College Strategies

Lesson 8: Graduating from 1st Year and Planning Your Future

Your Summer Job Interview

Congrats! You wrote a great resume and have an interview for that great summer job! This means you have gotten further than many other applicants. Now there are a few very important rules that apply to all interviews: there is always a dress code; do not wear jeans and runners! Always dress neatly, but dress appropriately. If you are applying for a job in a gym to be a personal trainer then you do not need to wear a full suit per see. However don’t sport your track pants either! Instead go for an intermediate dressy yet casual look.

If you are applying to work in an office you do want to suit up. For the ladies it is always better to wear a neat skirt than pants. Do not wear anything that is too short though, because it comes off as cheap too easily. Go for a skirt just above the knee. With regards to the guys, you can either wear slacks and a jacket or just slacks and a neat shirt. Ties are optional for the more casual jobs, but essential for more formal positions.

Stick to basic colors; navy, black, white. Avoid very flashy colors or patterns that attract the attention. You want to make a clean and polished appearance. Don’t wear very long earrings and if you have long hair wear it back. It makes you look more serious, and it actually also gives you a more intelligent look.

When you walk in give a firm handshake and smile at the person, looking straight in their eyes. Eye contact is quite important and you do not want to come off as insecure and shy.

When you sit down never cross your legs, it makes you look uninterested. Thank the person for meeting with you.

You can always prepare for the classic questions that will be asked in almost any interview setting. Basic questions are for example: “why do you think you are fit for this job?”, “why should we hire you?”, “what are your qualifications?”, “do you have previous experience in this field?” and “why do you want to work here?”

If during the interview you are caught off guard with a question to not stammer and stutter, instead ask them for a minute because you want to think it over in order to give them a proper answer. It is ok to think for a minute or so, and be silent. Stuttering will make you look bad and really not buy that much time at all because you are constantly nervous about having to say something right away. It is a good thing you want to think about a question before answering; it shows you are not overly impulsive.

It is ok to ask questions during an interview, usually there is opportunity for that at the end after the employer is done asking you questions. If they do not offer it, ask if you may clarify a few things. If you ask something and receive and answer you don’t like do not show it. You can deal with that once you are hired but if you make a very ugly face when they say you have to work so many hours then you might not be hired at all. Some people are against asking what the salary is, others say it is ok. If there was no precise salary on the job listing I think it is ok to ask what the “compensation” is. Just nod after each answer and avoid giving clues on how you feel about it, especially if your feelings are negative!

Keep these things in mind, and you are on your way to a summer of fun and a great job! These rules are always valid; whether you are a recent college student or a long time graduate. Nevertheless if you come off very professional right now, your employer will be more impressed by you than by the average applicant.

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