Written by: Charlie Foster, Employer Relations Specialist at Baylor University
You’re graduating from college in less than a month, and you are interviewing for your dream job after Thanksgiving. But you’re worried that you aren’t bringing all the right tools to the table.
Think of your interview as a traditional Thanksgiving meal. While every part of your interview is important as an individual component, the complete picture that you present is the part that sells the recruiter. In short, it’s the delicious whole that everyone looks forward to. Look at your job seeking and interview as each of the parts of the Thanksgiving meal:
Grandma’s Homemade Dressing – Your Educational Experience
Everyone expects grandma to make her traditional, homemade dressing. It’s the one thing that everyone knows will be there. The same thing is true with your educational experience. Everyone has their own experience, just like grandma has her own recipe. But interviewers expect you to have a college education. Find a way to make yours standout. This may be a particular study abroad or project that you worked on in your major. Utilize that when talking about your educational experience.
Mashed Potatoes and Gravy – Your Internships
Mashed potatoes are the staple side that everyone loves at Thanksgiving. It’s the simple foundation of the meal that goes with everything. Your internships are the foundation of your appeal as a candidate in an interview. The more internships you have, the better you look to a new employer. And everyone loves a solid, learning internship for the foundation of your new career.
Auntie Muriel’s Green Bean Casserole – Your Resume
Auntie Muriel may not be the best cook ever, but she knows how to make your least favorite side a bit more appealing. Your resume makes your learning and experiences more appealing, too. While it might be a simple piece of paper that you love to dread, it is important for you to have with every application and interview. You need to make sure that your resume is professional, well organized, and easy-to-read for all interviewers and recruiters. Make sure to utilize your resources to have your resume proofread and designed for better appeal.
The Thanksgiving Turkey – Your In-Person Interview
The star of the show is the Thanksgiving turkey. Your interview is in the limelight for you to get this job. While the turkey takes time to be seasoned and prepped for cooking, you also need to prepare for your interview well in advance. Learn about the company that you are interviewing with, including their culture and main responsibilities. You should also know as much as you can about the job that you are interviewing with. With this knowledge, you will be able to brightly shine, just like the turkey at dinner time.
Pumpkin Pie – Your Personality, and You
The grand finale of the meal: the pumpkin pie. It’s the part of the meal that everything builds up to, and the part that leaves the best impression. Your personality and the way you present yourself is the most impactful impression during the interview. As cliché as it sounds, the most important thing you can do is be yourself. Recruiters and interviewers can tell when you are being fake, are nervous, or not confident in yourself. The best thing to do is to present yourself with confidence and determination that you are the right candidate for the job.
By bringing the complete meal to the table, you are sure to land your dream job!
