Maleficent I need you
 

To remind you, about a year ago I had a job interview setup. You really prepared me for it, but unfortunately I was not prepared for the questions they asked, and did not get the job.
It's now a year alte,r and the place where I interned has an opening, and has asked me to come in for an interview. It kind of sucks because everyone who was asked to come in for an interview are friends of mine, and some actually interned with me. Couple of questions.

a> is it okay if on my resume, most of the experiences within the field are from this company and nothing else?

b>How should i approach this interview? Last interview I was very laid back and I think it cost me big time. Unfortunately for me i am anturally a funny guy and it's tough to hold back.

Well, I am not Mal (not even close), but I will try.

1) Your resume should contain education and experience that pertains to the job for which you are being hired. In your case, they will expect to see a significant about of experience from your intern position. If you have other stuff that is relevant, you should add it. They know you are an intern, they know what they are interviewing.

2) Act like a professional. The purpose of an interview is NOT for you to entertain them. If you have several friends/coworkers competing for a single spot - you should take this seriously. Again, the people hiring you already know you - and they know you have a sense of humor. They are probably trying to see whether you are going to embarrass them in important situations/ whether they can trust you with their important clients/ whether you can step up to the challenge.

Being cavalier, arrogant, or laid-back are not qualities I seek in employees. I have passed people up who come into an interview with that sort of attitude. One HAS to know when to take things seriously and when it's time to relax. Interviews are to be taken seriously.

Levity and humor AFTER you get the job... if you can hold out for the probationary period.. wait until they honeymoon is over.

I'm not sure I'm me... but I'll try to help..

a> is it okay if on my resume, most of the experiences within the field are from this company and nothing else?
yes, but don't have it look like you are 'padding your resume'... it's ok to move about within the company, in fact I tend to like to see that, it shows company loyalty.

If you've got experience with the company, that's a good thing, there's probably someone that wlll say good things about you... IN fact, I would call your former supervisors and ask if they can be used for a reference.


b>How should i approach this interview? Last interview I was very laid back and I think it cost me big time. Unfortunately for me i am anturally a funny guy and it's tough to hold back.

No one wants to hire the class clown... It's OK to show some personality, but constantly cracking jokes and being less than serious will be seen as a negative, I personally wouldn't want someone completely stiff because that's the person that will meltdown the night the server melts down.. Iw ant a person who can roll with the punches a little... Don't be the person to cracka joke first, and if given the opportunity, don't be shecky green.

Good luck with the interview...

You guys are my main source of support so i'll be less broad. My dream is to work in sports television. Last year right out of college I got an interview to work. After they interviewed me and asked a bunch of questions, I was asked to come in for a 2nd interview where I would be shown the equipment and meet some important people. To my surprise when i arrived, there was a three page paper test waiting for me on basically the history of sports. I did not know the answer to 70% of the questions. Afterwards I was interviewed by one of the main HR people. I knew as soon as I walked into the office that she already chose someone else to hire, and that's what happened.

This upocoming interview, if goes well, will change the path of my life. All i know is that I am going to be one of the last people to interview, and the person interviewing/hiring does not know me. I truly like the other people who are also coming for an interview, but how do i distinguish myself from them? I have had a pretty important part-time job within this company for the last few months, and have gotten rave reviews. The other guys are also very qualified and have done part time projects for the company.

And another thing. I was so mentally drained from not finding a job in this field, that I had decided to attempt to go to grad school next fall. I was to send in my application this week. Is this something worth mentioning during the interview?

Can't agree more with all this advice. Here are a few things:

- answer all the questions honestly. If you don't get the job, it probably wasn't the right fit for you and you wouldn't have been happy long-term.
- get the book Now, Discover Your Strengths and take the test. It will show you your top five natural strengths. I won't go into this here, but if you follow this advice, you'll be able to use this at the self Q&A portion of the interview.
- in the portion of the interview when you get to ask questions (self Q&A), ask about what is important in the right person for the role and then look for ways to insert yourself into that model. The info from the previous point will help. It will also help to be able to share examples of what you have done in the past that would indicate your potential behavior in this position in the future.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

interview went well. i should know in a week. thanks