After spending few hours trying to pick the ideal company of your choice, you now have to think of how to ace your interview with your potential boss. Given that your interview would be when your first impression would be made, it’s rather important to prepare for your interview(s).
When we say prepare, we don’t mean hard-core research on the company’s history, industry and background information and of course we’re not saying they are not important. But, what exactly more do you need to seal the deal? To find the answer, a few of us who got our offers (which caused us to successfully land ourselves in our respective companies) thought hard and brain-stormed a few tips that might effectively set you different from the other applicants. We hope to share these deep-insights beyond the typical tips like, “dress well and impress” that we often hear too much. BEFORE INTERVIEW 1. Resume This is your first-impression made, so make sure it’s a pleasant one. It should leave an impression. Be honest in your resume because your bosses or interviewees can tell a sincere one from one that is trying too hard. Very often, bosses will skim through your Cover Letter, so make sure you put in more effort in the introduction and concluding paragraph. Convey clearly what kind of job scope you will be interested in because you don’t want to be stuck in a job you really detest when you’re here. So spend some time, craft a unique resume that tells your bosses why you are or should be the one. 2. Dressing Just because your interview is being conducted in a less conventional way and from the comfort of home, this doesn’t mean you’re allowed to stay in your pajamas. Because your interviewer can physically see you, wear what you normally would to an interview. While this varies depending on your field, a nice blouse with a blazer is always a solid option. Don’t go halfway with your outfit, either! It can be super tempting to dress for success on the top (what can be seen on camera) and wear casual shorts or sweats on the bottom. But this could end up biting you in the butt – you never know if you’ll have to get up at some point (true story!). Your best bet is to dress like you would for a Monday morning at the office (although we understand it can be very tempting to wear your FBT shorts or boxers anyway). 3. Technical difficulties Internet connection can be spotty in the best of times, so always come up with a backup plan. Skype is often full of technical difficulties and can cause audio lag and pixelated video, especially when the connection is bad. If your Wi-Fi is super unreliable, use an Ethernet cable to plug yourself in so you don’t lose service in the middle of your interview. As much as you may love your laptop, it’s still a piece of technology and doesn’t know not to die during an interview. Keep it plugged in to avoid any potential battery disasters, and quit all unnecessary programs; not only will they be distracting, but they’ll also slow down your computer’s processing (interfering with your video feed) and drain the battery quicker. If all else fails, keep your cell phone handy. In short, make sure you are in a space that has stable connection at least. DURING INTERVIEW: Two-way street Allow your internship interview to be a two-way street. Simply put, do ask your interviewees questions too. When people say a job interview should be a two-way street, they mean it—but you have to make sure you actually get into the driver’s seat and take control of the conversation. Don’t be arrogant, of course, but be confident. You have a big decision to make, too. For example, when you hear things like “schedules are flexible” (a good time to ask “how is that handled or approved? Does anyone on this team have a flex schedule?”) or “there’s some occasional travel” (a good time to ask “where was the last place someone had to go? How long did they stay in the field?”) The more you manage to make your job interview a give and take of useful information, the more rapport you’ll have with your interviewer, the more likely you’ll leave a good impression, and the more informed you’ll be when you leave. You’ll be both confident that you left a good impression and answered their questions well, but you’ll also really, truly understand what will be expected of you at work. That’s important too: The more you converse, the more the conversation naturally turns to when you start, as opposed to if you get the job. You probably know that feeling: your conversation consists of things like “these are the people you’ll be working with” and “this is what you’ll be doing” instead of “this is our team” and “this is what we do.” It’s always a good sign that you’ve made a great impression, and you’re fitting in well with your interviewer. Finally, don’t let yourself leave a job interview hoping that everything went well without knowing if it did—like the interview was a thing that just happened to you rather than a thing you actively participated in. Choose your companies wisely for this is a commitment you will be taking up for around 11 months. Most importantly, do not have unrealistic expectations of being an intern - get rough and immerse yourself in Shanghai. Good luck folks.
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SHEN
申城 (shen cheng) is an ancient name for Shanghai.
As a group of NUS and NOC students who are in Shanghai for a year-long internship programme, we have named our student organisation as SHEN (Shanghai House of Entrepreneurs). Archives
November 2017
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