<p>Hi!
Im a rising junior.
i recently applied for a congressional internship and I was notified today that I am scheduled for an interview. I have little prior “real” work experience, but I have several ECs…some of which are politically related. However, this is my first ever professional interview…and needless to say…im scared out of my mind! </p>
<p>Ive done a lot of research about what to expect…but anyone have any personal advice on how to present yourself sucessfully?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Dress neatly and professionally, but comfortably. Be on time. Have a firm handshake. Smile. Show interest in the position. If you can, find out in advance who you might be working with or what areas, and have at least some basic knowledge about their issues.</p>
<p>At the end of an interview you may be asked if you have any questions. It’s okay to ask about things that would pertain to you (pay, housing, etc) but ask at least one question about the goals of the organization or person you’ll be interning with, how the office plans to accomplish those goals, etc - in other words, show that your are really interested in the same things as your potential employer and want to help him/her achieve his/her goals.</p>
<p>Basic, common sense. Good luck to you!</p>
<p>You’ve done a lot of research so…no need to be scared out of your mind!</p>
<p>You want to be quietly confident, but not cocky. Dress conservatively, even if the office is informal.</p>
<p>Make sure you know how to get to the interview before hand, If it will help, go earlier in the day or the day before just to make sure. Do not be late. Plan to be there 5-10 minutes before your appointment. </p>
<p>Have your resume and any other documents in a nice folder or portfolio. It looks better and will make you feel more confident. Take a pen. Make sure you have with you written information about schools, jobs and dates and any other info you may need for filling out documents on site.</p>
<p>As you research has indicated, there are several types of interviews. You can expect certain tried-and-true questions such as:</p>
<p>Why do you want to work for so-and-so?
What is your greatest weakness?
Tell me about a time that you had to stand up for what was right.
Tell me about a mistake you made, what you did about it and what you learned.</p>
<p>If you haven’t found the web sites with those classic questions and more (because I don’t remember the others), keep looking.</p>
<p>Know how to shake hands; don’t wait for the interviewer to extend a hand. Extend yours. Look the interviewer in the eye. The interviewer will extend his/her hand. Say something like “I’m glad to meet you.” Grasp the interviewer’s extended hand hand firmly (no death grip, no dead fish: practice with a friend if you need to) for a count of 2 or 3 . Let go.</p>
<p>Listen. Really listen to the interviewer and the questions asked. A good interviewer can tell if the interviewee is listening or just waiting to say what he wants to. Be ready to ask your own questions. This will show that you have prepared. Among them should be, “What is the next step?” and "When shall I expect to hear from you?’ And as Lafalum advises, ask about the goals of the organization.</p>
<p>Always always always write a brief note to the interview thanking him/her for their time. In that note you can reference some discussion or otherwise reinforce what took place in the interview and underline your interest in the position.</p>
<p>I hope this helps a little! Please let us know if you need other types of information/advice.</p>
<p>Here’s something the books might not tell you. Every part of every exchange until you’re hired is part of the interview. </p>
<p>How you treat the receptionist when you arrive, your tone of voice when you phone in about anything, even casual “informal” talk if the interviewer walks you to the elevator “after” the interview is still grist for the mill. So just stay on your toes until your feet hit sidewalk outside their building again.</p>
<p>When I started interviewing, my parents sent me an article they cut out from a newspaper with a story from a receptionist saying something like this:
“Because my desk is near the guest restroom in the lobby, I can hear the water in the pipes when people wash their hands. The interviewer typically will ask me later if the interviewee washed his hands or not.”</p>
<p>Not sure if that was a dealbreaker or not, but like paying3tuitions said, be on your best behavior as soon as you set foot in the door. :)</p>
<p>Also (and this is hard to do on your first interview), don’t be afraid to really let your personality shine through. Dress formally and present yourself formally, but smiling and laughing at appropriate times make you seem both interested in the job and the person you’re talking to.</p>
<p>Given the topic of your internship, I’d say also to be sure to know what’s in the news that week and, if possible, that same day. </p>
<p>It’s not that you need to comment politically, but I’d think you’d want to be aware of the day’s major headlines (local, national, international). And read a Time or Newsweek, plus the daily news for the week before the interview.</p>
<p>Can you save a little morning time to catch the news somehow? Just in case they bring it up, you’re in the know. So you don’t sound like this: Earthquake in our district? Oh, I missed that. I guess that’s bad for our constituents, right?</p>
<p>Often people try to set you at ease when you arrive by just talking small talk (about the weather, sports, or how your trip was to their office…). Handle all that in a friendly way. You can be sure they’ll switch gears and start asking you interview questions soon enough. Meanwhile, just bond and be a human being, try to relax with them just a bit. They’ll begin to question you soon enough.</p>
<p>SOmetimes young people don’t exactly perceive when the interview is actually beginning, and stay too informal. As soon as you perceive a real “interview” type of question (like you read about in the books), sit up a bit straighter, look them in the eye (or pan a group of interviewers) and give them your best responses.</p>
<p>In the end, no single thing torpedoes an interview. If they like you, they like you, and if it’s not going to be, well, you can stand on your head and it won’t help. So afterwards if you think you didn’t quite answer something as well as you’d like, don’t worry. Usually it’s a package deal and they respond to the whole “you” they see, not any single reply.</p>
<p>If, however, you think you really mis-state something, it’s okay to revisit it and pick it up again, to amend an earlier answer in other words. </p>
<p>A good interview is an exchange, not an interrogation, so be ready for give-and-take dialogue. </p>
<p>Especially learn to answer their question first, and then embellish it. “Yes, for example once I…” instead of making them wonder through your example whether the final answer will be yes or no. </p>
<p>And if you answer a “no” as in, “No, I’ve never done that kind of task…” then be sure to not leave it there. Offer something else you’ve done that’s as close to it as you have, for example, “No, I haven’t actually organized people to attend a public congressional hearing, but I have chaired meetings at the student council, planned agendas for several club meetings, and participated in a voter registration drive.”</p>