If you’re like most of us, finding out that your job interview has turned into a day-long affair will cycle you through just about every single one of Kubler-Ross’s stages of grief: first, there will be disbelief, then rage (generally when you realize you won’t have a reliable source of coffee for a few hours). Finally, in the end, you’ll reach acceptance.
Sara McCord at the Daily Muse has a few great tips on how to get through the all-day interview. Here’s a sample:
1. Ask for a schedule, and a list of who you’ll be meeting.
As McCord points out, this lets you do LinkedIn recon before the meeting, and also, hopefully, gives you some idea of how long you’ll be there.
2. Remember that each mini-interview is the only interview … from the perspective of the interviewer.
If you’re meeting with a bunch of people separately instead of one big panel, you’ll want to make sure that you seem engaged and focused in each segment. Make sure you tell each person how interested you are in working at the company, and that you don’t appear to be checking your schedule to see how quickly you can get out of there.
3. Bring coffee.
Or candy, or snacks — whatever you need to get through the day. McCord points out that you can get packets of instant coffee from Starbucks that you can make up with just hot water from the cooler. If you know you’re not your best without caffeine or sugar, or what-have-you, make sure you have some on hand.
Tell Us What You Think
We want to hear from you! What are your secrets for surviving the all-day interview? Leave a comment or join the discussion on Twitter, using the hashtag #MakeItHappen.
More from PayScale
7 Confessions of Job Interviews Gone Wrong
Why Employers Ask Unusual Interview Questions [infographic]
If These 3 Things Happen During Your Job Interview, Don’t Take the Job
(Photo Credit: Mike Licht/Flickr)
Leave a Reply