So before I continue, if there is anyone new reading this blog I wanted to break down my blog name. I am 1/2 Thai, 1/4 Italian and 1/4 Mexican! "Sawasdee" means Hello/Goodbye in Thai, "Gracias" means Thank you in Spanish and "Ciao" means hello/goodbye in Italian!
I wanted to share about what I did to prepare for phone interviews and how I kept everything organized while being a full time student and working a full time job!
INTERVIEW PREP:
When I started applying for internships I googled specifically what I wanted. For me it was "wellness internships"! A really great resource was this website http://www.phfr.com/Internship-Finder/Search.aspx
When I saw a post I was interested in, I printed it out. I had my cover letters and resume ready to send to emails and made sure to customize the cover letter based on who I was sending it to. I saved my resume in PDF form so the format wouldn't change no matter what device it was being looked at on! Also picking out action words or details from the job description to include in your cover letter to make them individual and unique is great and shows you pay attention to detail and are also passionate about the position you're applying for.
Along with that, I looked into that company's history, ceo, what type of charity they're interested in, etc. I printed those materials out also. I took notes about what I wanted to highlight during my interview and highlighted what stood out to me about that company.
Because I started getting a lot of information about a lot of different companies, I created a binder with index tabs and each company had their own section. In their section, included was the job posting and company information. The pros and cons about the position/location and ultimately why to pursue this specific one in the first place.
I kept some extra looseleaf paper, wrote to do lists and made sure to write down dates and times in my planner for when those people would be calling. If you're busy like me, go ahead and provide a great window for when you'd be available to talk, so you don't have to keep saying "oh, I'm busy etc."
DURING THE INTERVIEW:
During the interviews, I did a few things...
1. Have your resume out to reference back to or highlight on specific duties or accomplishments!
2. Write generic responses to well known interview questions to look at in case you get flustered or nervous!
3. TAKE NOTES of what the interviewer is saying so you can reflect on them or ask questions about them when it's your turn to talk!
4. Try not to interrupt or cut someone off if they interrupt you. Sometimes there's an awkward silence and that's okay. Maybe find a good question to ask or ask if there was anything else the interviewer would like to know about you. Ask where they are in their interview process and when they will be expecting to make a decision. Ask if you are allowed to contact them after and keep in touch during the selection phase.
5. PLEASE whatever you do, ASK QUESTIONS...a great student is the one who asks questions. Mentors/Preceptors want someone who has a thirst for knowledge, who wants to learn, and is passionate enough to ask a question in the first place. This lets them know right off the bat they won't be wasting their time with you.
6. Pay attention to interviewers and how they answer/respond to your questions. This will give you a great idea about how they will treat you, answer you, teach you, and respond to you during your internship!
***Mine was great, and both my supervisors are so great at being thorough and slowing down when I need them to! The conversation was great during the call, and I knew in my heart I NEEDED to be out here!
If you are feeling like going through all this during an interview is too much, maybe you should try looking at somewhere different to spend your spring semester because YOU most definitely need to be excited about being there. Do something you love and you never work a day in your life, right?
3. TAKE NOTES of what the interviewer is saying so you can reflect on them or ask questions about them when it's your turn to talk!
4. Try not to interrupt or cut someone off if they interrupt you. Sometimes there's an awkward silence and that's okay. Maybe find a good question to ask or ask if there was anything else the interviewer would like to know about you. Ask where they are in their interview process and when they will be expecting to make a decision. Ask if you are allowed to contact them after and keep in touch during the selection phase.
5. PLEASE whatever you do, ASK QUESTIONS...a great student is the one who asks questions. Mentors/Preceptors want someone who has a thirst for knowledge, who wants to learn, and is passionate enough to ask a question in the first place. This lets them know right off the bat they won't be wasting their time with you.
6. Pay attention to interviewers and how they answer/respond to your questions. This will give you a great idea about how they will treat you, answer you, teach you, and respond to you during your internship!
***Mine was great, and both my supervisors are so great at being thorough and slowing down when I need them to! The conversation was great during the call, and I knew in my heart I NEEDED to be out here!
If you are feeling like going through all this during an interview is too much, maybe you should try looking at somewhere different to spend your spring semester because YOU most definitely need to be excited about being there. Do something you love and you never work a day in your life, right?
Know what sets you apart, be confident at your own uniqueness. Not one person was born with the same thumbprint as you. You are as unique as a snowflake. Be you, and the right fit will come!
Some humor for my health studies buddies back home!
xoxo ciao,
Cheyenne Peluso
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