What I’ve Learned About Interviewing After Becoming the Interviewer

We’ve all been the hopeful prospect looking to completely impress at an internship interview. What has really thrown me for a loop is being on the other side of that process. I would go on tons of interviews and never really feel confident about whether I said the right thing, asked enough questions or really wowed the person on the other side of the table. But as a Membership & Project Manager, I now interview both interns and students for our part-time positions and I’ve gained a whole new perspective.

At the core, some things that people told me mattered, don’t as much and others really do. Every office is of course different, but I wanted to clue you in on the process from my view. Now that I am the one asking the questions and trying to get a read on young hopefuls, I can see a lot clearer what I may have been missing in those early interviews.

Here are some of the most important things to remember from my perspective if you are heading out to your next internship or entry level position interview.

Being Prompt – On the scale, this is a big one. Make sure that you allow extra time in order to get to your destination that factors in traffic. I never thought I would buy all the way into the phrase “To be early is to be on time and to be on time is to be late.” But here I am, eating it up. Really, it immediately makes it seem as though you don’t take the job seriously if you don’t make the best effort to be on time. Sure sometimes things happen out of your control, but whatever you can do to be on time, do it.

Dress – I distinctly remember being in an interview where a prospect had a very low cut shirt on and when they left the room that was all the bosses talked about. If you’re a male, coming dressed in wrinkled khakis or the like is the same. The point is, don’t wear anything that will deter the focus from your intellect as a great candidate. That includes noisy jewelry, anything with slogans, etc. Also, in an office environment where we dress casually, I think it’s important to put your best foot forward in an interview. It’s always best to be overdressed than underdressed.

Being Likeable – Yes an interviewer wants you to have the skills that the job requires, but it’s also really important that you fit into the corporate culture of the position. We tend to have a laid back vibe at our job, so having someone that is very frantic or very high strung simply does not fit the environment. We need people that can handle pressure situations calmly and pay attention to detail without losing it.

Avoid Trying To Hard – I know that in the beginning it seems like every job you apply for, you want to get. But sometimes it just may not be a great fit. Be yourself and you will either get it or you won’t. But just be aware that if your interviewer is good at reading people, they can tell when you are being fake or trying too hard. No one is perfect, so you really don’t have to pretend to be in the interview. Don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through in addition to your accolades.

Researching the Company – People say this all the time, but you really should have a grasp on what the company actually does. This way you can see where you fit in and lay out what expertise you can actually bring to the table. I.e. if you are applying as a web developer and you check out the site and notice the email sign up could be more functional there may be a point to bring that up in the interview and for them to immediately see your worth. Take a little time, preferably a few days before to really hone in on what that company actually does.

Just as much as these are the top things I would suggest honing in on, there are also things that I have found really haven’t influenced my decision to hire a candidate or not. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t do these things at all, however, they just weren’t deal breakers in making my choice.

• Thank you notes – I think these are a great gesture! But in the grand scheme of what made one candidate stand out over another, I didn’t necessarily check my mailbox for a thank you note. But you should definitely be sure to follow up if you haven’t heard anything about the position.
• Asking Questions – Don’t just ask questions because someone says that you should always ask questions. If the person has laid out the information in a way that is digestible and you understand, then you don’t have to force questions.
• Obsessing over your resume – As long as your resume is well laid out and easy to read, the design has not been that important to me. I just want to know who you are and what you’ve done and where I can contact you. We’re just going to discuss the same things in the interview anyway. It’s nice to have a greatly designed resume, but don’t lose sleep. Make sure it lays out your personal statement (NOT an objective), it’s aesthetically pleasing and checked for misspellings and typos.

I know this may not line up with what you’ve read over the years, but I’ve learned a bit after interviewing interns over the last five and a half years. What’s most important to me is that the person professional, competent in the skills of the position and that they may actually be enjoyable to work with over the span of a three month semester.