Sadly, graduation is upon us. Although we can bury our heads in the sand for the near future and pretend that we don’t have to worry about being a grown up, at some point or another we will all have to join the real world and attempt to become a functional member of society. So to help you prepare, the good folk of SCAN have put together some top tips to help you survive the imminent dreaded job interviews and take you one step closer to being an actual ‘adult’.
Dress for the job you want
There’s always a lot of discussion as to what one should wear for a job interview, especially when hideous terms such as ‘smart casual’ and ‘business attire’ are thrown around. As the saying goes, ‘dress for the job you want, not the job you have.’ Unless the word ‘casual’ is specifically mentioned, go for a suit – always go for a suit! Men you can always take your tie off and girls a suit jacket over a dress is a good idea just in case. They’d rather see you a tad overdressed than looking like you’re auditioning for TOWIE.
Have some water
When offered a drink, it seems to be a natural instinct for us Brits to politely shake our head and claim that we aren’t thirsty (even if we are). This is then followed by spending the next hour eyeing up the iced water, which we do not take in case we are perceived as liars. However, in this case, take a deep breath and if they offer you a drink take it! You don’t want to be gasping for breath and croaking like a frog half an hour into the interview, it doesn’t quite scream ‘hire me I’m capable of social interaction without choking!’
Go in for the handshake
The handshake is another awkward British social convention that can be quite traumatic. Do you put your hand out first? Do you wait for them? If you’ve already met are you meant to kiss them? If they go in for the kiss which way do you turn your head? It’s distressing just to write, so stick with this rule – if you talk first introduce yourself and stick your hand out confidently, then sit down politely even if an overzealous interviewer has just shattered your hand bones.
Be prepared
Not in the daunting manner that Scar sings at his army of hyenas in the Lion King, but a similar sort of sentiment. For the love of everything that is good; make sure you know your stuff, don’t leave any stone unturned, research the company and everything they do, and make sure you know what job you are applying for! I interviewed for an internship within the licensing division of an entertainment company and the first task was to write all we knew about the company and only three out of 20 people survived that round!
Someone is watching
Don’t be fooled if they say something along the lines of ‘you aren’t being marked/ judged for this’. Every second of every day you are being judged, so don’t call your friend giggling about the hot human resources guy or kick your shoes off whilst you wait. Be on your guard, think of it like being a ninja in a suit, you never know when the enemy are going to attack!
Trust your gut
If you get bad vibes then don’t go for the job. If you can’t answer the question ‘why do you want the job?’ with an honest enthusiastic answer, then it’s probably not a good fit. Don’t ignore your gut, if the people interviewing you are rude chances are the rest of the place is too and if the job sounds dull it won’t magically get better upon arrival. In the words of Olivia Pope ‘trust your gut because it’s usually right’.
So there you have it. Good luck with interviews and becoming a functioning member of the real world. Dress smartly, do your research and break a few social conventions and you’re already halfway there.
