Saturday, November 05, 2005
Interview Ideas
There are a couple of things that I would point to if someone asked me to explain my unexpected success this interview season. Neither of these strategies is particularly unique or insightful, but they worked for me so I thought I would pass them on:
- Interview Attire: There is a great deal of peace of mind and efficiency to be obtained by wearing a “Round 1” interview outfit and a “Round 2” Interview outfit. This week that meant that I wore a white shirt and silver and black tie on all 1st round interviews and a blue shirt with a blue/silver flower tie for 2nd round interviews. That simplified the whole process in terms of remembering what I wore when and for what firm.
- Motivation: One of the key features of an interview is your energy level. Now, there are two components as far as I can tell, physical and mental. Physically, you want to make sure you are well-rested and properly caffeinated in order to be at peak interview condition. Mentally, I think the best preparation involves a little motivational music. This varies for everyone, of course, but I found Lose Yourself by Eminem to be particularly motivating. I listened to it before every interview except one, and one of the comments I received after that one interview was that I didn’t seem energized. I won’t make that same mistake for the 2nd round with that firm, Eminem will be playing as I walk in the building.
