Interviews... to many!!

I have gone on so many interviews, that I feel like I can tell others what to expect. When you apply to internships and have a 3 pg. resume, it seems to impress some employers, but not all because there are some who believe you should narrow it down to 1 page!

I mean, that really confuses me!! "One page", "more experience", "overqualified", "not enough experience"... It's mind boggling really!!!

My interviews in the past couple of months have really changed my perspective on employers, and now I know what to do and what not...

Voice of experience: Be prepared, try to know the employer and company before you get there. (They may not ever ask, but its good to know just in case. When your not prepared seems to be when they ask!) Make sure it is something you are interested in and not just something you applied to because you really need the internship, or else you may just get the job and dislike it in the end.

In the past months I have traveled to Painsville for a job which I thought would be easy... It was a distance, but it was paid and Spanish is my first language, so I thought it would be a breeze, but I discovered that nothing is ever that easy. I would've had to make lesson plans (as though I don't have pleanty of things on my plate) and teach 3-6 year olds. And though I knew I could handle it, and the interview was one of the best I've experienced, of course someone with more "experience" got the job. But in this case, I was glad they did, because I'd rather had her hire someone with experience teaching than myself who just knew the language.

That interview was amazing! Here's how it went: I applied to the posting on E-recruiting (while preparing for an interview in the computer lab) and literally minutes later she calls me and says how impressed she was with my resume and wanted to set up an interview. Amazed at the quick response, I set up the interview and met with her the next week. When I arrived I met with her and immediately took a tour of the school, then we went into her office for the initial interview, and the chemistry was great. I felt very confident and we talked for what seemed hours. We set up a possible schedule and I learned a lot about the school, (which I didn't beforehand) and at the end she said " I hope to get back to you soon, it was a pleasure interviewing you, you interview very well" and that really meant a lot because I felt that all the ones I've previously been on and got turned down, it was good to hear a positive response.

All these interviews, some good, some bad... Some employers made me wait weeks before hearing from them, then received an email, some were nice enough to call and explain, and some just simply seemed to have forgotten my contact information, but its all a learning experience.

I suggest that everyone just attend as many interviews as you can. DON'T get discouraged!! just take it as a learning experience and keep a positive attitude!!

Until later,
~Amanda S.