Interviewing — Joyce’s Career Tip of the Week

The Fulton Schools Fall 2018 Career Fairs are over. Now, companies are doing first round interviews. Job seekers can never be over-prepared for an interview. As an applicant, you need to know about the company, the industry, the position and yourself.

There are two databases on the ASU Library webpage that are excellent sources for business information. Make time to think about and decide what you want to say about yourself. Reflect on and analyze your technical projects, team and leadership experiences, and the challenges you have overcome. Consider your core values and your personal goals, so that you will be able to articulate, convincingly, why you are a good fit for the organizations you chose.

Many engineers and other technical professionals cringe when they are told to “sell yourself” in an interview. Probably, because the image of a pushy (and maybe even shady) salesperson comes to mind. If this is your reaction, it’s time to change your thought process!

Your job is to present the data that best describes Situations, Tasks, Accomplishments and Results. Make your STAR stories convincing and compelling. When you are making your list of what you plan to talk about in an interview, always evaluate your choices based on how well they highlight the contributions you can make to the organization.

Interviewers will be looking for self-confidence. Interview preparation and practice are critical for you to project the proper can-do attitude. However, there is a difference between self-confidence and arrogance. Read the following articles for more about confidence versus arrogance.

• How to Be Confident – Not Arrogant – In a Job Interview
• The Secret to Being Confident (Without Being Arrogant)
• Confidence vs. Arrogance: How to Strike the Right Balance

Finally, put yourself in the position of the recruiter or hiring manager. Review your plan. Check to see if there are things that you want to add, delete or change.

 

Joyce Donahue is a Certified Career Counselor who works in the Fulton Schools Career Center.