Fall has come to Southern California. After intense heat, the crispness of the morning assaults me. The suit is well worn, but it fits me properly. I straighten my back and stroll down to the interview location. It is not yet 8 am and I know I should be tired: I was up well past midnight preparing for this interview. I had been strategic in this choice: the first and last interviewee are said to be the most memorable. Personally I feel taking the early interview shows initiative and you get the interviewers while they are still fresh. And yes, interviewers often have an expiration date: its called lunchtime.
I can’t help but feel nervous about this one. Recruiting season is at that critical point where you need to step it up and get those call backs. I won’t use the word desperate, because I’m not, but I really wanted to nail this interview.
I had interviewed with this firm before, for an internship, and they had passed. This was my second chance. It was mine to lose.
Waiting in the office felt like an eternity. Staying calm, keeping your palms from sweating, and looking composed in those long minutes is something I continue to work on. On the outside I may look calm but my mind is racing. What will they ask? Will they reject me again? What can I do to convince them I am serious about this position?
Long story short, it went really well. I connected with my interviewers and left feeling optimistic about my future chances with the company. The future is uncertain but I promise to give you an update in another post!
The good news is that I regained my interviewing confidence and overall feel I am doing all in my power to obtain a great job after school. I was a bit disheartened, always being the only (or one of very few) Scripps students being interviewed. The interviewers are in the habit of saying, “Oh from Scripps? How did you hear about us?” Almost as if Scripps wasn’t on their radar. Its a personal goal of mine to represent Scripps in the best possible light and get us on the radar of these firms. I want to do this AND secure a full time position.
Full time recruiting is a full time job. Writing cover letters, revising resumes, applying, networking with alums, informational interviews, and handling impersonal Human Resources rejection emails will take its toll. I started applying to jobs overseas: cast my net even wider than it was previously, leaving no stone unturned, and up-ing the hours each day spent surfing the web for new opportunities.
As a senior, there is also, class, homework, and thesis to consider as well as extracurriculars. To be blunt: I have taken on a lot of responsibility at Scripps. I am immensely proud and honored to serve my college and its students, but between you and me, leadership roles require a good amount of mental toughness as well as physical exertion. Some nights I just want to curl up into bed, turn my brain firmly on OFF and go to sleep: but then I am reminded of a family motto. Simple. Direct. The phrase is, “Suck it up”. Yep, you heard that right, whenever I feel sorry for myself I mutter the motto under my breath and keep on chugging. I can’t turn off, its not who I am and its not what I promised to Scripps when I took on these roles. My friends will tell you, I’m better when I’m busy. Burning out is not an option.
In have a slew of interviews this coming week and I will meet them head on. Tomorrow I will put on my suit, greet the crisp air, and hold my head high. I am from Scripps, and am and Economics major. And I am ready to take on the world. Scripps has given me opportunities, its my turn to reach out and take them.