This summer, our goal is to interview 8,500 college students across the country to see who will make the best Campus Reps for WayUp. Even though the interviewing process is still in full-swing, we’re easily able to pick out the students who stand out as our ideal candidates…as well as the students who may need a little help when it comes to interviewing. This compelled us to make a list of the interviewing habits that got us even more excited to make calls to students day in and day out. Take note of the tips below – we’re not the only interviewers who love seeing these qualities!
Ask questions.
Think about it: what if you were in an interview, and you weren’t asked any questions? Besides being a little uncomfortable, you would get the impression that the employer wasn’t interested in you as a candidate.
The same idea applies vice versa. As a candidate, you need to show your potential employer that you’re listening to all the job requirements, and you want to have a complete understanding of what success looks like in the role. To do this, you’ll need to ask questions like, “What has been a common challenge for previous campus reps?” or “What would you like to see someone in my position accomplish this semester?” This shows your interviewer that you’re not only forward-thinking, but that you’re also thoughtfully considering how to execute your goals.
Sell yourself.
Every student we interviewed has a different level of involvement on campus – we completely understand that. However, if you don’t know how to sell yourself, a conversation similar to this one happens:
“What organizations are you involved with on campus?”
“None.”
#Awkward. Even if you decided to take a break last semester and focus on yourself, you should find a way to spin that in a positive, engaging light. For example, the conversation above could have gone so much better if the response were more like this: “Last semester, I actually decided to take some time off and focus on my academics, which was a really good decision for me. This year, I’m looking forward to getting involved in X, Y, and Z on campus.”
If you are involved in a lot of on-campus activities, that’s great – but you should still work on selling your candidacy. For example, if you’re the head of an organization on campus, you should be able to talk about lessons learned or valuable leadership skills you gained and tie it back to the position you’re interviewing for. Showcasing your accomplishments will show us (and your other interviewers!) that you’re the best candidate for the position.
Ask about next steps.
The best candidates we interviewed were the ones who were confident and proactive, saying things like, “I’m so excited to see that contract!” Even better? The ones who sent a follow-up email, thanking us for our time — and you’d be surprised how many people didn’t! Making sure your interviewer knows how excited you are to start working shows that you’re a go-getter–we always want to see that type of passion in our Campus Reps. Plus, sending a thank you note just shows that you’re courteous – exactly the type of candidate anyone would want to work with.
So whether you’re going on Campus Rep interviews or you’re still on the job search (hello, why aren’t you on WayUp yet?!), use these three tips and you’ll be one in a million (well, at least one in 8,500 :D).
