| 20
secrets to win that first professional job | | |
| 12. Prep
for your interview. Some common questions: Tell me about your favorite
class and tell me about one of the jobs you had, says Robin Ryan, author of "60
Seconds & You're Hired!"
Especially important: behavior questions. Some examples:
Tell me about your worst boss; what's a problem you faced in the last month and
how did you solve it? What's a mistake you made on the job? The
trick to success: practice ahead of time, says Ryan. Brainstorm what you're likely
to be asked, what you might ask, what others have been asked. Write out the answers.
What you want to have: ways to concisely stress your top selling points and information.
Review, and edit until you have answers you like. One common
trick question: What's your biggest weakness? Two ways to handle it. First, come
up with something humorous, based on something that's not related to the job,
says Ryan. (i.e., "I'm not the person to fix the copier because I'm not all
that mechanical.") Or show a weakness you had but corrected.
Example: I was never good at this particular computer program, but I took a course
on my own time. Now I'm my office's point-person for troubleshooting the program.
The message: Here's a problem and here's how I solved it, says Ryan. 13.
Understand what "tell me about yourself" really means. "Nobody
cares where you went to elementary school," says Ryan. Before you go for
the interview, analyze the job. "Take five top selling points, your experience
and skills, and link them together in a couple of sentences," she says. "It's
your verbal business card. And it's very effective." And remember: You're
speaking to someone, so keep your tone lively and conversational. 14.
Don't dress casually. Even if casual dress is the standard, wear formal
business attire, says Yate. 15. Let
them know others will praise you. If you have strengths that others will
verify, mention that in the interview, says Ryan. Something like: If you talk
to my former boss, he'll tell you I'm very dependable, and I'm the one they always
called to fill in at the last minute, etc. 16.
Demonstrate what you can do for the company. What companies really want
to know: What can you do for them? Employees are "added
to the payroll to make a contribution in a specific area and to solve or prevent
problems in a specific area," says Yate. Show them how hiring you would make
their jobs easier. Since it's your first career job, you can't
sell your professional experience. What you have: an understanding of the industry,
interest, enthusiasm and motivation. Ask: What are the first tasks I'll be involved
with? What are the critical projects of the first six months? 17.
Don't bring up money. "Whoever mentions money first loses," says
Ryan. The danger: You're willing to take less than the company would offer. Instead,
ask the employer the range he's looking to pay. If he pushes
the topic? "According to (name of industry professional
organization), starting salaries are within X to Y, and I'm within that range,"
suggests Ryan. 18. Follow up with a
note. Hand-written, not an e-mail, says Ryan. Include a few points on why
you're the right person for the job. If it's down to two people, the note "could
swing it your way," she says. 19.
Be a graceful loser. If you call or they call and you find out you didn't
get the job, your response should be: Keep me in mind in case the present hire
doesn't work out. "You've made it so that I'm not embarrassed to come back
to you," says Ryan. 20. Focus
on the big picture. On average, "people are changing jobs every four
years," says Yate. In addition, they are also experiencing three or more
distinct careers in their working lifetimes, he says. The idea of company loyalty
that may have worked for your parents or grandparents has gone the way of the
eight track. "That means you have to think of yourself
as a financial entity: Me Inc.," says Yate. This job,
whatever it is, is just the first step on that road. "You're at the start
of a career," says Yate. "And a career is a marathon, not a sprint." Dana
Dratch is a freelance writer based in Atlanta.
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