These are three very important aspects that incorporate them self into just about any position that you will apply for. I am sure we all here have had an interview for one reason or another. They have the potential to make or break your acceptance to the program/job/anything. Therefore it is safe to say that we should all have the skills needed to properly execute any interview thrown our way. To help better our skills you should complete the Perfect Interview activity located on the UCF Career Services website.
Networking is also a HUGE part of our life. Either for professional or academic purposes, networking has the ability to open and close doors. The common phrase "Its not what you know but who you know" can be a bitter reality for a lot of people. An employer would much rather take the word of a friend/colleague over some words that you through down on a piece of paper. Networking also has the beneficial possibility to invite you to new places you did not know about. A good mentor/colleague can offer you positions and opportunities that you did not even know existed.
Following up on a position is another key piece in the success puzzle. If you really want something you are to show your employer that you are passionate about the position. One of the best ways to do that is by following up on your application. We are all busy people and your potential employer is definitely not the exception. Follow up with a call or e-mail to remind them how good of a candidate you are. It will keep your application from sinking to the bottom of the pile.
Pick about 5 from the following to respond to:
- What did you learn/take away from doing the Perfect Interview activity?
- What are some things to avoid saying/doing during an interview?
- What are some good elements to say/do during an interview?
- How could interviews vary depending on the position that you are applying for?
- How will you explain your degree to your future employer?
- How will you work on improving your network?
- What skills will you implement on your next real interview (denote your dream job/gradschool)
feed the fish
I found "The Perfect Interview" to be helpful in terms of trying to come up with answers to questions on the spot. It will force me to try and prepare my thoughts ahea of time- the last thing I want is to pause for a long period of time while trying to come up with a good answer!I think it is very important not to come across as cocky or pompus during an interview. Portraying an air of confidence is definitely a fine line. One thing that everyone in an interview should do is make eye contact! No eye contact is one of the quickest ways to make oneself appear unconfident. Provided that there is more than one interviewer, it's important to remember to make eye contact with each of the interviewers as you are answering their questions. The best way to describe my degree to a future employer is to say that it makes me diverse. I was interested in many different areas, and although they are differnt, they are cohesive. I wanted to round out my knowledge so that my interests will better serve me in my future career. The best way to improve my network would be to go to professional conferences, as volunteering to do research.
ReplyDeleteGreat answer! I think you touched on some of the most important things in your discussion. Even though it's hard to come up with the "greatest" answer for a question that an interviewer asks you on the spot, that's what they expect and one of the worst things to do is to pause for too long. You may just be a nervous interviewer but this could tell them that you are ill prepared or maybe you don't really want the job because you didn't research the company. I really like how you presented your Interdisciplinary degree as well, great job.
DeleteI agree that it is definitely important to make sure to make eye contact with all of the interviewers. Also, the point you made about the fine line between being confident and being cocky was a good point!Describing your degree as diverse is a good way to put it!
DeleteI think it is very interesting you mention over confidence. When going into interviews people are normally worried about being too nervous not being too confident. When one is nervous it might lead to saying words like um too much or not being able to answer the awkward questions that are sometimes asked. However, what does over confidence lead to? Maybe talking too much about ones self or talking too much in general. It is an interesting perspective to think about. Thank you!
DeleteYou are exactly correct when you talked about confidence when doing interviews, its normal to be nervous but I think if you prepare yourself for the interview you will be confident when the times comes to interview for the job. Being too nervous is not good and leads to studdering and long pauses.
DeleteThe perfect interview is very helpful in preparing you for your future job. When you have a great interview you learn what you did great and what you did not so great at. Things you should not do during an interview is not talk too much about your personal life. You should stick to your strengths and the job itself. Do not deter the interviewer from the point of the conversation. You want to be able to leave the interview knowing that you have answered all the questions and did not leave anything lingering. You should say all good things about yourself in an interview. When they ask you about your weaknesses you should turn those around. Although some people may think that if you say what you are bad at then the employer will think that you can recognize your problems but I feel like you should be able to know your weaknesses and not show it. Employers want to know what you are good at. Not what you think you are bad at. Every interview is going to be different depending on the job. There is no way that a restaurant interview is going to be the same as an office interview. The manager at the restaurant wants to know how well you work with people that you do not know and working at a restaurant is all about anticipating a guests needs before they have to ask you for anything. At an office, you do not need to play the guessing game. You have your information or form and you do what you need with them the way you were taught. Being in a restaurant the interviewer is going to want you to be different from the people that they already have. The need the sense of variety because the guests that you are dealing with are all different. People you meet every day will have some sort of importance. Always try to remember faces even if you cannot remember names. This will help you in the future by making it seem as if you have a lot of connections. Always be open to meeting new people and this will take you very far.
ReplyDeleteGood point about turning around questions of weakness! I think that doing so during an interview could come off as a strength. Also, nice explanation for differences in job interviews depending on the job itself.
DeleteI agree I think my weaknesses could be too organized, too passionate, competitiveness in certain jobs. They can be a weakness but something an employer wants to hear, not a bad weakness.
DeleteOne of my weaknesses is that I tend to get off topic a lot. As you pointed out, its a good thing to stay focused during an interview. This is something I am going to have to practice before I go to any interviews for grad school.
DeleteHEY BENJAMIN!..
ReplyDeleteIM SO GLAD THIS WEEKS ASSIGNMENT INCLUDED THE PERFECT INTERVIEW. THIS TOOL IS VITAL FOR UNDERGRAD'S PREPARING FOR THEIR FIRST INTERVIEWS AFTER GRADUATION! ONE THING I TOOK AWAY FROM IT WAS HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO REHEARSE AND COME IN PREPARED TO ANSWER ANYTHING.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE WAY I WOULD DESCRIBE MY DEGREE TO SOMEONE IS: EARNING A BACHELORS IN INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES WITH A MINOR IN INTERPERSONAL/ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION HAS ALLOWED ME TO FURTHER MY VARIED INTEREST IN PEOPLE, THROUGH MY FOCUS IN SOCIAL SCIENCES, AS WELL AS THE DIFFERENT RELIGIOUS/ATHEISTIC VIEWS THEY HOLD THROUGH HAVING A SECOND FOCUS IN RELIGIOUS STUDIES. ALL TOGETHER THE AREAS OF FOCUS AS WELL AS MY MINOR ENABLED ME COMMUNICATE WITH A WIDE VARIETY OF PEOPLE, ON ANY LEVEL, THROUGH TODAY'S TOUGH SOCIAL NORMS. A DEGREE IN INTERDISCIPLINARY ALLOWED ME TO WIDEN MY GAZE FROM A STANDARD DEGREE TO A MULTI-STUDIED APPROACH TO LEARNING.
SOME THINGS *TO DO* DURING AN INTERVIEW COULD BE AS SIMPLE AS GIVING A STRONG HANDSHAKE, MAINTAINING EYE CONTACT, SPEAKING SLOWLY AND ALLOW ROOM FOR FEEDBACK, ETC...
SOME THINGS *NOT TO DO* DURING AN INTERVIEW COULD BE, DONT CHEW GUM, CARRY A DRINK OR EAT FOOD, DONT LOOK UNPOLISHED-TAKE PRIDE IN YOUR APPEARANCE AND PUT EXTRA EFFORT INTO IRONING THOSE CLOSE OR STYLING YOUR HAIR THAT DAY, YOU ONLY GET ONE FIRST INTERVIEW!- DONT BE LATE, INSTEAD BE EARLY, DONT USE WORD FILLERS SUCH AS "UM" OR "UGH.." WHILE TALKING OR GIVING ANSWERS.
I WILL WORK TO IMPROVE MY NETWORK, BY USING SOCIAL MEDIA SIGHTS SUCH AS FACEBOOK, TWITTER, BLOGSPOT, TUMBLR, OR PINTEREST. THESE SIMPLE, FREE TOOLS CAN LINK PEOPLE FROM ORGANIZATIONS AROUND THE WORLD AND PROVIDE OPPURTUNITIES TO COMMUNICATE WITH MEMBERS FROM OTHER COMPANIES.
MICHELLE WILL
You mentioned really good things to do and not to do during an interview. Some of these things may seem simple and common but I know of situations where applicants do some of the things you listed as not to do. I remember applying for a job at Macy's and this guy came in speaking and acting improperly, his clothes where wrinkled and before he could even leave the office he pulled his shirt out of his pants. I'm also glad you mentioned using free tools for networking. You should always use your free resources first before going out of your way.
DeleteI didn't even think about the part about how you look. Employers look at how you are dressed and how you are dressed says a lot about what you think of yourself. You should take pride in how you look. If you do not even care to make yourself look presentable then the employer isn't going to think that you care about the job. The speech is also a big factor. You shouldn't use the words "um" or "ugh". There are other words that you can use to fill those spots because those are just filler words and you should just give yourself a second to answer. It feels like a lifetime if there are a few moments of silence. But do not worry about that. Taking an extra second to think about what you want to say.
DeleteI think that is a good point I have seen my boss throw away an application just by how they were dressed when they dropped it off not even for an interview. It is important to be dressed business casual nothing flashy, and smell clean nothing strong they may react to it. If you smoke I would say not to before you go.
DeleteI am glad to see someone else believes social networks are a great way to network yourself. I have an one session with twitter and I believe some people don't realize how useful it can be when trying to network. Almost all businesses, universities, sports teams, you name it have a twitter account and with a single click of a button one can "follow" that account and get all of their updates.
DeleteAlso I agree that remembering not to chew gum is very important yet often forgotten. As is using filler words like um or ugh. Gum can make one look very unprofessional and a second of silenence here or there is most likely preferred over ums or ughs.
When answering interview type questions it can be challenging to come up with answers on the spot that will stand out to the interviewer. Tools such as the perfect interview use questions that a lot of people have and will get asked during an interview. As they say, practice makes perfect, so if you use the perfect interview enough until you feel prepared you might have a really great interview. You should avoid going on tangents, stay on topic and focused. A good thing to do in an interview is keep eye contact with the interviewer and smile. Interviews can vary depending on what you are being interviewed for. If you're applying for grad school they're going to ask you things like what do you plan on getting out of attending our school while job interviews will be more geared towards what you can bring to their company. I am going to be improving my network within the next year or so and then more when I get to grad school. I am currently shadowing an occupational therapist who works with geriatrics, I will soon be shadowing one who works with pediatrics and when I move to Miami in August I plan getting an internship with an occupational therapist there.
ReplyDeleteThat is great that you are shadowing an occupational therapist to get more insight in your field. No matter what degree you have, your experience is really what sets you apart from the norm. When you can't have a job or have not held a job before volunteering and shadowing are the best ways to show and get experience. It shows even more drive because that is something you do for free and that shows dedication.
DeleteYour interview tips are definitely ones that I think are very good suggestions. Shadowing is extremely important so it is great that you are getting that experience! I think it's great that you want to go into Geriatric occupational therapy. People often overlook Geriatrics so I always think it's nice when people want to devote their career to the older population.
DeleteExactly, There is no reason to have small talk in an interview unless the person interviewing asks you something that you need to elaborate on. Keeping to the topic and not going off on a tangent is a key. You should be preparing answer in your head for the next question that might be asked. If you are just having casual conversation then you are more relaxed and when you are relaxed, your words just start to flow and you are no longer strategically thinking.
DeleteThe interview process can either make you or break you when it comes to getting a job or getting into grad school and other professional school.One of the biggest worries about going into an interview is worrying about the questions the interviewers will ask and whether or not you will be able to come up with am adequate answer to them. "The perfect interview" is a great way to prepare for all aspects of interviews, from what to do, what not to do, and types of questions you should be prepared to ask. One key thing you should do in an interview is to maintain eye contact and answer the questions asked of you without bringing in unnecessary and unrelated information. When describing my degree to an interviewer, I would say that my degree allowed me to study the areas I was most interested in while also allowing me to complete the prerequisites I need. Networking is extremely important for anyone entering the workforce or entering professional school. I have began my networking by shadowing two different doctors. I plan to broaden my networks by finding a few more doctors that will allow me to shadow in the near future.
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned a lot of good things to do such as shadowing and networking that will help so much more than you could ever imagine. I plan on going into to teaching and I'm also interested in the Florida Virtual School. Just by being on facebook, I realized a woman at my church actually works for the Florida Virtual School and I was able to contact the lady who sets up internships for the Florida Virtual School and she said I could mention her as a reference. Networking is so important and it's true what they say about it's not what you know but who you know.
DeleteI completely agree with you about the interview questions- that's something that I always worry about. I want to be able to give the best possible interview that I can, but I'm afraid that I'll be stumped by a question that they ask. It sounds like you've made some great contacts for your future career!
DeleteI believe poise, eye contact, confidence but not arrogance, a firm hand shake, and an easy warming smile are very important. A person always remembers how you made them feel before your name. I think it is important to remember names, it makes people feel important, when bar tending if I remember names I make twice as much, I know their names it is a little more personal now. As for the follow up I think a thank you email at the end of the day asking when an appropriate time to follow up would be good? The thank you at the end of the day I think is good since they possibly interviewed people after you, and people tend to remember the first and last things, this would put you back in their mind.
ReplyDeleteAs for describing my degree, I wanted to learn all possible aspects to helping the environment. I have learned about the environment, the engineering side of the environment, and the political side of the environment. So now I am ready for any position, and I will be able to communicate with the other side better and possibly portray it in a better light as well.
One of the best statements I ever heard was when you said "A person always remembers how you made them feel before your name." This is especially true with interviewing for an employer because after having so many interviews, it is easier to remember that bubbly person that kind of got you to your comfort zone and made the interview more conversational as opposed to the person who may have been smart and had great credentials but felt very cold.
DeleteI think its really great that you're interested in working with the environment, its definitely a needed job! You also pointed out some really important aspects of an interview that can make or break your chances. The follow up email idea is a great one because it's true, people do remember the first and last things.
DeleteThank you, I actually have learned alot of these points from interviewing people for a restuarant. And working with people we could have 5 features in an evening and I will place the most expensive first and last because they never remember the 3 in the middle. It is my selling trick.
DeleteWow its rare that you find people who are interested in working with our enviorment, most people are too busy destroying the enviornment to be concerned with it. I think if you go into a interview and you are passionate they will hire you on the spot because jobs like this are needed in our society.
DeleteMost of the time I am not worried about interviews because I take pride in who I am and if they do not like me than, oh well. Of course I prepare for interviews that best I can and try to portray the utmost best side of myself but I do not believe it is something to stress over. Some good things to do during an interview are first off dress professional, some might not want to believe it but first impressions include what you look like. Also come prepared with a cover letter and resume. During the interview some things to remember are keep good eye contact, smile and stay calm. I think taking time to answer some of the awkward questions they ask helps, rather than spitting out the first answer that comes to mind. Also come prepared with a few questions. Almost always at the end of an interview they will ask “do you have any questions for me?” I feel like a better impression is made if you take this opportunity to engage in conversation with them rather than just saying no! On the other hand some things I would personally recommend avoiding during an interview is answering questions with “I do not know,” avoid distracting habits like fidgeting or chewing gum, and avoid asking about pay, I believe this can be done when you get a call back.
ReplyDeleteBeing a dancer I have experienced many different types of interviews. A lot of interviews as a dancer take place in a room filled with other dancers and a panel of judges. In this instance, first impressions are so important. Sometimes cuts are made off of what you look like, even before you are asked any questions or to dance. Dance auditions usually include a one on one interview after you audition in a room with 10-1000 other dancers. Therefore if you are offered a one on one interview you can go in with confidence because you have made it that far but the pressure is on to have a perfect interview!
At this point, when people ask me about my degree I do my best to try and sell myself as versatile. My degree involves hospitality, marketing, advertising, sports business management, public relations, sociology and psychology. I have decided to become an interdisciplinary major because I have no idea what I want to do but an interviewer does not need to know this. I choice the courses I have taken that best relate to that employer and describe my degree using them.
I believe I need to start improving my network by engaging in conversations based individuals professions. This may not make sense, let me try to explain. I move around and travel a lot. I just worked on a cruise ship for seven months, I do dance gigs around Florida and travel to the north east a lot where my family lives. This said, I meet a lot of people and have no problem making conversation. However, I should use it to my advantage and see what fields these people work in rather than talking about random things. I believe if I start doing this I could network a lot more. You never know who you are going to meet one day in the airport!
Monday, February 27, 2012Topic 4: 2/23-3/1 Critical Thinking and Interdisciplinary Problem Solving
ReplyDeleteBranding yourself
With our interdisciplinary studies degree, we will have to be able to explain how our educational background will be beneficial to prospective employers. This exercise can help us to better express ourselves incorporating our interdisciplinary assets.
1. Read The Brand Called You http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/10/brandyou.html
2. After reading the article, reflect on who you are and incorporate into what you are
3. Please prepare an ‘advertisement’ (ie Tag Line- this one should be a hint as to, What you are) for this assignment you cannot be human, you can be an inanimate object (ie ruler, rubber, toy), a living thing other than human being or animal (ie oxygen/air, plant). This assignment should be not longer than 1 page and again should include at least two of your interest areas.
Use problem solving skills and approach this as an interdisciplinary thinker.
Branding yourself piece:
* What insights have you gained from this reading?
* How has this exercise helped you intergrate and understand how your areas/interests relate?
Posted by Andrea Scott at 9:13 AM
In my opinion every interview will be different because every job has certain things they look for and want and every job is different. Most of the time when you have a successuful interview you figure out after what you did well and what you didnt do so well on. The more interviews you do the more experience you will have and the better you will start to do on them. When doing a interview you should not talk about your personal life because you are getting away from the interviewing process and you might make the person interviweing you think you might not be qualified for the job and may not know enough material for the job. When getting asked a tough question you should take your time and answer the question the best of your ability. They want to know what you are good at and what you are bad at so they will know if you fit into their job force. A very important detail when giving an interview is to make eye contact because not making eye contact shows that you have low self esteem or you're not confident about yourself during the interview. If you dont know a question just explain that you dont know, its better than giving out an answer that is not true or something you just made up. I've learned that employers are always interested in your srenghts as a person more than your weaknesses. The best way to describe my degree is very diverse and givin the oppurtunity I could be successful at most jobs that I interview for. Networking is huge in getting jobs, its not always what you know it who you know sometimes. I went to a Sports Business workshop with people who went to UCF who are now working in the field that I am in now and we had good conversations and exchanged numbers.Every person that I met with seemed like really good genuwine people and thats probably the reason they are successful in their job forces.
ReplyDelete