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“College Savings Advice & Tips On How To Get A Low-
GETTING AN INTERVIEW
Getting An Interview
Once you have located some job openings that are good matches with your interests and capabilities, getting “in the door” to interview for the job is the next big hurdle. Here are some tips.
1. Many colleges have employers come to campus to interview students for specific positions. Make sure you sign up and attempt to qualify for as many of these interviews as possible. Even if you are not real interested in the potential position or employer, still sign up. At a minimum, it is good practice on how to interview, and will help you get comfortable with the interview process and differences in interviewing techniques. And you just might be surprised at what could be available from a particular company.
2. Before submitting your resume for a particular position, it is sometimes helpful to “customize” your resume for the particular job you are applying for. This is particularly true with any job objective you may include in your resume’. But, sometimes you can further strengthen your resume’, for a particular job, by emphasizing aspects of your prior experience and accomplishments that directly relate to the job opportunity at hand. Just make sure you are always truthful and accurate.
3. When submitting your resume’ for a position, you may want to consider including a brief cover letter. This provides you a further opportunity to customize your approach to a particular employer, as well as try to sell yourself by emphasizing your qualifications and traits. But make sure the cover letter is brief and to the point. And make absolutely sure it is professionally written and does not include any spelling errors or grammatical mistakes. Many a person with a good resume’, that met the job requirements, did not get an interview because a “harmless” cover letter came across as unprofessional and poorly written. Do not make that mistake.
4. It pays to be prepared before you undertake any interview. Consider the following:
a. Make some reference notes (for only your use) explaining in detail all the information included in your resume’. These are notes you should study to make sure you can answer any interview questions about your background and experience, in any amount of detail desired by the employer.
b. Make some notes on your strengths and weaknesses, so you will be prepared to answer the usual questions asked by the employer in this area.
c. Make a list (for your reference only) of all the ways you might be able to contribute to this particular employer.
d. Prepare a professionally appearing list of potential references that you can give to the employer if they ask for references. Included should be the reference’s name, position, company of employment and contact information, such as phone number and email address. This information can be left with the employer when they initially ask, or be transmitted to the employer shortly after the interview, if requested. However, before you include anyone’s name and information in a reference given to a prospective employer, make sure you ask the potential reference if using their name as a reference is OK. And make sure they will give you a good reference. It is also wise to contact references and let them know that you have given their name to a particular company, so they will be prepared to be contacted.
5. Often, before you are able to visit the company for an in-
