Stump the Intern! [Reader Mail]

Q:  Even though I have a strong resume, I get nervous and awkward during interviews. This, compounded with the recession, is really hampering my ability to regain employment.  Here’s an example:  About two weeks ago, I went on an interview for a consultant position at a major airline. At first, I met with an HR assistant and we did the standard Q&A. I was doing pretty well (for me), until she asked where I saw myself in five years, and I totally blanked.  I don’t know where I see myself in five years, and it’s not like this question hasn’t come up before, but I had no answer. So, there was a sort of sputter and then I ended up saying something generic that referenced my being able to work for this company. The rest of the interview went okay and she took me around to meet a few people in the Consulting department. Well, we get to the third guy and as he’s turning around to be introduced, he sneezes into his hand which he then offers me! I couldn’t shake it after he’d just sneezed on it…and that probably sealed the deal with regard to my not getting hired. How can I take control of interviews and get across that I am qualified to take on the position?

Signed,
Am I Hopeless?

A: Dear Hopeless, first of all, no, you’re not. Secondly, I wouldn’t want to shake the hand of someone who had just sneezed all over it, either, but sometimes you just have to suck it up and cringe unnoticeably. As an intern, I have never conducted an interview, but I’ve been to many of them, and I would say that if, minus the handshake bit, your only other interview “faux-pas” was blanking out, you’re okay this time. I’d suggest checking out Vault’s Interview Questions to get an idea of both the types of questions and how to handle mess-ups. Good luck, and please let me know how your next interview goes!

--Posted by Sophie Friedman, Vault Web Content Intern