Reference no: EM132896160

In Unit 3, you conducted an informational interview with a professional in the field. Now it is time to be one the other side of the interview by practicing being interviewed. Find a friend or family member to help you by being the interviewer, and imagine that you have landed an interview for the job that you have applied for.

The interview process begins well before you walk in the door and begin talking to the company representative who is interviewing your. You have already completed the first step by giving careful consideration to the skills that the job requires and what kind of person the company is looking for to fill the position.

Doing some internet research will prepare you for the interview.

The next step is to research the company. To succeed in your interview, you need to show that you are genuinely interested in the position. One way to do is to find out about the company beforehand. Virtually every company has a website, and you should spend some time getting to know the various aspects of the company before you meet with anyone face-to-face. In addition, run a search for the company and note any newsworthy events that have happened so that you can comment on recent changes or positive developments at the interview. Before you walk in the door, you want to make sure that you have this basic information:

-what the company does/produces
-how large the company is
-who founded the company, when and why
-what the mission statement is, if there is one
-how the job you are applying for fits into the larger workings of the companyOnce you have this information down, think of questions you have about the company. There will usually be a point in the interview where you get a chance to ask questions, so be sure to have some prepared ahead of time. If you can't think of anything, these kinds of questions generally work well:

-What are the goals of the company for the next 5-10 years?
-What is the best part of working for this company?
-How are raises and promotions determined?
-What surprised you about working here when you first started?
-How long do employees generally stay in [the position that you are applying for] before moving to the next level?
-What could I expect on my first day of work?Like all professionals, interviewers are busy, so you will probably not have time for more than two questions. This is why it is important to know what information interests you most before you enter the interview.
Practice interviews prepare you for the real thing.
Once you have prepared for the interview, ask a friend or a family member to help you by being the interviewer. Give him or her both the job description and the resume that you created as you will be interviewing for that position based on that fictional resume. You also need to give your "interviewer" time to prepare.
Some examples of common interview questions are:

-Tell us a little about yourself. (Note: Answers should relate to professional experience and education.)
-Why do you think that you are a good fit for this position?
-What experiences do you have that are similar to this position?
-Why do you want to work for this company?
-What is your greatest strength?
-What is your biggest weakness? (Note: You should acknowledge a minor flaw and discuss how you are working to improve it.)
-How well do you work as part of a team?
-What drew you to the fashion and design industry?
-Describe your experience working on fashion and/or interior design projects.Your interviewer can choose from among these questions and/or include other questions relevant to the specific position that you applied for. You should answer them based upon both the resume that you have created and your experience in the various projects of the course.
Select your outfit as if this were an actual interview, recalling the section on dressing appropriately for the occasion in Unit 5. If possible, videotape your interview so that you can review it later. When the interview is complete, either write one one-page description or videotape an oral evaluation that includes what you wore and why you chose to wear it, how you feel your interview went, and what you would like to improve upon in future interviews.