Pre interview stress

[Fatima_sh]

It’s 1:17AM and I have a job interview at 9:00AM.

This is totally stressing me out, the call was so sudden and I didn’t have time to prepare a portfolio.

I’m so screwed ... and so scared as well !

This is going to be my first interview and I can’t help but think “what if they don’t like me, what if they think I’m just a stupid kid that doesn’t know anything, what if they embarrass me, what if I choke and don’t know how to answer a certain question, what if they consider me a waste of their time” etc ...

My family and everyone I know around me tells me to relax and that the chances of that happening are unlikely, but I just can’t stop !

I seriously need help 😭

[LibraryLove]

Hey! I understand your stress. You want to make a good impression and you aren't really sure what they are looking for. Everyone feels it! I've been on both ends and honestly in job interviews a good chunk of it is seeing if you'd be a good fit to work along side of them and ask you to talk more about your skills that you mentioned in your resume. Be prepared to answer questions like "Why do you want to work here, do you have experience working in such and such, what skills do you have that the other applicants won't, what can you bring to our company." One question that I would get that used to stump me is "what are your weaknesses?" Of course, you don't want to talk about your weaknesses at a job interview. You want them to think you're perfect. A friend told me a really good response is "I have a hard time prioritizing/multitasking. I get really excited and into my work and sometimes it's hard for me to prioritize because I am prone to multitasking." This response shows that you are a hard worker. Finally, and most importantly, don't forget to ask questions at the end! Here are a few good ones that work anywhere "what do you hope to see in the person who takes this job?" "why did the applicant before hand leave this position?" "Does this position offer any benefits?" and a really good one to end on is "do you have any questions or concerns about my qualifications?"

It's so nerve wracking to get an interview on such short notice. But try to have an attitude like you know they are gonna want you, it's just a small matter of convincing them.

I wish you the best and good luck!!!

[Fatima_sh in reply to LibraryLove]

That you so much for your advice, I’ll make sure to work on it !

I have one problem though ... I was called for a job as a secretary, but I don’t know a single thing about being one. Plus the qualifications that they’re looking for are different than the reality ... My major is media, how on earth did I end up with that interview ? 😂 🤦🏻‍♀️

Do I just show them my qualifications as a person who studied media and hope that they’d offer me another job, or should I just explain it to them ?

[LibraryLove in reply to Fatima_sh]

ok! So secretaries need to be super organized, detailed oriented, and have great customer service mannerisms. Perhaps when they saw you studied media, they saw someone who knew how to please the general public, since that's sort of what media does right? I'm ballparking this so please correct me if I'm wrong.

[Fatima_sh in reply to LibraryLove]

I love how it took me 2 months to notice you’re message, sorry about that. 😂

I’ve learned many things, animation, graphic design, typography etc ... but you’re right I did learn some people skills,leadership skills and communication skills.

Oh and I never got a call back after the interview, it was a great experience though.

[LibraryLove in reply to Fatima_sh]

Aw I'm sorry! I hope that you were able to find something!

[Fatima_sh in reply to LibraryLove]

So far I have no luck, but it’s alright. I’ll just keep on searching 😄

[LibraryLove in reply to Fatima_sh]

That's always the worst. It took me six-seven months to find a new job. I hope it doesn't take you that long. Good luck!!