Job Interviews

As I mentioned in my previous post, I am currently without employment. Honestly it's been tough not having a job. It's demoralizing and frustrating and I've done my fair share of crying during this time.

Even though it's been hard, I've been learning stuff as I've been searching for a job and having interviews. This blogpost will be dedicated to the things I'm learning as I have interviews. (This post is just for me and my future reference).

1. Prepare for commonly asked questions. Some companies will ask the commonly asked questions and some will not. I think that having answers to those questions (even if they don't ask them) will help you gain confidence in your abilities to answer questions in general.

2. Be confident. It's hard to talk yourself up but just do it (but be honest at the same time)! You only have one chance to make a good impression.  If the way you're talking is showing how little confidence you have in yourself, the company interviewing you is not going to have much confidence in you either. I know this is much easier said than done, but just try.

3. Ask questions. Ask questions about the position you applied for as well as about the company that is interviewing you. A job interview is not just about the company seeing if you're a good fit for them but also to see if you feel like the position (and company) is a good fit for you. Ask questions about the position (such as work-life balance, what's the work environment like, what does day-to-day for the position look like etc). Also ask questions about the company to show that you know what kind of company it is and that you have some interest in the type of work they do. 

I've had five interviews so far and every interview has been so different. Every single one of them has asked different questions. Some have been formal while others have been more conversational and less formal. Some I've had to start the interview while others they start it.

I know there's nothing new or groundbreaking in the lessons I've learned but I just wanted to share and help myself remember for future reference. I'm sure I'll learn more things as I continue searching for a job and having interviews. 

Do you have any job interview advice?

Job, Cherry Blossoms and Big Blue Rooster

I haven't mentioned this on my blog yet but I am currently without employment. My most recent job was funded through grants. We didn't get a new grant so they couldn't pay us any more and had to let us all go. I worked for that company for 10 years 10 months. I loved my job and I liked the people I worked with so it was hard to lose that job.

Since I lost my job, I decided I needed to be back in Virginia because that's where I want to be long term. So I flew from Utah to Virginia (I left my car in Utah for now) and have been staying with friends and family spending my days looking for a job, watching Korean dramas, hanging out with friends, and trying to stay sane. (I'll probably write another blogpost about job searching and being without a job).

One evening, I decided I needed a break from my regular routine of applying to jobs etc and planned a little field trip for the next day. I texted one of my former co-workers and invited her to join me the next day. (Although I have no pictures of Heather, she did come with me downtown.)

 

Although I knew the cherry blossoms were past their peak, I wanted to walk around the tidal basin and see what was left of the blossoms.

They were still pretty even if past their prime. :)

I like this shot with the cherry blossoms, the Martin Luther King Jr Memorial and the Washington Monument!

After walking around the tidal basin, we headed towards the National Gallery of Art East Building to see the big blue rooster statue on top of it.

We saw this fountain close to the art gallery and thought it was kind of cool. :)

The art gallery was closed for renovations and we couldn't see the big blue rooster up close, but we got to see it from across the street. 

Isn't it awesome?!

As we walked back to the metro, we saw this awesome construction cover. The Hirshorn Museum is under renovation and has scaffolding up around it and in order to cover up the scaffolding in a pretty way they put up these awesome curtains.

We also walked passed this building on the way to the metro and neither of us had ever been inside before and so we decided to go in and see the exhibit.

It's the Arts and Industries Building and it actually has been closed the whole time I've lived in Virginia so we were kind of excited to see there was an exhibit there. 

Up close of the sculpture from the picture above. 

FUTURES exhibit, What do we imagine when we think of the future? 

An air taxi. According to the sign at the exhibit, this is a Bell Nexus self-driving, hybrid electric air taxi. Maybe in the future this will be common way to get around. 

A lady had a sensor put in her arm to vibrate whenever an earthquake happens anywhere in the world, no matter how big or small. The vibrations are different depending on how big the earthquake is. Crazy. 

I did a little research on her after the exhibit and learned that she had the sensor put in her arm to incorporate into her contemporary dance routines and is contemplating getting more put in later.

An interesting sculpture at the exhibit.

Read this sign to learn about the sculpture in the previous two pictures.

I loved these vintage looking futuristic signs! How Kids Got the Vote, November 3, 2071.

I liked the FUTURES exhibit and thought it was interesting! I'm glad we happened to walk by and see that it was open.

Overall, I really enjoyed my field trip downtown this day! It was a good day and I'm glad Heather could join me on the adventure.