5 Easy Tips to Master When Preparing for an Interview w/ Moms ‘N Charge

Before I was The Style Medic (formally, cuz I've always been a diva), I worked in HR. Now, in addition to helping folks find their fly, I, along with my sistafriend and CEO of Moms 'N Charge share our years of HR experise with young women (and sometimes men) who are looking to enter or re-enter the workforce. Today, over on the Moms 'N Charge blog, Christine shares some tips on how to prepare for your next interview. Here's a snippet:

Christine and I at Elizabeth Seton High School

For those that don't already know, I have a background in Human Resources Management, specifically in Recruiting. I absolutely loved working in HR and coaching new and existing employees on the importance of professional image and etiquette as it pertained to preparing for an interview. So it's no surprise that even almost three years after leaving Corporate America, I've continued to train high school and college students in this area by way of workshops, panel discussions and presentations. 

I've presented for organizations such as the WEEN Academy, Dress for Success, Elizabeth Seton High School, and Marymount University. I love being able to teach most of these workshops with my sidekick, The Style Medic. We are definitely not your typical powerhouse duo. We deliver this info in a fun and engaging manner that the students can actually relate to. We know how to get the message across without putting any of the students to sleep in the process. And we may or may not break out into a random dance here and there.

Most recently, we had the pleasure of returning to Elizabeth Seton High School (whom we love and adore!) where we spoke to the senior class about preparing for their college interviews. So while it's a bit different preparing for a college, versus a job interview, just about all of the information is universal and will still apply down the road when applying for internships and employment during and after college.

So here are a few easy tips to keep in mind when preparing for an interview (college, internship, employment, etc.):

Always do your research. Even if you’re being forced to go to a particular school, or to apply for a job by your parents, don’t let that show through during your interview. On the flip side, even if you feel like you know everything about that school or company, there's always more to learn. Find out more about the person who is interviewing you, and ask whether or not you will meeting with just them, or additional faculty or staff members. You don't want to show up thinking you're meeting a Recruiter, when you are actually meeting with a Director or VP. 

Preparation is key. This falls in line with doing your research. Trying to “wing it” for an interview is probably not going to win you  any brownie points. Preparation involves making sure you have clothes that fit, mapping out the location for your interview, doing your research on both the company and the person interviewing you. It means that you've researched enough to prepare questions that show you really care and want to be there. Preparation means that you understand the company culture before you get to the interview. It also means you understand the job that you’re applying for, and can ask specific questions related to that job. 

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