2016-2017 HBCU Careers Magazine

HBCU Careers Magazine

Got The Interview - What’s Next

By: Jeremy Hodge Director of Career Services Alabama State University

Whether you’re interviewing for a full or part-time position, an internship and/or graduate school admission, there are seven steps one should take in preparing for the actual interview. These steps are in no particular order however are all important parts in preparing for your interview. The steps are as follows:

1. Select the appropriate business attire: (11/7) It only takes eleven seconds for a person to form seven perceptions about you based upon your initial introduction. Therefore, you must make sure that your total look is on point. Do not stray away from traditional business attire. Traditional business attire colors are blacks, dark grays and navy. Make sure that when you purchase or select your attire that the slacks/skirt and blazer are sold together. For example, when buying black, do not get a black blazer from Men’s Warehouse and dress slacks from Wal-Mart. Although items are sold with the description of being black, there are various shades of the color. Make sure to wear minimal accessories. Ladies no hoop or large earrings, studs are appropriate and maybe a pearl necklace. Your socks should coordinate with your outfit and your shoes and belt should match. You don’t want the focus of your interview to be distracted by your appearance. Force them to focus on your knowledge, skills and abilities. 2. Google a list of interview questions: This is a part of the practice piece. In any interview the first question asked is, “tell me about yourself”. Many individuals get this wrong. They go into stories of their personal lives when in fact, the employer simply wants to know about your skillset and how they can fit into their organization. Other basic interview questions are: (1) Where do you see yourself in five years? (2) Why should we hire you? (3) Name three strengths. and (4) Name one weakness. Now the fourth question is kind of tricky and most people could scare the interview when answering. Throughout my career, when asked this question my answer has always remained, “I am a perfectionist. The root word of perfectionist is “perfect”. So in the case of expressing my weakness, I am still explaining it in a positive way and subliminally letting the interviewer know about my work ethic, performance and efficiency in doing so. 3. Practice interview: Practice definitely makes perfect. Call a friend, a relative or simply sit in front of a mirror and practice interviewing. Your career center may have software that can assist you in preparing for your interview. Make contact with your career center staff to either utilize the software and/or schedule a mock interview. Most people don’t realize how much they talk with their hands or how much they say the words “like” or “uhm” and practice and feedback are both effective ways of improving your interview skills. This proper preparation will definitely assist in elevating your confidence level during the interview process.

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