Maddie’s Interview Do’s and Dont’s

I've learned a thing or two during my time as a Branch Employment Coordinator. 

As some of you may know, I have two jobs. I am the Co-Host for The Rob's Radio Show with Maddie West for my first half of the day, and then I venture across town to job #2 where I work as a Branch Employment Coordinator (BEC).

Bascially, a BEC is an employment recruiter. I mine resumes, schedule interviews, and try to find people that are best suited for whatever position we are currently hiring for. With that being said, I see numerous people come through our company on a weekly basis. Overall, I'm almost always disappointed in how unprepared people are for their interviews.

So, I've decided to share some tips and tricks that will hopefully help someone during their next interview.

For starters, BRING. A. RESUME. I mean that's like the Golden Rule of an interview...or so I thought. I would say 90% of people that come in for interviews don't have a resume with them. There are times where I will have the resume, but an updated copy or a back-up is always nice to have. It also shows your prepared. If I were you, I'd print at least 2-3 copies and bring them with you to your interview.

Also, dress like you give a damn. I know not every company is hiring for the next CEO, but dress like you want a job. Even if you're interviewing to be a mechanic, come in a nice pair of khakis/slacks and a shirt with a collar. It's really not asking that much. You will NOT be taken seriously in your greasy jeans and 3-day-old spaghetti stain on your shirt.

*SIDE NOTE: My boyfriend just recently had to go get a ton of new clothes for his new job. He is required to dress business casual - khakis/nice jeans, collared shirts, button-downs, etc... We went to both Ross and TJMaxx in Evansville and found PLENTY of nice, cheap clothing. Shirts averaged $10-$15 a piece and pants hovered around the $15-$20 mark. Nice clothes don't have to be expensive. So, don't try to use that excuse.

Next - know what you're interviewing for. If you walk into a business, the least you can do is know what you're there for. If possible, have the interviewers name in mind, or the position you're interested in. I can't count how many times I've asked a person what job they're interviewing for, only for them to give me a blank stare. HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW WHAT JOB YOU APPLIED FOR?!?!

And if you have to cancel, don't wait until the day of the interview...or especially the hour before. If you need to reschedule, give plenty of notice, if possible. I understand that things come up, but I also know that it doesn't happen nearly as often as people claim it does. If I believed every story I was told, there'd be a whole lot of people out there with sick kids/moms/grandmas. Honestly, the likelihood of you actually being rescheduled is slim to none. Don't burn that bridge. Do your best to get there.

SHOW UP. I would say the success rate of scheduled interviews is about 70%. That's right. Only about 70% of interviews I schedule actually end up walking through the door. It's sad. Why set up an interview if you have no intentions on showing up? And if you skip your interview, DO NOT call later that evening and try to get a reschedule. You already missed your opportunity.

This one goes without saying...but take a shower. It's very obvious when people just rolled out of bed 10 minutes before their interview. Your shirt looks like you slept in it and your hair is partially matted to the side of your head. Come on. Jump in the shower and throw some effort into your appearance. Everyone will appreciate it.

Just...just don't be THAT GUY. Put some effort into your appearance. Come prepared. Take the time to Google the company you're applying for instead of coming in totally blind. It's really not asking much considering you're looking for employment. A little goes a long way. I consider myself fairly skilled in predicting the success rates of interviews. As bad as it sounds, I can look at someone and get a general idea of how the interview is going to go. Not everything has to do with looks, but showing effort says a lot. And preparedness speaks even louder than looks. Take this little bit of brutally honest advice and run with it. Good luck!