These are my quick notes on how to prepare for your interviews in NYC. First of all, and most important, an interview is not about 'you' but is really about them. You want to know as much about the firm as possible and about the person (or persons) you will be meeting with before you go through the door. You can do this research by reviewing the company Website (and social media sites) and also by looking at LinkedIn. If you send me the names of the people you are meeting with, I will help you find their LinkedIn profiles. These profiles tell you a lot, such as where the person went to school, where they have worked in the past, etc.
Once you do your homework and make some notes on each firm and person, use this information to ask interesting questions during the interview. By asking questions, you show the interviewer how you think and you also show your interest level by having some knowledge about the firm and their clients. Also, be prepared to tell interesting stories about yourself. One great story is about how you put this whole trip together by yourself.
You could say something like this:
"I am having a great time exploring New York City for a few days. My mom was able to fly in from Texas, so that has also been a treat. I was able to set up interviews with James Rixner Design, Robin Baron Design, and Nancy Corzine. I also had a lot of fun visiting the showroom of McKinnon & Harris on Friday. Kind of an interesting story. When my parents went on their first official date, 25 years ago, they went to a Georgia - Kentucky football game as the guest of the President of the University of Kentucky, whose name was Dr. Otis Singletary. No kin to us, but my dad weaseled his way into the President's box as a way to impress his date. They befriended Dr. Singletary's daughter-in-law, Janie Singletary and she is now a top executive at McKinnon & Harris. So Janie helped me get a meeting with the fine folks at McKinnon & Harris. They make high end estate, garden and yacht furniture in Richmond, VA. Really an amazing company. I am going to visit their refinery this spring and see how the furniture is made. They referred me to Cullman & Cravis, so that became a fourth interview. It is fun to talk to so many different companies and professionals like yourself."Another conversation starter would be something like this:
"My dad works for a cool company in the design business, Autodesk. They are best known for their flagship product AutoCAD, which we are now studying in school and I really like it. Autodesk makes all kinds of other software, including applications that are used in the Media and Entertainment industry to make movies like Avatar and all kinds of special effects. That is what my dad sells. We were able to swing by the Autodesk New York offices for a few minutes and I am exploring the possibility of some work with Autodesk, as they have a cool product called HomeStyler. HomeStyler is a free product that helps you design or remodel your dream home and visualize how things will look in a digital format. It is really cool and I am pretty good at computer graphics and design."There are all kinds of other stories you could tell. Talk about your course work at Georgia and your professors, especially the one who likes you so much. Talk about your magazine project. Talk about your blog and your interest in social media. Talk about how you have lived in lots of different places and houses and how this helped you fall in love with the design business. Traditional Williamsburg to folksy Nashville to historical Philly to Cowgirl Texas to Southern Georgia . . . All of these 'stories' help show the interviewer what you are all about. The first story (for example) shows that you are a self-starter, that you are interested in many aspects of design, that you have contacts, that you know how to network and make things happen.
Here are examples of questions that you might ask:
- I really enjoyed reviewing your Website and social media sites. How do you keep things updated? How do you use social media to promote your business?
- I really want to get as much experience as possible this summer. How have you successfully used interns in the past? How could I best help you this summer?
- While it is important to me to make some money to help pay for the high cost of living in NYC, I am more interested in learning and getting experience. How does your internship program work?
- Arrive 10 minutes early, which means you should be outside the building 20 minutes before your interview. Make sure you know how to get to the proper floor or suite and that there are not any time consuming security clearances. Some buildings will require you to show your ID before you can enter the elevator banks and it can take a few minutes to get a badge.
- Have printed copies of your resume and always offer the interviewer a copy. You can print your resume at the hotel if you did not already do so. Just say, "I brought this for your convenience," and casually hand them a copy.
- Always have a notebook open and a pen or pencil to write stuff down during the interview. It shows an important level of interest and willingness to learn and absorb. Don't be shy about asking someone to repeat something or to spell a name.
- Use great eye contact with everyone, including the receptionist. Be confident and speak very clearly when you first get to the office. "Hi, I am Sally Singletary from Georgia and I am here to meet with Ms. Smith."
- If you are offered something to drink, it is generally best to say yes, could I please have some water or coffee or whatever you want. It shows a level of confidence and people like to be hospitable.
- The day or night before your meetings, send a short email to your contact simply reconfirming your plans to meet. Make the email very affirming. Something like this: "Hello
, Just a short note to confirm our plans to meet tomorrow at 10 a.m. at your offices located at 101 5th Avenue, Suite 100. I am enjoying my time in the city and looking forward to our meeting. I arrived on Thursday evening and have had some fun meetings so far. Regards, Sally" - At the end of the interview, ask what are the next steps. Show a clear and direct level of interest in the job / internship by saying something like: "Thank you so much for this opportunity. I am very confident in my ability to help you. You will find that I am very dependable and highly organized and great with computers. What are the next steps? When can I expect to hear back from you? Is there anyone else whom I should meet or reach out to or get to know?"
- And finally, you will want to send a strong followup email and personal note within one day of the interview. We can discuss these later.
Love,
Dad
