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5 Easy Ways to Prepare for an Interview

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5 Easy Ways to Prepare for an Interview

  1. Give them something — You should always bring enough copies of your resume and portfolio for your interviewers. Ask your HR contact how many interviewers will be present. If you are uncomfortable asking or completely forgot, bring 5-6 (it is better to have too many than too little).
  2. Practice — I know you don’t like that dreaded “What is your biggest weakness” question, but being prepared for it is the easiest way to not choke.
  3. Study — Understand the company. Know its mission and department you are applying for. When they ask you if you have any questions, ask something like, “Do you think the company is going to try and pursue ___ market,” or “How is the company preparing to grow over the next few years in ____ market?” *Ask a question that shows you have done your research and informs you about the company’s direction & stability.
  4. Calm your nerves — Interviewers speak to nervous applicants all the time. Right before your interview, go in the bathroom and give yourself a pep talk. Do a “victory stance”. Personally, I work well under pressure. So, I put myself under pressure by telling myself that the only way they won’t see my nerves is if I don’t have any.
  5. Be Confident — There is a reason you are interviewing. You are one of their best applicants. They want you just as much as you want them.

Following these pointers will help you put your best foot forward during your next interview.

Keep Moving Fourward,
Ash

Easy Ways to prepare for an itnerview

Office Lens

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Microsoft lens has to be my absolute favorite app. It basically scans and interprets all kinds of documents. Office Lens can turn pieces of paper into workable documents or PDFs. So you can scan a form or document on your phone, send it to your laptop to work on it or work on it straight from your iPhone! (College tip, it can even understand powerpoint slides on a projector for when a professor overloads the slides)

The biggest downside of the app is when the page you are trying to upload contains images. The app tries to interpret them, but it usually ends up being scrambled letters. But other than that, HOW COOL? I love technology!
 
Keep Moving Fourward,
Ash

office-lens

Cover Letters: Broken Down

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Although cover letters are often intimidating– they should really be the easiest part of you application. They can become the “wow” factor in why you get an interview or the nail on the coffin when you don’t get a callback.

Cover letters can be broken up into 3 distinct parts:

1. Introduction— This will include the salutation, the reason for your application, and a snapshot into your experience and/or skills.

2. Relevant Materials— I usually break up this part into 3 past experiences, courses that I’ve taken, or skills that I have learned that would make me extra valuable in the position I am applying for. For example, if I am applying for a Social Media Internship, I would mention my past Social Media Internship, Social Media Marketing course, and something else varying on what else the position would entail. Each point should be a short paragraph, making the cover letter easy for the HR manager to read.

3. Closing— The closing part should be the easiest. I can be very simple: including a quick summary and “call to action” (such as “I look forward to hearing from you” or “Please call me so we can set up a time to speak over the phone”). You can also include other information such as your resume being attached, dates you are available (if this is important information), etc.

Important tid bits:

Headings should look like this:

Date

Contact Name (if you have it)
Position (if you have it) OR (Hiring Manager, Internship Coordinator, etc)
Company Name
Company Address

Signatures should look like this:

Sincerely,
Name
Phone
Email

Keep Moving Fourward,
Ash

 

Cover Letters

Resume “Need-to-Knows”

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The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
Resumes are the most basic part of applying for a job. They should, in short, show the hiring manager that you are the perfect fit for a job. Here are the major pointers to remember when writing your resume:

  • Don’t forget your contact information! Name, Phone number, Email Address, LinkedIn Profile link (you can customize this on LinkedIn!), etc.
  • Make it specific for each job you apply to

Use key words found in the job description

  • Highlight your relevant skills in a Skills section. Utilizing a skills section can keep the Experience section to the main tasks and projects completed during an experience.
  • Feel free to make it creative, but readable AND scannable for the companies that use HR softwares. (AKA use MS Word-basic fonts)
  • Spell-check and re-check! There is nothing more embarrassing or mood-killing than a simple spelling or grammar error. And trust me, anyone can make them!

Keep Moving Fourward,
Ash

Resumes good bad and ugly

The Beginning

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I am writing this blog for 2 reasons. One is for you and the other is for me.

I have applied, interviewed, been denied, and been accepted to various professional and casual roles throughout the last 3 years. I have gone through career programs, etiquette dinners, leadership conferences, etc. and have learned a few lessons about self development; I feel called to share them with whoever might be listening. This blog & database will be the very beginning of a brand based off of Personal & Professional Development.

Lastly, I hope this blog will challenge me. It will encourage self-development, better my writing skills, and help me get to know other forward thinking millennials– so feel free to reach out! I look forward to seeing where this journey will lead us.

Keep Moving Fourward,
Ash