BY MAYA KOHN
SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS
The pressure of a job interview is enough to make even the most confident person a little nervous.
Add to that competition from hundreds of other applicants, stuffy business attire, and 100 degree-heat, and the interviewees will really start working up a sweat.
Tuesday was the start of the annual Career Fiesta, Arizona State University’s largest career event, with over 250 employers.
With the large amount of competition and the limited positions available, students should know how best to prepare for their interviews.
Students were expected to dress more formally than the outfits they usually wear around campus. Business casual is the most appropriate dress code, said Kitty McGrath, executive director of Career Services.
“Shorts, flip flops, and t-shirts don’t cut it,” McGrath said.
She recommends that men wear nice khakis or dress pants with a collared shirt. Women should wear skirts or trousers with a nice blouse; nothing too low-cut.
As far as behavior goes, McGrath said to act natural.
“It’s sort of a meet and greet,” McGrath said. “Students and recruiters will shake hands, and generally have pretty informal conversations.”
McGrath also stressed that it is important for the students to go into their interviews with the appropriate attitudes. A bad attitude is very off-putting, she added.
“Don’t put the employer on the defensive by asking questions like, ‘Why would I want to work for you?’” McGrath said.
Preparing for the interview is the most time consuming part of the process. Students should bring multiple copies of their resumes and have an idea of which companies they would like to sit down with, McGrath said.
McGrath also recommended that students utilize what help Career Services offers to students regarding resume and interviewing skills. Career Services staff members will also be giving resume advice at the Career Fiesta.
It is all well and good to be well-dressed and come prepared, but it is another thing to stand apart from the crowd.
“I find that students are most successful in an interview when they have a good sense of the company and how they may fit with the company’s culture and position requirements”, said Angela Heyroth, senior manager of talent acquisition for Charles Schwab and Co., Inc. “Then they work to ‘sell’ that during the interview.”
Abhidha Sukumar, a senior at ASU and an electrical engineering major, said she will be attending the Career Fiesta for the first time. Sukumar admitted to being a little nervous.
She is preparing for the event by getting her resume reviewed by Career Services and researching the companies she is interested in.
“I’m graduating next year, so this is really important for me,” Sukumar said.
Reach the reporter at maya.kohn@asu.edu.
