4 Years of Fun Only to Join the "Rat Race" - Specific Information Every College Grad Should Know

Recent College Graduates - Interview Expectations and Job Selection Advice

Why You Are Interviewing?

The obvious answer to this question is that you need a job. However, this kind of thought will land you at a company which you are not happy working at. Instead, think of it this way: you are interviewing to decide what type of career and what type of company suits you best. When it comes to recent college graduates, many companies take advantage of their salary and load the young professionals up with work they do not want to do. Therefore, always remember that you are the one being underpaid and you have as much choice as they do as to whether you will be working at that particular company.

Unless you feel that it is the offer of a lifetime, you should not jump to sign your first offer letter. Be prepared to lose the job. In the least, you know that (as a starting point) your services may be worth x, though take the time to determine whether that variable is high, low or right in the middle. Worst case scenario, you lose the job because you are taking too much time to think. Worse things have happened.

What Types of Jobs Are You Interviewing For?

If you want to be an accountant then, by all means, you should become an accountant. However, school is a lot different from real life, just because you liked a class in college doesn't mean that you will enjoy working in that field. Prior to going out and interviewing, do a good amount of research on various occupations which may be of interest. Find out what they pay, what the hours are, what the future of the industry holds, who are the major players as well as any other information you could dig up.

Salary Talk

When I just graduated college, right before I started my business, I left my current software positions to be an account manager for a company which sells checks. I left for $7,000 a year. This was the worst career mistake I have ever made. If it's a really solid company, don't worry about the base salary too much. Conversely, if a company is promising gold, but is paying next to nothing, run the opposite way.

What If I Am Really Nervous During My Interview?

That is fine; trust me. Within a matter of days, your entire life has changed. This is scary - the way people talk about the "real-world" can put a lot of pressure on a young person. If you're nervous, the number one thing to do is tell the interviewer that you are nervous as you don't interview much. The number two thing to do if you are nervous is to accept the fact that you are nervous and that's the way it should be. Lastly, if the interviewer is not sympathetic to the fact that interviewing is a little gut-wrenching for a recent college graduate, then you don't want to work with that person anyway.

What Questions Am I Going to Be Asked?

This depends on the actual person with whom you will be meeting. If they are smart, they will have a conversation with you, if they are subpar HR people they will ask you questions such as what your weaknesses are. If you want to prepare for the cookie-cutter questions like that, make sure your answer is different from what you perceive as to how other applicants would respond. Take risks.