Applying What Worked; An edge on Interviews

If you read my last blog then you know about the interview with the Pittsburgh Pirates. I walked out of the interview feeling great and very positive in how it went. The good news is I have anther interview for a summer internship this time with CBS Radio. Now, radio is something that I am not too excited about. All what I hear is how bad the hours are and that there is very little money to be made. And let’s face it, we live this life to make money and lots of it! But if that is what it takes to get my foot in the door then so be it. Looking back on my interview with the Pirates, what can I take from the experience and apply to my one with CBS Radio?

One thing that I believe in is to dress to impress. And this can be applied to anything, not just an interview. For me, I always been a suit and tie kind of a guy. When I walk into this interview I went to give the impression that I have my stuff together. I once read that how you dress effects how you feel, so if I look good then I’ll feel good. And if I feel good, I’ll bring that positive energy into the room.

I never was a person to just give one word answers. In an interview that could be the worst thing to do. When I was being interview by the Pirates and asked a question. I took my time and thought out what I wanted to say first. Not just saying the first thing that popped in my head. Then, I gave a thorough answer being as detailed as possible. This can be tricky because you do not want to be long winded too.

A real test of any man or the strength of the person can be judge in there ability to hold eye contact. Making eye contact is huge. It shows that you are not intimated and are listening to what the person is saying. Now you don’t stair down the person either because that can just be creepy. But making eye contact shows the kind of person you are and how much confidence you have in your self.

Walking in to the interview room I will bring my positive energy, and confidence. I will answer there question as if I heard them a million times before and think before I speak. I will be myself and let my personality come out. But most of all, I’ll out bullshit anyone and walk out brushing off my shoulders one at a time.

My First Job Interview

My quest of a summer internship started with a call from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Can you believe that? I send them an email as a shot in the dark and they call me back requesting an interview. This was amazing news, but I never been to an interview before. I decided to go to the career center. I heard they conducted mock interviews so I figured any practice is better then none. Leaving the career center I felt pretty prepared and confident.
The day of my interview could not have been any worse. A snow storm has hit causing many schools to close even Westminster College. The roads were horrible and I was not sure if my parents were going to make it up to school to get me and take me to Pittsburgh. This was an opportunity that I was not going to miss no matter what Mother Nature would through at me. My parents and I braved the weather and drove down to PNC Park. By this late in the after noon the roads were not too bad, but I made it.
I walked through the glass doors and entered PNC Park. A man at the desk had me sign in and sent me up to the forth floor on the elevator. The waiting room lobby was beautiful. There were black lather couches, dark wood furniture and of course pirate photos everywhere. The lady at the reception desk said it would be ten minutes before they would see me. Ten minutes may not seem like a long time but when your just sitting there waiting and seems forever. I felt like I was in a football game and they called a time out to freeze the kicker. I had way to much time to think which was starting to make me nervous.
Finally I was called in. I walked in and was greeted by four guys. Four guys! How many did then need to interview me? But some how that did not make me nervous at all, having eight eyes starting at me. See I have always felt I had an advantage whenever I had a chance to speak to someone in person. All through out my life I have been a great public speaker and some what of a bull shiter as well. When it was all over, I walked of the building feeling that I nailed the interview. Funny thing is, the mock one I had at the career center was much harder then the one I had with the Pirates. The interview itself was very comfortable and casual which made it real easy to be myself. Looking back on it, there is not one thing I would say or do differently in my interview. Whether I get the job or not, it was an immense learning experience for me.

Earning R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Being the best in my major is not the most important to me. Don’t get me wrong, I try my hardest and i do want to be good i at what i do. At the same time I do not want to turn in something that will reflect badly on me either. What is the most important to me is earning the respect of the people around me; the respect of peers, class mates, teachers, and co-workers. If people do not respect you then they do not trust you. When you don’t have respect, your not taken serious, and for the most part people don’t care what you have to say. See I rather people trust me, look up to me, then be the best. In life there is always someone better then you, but not everyone is respected. Talent may get you to the top but character will keep you there. But how can you earn respect? Well it’s really simple if you fallow these guide lines

1.) Always be on time never late
2.) Help the people around you when they ask for it
3.) Never back out of something that you said you would complete
4.) Take responsibility in everything that you do.
5.) Never hesitate to volunteer.
6.) Take your job serious and not a joke
7.) Always conduct your self in a professional manner
8.)When there is conflict talk it out with that person first
9.) Listen to what your peers have to say
10) To get respect you have to give respect