Suiting Up

Tis' the season of interviews. Pinstripes suits, polished shoes and oxfords shirts are everywhere these first few weeks. I'm amazed at the amount of energy that the interviewing process takes. Here are just a few things that go into landing and doing an interview.

Cover letter and schmoozing - Most but not all companies recruiting on grounds expect you to make a personal connection and send a cover letter requesting an interview.

Making the cut - There are typically 15-20 spots at any given company. This means that you are competing against many other Darden applicants just to land a coveted spot on "the closed list" of students allowed to get an interview.

Research - If you're lucky enough to get an interview then there is a ton of research to be done. What questions do they ask? How is the company doing financially? What skills are they looking for? What issues or opportunities is the company facing and where would you fit in? Oh, and then there's preparation for the behavioral discussions about your strengths, weaknesses, and examples of past successes and failures.

Interview - This is "game day" where you get everything polished and deliver. No amount of classroom skill can make up for your lack of ability to engage, listen, and tell colorful examples of your skills and vision. Want to practice? Try this: Prove to me that you're a future leader in 3-5 minutes.

My closet is getting surprisingly full of blue and white shirts to hang out with suits and blazer. I am fascinated by those doing 10 or more interviews as I'm only planning on one more in addition to the two I've completed to date. I frequently hear stories about three interviews in one day and how that basically eliminates the chance to actually study. The payoff? It only takes one successful interview and you might just have a career ahead of you.