How thou prepare?

I received a call today from a potential employer. He said he had reviewed my resume and wanted to set up a meeting. After a sigh of relief, it hit me that I was back in the job interviewing process. It’s that stomach crunching, sweaty palm time when you need to become your biggest fan and explain to a company why you’re better than the rest. I already feel my nerves buzzing.

In our brief phone conversation, the employer asked that I bring along some samples and any other material that would help him get to know Karin. It’s the first time I’ve been told to do that so I must wonder – what else should be included on top of a portfolio?

I feel lucky to say that I have never had a really bad interview – I have had bad nerves, studdering words and a bit of a ramble here and there, but I’ve been pretty fortunate. However, that doesn’t mean I am any less scared, intimidated or worried about the interviews to come.

So for my fellow classmates, I’ve compiled some interviewing tips that you will hopefully find useful:

RESEARCH:

We’ve been told this in almost every class since we started at Centennial. Take the time to research the organization, learn about your audience and determine your key messages. With research comes confidence.

REMIND YOURSELF OF YOU

Although this seems like a bizarre slice of advice, it’s surprising that most of us can’t talk about ourselves. Think back to media relations last term when Christine asked us to write a 30 second speech about ourselves. Following the grumbles, how many of us couldn’t think of something right away? Well in an interview, we don’t have the leisure of pondering questions for 15 seconds before we say the first words. Determine not only who you are, but who you want to show in an interview. What are your best qualities and how do they align with the job you’re going for?

PRACTICE:

This requires a friend, family member or classmate. Reading questions off a piece of paper and reciting them in your head is completely different than speaking out loud – especially with another person in the room. A partner can give you great feedback and offer suggestions on how to be more clear, concise and appealing.

BE YOURSELF

This is perhaps the tip that I live by the most. Don’t try to dress, speak or behave in a way that isn’t natural. I fear that if I acted differently in an interview and got the job, I would need to continue the facade. Being honest and genuine does the trick.

For example, I once mentioned my love for tea in an interview, which sparked a ten minute long discussion with the head manager about which teas were my favourite and which ones I would recommend. I was hired the following day.

For what they’re worth, these are my tips. I’d love to hear yours!

What’s in your bucket?

I recently added ‘movie club member’ to my list of hobbies. Every second Monday, a handful of my female relatives – aunts, cousins, mothers, friends – get together among snacks and wine to snuggle up and watch a movie of a members choice. This week someone brought “The Bucket List,” a story about two strangers who find themselves in similar devastating situations and make the most of it. Aside from the great acting and tear jerking moments, the message behind the movie was what I found to be the most profound.

The Bucket List is a list you make of things to do before you die – or kick the bucket, hence the title. The characters in the film did everything from skydiving to fine dining in Paris, all in a matter of months.

Following each movie, club members continue to munch and glug away while discussing aspects of the film we enjoyed, areas that needed improvement and whose looking good in Hollywood these days. Half way through this film, I had the perfect question (and perhaps most obvious) in mind and once we got through the usual talk I asked, “what would be on your bucket list?” I was surprised that no one could answer right away, but after a few minutes answers like ‘travel,’ ‘eat whatever I want’ and ’spend more time with family’ all came up.

Thinking back to our buckets a few days after the fact brought one thing to mind. No one in the room said anything remotely associated with jobs or careers. Why is that? Is it the obvious reason that people would rather do anything than work? Or is it that our careers don’t challenge or motivate us in ways that other aspects of life do. Then why is it that we work so hard and try to climb the corporate ladders while what we really want to be doing is seeing our family and friends?

So I beg to wonder – will our jobs as communicators ever make it on one of our bucket lists? If not, what do we have to do to get it on that list. Or should careers stay off of it entirely?

The great resume debate

We’re on week three of the new semester and already I feel the switch in focus. So long are the days of dreaming about where we want to do a placement. It’s here! With courses like career management, it seems like this semester is more geared towards the real world. Time to refresh our minds of our previous work experience, get in touch with old supervisors to be used as references and time to get your resume in PR shape.

Resumes. You hate them. You love them. You don’t know what to do with them.

For most of us, resumes shouldn’t be anything new. Yet, if you were present during our career management course, you might have thought otherwise. Questions upon questions were fired out asking for the perfect way to write the date or the ideal font to write your name. We want to be the best we can be and it’s understandable why some of these questions were asked, but like Gary Schlee, our teacher, said there is no right way. Perhaps we’re searching for certainty and reassurance. Perhaps we just have no clue.

No one wants a cookie-cutter. Resumes, like every individual are unique and should represent your characteristics, experience and values. Of course we all need help with them, but I think we need to step up and throw ourselves out there a bit more.