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Congrats! You Got the Interview! Now What?

posted by LIM College

by Caroline Franco

Congratulations, you've landed an interview! Now, that's not how most companies approach a candidate for an interview, but that's how most of us read, (with excitement!), an email that invites us for an interview.

Interviews can be intimidating, yet one of the best things that could happen to you. It's like going on a blind-date. You're going in to an office to get to know the company, to see if it's the right fit for you, to see if they have the benefits you're looking for and, above all, to see if the place gives you butterflies in your stomach.

I have applied to countless jobs. Some positions are questionable, others I do for fun.  (I really did appy for a VP marketing position fresh out of undergrad—but in my defense they didn't list qualifications and sadly I did not get the job). However, the majority of the jobs I have applied for are positions that I can see myself in, working for companies that I know will help mold my career and future.

I have been to plenty of interviews—some good, some bad—but what keeps me sane is telling myself: You and the interviewer are humans. (I know, shocking realization!) Interviewers have feelings, goals, likes, dislikes, friends, their own opinion about who should have been voted off the Bachelor, and so on. Once you get past the fear of being “beneath” the interviewer and see eye-to-eye, things gets easier.

I remember going in for an internship interview for Harpers Bazaar and it was a disaster. It was one of those days when everything goes wrong—including forgetting my resume and showing up late. But, although this cost me a position and my foot in the door of a high-end fashion magazine, it taught me something: Survival.

Yes, I was nervous and I felt a little inferior, kind of like Betty from Ugly Betty, but it taught me to be more confident and believe in myself. Showing up to an interview late and with no resume should never happen but sometimes, it does. At the time, I knew, and still know, I have the right skills for the job and could have talked the interviewer through my experiences, but I shut myself down.

In class we're taught the do's and dont's of what to do during an interview, but when you're sitting in the hot seat, things tend to build up. It's up to you to make a good impression, but it's also up to you to make the interviewer like you for who you are, your personality, and your knowledge.

Of course you have to talk about your skills, but also you have to show personality because at the end of the day they can teach an individual how to work on their weaknesses (one of the worst questions during an interview), but they can't change a person's personality. I have landed many positions and have been rejected by many too, but one thing's for sure, they always mention my energy and how easygoing I am.

So take note everyone... Be confident wherever you may land an interview and let your personality shine. Although you may not have everything they're looking for, you might be just who they're looking for.

Topics: fashion careers, Student Advice

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