Studentview
Students often find themselves in situations where they are required to present themselves professionally, such as going to an interview.
If it檚 for your first job after graduation, it can be especially uncomfortable.
When it comes to presenting yourself in a professional manner, there are many things to consider. You want to put your best foot forward without losing your personality.
Sometimes, you can get so caught up in how you should present yourself that you can lose yourself in the process. It檚 important to showcase the best of you.
Be yourself
I can檛 stress enough how important it is to be yourself. Interviewers and employers want to see your true personality after all, you will be spending a lot of time with them if you get the job.
淭here is usually no right answer; what one employer may be looking for could be totally opposite from another.
Answer questions honestly in a way that reflects your best self. There is usually no right answer; what one employer may be looking for could be totally opposite from another.
Being yourself will ensure they get what they檙e looking for and you will fit in nicely.
Show off
There are very few times in your life where you will be given full attention to just talk about everything great about yourself interviews are one of those times (first dates are another).
If you檝e accomplished something in school or professionally that you檙e proud of, put it on your resum茅 and talk about it! It will impress interviewers and give you an edge that your competition may not have.
Trust me: they want to know all the great things about you because they want to hire hard working, accomplished people.
Don檛 fake it
If you didn檛 do it, or can檛 do it, don檛 pretend.
If a job description outlines certain qualifications needed for a job, don檛 stick them on your resum茅 or talk about it like you檙e a pro if it檚 something you檝e never encountered.
淎t the entry level, there will be very few people who can tick off every box under a job description, so apply anyway.
If it檚 not on your resum茅 but they interview you anyway, chances are they saw something else they liked and will be willing to work with you on anything you檙e missing.
If you fake it, however, and land the job, they檒l pretty quickly realize that you don檛 possess the skills you pretended to have, which is embarrassing and frustrating for everyone.
At the entry level, there will be very few people who can tick off every box under a job description, so apply anyway. It won檛 hurt.
Exude confidence
Eye contact, a smile and a good handshake go a long way in interviews. Don檛 forget to be confident.
Even if you don檛 feel confident, tell yourself you can do it and you檒l start to believe it.
Listen to music that will get you feeling good beforehand, and make sure you get some sleep the night before an interview so you don檛 yawn every time they ask you a question.
And good luck!
Nicole Noseworthy is passionate about learning, writing, business, and travel. She can be reached at nkn107@mun.ca.