Guest post from Sally Garner. Undergraduate academic adviser at the School of Journalism and Communication, newly designated Master and grad student in my J454: PR Campaigns class.
Great advice but I’d go one step further: Have a good solid breakfast.Whether or not you believe it’s the most important meal of the day, eat something hearty before your interview, especially if you’re in for one of those hours-long marathon interviews that are becoming more and more popular.
Trust me: it takes fuel to remain “on” for hours on end. You’ve got enough to worry about that day; you don’t need hunger pangs or a growling stomach to distract you. Bonus tip: stash a granola bar in your bag or briefcase. In between interviews, take advantage of the restroom break to take a quick bite. Your mom will cringe but you’ll feel better after the quick refuel.
(This is true even if you’ve treated yourself to T-Bone Steak and Eggs at IHOP that morning. Your adrenaline will sap up your reserves faster than usual.)
One of things the handout doesn’t mention is how to handle yourself on a phone interview. HotJobs has some great tips.
Phone interviews are rough for reasons most of us are familiar with: no visual cues, everything must be relayed via voice alone and you never really know who’s in the room on the other end.
One tip that isn’t mentioned here: make sure your phone line is reliable. In this day and age of “I only have a cell phone,” make sure your phone is fully charged and you are in a spot that doesn’t provoke static. You might even check with your cell phone provider to see if there’s a way to turn off your call waiting function for the duration of the interview.
Comments
3 responses to “Interview Tips from a PRo”
Great Tips!!!
They are interesting tips. I thought the topic is going to talk about some “serious” tips for interview before I read the article such as being on time or enought preparation. I came up with one thing that probably could be a “tip” and that is dont drink too much soda before you interview. That will make you embarrassed if you burp all the time during interviewing. Moreover, do not drink too much “tea” as well.It is good for your health but not good for you when you have an interview because it will make you want to go to restroom.
I also thought this post would talk something about what we need to wear or something serious. However, things we need to take care from this post are more important than other serious things. As Millie mentions, do not drink tea or coffee before interview. The interview atmosphere would make you feel nervous. If you even drink tea or coffee before interview, that would make you want to go to restroom and affect performance contrived. To have a quick bite on granola bar is a good idea, but after eating that, you should take a look that something is on your teeth or not. It is important to clean your teeth before go into the interview. About the phone interviews, it is really important to have a full static during the interview. I remember the Cingular commercial that the static is low at the important moment. If that happened, it is really embarrassing and may lose the chance of getting the job.