Interview Tips for New Graduates

Preparing for a job interview is difficult when you are a new high school or college graduate. You don't have a lot of work experience yet, which puts you at a disadvantage in the competition for jobs. These interview tips will help keep you from making some avoidable mistakes during the interview process. They may not help you against work candidates that are more experienced than you, put they will place you above others who continue to make entry level interview mistakes.

Interview Tips for New Graduates: Things to do for a Great Interview

1. Be on time. Know where you are going, and get there a little early so you can review your notes one last time, freshen up, and take a breather. You don't want to run in at the last minute. You need to be calm and collected.

2. Dress appropriately, and err on the side of being overdressed. It is good to get in the habit of dressing well for work early in your career. It will only get you ahead. Wear a suit if you can. Most professional workplaces require a collared shirt for men, and for women skirts no higher than three inches above the knees, hose, and no open-toed shoes. Be well-groomed.

3. Have a typed resume that has been well-edited. Ask a professional in your life to give you some feedback. Do the best with the experience you have. Be honest.

4. Start confident to stay confident. Walk in to the room with your shoulders back. Make eye contact with the job interviewers, shake hands, and introduce yourself. Smile.

5. Be prepared. Search for practice questions online for the job field that you want to enter. Write out your answers on note cards. Try to answer each question with your response plus an example from real life. Anticipate the interview questions that will be asked and prepare answers.

Interview Tips for New Graduates: Things to Avoid at all Costs in your Interview

1. First, do all of the above items. Not doing these is your invitation to failure.

2. Never complain in a job interview. Aside from the fact that complaining is immature, no one wants to hire a whiner. Don't say anything negative about former bosses, coworkers, friends, family, etc. Questions like these are not an invitation to share. They are to judge how you will respond. If you worked for the world's worst boss and the interviewer knows it, still don't go there. The most you should say is "It was a challenging job, but I did the best I could while I was there."

3. Don't talk about transportation in a job interview. It is assumed that you can get to a job if you are applying for it. Mentioning transportation issues will raise a red flag, and if the interview comes down to you and one other person, that might be what loses it for you. Work these issues out privately.

4. Don't share too much personal information in a job interview. Sometimes an interview gets off track. This can be a good sign, since it may mean that you are connecting with the interviewers. It is very easy to go too far though. A professional interview is a successful interview.

5. Be professional in your interview. Use correct grammar and professional language in all of your communication with prospective employers. Don't use slang. Even your email address needs to be professional, or at least, not inappropriate.

6. Turn every negative around to a positive. For example, if you are asked what weaknesses you have, share one, but then tell them how you turned it around and handled it well.

These interview tips should help new graduates get ahead. Remember to be confident and sell yourself. When you are asked if there is anything you want to add at the end of the interview, don't be shy. Say "I know that I may not have as much experience as some of the other candidates, but I would be a great employee..." and tell them why. Know your skills and sell them. Good luck in your interview!