Can I Wear My Nose Ring to the Interview?: A Crash Course in Finding, Landing, and Keeping Your First Real Job (35 page)

What do you do when you don’t understand directions?

I ask more questions. If my boss is busy, I see if the project can wait or find an experienced colleague to consult.

How do you respond to criticism?

Criticism isn’t fun to hear, but it’s important to have other people’s perspectives.
Offer an anecdote about how you grew and changed in response to criticism, making sure the instance isn’t negative enough to affect your candidacy—don’t say, “My previous supervisor reprimanded me for being late and working too slowly.” Stay positive:
A sales presentation I did could have been stronger; I signed up for a public-speaking class to improve my delivery.

Tell me about a time you took initiative.

This behavior-based question can be tricky to answer, because you don’t want to sound like a maverick. The anecdote must demonstrate leadership while revealing maturity and respect for authority; you must show that while you always consult your boss to the extent he expects, you are a proactive, mature problem-solver.

Bad answer:
On the first day of my internship, I went in to my boss with a plan for restructuring the whole office.

Good answer:
After several weeks at my summer internship, I began talking to people and analyzing how interns were used. I spoke to my supervisor about
having interns specialize in an area and then rotate, instead of being assigned to one person for the summer. I came up with a schedule for the next summer. I thought it would be a great way for interns to learn about all aspects of the business and for the staff to get to know the interns. I knew there would be some disruption and learning curve issues, so I devised a handoff in which the interns trained one another as they rotated. I was pleased to find out that they implemented the rotations the following year, and I’ve heard from interns and from former colleagues that has worked well.

How do you prioritize your work? How do you plan your time?

Do you work well under pressure? Meet deadlines?

Do you stay late? Take work home?

How do you stay organized?

What systems do you use?

How would you help me stay organized?

How do you communicate with your supervisors?

I check in at the beginning of the day. When I worked at a store, I would arrive a little early to check in with my boss and find out his priorities for that day. How do you like your assistants to communicate with you? What kinds of systems do you currently use?

How do you stay organized? How have you had to organize others?

I use the Outlook calendar program on my computer. I find it extremely helpful, as it automatically reminds me when a task is due. I also keep a box on my desk for loose papers; once a week, I file everything by subject.

Q. I get really uptight in interviews, and I feel like I can’t let my personality show.

A.
If you don’t have a good personality, then don’t reveal it. But seriously: You’ve got to remember that an interview is a conversation; even at its most
formal, it has a human and interpersonal dimension. Don’t give monosyllabic answers—be animated, radiate good energy, be enthusiastic about the job.

To help yourself relax, think of the interview as a two-way street—which it truly is. The interviewer has his questions and criteria, and you should have yours. One part of your mind should be occupied with the questions “Do I really want to work for this person? Is this the job I really want?”

Sometimes it’s better to say nothing than to advertise an unflattering truth, unless you are blatantly lying by omission. As the poet Emily Dickinson wrote: “Tell all the Truth but tell it slant/Success in Circuit lies/… The Truth must dazzle gradually/Or every man be blind.” Following are some common instances in which interviewees tend to reveal too much: