Dear Kid,

I was talking to my fab friend David the other day. He was telling me about a workshop he’d conducted recently for high school and college kids about how to be successful in an interview.

Since David is a Smart Dude and I happen to have a high school kid and a college kid, my ears perked right up.

“What is the most important thing I should tell my kids?” I asked (yes, mouth, not ears. I know. Pay attention.)

“The most important thing to remember is that your job is an interview is to impress the interviewer,” said David, “and there are only two ways to do that.

“The first is with your skill and experience. But for a college or high school kid, that’s not as important—they expect to train you.

“The second way is with your attitude.

“Employers want to know that the person they’re interviewing is willing and excited to do the job.

“So an interviewee needs to show energy, enthusiasm, and that he or she cares enough about the job to have done some research in the company. The person needs to be able to ask thoughtful, penetrating questions that show they’ve spent some time thinking about the company and the position.

“The interviewee should also give examples of times when they’ve committed to something and followed through appropriately. The interviewer will want to know if the person is going to show up and be responsible. Give examples that demonstrate that you’ll put real effort into the job.”

Wise man.

Then – this is the bonus round – David sent me a link to 50 Interview Questions: Why they are Asked and How to Answer which I have thoughtfully provided here. You’re welcome. I can’t say I agree with all the answers the author gives (it was not written by my friend David) but it’s a great place to start and these are really good questions to consider.

Bottom line: Be prepared before you go to an interview.

Love, Mom