Lately, I’ve shared a lot of networking tips for teens and the importance of crafting a high school resume. If you missed those articles, check them out here. The next step for students is to prepare for the big interview. Keep in mind that interviews are not only for jobs but for internships, college admissions, and scholarships.
Here are some tips to share with your teen on how to prepare for an interview:
Research the company, college, or scholarship – identify their mission or purpose and what they’re looking for in a candidate. I recently interviewed students for a scholarship opportunity. We asked, “What values do you demonstrate that reflect the person for whom this scholarship was named?”
Think about your strengths and weaknesses – this is a question that a teen will be asked 99.9% of the time in an interview. For strengths, your teen needs not only to identify the specific traits but back them up with specific examples of how they demonstrated them. For instance, if a teen says they are good at problem-solving, they should have at least one story to share of how they demonstrated this skill.
Identify what questions you want to ask – Many teens are uncomfortable or apprehensive about asking questions during an interview or even think it’s not allowed. Asking questions shows that your teen is interested in the opportunity. An uninterested candidate probably would not take the time to develop questions.
Practice, practice, practice – We know how important this is as adults. If your teen is resistant to roleplaying the interview with you, ask your teen with whom they would feel comfortable practicing. Maybe a relative, a neighbor, or a friend.
Even if your teen doesn’t have an interview scheduled, they can practice by conducting informational interviews with professionals in their careers of interest. It’s a terrific way to get your teen comfortable having conversations with others and asking questions.
Does your teen struggle with identifying their best traits? With our Best Foot Forward package, your teen will know their strengths in 20 minutes, and we’ll help them craft personal experiences to support those strengths. Click here to learn more and to purchase this package.