How to Ace Your Next Interview
Quickening heart rate, abnormal perspiration, butterflies in the pit of the stomach—and let’s not forget that weird phenomenon that happens when the mouth moves a mile a minute and your words slip off the tongue faster than your brain can process. These common occurrences are side effects of what is known as interview jitters.
Commonly, face-to-face interviews tend to last no more than 30 minutes. In that time, the employer is tasked with the responsibility of closely examining your character through a series of questions, prompts, and scenarios, in order to ultimately assess if you’re a qualified for the job.
“Tell me about yourself.”
A question so simple yet so loaded it’s hard to know where to begin.
A word or advice from LIM College Alumn Jessica Mackey: “Interviews are all about preparation and execution.”
Anticipation for the interview may actually be harder than the questioning process. Here are a few suggestive tips that you should not forget during an interview.
- Don’t forget to tell them how you’ve always shown signs of ambition. Those leadership badges in Girl Scouts didn’t earn themselves, and the number of cookies you sold each year displays some amount of talent.
- Don’t forget to tell them you’re a great a team player. Remember that time you went above and beyond to cover a coworker’s sick day, even though your nose was running like a faucet? Being a reliable worker, you sucked it up (literally) and got the job done.
- Don’t forget to tell them that your quick learner who’s prepared to take on any task, even if that means asking a stranger for directions. The first week of school was full of hardships, but hey, now you know how to successfully navigate the subway.
- Don’t forget to mention that you go to LIM College, where you study the business side of fashion. emphasis on the last part. Employers love college students who seems savvy enough to navigate Excel, that’ll for sure win you brownie points.
- Don’t forget to dress the part. Your outfit is a reflection of you, so come dapper in your Sunday best and leave a lasting impression.
- Don’t forget to smile, teeth and all. If your lip starts to twitch, don’t worry—that means you’re doing great. Have you ever heard the motto “fake it ‘til you make it”?
We often forget that “the only thing stopping you is you,” says Kayla Davis, an LIM student. To nail an interview, all it takes is thorough research on the company, a burst of confidence, and an aura of optimism.