Interviews are the worst—or so most people think.

As someone who has participated in many different interviews, I am here to tell you that not all interviews have to be bad. Interviews come in all shapes and sizes: group interviews, individual interviews, online interviews, and interactive interviews. It took me a while to warm up to the idea of interviewing, but I’ve finally gotten to a place where I do not dread interviews, and I’m here to share my tips for how to complete them successfully.

The most-asked question, which most people think is the hardest question, is usually “Tell me about yourself.”

This question seems so simple but is actually hard to even begin to answer. When answering this question, it is easy to ramble and get off topic. I have talked to many career counselors, and I have finally developed an answer to this question that is informative yet focused. To answer this question, you need to find an aspect about yourself that relates to the field you are interviewing for; find one thing to focus on and use that to lead into why you are right for a certain job/field.

Here is how my answer would go (roughly):

I grew up in Birmingham, Alabama in a very big family. I am one of five siblings, and the first four of us are four in a row in age. I love my big family, but we fought quite a lot. Through the arguments, I kind of came to be known as the ‘persuasive’ one; I always knew what I needed to say to get things done. Realizing this about myself, I knew PR would be a great field for me. Communication is one of my passions, and I know my family is a huge factor in that.

What You Say About Yourself Should Relate to the Job

I found one thing about myself that relates to PR, my major, and I use that to talk about myself. I find it hard to talk about myself, but it makes it easier when you can practice your answer beforehand and basically have it memorized. Most people say to keep that answer to about one minute, and keep it focused.

Keep Your Answers Focused

During an interview, it’s best to keep all of your answers focused onto one thing. When asked a question, find one specific thing that you have done that you can talk about in your answer. Show your experience by relating different answers to things on your resume. That way you can show you have experience in different areas, but you won’t ramble, and you will be able to keep your interviewer’s attention. Plus, focused answers will help them remember you.

In an interview, confidence is key! Self-confidence shows and also helps you keep calm. Take a deep breath, you got this! Before every interview take a second to remind yourself to…

Be well, Auburn. 

Photography: Abbey C.