Preparing for the Big Day

*Columns are the opinions of their respective authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Wichitan as an organization.*

The moment you have been looking forward to has finally arrived. After years of sitting in classrooms, late nights in the library, and essay after essay, you now have the opportunity to land your dream job. Graduation from college felt like the most outstanding achievement of your life, but you know today could top it.

Today could mark the beginning of the rest of your life, and you cannot stop smiling. “Nothing, I repeat, nothing can make me have a bad day,” you say to yourself as you take the final sip of your coffee before leaving the house for the job interview.

Inevitably, the job interview is a vital part of every company’s hiring process. According to Dirk Welch, the Career Management Center director, “Your application materials can get you to the interview… the interview is where you seal the deal.”

Welch has served as the CMC director for 18 years, providing strategic and innovative direction for a progressive and comprehensive career and testing services program. He works with students and alumni, providing resumes, letter writing, interviewing, job search assistance, and more.

“Every step in the job search process is important. Those that are most diligent in each phase often have the most success.” Welch said. So how do you diligently prepare for what may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?

Here are Welch’s five tips for acing your job interview.

1. Research the company and know your role within.
   You must be ready to show you have knowledge of the organization.  Employers frown upon applicants that appear to know very little about who they are and how your role impacts their results.
2. Clarify your “selling points” and the reasons why you want the job.
   Prepare to go into every interview with three to five key selling points in mind, such as what makes you the best candidate for the position and conveys your interest. If an interviewer doesn’t think you’re interested in the job and what makes you a great fit, your chances to land the job are significantly reduced.
3. Anticipate the interviewer’s concerns and reservations.
   Think through any possible reasons the employer could have reservations about hiring you.  A response that will overcome these reservations will pay dividends.  
4. Prepare for common interview questions.
   Hundreds of common interview questions can be found online.  We provide several in our Campus to Career:  Mustangs Survival Guide (https://msutexas.edu/career).  Think about which questions you’re most likely to encounter and prepare your response to avoid fumbling for one during the actual interview.
5. Line up your questions for the interviewer.
   Come to the interview with questions that demonstrate your knowledge of the company as well as your serious intent. Interviewers always ask if you have any questions, and no matter what, you should have one or two ready. 

With these five tips, you will be prepared to face the job interview.

After 30 minutes of driving, you hear the GPS “you have arrived,” Siri said. You park your car and take a good look at the front door as you imagine walking into work every day. You are nervous, but the great thing is that you are ready, and you plan on giving the interview all you’ve got. Now walk in there, be confident, and show them you are a Mustang! Good luck.

The CMC can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at 940-397-4473. At the CMC, students have the opportunity to engage in mock interviews via Zoom or Skype, in-person (social distanced), and over the phone. There is also a system available where students respond to interview questions with their responses captured by video. For more information, reach out to the CMC today and begin practicing for the big day.