Public Speaking vs. Job Interviews

The number one fear among Americans is public speaking, beating out fear of death by a solid margin. Now, i’m not a huge fan of throwing around dubious facts, but I think that one is pretty accurate, and very telling.

Its extremely nerve racking when you’re the subject of scrutiny, standing up there with dozens, hundreds, thousands of critical eyes just waiting for you to stumble.

When you really think about it though, whats the worst thing that can happen? You look nervous and awkward? Big deal, most people do. You freeze? Ohh well, it may be horrifying for a handful of seconds or so, but no permanent damage done.

Overcome Your Pride!

So when it really comes down to it, usually the only thing at risk when speaking publicly is taking a shot to your pride. Therefore, I think if most people were to really sit down and think about it, job interviews would probably show up right at the top of the list for “top fears for Americans,” giving public speaking a solid run for its money.

This is because with job interviews, not only is your pride at risk, so is your livelihood. And although you don’t have a bunch of critical eyes burning through you like x-rays, the two eyes of your potential future employer can easily feel like millions of probing eyes.

With a little practice and planning, however,  the ohhh so dreaded job interview can become a piece of cake, and dare i say……….. even fun?

Preparation Preparation Preparation:

For every job interview the questions will be  different, your answers will be different, the person interviewing you will be different, even your pump up music in the car will probably be different. That is why for each individual interview, you should do as much research before hand as possibleso you can make an educated guess about what questions they may ask you.

This can be difficult, but the more potential questions you tumble around in your head the better. Also, make sure to say your answers out loud as well, and maybe write them down too, after all, often times the voices in your head sound much less melodious, and make a lot less since, once spoken.  Practice in front of the mirror, in front of family and friends, even some random people in the park if your feeling up to it. If not, dogs are often good listeners too, and much less skeptical, most of the time.

Before entering your interview, the most important thing YOU HAVE TO DO is figure out what specific unique value you  bring to the company. That unique value should be driven home in nearly every question you answer during the interview. In short, you have to make your personal brand utterly apparent, which means a little soul searching may also be in order. After all, if you do not have a solid grasp on what your personal brand is, your unique value, the thing you WILL do better than anyone else, how are these potential employers ever going to recognize it?

How to Answer Interview Questions:

Although every interview is different, there are still  a few generic questions you’re likely to be asked in nearly any interview and having these interview questions down cold is absolutely essential.

So here it is, some of the most common interview questions.

1. So, Tell Me a Little About Yourself.

This is the classic conversation starter. Seems like answering this interview question wrong is near impossible, but many people get so caught up in the nervousness and excitement of the moment that they start rambling out their life story. Stick to the basics here and provide relevant facts about your education, your career,  and your current life situation. This is also a good launching point to make your unique value clear by highlighting some of your passions that fit snugly into the job.

2.What relevant experience do you have?

If you are applying for the job, hopefully you have loads of relevant experience and therefore this interview question should be easy. However, if you are switching careers or trying something new, a little creative honesty is in order. Even if your experience doesn’t initially look like its matching up, many of the skills you learn at any job can be applied in nearly every setting. People skills are people skills wherever you are, just take some time to think about every minute thing you have ever done in your life, and with a little creativity, the right connections can be made and the relevant experience will become apparent.

3. Why Should I Hire You?

Because you are the best person for the job of course! This is a perfect time to highlight your relevant passions and personal brand. There will inevitably be other good candidates, maybe even more experienced and better “qualified” (on paper). Passion can trump all though, and if you make your passion and excitement for you’re work shine through, you’re chances of landing that dream job go through the roof. Use very specific examples here like personal projects you’ve done outside of work, after all, anyone can say “I just love doing this! It makes me tingly inside!”

4. Do You Like Working Alone or With  a Team?

For this interview question, the safe bet is always going with the team. Don’t settle for the simple “I am definitely a team player” either, provide some examples of teams you have worked on, the synergy that developed in the team, and how larger goals were met through cooperation. Also be prepared to answer questions about the role you usually play within a team and how you have handled team conflicts in the past.

5. Whats Your Biggest Weakness?

Many people think the best way to slide out of this interview question is by taking a strength and presenting it as a weakness. Something like “I’m a total workaholic” or “I’m a bit of a perfectionist.” This isn’t the best way to go. When answering this interview question, it is best to be honest, but at the same time not so honest as to shoot yourself in the foot. Use a real weakness that you are actively working on improving, such as “Sometimes I get so consumed by the specifics of a project that i lose track of the bigger picture, that’s why i take the time now to create a comprehensive outline and overall goal before attacking any project.”

There you Have it, How to Answer Interview Questions (a few of the big ones at least)

These are meant to get those creative juices flowing and provide a launching point for your interview preparation process. For more info on rocking the socks off interviewees, check out some of our other posts:

Interview Preparation Guide

43 Tips Before, During, and After the Interview

How to Ace Any Type of Interview

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Every year around this time you can hear a buzz in the air, a shuffling of papers and feet and even some coffee boiling: it’s students working for free!

Young professionals in college and even as young as high school are looking to work in the corporate world for free to gain the experience they need to succeed. Any experience they get can help them create and define their personal brands until they are ready to get a “real” job.

While not all internships are created equal, any student intern in the end can say that it was a worthwhile experience. Maybe it wasn’t the most exhilarating and action packed internship you dreamed of, but the entire process and journey over the months that you worked there is something that you can deny. So lets go through them:

Found the perfect internship (10 tries later!): You went to every job posting site you could find and sent out your resume and cover letter to countless companies. You wait anxiously like any other job applicant until you hear back finding out they want you to come in for an interview.

Interview time: This is what you have been preparing for your entire life, going face to face with a potential employer.  This is where your personal branding pays off. They think they know everything about you but you’re about to blow them away!

Start working: This is where all internships are not created equal, but it doesn’t matter. As a student intern you may do some “grunt” work, everyone has to do it at some point. You will soon find out that some employees get paid to do the same work you do! Work hard and stand out, it could get you a job someday. By not being on the payroll you actually have more flexibility than anyone you work with, so have some fun with it.

Moving on: Statistics show that the average member of Generation-Y will change jobs every 18 months, so this wont come as a shock to you. Most internships take place over the summer, so you have about 4 months to get the most experience you can before heading back to school. Hopefully you will repeat this process numerous times.

Taking it all in: Lets be honest, while most internships are not paid, it feels good to be an student intern even though you’re at the bottom of the pyramid. First hand experience is much better than trying to get it out of a book or in a lecture. If you really didn’t enjoy your internship, then try another industry to find out what exactly you like to do. Also don’t forget to try and work for both big and small companies, as their structures are completely different.

From my own experiences looking back at being a student intern, I was kind of annoyed with some of the things that I did. Like a lot of internships you hear about, I had to get coffee and lunch for employees, sometimes even clean up after them. But then I thought back about the process and realized that there are so many young professionals out there who would give their right arm for this position and that I must have done something amazing to deserve this.

Student interns play a major role in our economy as we’re willing to fill the gaps and do the work that no one else wants to do. If millions of students every year didn’t apply for internships, I think the world would stop spinning.

Author: Trace Cohen

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There is a lot of confusion out there about the difference between personal marketing and personal branding and how to put together a personal marketing statement.

At Brand-Yourself.com we use this definition for personal branding: “The process of uncovering and marketing your core competencies to meet an audience’s needs, resulting in your financial freedom and fulfillment.”

Personal marketing does not mean big businesses creating a marketing campaign that is customized to their customers.  Instead it is talking elements of your personal brand in putting them together in a format that directly targets a niche.

In order to write a gripping personal marketing statement you first need to develop a strong personal branding statement.  We have written a few articles about personal branding statements in the past but here is a brief overview of what you should include

1. Keep it short and to the point – ideally one or two sentences.
2. Have it clearly state who you are
3. Describe what your strengths are
4. Explain why you are better at your strengths than everyone else

In comparison if you were writing a personal marketing statement you would want a statement that is going to have a call to action.  This of a cover letter as an elongated personal marketing statement.

You’re explaining over the course of a page your strengths, and then your call to action is usually “please hire me.”  In a personal marketing statement you want to condense everything.  I always suggest you starting off with creating a personal branding statement and going from there.  Once you have a solid personal branding statement you have a launching pad for greatness.

Sometimes it also helps to think of your marketing statement as an elevator pitch.  While you will not be standing in an elevator pitching a business idea to a potential investor you never know when you might come across your dream employer.  It is important not to only be confident with this statement on paper but to be able to talk about your skills coherently.  This also leads on to the whole discussion of being ready to met a potential employer anywhere but we will get into that later.

In general, in a personal marketing statement you want the include the following:

1. Introduce yourself, this can be done by stating your name.
2. State what you do exceptionally.
3. Explain where your see your talents fit best, this can be a job title or a general job description that would challenge your skills but give your room to grow.
4. Provide a method for follow up.

The whole thing can fall apart if there is no way for someone that is interested in your personal marketing statement to get in touch with you.  Best of luck and make sure to keep the statement current.

Author: RJ Sherman

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College career centers represent a wealth of opportunity, knowledge, and experience in regards to the job search process. Unfortunately, these offices are also highly underutilized by the college student population. When I was in college, I visited my school’s Career Development Center a grand total of two times during my four years. Now as a staff member in Career Services, I can see how utterly stupid I was to squander such a valuable campus resource.

Think about it: career counselors work with students and employers all day every day. They live and breathe the job search; they know the ins and outs of resume writing, interviewing, negotiating salaries, and finding job opportunities. Many of them have been doing this work all their adult lives. (The most senior member of my office has been in his role for the last 25 years.) Doesn’t it make sense to use the considerable expertise of these folks instead of embarking on the job search alone?

In addition, Career Services staff members have a number of personal and professional connections in a variety of industries. They usually hear about job openings before the general public, and they keep up to date with the latest trends in hiring. These are the people you want on your side during the job search, so that when they hear about that special job opportunity in your niche field, they immediately think of you and drop you an e-mail.

Here are some ways to connect with your campus career center:

First and foremost, visit the office for career counseling early and often in your college career and get acquainted with the full range of services. Don’t wait until the last month of your senior year to run in screaming “HELP! I’m lost!” You want to be a household name so that the counselors know you and can give you pointers all along the way during your four years.

Pay attention to Career Services e-mails.As the person who sends e-mail blasts to 12,000 students at SU, I am very disappointed when students tell me they delete my e-mails without reading them. While not every single message will be life-altering, many of the e-mails will tip you off to a special career event taking place on campus, a guest speaker, a networking event, or a chance to get some face time with one of your preferred employers. Don’t ignore our e-mails — we’re trying to help you!

Next, consider volunteering at career fairs. Employers always need help unloading boxes and setting up their tables. This is a great way to make connections with employers when there are not a billion students jockeying for their attention, and also to cultivate goodwill with career center staff.

If you’re particularly ambitious, take on a job or internship with your career center. Most offices have student employees who are trained to critique their peers’ resumes. If there is no existing position which fits your needs, show initiative in creating one. I have about 25 marketing-related assignments on my desk at the moment. If a student walked in and said he/she wanted to take on a project, I’d jump at the chance to get some help. This type of work looks good on your resume and puts you in the know with everything that is going on at your career center.

In this economic climate, you need to take advantage of everything available to you in order to get a leg up in the job search. If you are not connecting with your campus career center – you better believe that your competitors are. This leaves you at the back of the pack. Is that really the place you’d like to be?

BIO:

Dan Klamm is the Outreach & Marketing Coordinator for Career Services at Syracuse University. In this role, he manages the marketing efforts for Career Services and promotes career-related events and happenings on campus. Dan regularly delivers presentations to classes and student organizations. He also meets individually with students to assist in crafting their resumes and preparing for interviews. Dan is a 2008 graduate of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.

For more articles by Dan Klamm please check out his career oriented blog

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