College years is one of the most challenging chapter of our lives. When you need to study hard because you know that your parents are working hard just to give you the best education they can afford, or maybe you want to prove to your bashers that you can graduate and become an engineer. When I graduated in University of the Philippines – Los Banos last January 2018, I feel the joy yet its temporary. One week after I didn’t have classes anymore; I ask myself, what’s next? I wrote my resume and research some tips how to ace an interview. I have knowledge how to nail an interview but when I go there at the interview room I always messed up. In this article I will share to you the 10 Tips I wished I know before I have my first interview.

1. Just be yourself.

I heard this many time but I didn’t understand what does it means. Pretending to be someone will just messed up your performance in an interview. Just be yourself means be authentic. Don’t fake it. Be comfortable of who you are. If you are small person like me show the hiring manager that your are confident of who you are and you can do the job your are applying for. To do this you have to trick and convince your mind that even the decision maker will not hire you it’s okay because other companies are waiting for you.

2. Be honest.

There’s an old saying ” Be honest even if other’s will not … “. Most of the interviewers are psychologist. They are trained to spot if a candidate is lying or not. It’s better if you will tell the truth. Since you are a fresh graduate, they are not expecting that you know everything in engineering. If they ask you a certain technical question and you don’t know the answer, tell them that you don’t know the answer right now but you will research it right away and email to them the right answer. Most of the time, they will tell you the right answer. Aside from you learn from them, they will appreciate your honesty.

3. Practice answering the common interview questions.

Questions such as ‘ Tell me about yourself? ‘ and ‘ What is your strength and weakness? ‘ are common in job interview. Practice answering them in your room or with your friends watching you. This will help you build your confidence when you are in an actual interview. It will also refresh your vocabulary in English language. In engineering industry, most of the HR are English speaker but most managers and senior engineers will speak to you in Filipino. For more interview question and there answer check this article http:// https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/27-most-common-job-interview-questions-and-answers.html

4. Always wear business formal attire.

How you dress tells a lot who you are. If you come to your interview wearing t-shirts, the hiring manager might think that you are not that serious on getting that job. Show to them how serious and interested you are on the job that you are applying. If you don’t have a business formal attire in your wardrobe, polo shirts are also okay for applying engineers. Most of the applicants I saw while job hopping before, are just in polo shirts and rubber shoes. But if you want to catch the attention of your future boss better wear the best suit.

5. Research the company.

Since this company you are applying for might be your future company, it’s better to invest time in knowing them. Know their culture, vision, mission, products and services. If you have connections in LinkedIn that is working in this company, better to ask them what it’s like to work in their company. One of the criteria hiring manager consider in hiring is if the candidate will fit in their company culture. Some HR will also question you about your knowledge in the company. If they found out you didn’t do your homework, they might think your not interested much to become one of them.

6. Familiarize the job title and it’s description.

The first interviewer that will talk to you might ask this. It’s a red flag if you cannot answer even this simple question. They might ask why are you here anyway? We don’t want that to happen so, day before or while commuting, familiarize yourself with your possible future task and job title.

7. Research your interviewer and future bosses.

This is very important because they will know first hand that you are interested to them. You can research them via LinkedIn, Facebook or google them. You will have insight about who they are. Who knows maybe some of your connections know your future boss and you can put them as reference to your resume?

8. Print a hard copy of your resume and TOR.

Most of the receptionist will ask your resume when they know your a candidate so better print at least three (3) copies of your resume and TOR. Also, familiarize yourself with your subjects in college related to your job you are applying for. Some senior engineers will ask about your grade in that subject that is related t your job you are applying for.

9. Visit the interview venue day before.

By doing this, you can gauge the traffic and know the exact location of the company. This is to avoid being late in the interview. If your late in your interview, the HR might see it as you don’t value their time and you cannot manage time efficiently. That’s a red flag and we should avoid that to happen.

10. PRAY before the interview.

Praying to Jesus Christ to give you the wisdom and courage to ace the interview will boast your confidence. Praying will also give you peace in mind. Do not be discourage if you didn’t get that offer, God has prepared the perfect job for you. Just keep searching. Don’t give up.

Conclusion

All the insights I stated above are based on my own experiences. Some people might have additional insights so better ask them too for additional knowledge. Getting your first job might be easier or might be harder. Keep searching and never give up. As what Japanese saying says, ” Fall seven times, stand up eight “.