93 / 112
HBCU Careers Magazine
93
Whether you’re interviewing for a full or part-time
position, an internship and/or graduate school
admission, there are seven steps one should take in
preparing for the actual interview. These steps are in
no particular order however are all important parts in
preparing for your interview. The steps are as follows:
1. Select the appropriate business attire: (11/7)
It only takes eleven seconds for a person to form seven perceptions about you based upon your
initial introduction. Therefore, you must make sure that your total look is on point. Do not stray
away from traditional business attire. Traditional business attire colors are blacks, dark grays and
navy. Make sure that when you purchase or select your attire that the slacks/skirt and blazer are
sold together. For example, when buying black, do not get a black blazer from Men’s Warehouse
and dress slacks from Wal-Mart. Although items are sold with the description of being black, there
are various shades of the color. Make sure to wear minimal accessories. Ladies no hoop or large
earrings, studs are appropriate and maybe a pearl necklace. Your socks should coordinate with
your outfit and your shoes and belt should match. You don’t want the focus of your interview to be
distracted by your appearance. Force them to focus on your knowledge, skills and abilities.
2. Google a list of interview questions:
This is a part of the practice piece. In any interview the first
question asked is, “tell me about yourself”. Many individuals get this wrong. They go into stories
of their personal lives when in fact, the employer simply wants to know about your skillset and
how they can fit into their organization. Other basic interview questions are: (1) Where do you see
yourself in five years? (2) Why should we hire you? (3) Name three strengths. and (4) Name one
weakness. Now the fourth question is kind of tricky and most people could scare the interview
when answering. Throughout my career, when asked this question my answer has always remained,
“I am a perfectionist. The root word of perfectionist is “perfect”. So in the case of expressing my
weakness, I am still explaining it in a positive way and subliminally letting the interviewer know
about my work ethic, performance and efficiency in doing so.
3. Practice interview:
Practice definitely makes perfect. Call a friend, a relative or simply sit in front
of a mirror and practice interviewing. Your career center may have software that can assist you
in preparing for your interview. Make contact with your career center staff to either utilize the
software and/or schedule a mock interview. Most people don’t realize how much they talk with
their hands or how much they say the words “like” or “uhm” and practice and feedback are both
effective ways of improving your interview skills. This proper preparation will definitely assist in
elevating your confidence level during the interview process.
Got The Interview - What’s Next
By: Jeremy Hodge
Director of Career Services
Alabama State University