Tips for the real world....which is coming way too fast.

I the first article I choose was “How to Deal with Interview Stress.” I specifically choose this one because I am notorious for stressing out before speaking in front of a class, before giving presentations, and especially before interviews. I thought the suggestions provided were fairly helpful; some ideas would have never even crossed my mind. For instance, I would never think to visualize how I wanted the interview to go. I know from experience that it is common to try to cover up something you said wrong or stumbled over by talking faster or laughing awkwardly. So I really liked the idea of taking 10 seconds to “regain your composure” if you mess up and answer or stumble over your words.

Because I am in the process of applying to graduate school, where phone interviews are not out of the ordinary, the second article I picked was “Phone Interviews: Tips to Get Called Back.” I thought this article was extremely helpful because I have never been given any tips or suggestions for over-the-phone interviewing. One of my favorite suggestions the author gave was to dress professionally. Even if the interviewer can’t see you, it’s true that the way you dress makes you feel a certain way and will reflect in the way you speak. The other idea I really like is to smile when you’re talking. I know I am always able to tell when people are smiling even if I can’t see them, and it always puts me in a better mood. Plus it’s contagious!

I really enjoy little articles like these; they are just long enough to get the main points across, but short enough to keep my attention the entire time I am reading. Sometimes I feel like I learn the most from articles like these.