So I'm going on my first real interview tomorrow... real as in, professional attire and resumes and cover letters and the like. I'm nervous... any pointers?

-- Anonymous, March 25, 2001

Answers

Smile a lot. Offer to shake their hand, don't wait for the hand to come to you. An interview is a bit like a civilized prostration; they have what you want, and you've come to get it from them. That's the attitude you have to take. You've Come To Take What's Yours. But you have to be nice about it, because otherwise, they're keeping it. Striking the balance of carpe diem vs. oh-what-a-nice-dress-you-have-on is key.

Don't answer any question with "I don't know."

Eye contact is vital.

When they pronounce your last name "Traim," correct it - the first time. After that, just let it go. There will be time later to fix it.

Tell yourself going in, "I am going to work for this company soon, all I have to do now is make sure THEY know that." The rest will fall into place.

-- Anonymous, March 25, 2001

LEARN THE ART OF A FIRM HANDSHAKE!!!

You mean your last name isn't pronounced "Traim?" How IS it pronounced? Have I been living in a fantasy world?!

-- Anonymous, March 25, 2001

ME TOO! Traim.

-- Anonymous, March 25, 2001

I always thought it was like "tram", like the European word for bus or whatever it is.

-- Anonymous, March 25, 2001

I'll field this one.

It's "Tray-mee."

-- Anonymous, March 25, 2001

Just because you may not have experience, don't say that a lot.

Use it to your advantage. Say things like, "I feel like job is a great oppertunity for me to explore the things that I'm good at like ..." and things like that.

-- Anonymous, March 25, 2001

I don't have any words of wisdom, I just share the nervousness. I'm going on my first interview ever tomorrow as well. As luck would have it, it's for an actual office job too, not crappy retail. Arg! Just wanted to say good luck and I hope you get the job so you can say screw you to your parents.

-- Anonymous, March 25, 2001

If they ask you the famous "what-do-you-consider-to-be-your-worst- quality?" question, don't answer with "I'm a perfectionist." Because that's what *everybody* says, and your interviewer will probably give an annoying little snicker if you use the same answer. And nobody likes annoying little snickers.

The trick to getting through those best/worst quality questions is giving answers that show you don't think too much or too little of yourself, and that give you an opportunity to expand on your original answer. I use the "I overanalyze people and situations" answer a lot; that gives me a chance to talk about my interests in writing and psychology, which usually leads the interviewer to conclude that I have good people skills. Whether I *really* have good people skills is another story, though.

Good luck!

-- Anonymous, March 26, 2001

Always be honest about everything. That doesn’t mean tell them everything on your mind but I think people can tell if you over exaggerate something. Remember that an interviewer is not just looking to fit a particular skill set but a personality that fits the organization also. Your personality is just as if not more important then what you already know.

-- Anonymous, March 26, 2001

be the person they want to hire- be the person they want to work with. It sounds stupid and obvious, but if you go in and smile, laugh, look fascinated and interested, seem bright and eager and talented, you'll be perfect.

On the other hand, if you didn't like the customers at K-Mart, how could you ever want to aspire to be a flight attendant? You're gonna deal with shitty shit all day and all night. Sure, you get to go places free, but that might not cover the number of times you'll have to say, "Please turn off that cell phone," "Please put your seat back in an upright position," and "Buh-bye" in one single flight. Flight attendants and waiters/waitresses are two jobs I admire other people that do well, but I'd kill myself within the first hour on the job.

Be a computer nerd instead.

-- Anonymous, March 26, 2001

Don't be passive. Ask lots of questions. Listen to what they say. They're not just interviewing you. You're interviewing them and their company. You want to know if YOU want to work there. Ask them what you would be doing in this job. Ask them about the company. Ask them about what they do. Do these people sound happy when they talk about what their jobs? If so, for the love of God smile when they smile.

If what they say sounds good, make sure they know you think it sounds good. Yes, this sounds like a job you definitely can handle. Yes, this sounds like a job you'll have fun doing (most of the time anyway). If they start babbling, just feign interest for as long as possible.

If it doesn't sound good, get outta there.

-- Anonymous, March 26, 2001

All this interview talk reminds me of a Jerry Seinfeld joke: the only difference between a first date and a job interview is it's not very likely that you'll end up naked at the end of a job interview. Other than that they're practically the same. A first date is like being interviewed for the position of her boyfriend.

-- Anonymous, March 26, 2001

Katie Tray-mee?

-- Anonymous, March 26, 2001

Yes?

-- Anonymous, March 27, 2001

Two questions for K.Trame:

How'd the interview go?

So your last name isn't monosyllabic?

-- Anonymous, March 27, 2001

I'm not making fun. I just always thought your last name was pronounced "Traim". No one can get my last name right, either. It's annoying.

-- Anonymous, March 28, 2001

I bet it's kind of like how I read The Babysitter's Club series for about ten years, thinking Mary Anne Spier was Mary Anne Spyer. Then when that crappy movie came out, I found out it was actually "Spear." It's still Spyer to me...

-- Anonymous, March 28, 2001

*Gasp* it's SPEAR????????

Hot damn! I even watched the show and the movie and I never caught that. :( I'm sad..

-- Anonymous, March 28, 2001

Yup... it's "Spear." I went what, ten fucking years thinking it was "Spyer"? That sucks.

-- Anonymous, March 28, 2001

It's NOT Spyer? Spyer sounds SO much better than Spear.

-- Anonymous, March 29, 2001

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LOL...apparently, an entire generation of girls thought that! Actually, it still happens to me a lot - not Baby Sitters Club mispronunciations, but in other books. Being an English major, I've had to read lots of foreign books, and it really bugs me after I've pronounced a name one way in my head while reading it, and then hearing the professor say it a totally different way in class...grrr...

But I feel your pain with the last name business. I have a long Polish last name myself, and people are always mispronouncing it. It's gotten to the point that if they say it more or less, I'm like, "Yeah, that's me." Kind of...

Hope your interview went well.

-- Anonymous, March 30, 2001

No matter how hard I try to retrain my mind, I think they're always going to be "Traim" and "Spyer" to me. I'll try harder for your name, Katie, since you're, you know, not a fictional character and all.

(Mary Anne was always my favorite baby sitter, though.)

-- Anonymous, March 31, 2001

Mary Ann was too much of a wuss..I liked Stacey, Dawn and Claudia.

-- Anonymous, March 31, 2001