got my first interview! prep me? (jm)

Congratulations on the interview!  What you wear will depend on the type of job.  Typically, if its an office position I wear a conservative pant suit.  You don't have to stick with the navy blue suit thing anymore.

What to ask on the 1st interview:  what you will be doing, what the culture is like, hours you will be working, salary, etc.

What to ask on the 2nd interview:  benefits, vacation/personal time, retirement benefits, etc.

Just be yourself.  Nothing is more annoying that hiring someone that lied about their skills and can't do what you hired them for.  It drives me crazy.  Be honest, if you are just OK at something say you are OK but you are willing to learn.  Show that you are willing to do what they ask, etc.  Flexibility is a big thing with me.  My job tasks change about once every milisecond and I need someone that is willing to go with the flow.

Good luck!!

by culture, do you mean the atmosphere in the office and such? is that ok to ask? cause that's kinda important to me. i dont wanna start somewhere just to discover it is depressing, ya know,...

I agree about wearing a suit of some type and very little jewelry or makeup (altho that might be more acceptable for an interior designer position).

One question I always like to be prepared for is "what are your strengths and weaknesses?" The strengths isn't difficult, but finding a weakness you can share is sometimes more difficult. Obviously, you wouldn't want to say something like "I'm a procrastinator"

As Lisa said, be yourself and be honest. I'm sure you'll do great!

janetmichel3009

by culture, do you mean the atmosphere in the office and such?

Yep - is it a fast paced office, tons of overtime, etc.  NOthing is worse that starting some place just to discover that everyone is working 80 hours a week and dying.  You could also ask if you could speak with some other people (co-workers) for your 2nd interview (not sure about the whole interview process).  They usually provide a good perspective on things and you can usually read through the lines.

also: you really think i have to do the whole pant suit? i'm thinking, forget about the jacket, and just wear a nice, but simple white blouse... it is SOOOO hot here right now...

janetmichel3009

also: you really think i have to do the whole pant suit? i'm thinking, forget about the jacket, and just wear a nice, but simple white blouse... it is SOOOO hot here right now...

Nice pants and a blouse are fine, don't worry about the jacket.  It's a cultural thing too.  People are becoming more relaxed here in the states so I wouldn't look down on someone if they didn't wear a jacket as long as the blouse was professional.  Keep in mind, I work in corproate blah blah environment.  Law offices, doctors, acadamia, etc. might think and feel differently.

ok. ok...

one last question:

the one company said they wanted to interview me this week. i only learned that today, from my friend who recomended me. now i will call them tomorrow (it's too late now) to make an appointment. thing is on friday i already have an interview and i dont wanna do 2 interviews in one day, for fear i will be late to one of them. what to do? how accomodating should i be? this isnt the same as my mentor (who has worked with me) recommending me. my friend has never worked for me, and i dont know much about the company (can't for the life of me find any info on them... will call my friend tomorrow morning).

so... do you think it's ok, to schedule an interview for monday? i'd much prefer it to calling them tomorrow and then immediately having to rush over there. i wanna talk to the guy and get a feel about him/the company on the phone and then still need some time to research the comany.. what do you think?

I think it's perfectly fine to schedule the interview for Monday. When we're scheduling interviews, we usually plan them for the following week, not the next day. You don't need to give an explanation for being unavailable other than saying that you have other commitments.

ok great! thanks... :) i'm so nervous lol...

I used to get super nervous about interviewing too, but then I had a couple interviews where I didn't really care that much if I got the job, and found that I did really great. I noticed that the less desperate I felt, the more they felt the need to sell me on wanting the job.  You don't want to be arrogant, but try to build up your confidence and know in your heart that they'd be lucky to have you.

thanks! :)

seems like i AM doing both interviews tomorrow. one in the morning and one in the afternoon, so it should be ok... :)

Good luck!  Not that you'll probably need it, I'm sure you'll do fine.  Just try to stay calm and positive. 

 GOOD LUCK!!!!

well i just got back from my first interview...

man the guy was weird. he is friends with my friend, who introduced me, but he was soooo awkward... which was exactly what i was afraid of. i do well with people with people who are easy going, it gives me confidence. but yeah...

i think i did... ehm, ok... i was glad i prepared a bit through this website that runs you through the most common questions. gave me an idea on what to expect, but i didnt really have to invest so much time...

the first thing they actually tested me! is that normal? they made me sketch out an office layout. i thought that was weird. i think i did ok. not exceptional, but i WAS just a first draft kinda thing...

anyways, he said, the had JUST hired a bunch of people last week. and with the olympics coming up, construction everywhere in beijing has been stopped, so not much work for now. he said if he had a position open for me, it'd probably be after the olympics. which would be ok too, except, i didnt really get a good impression of the company... ah well..

my next interview is at 3, so we'll see how that goes...