- (interviewee #1) I'm committed to working
at a mission-driven organization like this one.
I'm passionate about marketing.
I haven't had any professional experience, though,
which I hope is okay.
- (Averie) Let's get one thing straight,
as a recent grad myself,
your interviewer is not expecting you
to have a wealth of professional experience,
but they are looking for you to have certain qualities
that make you right for the job.
Chances are you have those qualities.
You learned them in school, on sports teams,
and extracurricular activities.
Interviewing for an entry-level job
requires drawing from those experiences.
We're gonna watch a few different
entry-level job interviews in action,
and I'm going to pop in throughout
to give feedback on how things are going.
Let's get into it.
- (interviewer) So tell me
what makes you interested in this industry?
- (interviewee #2) Well, I've always wanted
to be a product designer since I was a little girl.
I, of course, didn't know what the job
of a product designer was then,
but I was fascinated by people like Steve Jobs
and knew I wanted to make products
that changed the world.
I didn't focus on this so much in college.
My priority was kind of having a college experience
and I'm so lucky I got to do that,
but now it's time to start adulting.
And I really think this is the perfect place
for me to grow my career.
I know that if someone took a chance on me,
I would succeed. [tape pausing]
- Let's talk about what's working here.
First of all, the candidate comes across as confident
and someone who has genuine interest
in the position, but she needs to be more specific.
Her point about prioritizing a college experience
could raise some flags.
If she didn't study design in college,
where has she learned it? And how does she know
she'll be successful in the role?
She should be explicit.
Hiring managers want you to be concise
and specific when talking about yourself.
Now let's see her redo that last part.
[tape rewinding]
- While I didn't study product design in college,
I am familiar with the relevant design tools
used in this role,
and I've taken online courses to learn more.
I'm really excited about this opportunity.
I'm a self-starter,
and when I don't know the answer,
I'm not afraid to ask.
- Hmm, much better.
Now let's see how another applicant responds
to a similar question.
- How has your experience prepared you for this role?
- I'm committed to working
at a mission-driven organization like this one.
I'm passionate about marketing.
I haven't had any professional experience,
though, which I hope is okay.
[tape pausing]
- Jumping in real quick to say, yes, it's okay
if you don't have professional experience
in the area you're applying for.
You do have other relevant experiences
and transferable skills that you can communicate
during an interview.
With that in mind,
let's see this candidate kick off his answer
a little differently.
- (speaker) Are you using
the Indeed mobile app?
The app is free and makes it easy
to apply right from your phone.
Click the link below or just search Indeed
in the App Store.
[tape rewinding]
- Well, first of all, I am committed to working
at a mission-driven organization like this one.
I'm passionate about marketing.
My undergrad coursework focused on understanding
digital culture and the importance
of representation in advertising,
and I'm eager to apply what I've learned
to a professional setting.
Also, your company values really resonate with me.
They make you stand out from some
of the other organizations I was considering.
I was listening to a recent speech the CEO gave
and when she was talking
about how we need to innovate faster
and disrupt our own industry before others disrupt us,
I thought to myself, "This is a place
I would be lucky to contribute to."
- Hmm.
- Yes!
There's a ton of good stuff in this response.
First, referring to your academics
is a great thing to do when you don't have
professional experience in the area
you're applying for. I also love
that this candidate referenced his value alignment
with the company.
But what I really found impressive was how he read up
on the CEO prior to the interview.
He did his homework.
It's a small detail that really goes the extra mile
and differentiates you from other candidates.
- What was your biggest obstacle in college
and how did you overcome it?
- I'm a computer science major, and prior to college,
I had absolutely zero STEM experience.
So when I was first learning to code Java,
let's just say it was bumpy.
Things just weren't clicking for me
and I knew I needed to make a change.
So I started a support group with some other students.
I put in hours of extra work and practice time on my own.
And I'm proud to say, after a lot of hard work,
not only did I become proficient in Java and Python
but I also was able to tutor some first-year students.
I know that my career would be full
of learning opportunities like this and I'm eager
to face them head-on and continue to improve.
- Wow.
- This answer checked so many boxes.
She was confident, concise,
and kept the answer professional.
You definitely don't want to talk
about personal challenges in school.
She showed that she has the skills
to identify problems and create solutions,
not to mention a willingness to pay it forward.
If she has time to tutor and continue
to do well in her classes, she must have some
strong time management skills, too.
Well done.
And now here's a question that pretty much
everyone is bound to hear at one point or another.
- So that's all I have.
I've asked you all the questions.
I really wanna thank you for taking out the time
to come in and see us today.
You're very well-versed.
And before we wrap, do you have any questions for me?
- Um...Yeah. Uh...
What-what made you decide to go into sales?
[tape pausing]
- Oh, the interview isn't over.
This is an essential moment. The hiring manager wants
to see if you're a critical thinker
and if you're curious about the organization.
Asking, "What made you go into sales?"
helps build a relationship but doesn't give you insight
into the company.
Here are some good questions to ask.
- What's your favorite thing about working here?
- What are some of the qualities
that would make an entry-level candidate
most successful in this role?
- What advice would you give your younger self starting out
in this industry?
- We've covered a lot here
that will help you ace your first interview.
Everyone starts with an entry-level job.
We've all been there, including myself.
The fact of the matter is
that you have more relevant experience
than you think and the tools
to tell a story that proves it.
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- You look like you're eager. - I'm very good at being eager.
- You need to be willing.
- I can do work.
- Yeah, you don't.
[interviewee #2 and interviewer laughing]
- (crew member) I'll do it! - I've done work before.