Tips For Your First Full-Time Job Interview

By Sarah Christine Davis on November 19, 2015

As college students, many of us experience several transitions when it comes to jobs and job interviews.

Your first job interview was probably for something part-time so that you had money to eat out on the weekends and get gas for your car. No big deal. After that, maybe they escalated a little bit to something like a part-time internship or other part-time job related to your actual field. Still, probably nothing too intimidating.

Then, as the door of college closes, the door of full-time job interviews opens — and many students don’t realize that this is often an entirely new situation.

However, realizing that there are a couple of nuances between these two different types of interviews can be the difference between you and the person who walks in before you snagging your dream job.

Are you unsure of how to differentiate between how you’re supposed to prepare for your first full-time job interview and how you’ve prepared for all your previous interviews? Conversely, do you need to get back up on your feet after a few full-time job interviews gone bad?

Read on for some valuable advice!

Tailor your resume to your ideal career.

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You’ve probably always heard that you need to keep your resume plain and simple – black and white, Times New Roman, not too much formatting. Basically, keep it as boring as humanly possible.

This is certainly true for some jobs, such as computer science, law, or teaching.

On the other hand, fancying up your resume at least a little bit is probably a good idea if you’re looking to get into a job that’s more on the creative or artsy side. Such jobs may include journalism, photography, or graphic design.

Furthermore, it goes without saying that you should update your resume – but have you considered updating the medium of your resume?

The Internet is now the way to go. A good LinkedIn profile is a must-have these days. In addition, an online portfolio is a great way to make yourself stand out to employers.

Look up possible interview questions in advance.

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If you know the kinds of questions that full-time job interviewers in your field tend to ask, you’re already one step ahead of everyone else in the game.

According to Forbes staff member Jacquelyn Smith, some of the most popular questions that employers ask include things like, “What would you look to accomplish in the first 30, 60, or 90 days on the job?” and “Can you explain a time that you made a mistake and tell me how you dealt with it?”

That being said, be prepared to be asked some serious questions that force you to be completely honest. The best thing to do when asked such a serious and honest question is just that – be serious and honest.

How would you answer the question, “Why was there a gap in your employment between these two dates?” How about, “What are three things your former manager would like you to improve on?”

Think about it.

Dress for success.

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This is a no-brainer, right?

You would think.

As you will do with your resume, you should consider the type of job and even the specific company for which you’re interviewing. What kind of environment is it?

Obviously, you shouldn’t go in wearing jeans and your lucky T-shirt that you haven’t washed in months – even if everyone who works there is dressed casually.

On the other hand, you might stick out like a sore thumb if you walk into a casual workplace wearing a full-on tuxedo. This also may show the employer that you haven’t done your research about the company and may not be interested in specifically working there (side note: the employer wants to believe that you are).

If you really have no idea how to dress, going business casual is probably your safest route. Additionally, this general – though cautionary, as already explained – quote from Oscar Wilde is worth taking into consideration: “You can never be overdressed or overeducated.”

Get into your inner confidence.  

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Remember that you got this interview, which is pretty impressive in itself.

They wouldn’t want you to come in for an interview if, upon reading through your resume, they didn’t think you had a chance with their company.

One way to do this is to think of a positive personal mantra that you can tell yourself over and over if the nerves start to get to you.

If you need some help thinking of one, there are plenty of websites out there to help you out.

Inspire Me Today suggests the mantra, “I’ll release the things out of my control.” Energy used worrying about something that you can’t change is energy that could be used to make your interview the best one that the employer has seen all day.

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