I've got a huge interview on Friday for my dream job so I was looking for interview advice in The Lounge. It made me realize I'm not nearly prepared enough! I don't know what I should learn about the company before the interview, I can't think of anything to ask them, I'm terrible with behavioral interview questions, apparently I don't have the right type of suit for the interview and to be honest I can't think for the life of me what technical questions they would ask or how I could even answer about my technical skills. It is somewhat of a working interview and my suit only looks decent for an hour or two before everything comes untucked and I start sweating through undershirts and looks like shit. My car is messing up, I can't afford to fix it, hopefully it'll make it the 100 miles to the interview. FUCK!

/blog

2/24/2010 12:55:15 AM

YOU CAN DO IT!!

2/24/2010 12:55:56 AM

words

2/24/2010 12:55:58 AM

ibtoutsidesalesspeech

2/24/2010 12:56:27 AM

YOU CAN'T DO IT!!

Fixed it for you.

2/24/2010 12:57:15 AM

YOU CAN DO IT!!

2/24/2010 1:01:01 AM

Good luck sir

2/24/2010 1:02:12 AM

Thanks, I hope so. Its a company I'm very familiar with, but when I try and think what I know about them I can't come up with anything to say, honestly. I can't even think of any questions to ask!!

2/24/2010 1:03:01 AM

I'd suggest questions but they'd be generic since idk what specific company this is for. Additionally, if we did get specific wouldn't that defeat the purpose of you asking the questions :p

2/24/2010 1:06:54 AM

From their perspective, yes. from mine, no. The company is Mountaire if any of ya'll know anything about them.

2/24/2010 1:09:02 AM

i know im calling them up anonymously Thursday night to let them know according to my intel a terrorist is trying to gain employment there. anyone acting nervous should be considered suspect.

2/24/2010 1:12:27 AM

You are freaking out.



Man.

2/24/2010 1:14:04 AM

Not to mention I've been monitoring my own speech patterns for the last few hours and I can barely talk without saying "like" or "um" or anything like that.

2/24/2010 1:15:29 AM

spend some time researching the company and maybe thinking of answers to stereotypical interview questions.

2/24/2010 1:17:26 AM

LOL

Just chill out man, they're looking to hire you, not your suit. As long as you're clean and pleasant you're good to go in the looks department. Study up on what you think they might ask, but get plenty of sleep the night before. Also be sure to talk to plenty of people that day before the interview...gas station clerks, friends, doesn't matter as long as you're used to conversation before you walk in there.

If you'd like me to take a look at your car I might can do some repairs very reasonably.

2/24/2010 1:17:57 AM

Don't drink the night before.

You'll go to a bar and be like this


And you see some girl like this:


You'll sleep in the next morning and be like:


Only to apologize at the Interview like this:


But you'll be denied and you'll spend the rest of your life like this:


So, "don't fucking drink!"

2/24/2010 1:24:35 AM

^ that is awesome!
^^Might be worth looking into...I might have overexaggerated it a little though. Its just leaking oil, and not too much, I'm hoping if I just check it when I leave it'll be ok. Thanks for all the advice, hopefully it'll all work out

[Edited on February 24, 2010 at 1:30 AM. Reason : ]

2/24/2010 1:26:04 AM

^ Nice. Funny movie. Would read again. A++

Also, ums and uhs are terribad. Take a pause instead. A pause might seem unnatural to you but to the person listening it sounds natural.

2/24/2010 1:26:46 AM

This is the way I look at interviews...

They will either hire you and everyone will be happy, or they won't hire you and you will never see the person who did the interview again. Relax and be thankful you have an interview. I have applied at 3 places since college ended and didn't get any of the jobs.

2/24/2010 1:28:16 AM

let me give you some advice
1. do not roll your eyes at the interviewer at any point in the interview, i found out that is a deal breaker
2. give them a good firm handshake
3. know where you came from and where you'd like to go in your career and be able to articulate it
4. do learn as much as you can about the company

good luck

2/24/2010 1:28:37 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NisCkxU544c

[Edited on February 24, 2010 at 1:31 AM. Reason : Whoa!]

2/24/2010 1:31:13 AM

^ Hello and welcome to the TWW. You must have missed the $5 donation at the door.

2/24/2010 1:32:00 AM

Quote :

"do not roll your eyes at the interviewer at any point in the interview, i found out that is a deal breaker"

I can't think of any situation in an interview where one would feel it appropriate to roll their eyes.

2/24/2010 1:32:48 AM

PETE, how dare you get an interview.

step 1 is to go to sleep
step 2 don't worry about it at this point

2/24/2010 2:18:51 AM

2/24/2010 2:23:47 AM

a few shots for breakfast will help out

2/24/2010 9:07:26 AM

i freak out sometimes when i accidentally feel my pulse in my neck and realize we're all pretty much only a flick of the wrist away from bleeding out

2/24/2010 9:08:43 AM

Ask the interviewer what it was about the job/company that convinced them to work there. Also ask what the best and worst things about working there are. Those are a few questions I usually asked to get more of a personal feel for the company.

2/24/2010 9:56:12 AM

2/24/2010 9:58:45 AM

Quote :

"I have applied at 3 places since college ended and didn't get any of the jobs."

so listen to me!


Honestly, this doesn't sound like your dream job. You are young and need to embrace that. Don't try to act like you are experienced and flawless, but that you are willing to work on your own time to do whatever it takes to succeed at said position. I usually state the last part of that sentence at the end of interviews.

Just be yourself and take the advice above, talk to anyone you can that morning. Even talking to a gas station attendant can put you in the right mood for interaction with others.

2/24/2010 10:07:21 AM

2/24/2010 10:14:21 AM

Thanks for all the advice and support, hopefully it goes well. I'll update ya'll on Friday.

2/24/2010 3:08:27 PM

kick it's ass, seabass.


as someone who's applied to 130+ jobs since last may and not yet received even an interview, i'm jealous.


make the most of it. even if you don't get the job, use it to polish your interviewing skills.

2/24/2010 3:14:48 PM

You're screwed.

2/24/2010 3:54:52 PM

PETEJAMES, YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES

2/24/2010 3:56:22 PM

Just treat it like a date. Answer their questions, but don't give too much information. Appear distant, like you have other options. Show up looking nice, but not reeking of cologne. Also, don't ask the interviewer to come over later to watch a movie.

2/24/2010 3:59:28 PM

and at the end

if you feel like the interview didn't go well

before you say goodbye or even stand up

you need to sit back

smile at the dude for a second

and say, "you know how i know you're gay?"

2/24/2010 4:05:31 PM

Ok, I know the tie is tied like shit, I'll use a more formal, better tied knot on Friday, but what about the colors? Is the shirt too bright? Does the silver tie work with that shirt?

[Edited on February 24, 2010 at 6:42 PM. Reason : red x]

2/24/2010 6:40:23 PM

that's a hell of a redx

2/24/2010 6:43:26 PM

Share Our Pride . . .
We offer a stable, consistent work environment celebrated for its:

* core values of honesty, integrity, diligence, efficiency and commitment to partnering
* team approach
* respect for the diversity of individuals

Grow With Us . . .
We seek to recruit, retain, and develop a strong workforce with:

* bright, enthusiastic individuals
* who are committed to high performance standards and
* who are success-oriented and future-invested


this is what is on their homepage and describes you quite well, imo. Be confident in you because you have no reason not to be. You know you're the best person for this job and have a lot to offer for the company. They'd be lucky to have you!!

Aren't these going to be mostly country folk at this place? I doubt they're going to freak over your suit, but it looks good regardless.

2/24/2010 6:52:34 PM

HAI, DEVIL.

2/24/2010 6:53:31 PM

Thanks bmel!

Quote :

"Aren't these going to be mostly country folk at this place?"

I really, really, really hope so. But I'll be meeting with a lot of executives in the company, I don't know what to expect of them...

edit:
I'm asking anybody that I might see between now and friday to chastise me for saying "um" "uh" "like" (used incorrectly) or anything like that. So keep this in mind if I see any of ya'll!

[Edited on February 24, 2010 at 6:58 PM. Reason : ]

2/24/2010 6:55:33 PM

haha, get a rubber band and have someone pop it every time you do it. Make sure its a really thick rubber band.

2/24/2010 7:08:54 PM

That's not a bad idea. Gotta love Pavlov

2/24/2010 7:11:01 PM

Silver tie with a red shirt is awesome...if you're interviewing to be an usher at RBC

Don't dress like a prick...go with the classic white or blue shirt and red or yellow power tie

[Edited on February 24, 2010 at 7:12 PM. Reason : x]

2/24/2010 7:11:41 PM

In all honesty--I think the red shirt with the suit is not good enough for an interview. From everything I've heard, stick with a white shirt and if you're going to bring red in, make it a red tie.

Also think of some different kinds of questions like "What opportunities for review are available?" and "What drew you to work for this company?"

2/24/2010 7:20:32 PM

Ok, I was reading up on some colors to wear to interviews, apparently red is the most emotionally intense color and can cause some negative subconscious thoughts. Is there any credence to that? Most articles on colors for interviews suggest blue as the best color to wear...would a silver tie go with that?

2/24/2010 7:32:23 PM

yea seriously... ditch the shirt and tie.

also please don't be that guy that sweats a lot.

2/24/2010 7:37:14 PM

I know I'm not the only person who thought of



when they saw the red shirt

2/24/2010 7:49:33 PM

unless you are super bubbly and interviewing for an outside sales job, go with a traditional white shirt and conservative tie.

incidentally, i've never been offered a job in which i wore a suit to the interview. i never feel comfortable and am always very self conscious in a suit and apparently this comes across very negatively in the interview. i've had more success wearing a nice polo shirt and slacks.

i realize this goes against everything the career coaches advise and ymmv.

2/24/2010 7:54:36 PM