Job Area Tips Interview
First of all, remember to breathe. Take off your coat and make yourself comfortable. The sense of urgency that can accompany your first visit to a Career Counselor is based on the false premise that you have one shot to cover all of your career concerns. Here are a few tips on how to make those 45 minutes count.
Understand What Career Counselors
Career Counselors are not academic advisors and therefore cannot provide insight on course requirements, class schedules or departmental procedures. Despite the inclusion of the word "career" in the job title, Career Counselors also do not place students in jobs. "Counselor" is the operative word here; our goal is to teach you career development strategies and point you toward resources so that you can make informed career decisions. Ideally, your Career Counselor will inculcate these lessons so that you can be a more confident careerist for life.
Prioritize
Consider your goals for the session. Do you want to find an internship or job? Decide on a major? Explore career fields? Most people have multiple concerns when they make an appointment and hope that they will all be resolved speedily. Career counseling, like personal counseling, is a process which involves a time commitment and requires patience. You and your counselor can also collaborate to prioritize your goals, but remember that this process will absorb your session time -- try to do some prioritizing in advance
DoYourHomework
Are you interested in finding an internship in public policy? Do you have a question about the requirements for law or medical school? There is a vast repository of useful information on our website, as well as links to other reputable information sources on the web, that can help you get started. At the very least, try searching for your question or topic, or see if it's listed in the A-Z index; log into CalJobs to see what opportunities are currently available, and look through the extensive Employer & Industry Guides. Better to do a little preparation - you may feel frustrated if you make the effort to come to the Career Center only to find that the answer to your question was a few mouse clicks away. Furthermore, if you do some research in advance you'll be able to focus the session around more interesting topics, such as how to describe the time you spent as a fire-eater for the circus on your resume.
Arrive On Time
This point may seem obvious, but often people forget to factor in the distance from campus to the Career Center, or assume that it operates on "Berkeley Time." If you do show up late, the best possible scenario is that you now have 20-30 minutes instead of 45 minutes to discuss your situation. The worst case scenario is that the counselor is unable to meet with you once you are over 15 minutes late for your appointment. Either way, you're the one who suffers. Why not just plan ahead and show up on time?
JOB AREA
Attitude interview
Good grooming is essential. Your hair should be neat and stylish. Your nails should be well manicured and clean. Men's nails should be short. Women's nails should be of a reasonable length and polished in a neutral color. Also for women, makeup shouldn't be heavy. Perfume or cologne should be avoided as some people find certain scents offensive.
Establishing Rapport
Since the interviewer's job is to make sure that not only your skill, but your personality as well, is a good match, you must establish rapport with the person or persons interviewing you. That begins the instant you walk in the door. Let the interviewer set the tone. Nothing is as awkward as offering your hand and having the gesture not returned by the other person. Therefore you should wait for the interviewer to offer his or her hand first, but be ready to offer your hand immediately. Some experts suggest talking at the same rate and tone as the interviewer. For example, if the interviewer is speaking softly, so should you.
Body Language
They say that body language gives more away about us than speech. Eye contact is very important but make sure it looks natural. A smiling, relaxed face is very inviting. Hands resting casually in your lap rather than arms folded across your chest also is more inviting. If you normally move your hands around a lot when you speak, tone it down some. You don't want to look too stiff, but you don't want to look like you're a bundle of nervous energy.
Answering Questions
When it comes down to it, isn't this the main point of the interview? Speak slowly and clearly. I tend to speak very quickly, so this is something I must pay careful attention to when I am on an interview. Pause before you answer a question. Your answers will seem less rehearsed and it will give you a chance to collect your thoughts. Keep in mind that a very brief pause may seem like an eternity to you. It's not.
Prepare answers to some basic questions. There are several books that list questions and sample answers. There are also some online resources that do the same. You can find those listed in the of the Career Planning Site. Don't memorize the actual answers but become familiar with how you will answer the questions.
Asking Questions
Usually toward the end of the interviewer, the person conducting it will ask you if you have any questions. You should have some. You should ask about what a typical day would entail. You could also ask what special projects you would be working on. As in every other aspect of the job search, you are trying to show the employer how you can fill their needs. By asking about a typical day on the job or special projects, you are putting yourself in the job and showing the employer how you will satisfy the employer's needs. Don't ask about salary, benefits, or vacations, as those all imply "what will you, the employer, do for me?"
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