Showing posts with label interview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label interview. Show all posts
Not too long after I posted that blog last Thursday, I applied for just one more job. I've been battling with this "to intern or not intern because I'm not an intern anymore" dilemma. I applied for one last internship. The description said they needed someone to do data entry fast. I'm your girl.
3 hours later, they called asking me to come in for an interview. I said I'd come in the next day, and less than 24 hours later, found myself waiting for the elevator in their office building. The receptionist was nice and brought me into the conference room to meet with the director of sales. The guy had never even seen my resume. I handed him a copy, he sat down with a half smile on his face, circled a couple of things and looked up at me.
He asked me about one of my past internships (3 of 8). "What made you so important there?" "Why were you 'head intern'?" "Why did you have all these responsibilities and no one else did?" I used the fact that he thought/knew I was some kind of gem to my full advantage. He said the job involved 3 parts--2 of which I love, marketing & writing. I kind of felt like I was selling myself short, taking an internship when I have mounting student loans to pay off. I found out during the interview that everyone that works at the company starts out this way, and they pay a weekly stipend. Nothing crazy, but enough to buy groceries. I told him it was definitely something I was interested in it. All he said was, "Okay. See you Monday then, come casual." and walked out of the conference room.
I walked out of that building feeling elated. And as I walked the many blocks home from the subway with the rain beating down on me I felt, for the first time, that I am going to be okay.
Labels: internship, interview, new
Remember when I wrote about the Artist From Hell? I am thankful everyday that I don't have to put up with him anymore, in the office at least. We got the interview we needed to get and that was the end of it, or so I thought.
It's Labor Day yet around 10 PM this evening, I was laboring away, getting out my reports for some new projects when I got a message from my boss, Eva. She asked if there was any possibility if when I gave her the tape of the interview we did if I may have mixed it up with a blank one. I knew there was no way I had done that, because I distinctly remembered taking the tape out of the camera, putting it into its case, labeling it, and handing it to her. She said that when she sent the interview out to be cut and edited, the editor said the tape was blank.
That cannot be good.
I thought and thought, trying to put myself back in the studio that day. It wasn't making sense to me how the tape could be blank. I set up the lights, set up the camera, put the tape in, turned the camera on, tested the mic levels...and then I remembered the other intern that was helping out.. Eva had asked him to help us out so that while she was asking the questions and I was keeping order of which question was asked from the stockpile we had and in what order, the other intern could keep an eye on the camera, make sure it was on and recording and that the microphones were picking up the audio. I brought him up to the studio, showed him how to tell that the mics were working, showed him the zoom and unzoom buttons, and the record button. The artist arrived and while everyone got into their places, I set him up with his mic and took my seat on the sidelines to take notes.
The interview went fairly well and the questions Eva picked were really great, much different than what is usually asked of this artist. I was feeling pretty good about it, you know, as good as I could have after that awful week.
It occurred to me though, that the other intern was in charge of the camera and I had a sneaking suspicion there was no way he pressed RECORD on the camera. How do you miss that? It's a big red button, and its your only job. And now, with the release date just one week away, there is no way we can record another interview or pay for someone to do it. So if you are reading this and it is Tuesday afternoon, keep me in your thoughts, because tomorrow is going to be a special kind of nightmare.
I grumpily got on the train Friday morning, armed with my iPod and the newest edition of VOGUE. My interview was scheduled for 1:00, the earlier train got into New York at 11:40, the later train got in at 12:40, which wasn't enough time to get to where I needed to be. So I got to Grand Central at 11:40 and sat for almost an hour until it was time to head over to the West side. I arrived at the office building about 10 minutes early, and stepped off the elevator on the 5th floor, taking the twists and turns until I found the suite I was looking for. I noticed that all the other offices had fancy gold plates with their company name on it. The one I was interviewing for just had the company name printed on a piece of computer paper (at least it wasn't hand written, right?). This is where I'd like say that Red Flag #1 was waving wilding in my face.
I opened the door to find one open space with areas separated by trees and large plants. Yes, but where are the offices? The cubicles? The bustling employees? Red Flag #2 made it's appearance. I was greeted by the assistant and told to sit down at the conference "area." I filled out a few forms and was told that the president's lunch had just arrived and I would have to sit tight while he finished. "My interview is with the president?" I thought to myself. Red Flag #3. I sat there waiting, admiring how nice the conference table was, how polished the floors were, and noticed in the window across the way a small gray cat peering down at the traffic below. I wished with all my mite to be that cat, basking in the sunshine of that window, instead of sitting at a conference table in a weird office. I sat some more. The conference table was in between two whiteboards, the one on the left had a funny drawing of a man labeled as "Super Jake," and the one on the right had two faces and in between the two faces was a drawing of, poop! Drawn in brown and labeled so, complete with squiggly lines to indicate it's stench. Red Flags #4 & #5. I kept myself occupied by looking around the office some more and kept coming back to the huge plants placed all over the room. I had just spent the weekend planting and doing yard work with my mother, I couldn't help but wonder who was responsible for watering these monstrous plants.
Finally, the president was done with his lunch. He came over to me and introduced himself as Jack, and the man next to him introduced himself to me as Super Jake. I couldn't tell if that was a joke or not, did he really want me to refer to him as Super? I mean, I just met the guy, how do I know what's so super about him? Super Strange, maybe. Needless to say, Red Flag #6 waved hello at me.
So, Frick & Frack sat down to interview me, firing questions at me left and right. Because this job was in rock and not urban, I was completely relaxed because it didn't mean much to me. I was viewing this really as interview practice. Before I knew it the whole thing was over and I realized I hadn't been asked about why I was qualified for the job, told what the job would entail, or the details about what the company did. Red Flag #7. I was told they'd have a decision by Monday, said my goodbye's and checked my cell phone as I walked out the door.
A text message was awaiting me. It was from a strange number, and it read "Hey Intern Chick, I stole your number from your resume. Sorry you have to sit over there by yourself while everyone eats, I'd come talk to you but it's rude to talk with my mouth full." The assistant had sent me a text while I was sitting at the conference table. Strange, yes, but kind of nice I'd supposed.
I spent the rest of the day wandering around New York, saying hello to my old friends I hadn't seen since I left in December and then went home. Monday came and went, no phone call. Tuesday came and went. I expected as much, men never call when they say they will, even men who need to hire an assistant apparently. Today they e-mailed me to inform me they'd filled the position. I can't say I was surprised, although it didn't say explicitly, I could tell that our difference in musical preferences had played a factor. This was something that concerned me as well, and something I was repeatedly asked about during the interview. If I'm being honest here, working in rock would have upset me, it would have made me feel as though I'd failed in what I set out to do. So I guess this was a blessing in disguise, the kind of disguise that has "You're Still Broke & Unemployed!" written all over it.
Labels: interview, job hunt, strange but true
Monday was the beginning of week 4 of "Intern Chick the Bum" and I'm restless. I've been restless since the 2nd half of week one. I'm lucky if I find one job to apply to per day, and if you do the math, that's not a lot of jobs I can be considered for. No one has called me back. Well that's a lie, one place called me back...they said I'd need to cook and do laundry, I was still on board until they said I'd need to walk the CEO's dog. Yea, right.
This afternoon I applied for a job that my "alma mater" (ha that feels good to say) had sent an e-mail out about. I figured it was another e-mail address that I'd send my resume to and it'd get lost in the black hole that is the job pool. It was for a management company for some music that I'm totally not into, but can we really be picky in this economy? I'm gonna vote no. Today must have been my lucky day, I was able to apply for that one and an even more useless sounding job afterwards. Two hours later, someone from that management company called asking if I could interview tomorrow or Friday. Heck yea I can!
So my interview is Friday afternoon, I'm expecting a classic disaster, Intern Chick style, but we will see how it goes. Okay so it's not my first interview but can't we pretend? I mean, it's my first "real job" interview!
Labels: career, interview, job search, management
Guess what? My interview went so well on Friday that they hired me on the spot. Thats right, my first day is Friday and I am definitely excited. I'll be dealing with the websites for all the label's artists, something I know nothing about but am willing to learn. My interview was me and the four people who run the department, it was pretty intense. But they all seemed so nice and welcoming, and are really excited to hire an intern. Like my other internship, I will be the only intern so I will be holding a lot of responsibility. They also said that they have TONS of work for me to do but that if there is ever a slow day, I can help out other departments, which is exactly what I was hoping for.
Some people might say I sold out and gave up on my ultimate goal, but I don't think I did. I had to take a step back and realize that my path won't always be direct, and I have to accept that. In doing so, I became a lot more open to receive other opportunities, and I think this New Media thing will work out. The future of the music industry obviously lies with the Internet, and if I don't know how to use it, I'm going to be left behind. The key to being successful, not only in music but in anything, is to be able to see ahead of everyone else. If you can predict future trends, you can better prepare for them. I have predicted a surge in music and marketing on the Internet and a fall in the entire A&R process. I hope its not true, because my first love is and always will be artist development, but you have to be able to roll with the changing times. I'll miss my four day weekends, but I can't wait for my first day!
Tomorrow is my internview, and pretty soon I'll be going through the pre-interview steps. For all your aspiring interns out there, here are some tips on how to do your best during those 30 nerve-wracking minutes.
1. READ
You should have read your resume before you sent it out to make sure there are no typos, but before you interview, really read it. It's a good way to remember specifically what you've done in other jobs and what your potential employer is expecting you to do. If you find something in there that you want to change, bring an updated copy.
2. RESEARCH
It's so important to know the company you're interviewing for. Interviewers are always impressed when you know about their company because it shows that you're interested. Also, know the industry you're trying to get into. Whether its making air mattresses or music, know what's going on in your industry.
3. DRESS
Pick an outfit that gives off the right vibes. Whether you want them to think you're laid back or put together, make sure your clothes exemplify that. As shallow as it is, people do judge books by their cover and they will be judging you.
4. PRACTICE
Even though you may feel dumb doing it, ask someone to do a mock interview with you. Have them ask you questions they've been asked in an interview and then ask them to rate your performance. Be serious about it though, the more you think about what you're going to say, the more natural it will come out later.
5. PITCH
Think of an elevator pitch. An elevator pitch is what you would say to someone who holds the keys to your dream job if you were ever in an elevator with them and had a short amount of time to make them remember you. Your pitch should state who you are, what you do, why you do it better than others, and what you have to offer them. Thinking about this helps you gather your thoughts about why you're the best candidate.
6. QUESTION
Last but not least, think of questions YOU want to ask the interviewer. Things I usually ask are, "What's the office culture here like?" "What are your favorite and least favorite things about working here?" Questions like this show the interviewer that you're interested in learning more than meets the eye about the job, and people love to talk about themselves, so putting a personal spin on things (like asking about favorite/least favorite) really engages people.
Now, wish me luck!
Labels: how to, intern, internship, interview, new media, night before, preparation, tips
That's right, today on my day off I set myself up for an interview with a very big Hip-Hop record label. In fact, this label is one of those "dream job" places I often fantasized about before I started interning. Don't get too excited though, its not in A&R, its in New Media, but at least I'll be at a record label, not wasting away like I am at my current job. And the way I'm looking at it, New Media is probably the future of the record industry. So I might as well get a taste for it...and more importantly, its not the label's "corporate office," like the situation I'm in now.
I got the interview through networking, of course! A friend of mine that I used to intern with knew this guy and gave me his info and I sent over a quick e-mail and my resume. The worst part? I had to update my resume with where I'm working now and I couldn't think of anything to write! I felt a little less bad when I asked one of my old bosses what she thought I should do and she suggested I make stuff up. I don't condone this, and I will say that I successfully updated my resume without making stuff up, but it wasn't easy. The best part? This place is only 15 blocks from where I live!
My interview is Friday, and for the next three days, I will be frantically figuring out what to wear. The problem lies in the fact that the music industry is not the real world....so fancy interview attire does not necessarily apply. Do I wear jeans since I know that's what everyone wears anyway? Do I wear dress pants and look like a fool for 30 minutes while everyone stares at "the girl who is all dressed up" and chuckles? Today, I'm leaning towards jeans. Of course this may attribute to my new found love of wearing my huge pink fleece robe every chance I get because its so comfortable and cuddly!
Labels: fashion, intern, interview, networking
The internship process at my school started in the middle of my sophomore year. I took a class on the process I would have to go through to get hired and how to be a good intern (this is the type of class I like to call, "everyone gets an A"). The school makes it easy enough for us to get hired--we go through their database, check off which companies we would like to work for, and then an advisor sends our resume out to these companies and tells them how great we are.
As is everything in my life, my experience was not so easy.
Resumes got sent out on spring break giving us more than enough time to find a job before the school's universal start date of July 1, and most of my classmates were hired by the end of May or the beginning of June. I got my first interview in May and purposely said everything you are not supposed to say because I didn't want the job--DON'T DO THIS!! No one called me for an interview for months; the industry is smaller than you think! Only take the job that means something to you, but don't waste you interviewer's time either.
Everyone always told me not to underestimate the power of networking, and as much as I hated it, I knew they were right. I am pretty quiet and the only way you can get me to talk to a bunch of strangers is to tell me that I can't do as many shots as you, and then hand me a bottle of Corona to wash them down with. Networking is definitely not my thing and I knew I was screwed when people started telling me the only way I could get an internship was if I started networking. This doesn't mean going to some chic party and striking up a conversation with the guy in the suit, but very simply talking to your friends or acquaintances. And here is where I like to insert the random story of how I got my first internship:
I had a friend who was older than I was and we only talked on the Internet but we'd never met (don't worry, it stops being creepy here). A few times a year we would check in with each other and say hello and one day I was telling him about what a hard time I was having getting an internship and he said, "Actually, I know the president of *insert record label here* and if you want, I can give him a call and set you up with an interview." It was that easy, folks. He made a call, gave me a phone number and next thing I knew, I was on the Metro North into Manhattan for the most nerve wracking interview of my life.
I struggled for months trying to get an internship--I called my advisor weekly, applied to tons and tons of places online, and sent my resume to various record labels in Manhattan, but all I really had to do was open my mouth and start networking with the people that I already knew.
Labels: how to, internship, interview, networking
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