Thursday, March 29, 2012

Thursday Tip: What to Wear to an Interview

Last Friday, I had my first interview for a research position at my university. It went really well. The great thing about the professors at my school is that they aren't intimidating at all. You can tell that they're not just out to get another publication: they want to create new scientists in their fields.

We had perfect, clear, sunny weather everyday last week...except for the day I had my interview, of course. It was a torrential downpour, and my umbrella was nowhere to be found. I arrived an hour early, and spent about fifteen minutes ringing the wet out of my hair with paper towels. Yeah. 

This is what I wore to the interview:
I've talked to my friends who've gone through this, and nobody really dressed up for their interviews. They're very casual, at least at my school. I opted out of wearing jeans and instead wore some tan pants, a polo, some simple earrings and my Sperrys. By now, I'm sure you've noticed that I have a slight obsession with those shoes.

I wore this nail polish...

...because I looked down at my nails the night before and realized that the leftover, chipping green polish from St. Patty's Day wasn't going to cut it. I went to a mock interview way back in middle school, and the one thing I remember is that the interviewers say your nail polish is the first thing they notice when you walk in. Think about it, the first thing you do is shake the interviewer's hand, so it makes sense. You've got to keep your nails looking nice and professional.

A few things about the interview:
  • I brought my resume and my unofficial transcript with me, and he seemed very impressed...I would recommend students bringing both of those to any interview
  • I took notes while he spoke to me about his various research assignments and looked up what I didn't understand online after the interview
  • I heard you're always supposed to come up with a question when they ask you "Do you have any questions?" at the end, so I made a list beforehand of a few. I think this was helpful and showed him that I was serious about this.
It was a great experience, and I'll keep you all posted as soon as I hear more!

--Becky

7 comments:

  1. This is freaky-I have an interview today! So this is so useful :) thanks :)

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    1. Good luck! I hope your interview went well for you :)

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  2. wow, this is helpful, I always get dumbstruck when interviewers ask if I have a question for them....

    xx
    meinmode.blogspot.com

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    1. Yeah, I never knew you were supposed to ask them questions when they asked you that. I think it looks good though, like you're really interested in the position and you want to know more.

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  3. nice interview outfit! love the beiges. and sperrys :) i hope it turns out a success for you! great tips too!

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  4. It's so important to have good looking nails! It's all about being detail oriented. When I work at internships, I'm really careful about which colors I wear on my nails.

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--Becky