Interviews can be nerve-wrecking, and they are sometimes the hardest part when landing that job. I have done dozens of interviews in my life, every single job, internship, and rental inquiry have had interviews as to why they should pick you over others, and the simple way to overcome that is to sell yourself, explain why you will be their best asset.
The hardest interview I’ve ever experienced was filled with excitement, anxiety, and skepticism. I can’t believe I have this opportunity!!!! I have so much to do to prepare…. Am I really qualified for this??? So I was selected by USDOT to interview for full-time internship/ career start in Salem Oregon while I was still going to school. According to the hiring team, over 200 people apply for this internship every year and only ten get interviews, one gets the internship/job. I was so nervous about everything; my appearance, how my truck looked, how long my hair was, even what was posted on my social media. I deleted some old controversial posts from social media, I bought new professional cloths just for this interview, had my truck detailed inside and out, and actually paid a barber to cut and trim my facial hair; I wanted to look the part and show them that I war ready. Day of the interview I arrived 45 minutes early, introduced myself to the employees passing through the lobby, and read their literature about the department. When it came time for the interview, I had to convince a team why they should hire me. It almost worked. The interview itself went great, to the point where the lead engineer and I were having personal conversations about hobbies afterwards, we made a connection. A few weeks later I got an email from them explaining that they have decided to go with someone else for the position purely for experience, get a little farther in school, take those specialized course and try again, it’s an almost guaranteed hold for you. I was a #2, but I was proud to be a #2. Here are some take ways I learned from this experience.
- Dress for the job you want. While most companies don’t generally judge on appearance alone, how you present yourself shows them how much you value yourself.
- Professionalism is key. Practice professionalism in your personal and day-to-day life. Professionalism is all about respecting others as well as yourself.
- Ask questions and apply your own life applicable life experiences when answering questions. This makes it personal and shows connections between your personal and professional lives. This can also strike up connections between yourself and the interviewers.
- Come into the interview early and educated on the company as a whole, beyond the job description. This shows dedication, commitment, and punctuality, all great attributes to have
What I also experienced was a true hiring process, how they selected their employees, what merits and attributes they bring in and such. What I applied in the interview for USDOT, I applied to my interview with my current employer.
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