, times are looking bleak for college graduates, as Huffington Post reports that nearly half of recent college graduates are employed with jobs that don’t require a college degree.
If an applicant has been invited for an interview, the company already likes the person, and wants to know more about them, says the Director of SMU’s Hegi Family Career Development Center , Darin Ford. In addition to dressing well and speaking comfortably, Ford says that being prepared is perhaps the most important thing someone can do when going into an interview. An applicant needs to research the company and the people who are going to be interviewing them.
When researching the company, you need to know as much about its culture, competitors and partners. This way, during the interview, you can refer back to how well you know them and what they do. According to Ford, preparation is key.
When researching the person interviewing you, LinkedIn is a useful tool. “You’re hoping to gain more of a relationship oriented conversation with them,” says Ford, “so the more I know about you, then maybe I can pull you out of ‘interview mode,’ and the more I can pull you into dialogue, relationship and conversation.” An interviewer will be looking for someone with whom they have chemistry. You are interviewing to be part of their work family, and if you don’t get along, you aren’t likely to get a job working there.
Ford shares that it’s also important to be authentic and treat everyone with respect. An interviewer can tell when the person they are talking to is trying too hard and embellishing the things they say. Acknowledge and appreciate everyone from the receptionist to the CEO, because they are all potentially members of your work family. After all, you do want to get along with your coworkers, right?
It’s natural to get nervous when you’re interviewing for a job you really want. SMU first-year student Kathleen Bockman says she likes to “psych [herself] down” before interviewing, to “make the interview seem like less of a big deal”, so she doesn’t get nervous. Flynn uses humor to ease tension or anxiety during an interview, and advises having a really good joke to tell.
Selling yourself without bragging is a tricky line, Ford says. You need to tell the interviewer, “This is why I deserve it,” by highlighting your skills and attributes, and make them know you want the job. Ford assures that if you don’t stand out to the interviewer, or make them see that you are special, there will be no reason to be interested in you anymore. They are trying to find ways to shrink their pile of “yes applicants” and weed out anyone they can.
The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) did a survey of employers regarding universal skills exemplified in an ideal employee. According to Ford, you should be able to provide real examples of how you personify these five qualities, which can be summed up with the acronym, VISTA:
- Verbal communication skills
- Initiative
- Strong Work Ethic
- Team Work
- Analytical Ability
If an applicant shows that they have two or three of these skills, it would benefit him or her to weave them into an interview.
“Know who you are,” Ford says, “and practice how you’re going to say it.”
Have questions prepared to ask your interviewer. During an interview, potential employers will ask if you have any questions. Ford notes that if you don’t, it looks like you didn’t do your research on the company, and came to the interview unprepared.
Showing up on time or late is a definite deal breaker, informs Ford “This is a reflection of how you will behave when you work there,” he says. Ford advises applicants to arrive absolutely no later than five minutes before the scheduled interview time. Arriving early projects an overall organized and professional demeanor to interviewers.
