“You’re Hired!”

Wouldn’t it be great to hear those words from an employer you really wanted to work with? Well, now you have a great opportunity to practice and perfect your interviewing skills through the You’re Hired! Interview Competition. The winner collects the Dr. Sunny Marche Memorial Award ($1000), the second and third place finalists also take home significant cash prizes, and everyone who participates gets a valuable opportunity to polish a must-have skill as well as the chance to impress prospective employers.

We asked 3^rd year Commerce student, Jeremy Austin-Evelyn, who competed in the 2013 You’re Hired! Interview Competition, to reflect on his experience and offer up some advice and tips on strategy to students thinking of participating this year. Take Jeremy’s suggestions into account and take advantage of this unique career development opportunity – the deadline to apply is Monday, February 17 at 4 pm.

Round 1 – Resume & Cover Letter Scoring:
Part of Jeremy’s strategy was to highlight the job description’s top three skills on his cover letter, and he leveraged his experiences to prove that he had those skills.

 

Round 2: Elevator Pitches and Mock Interview Scoring:
The elevator pitch presented Jeremy with another great opportunity to speak to the specific skills he had acquired through prior work and volunteer experiences that would be desirable for the job. Jeremy’s approach to the elevator pitch was to catch the employers’ attention “right off the bat” by addressing them by name. Jeremy maintains that, “It is crucial to maintain eye contact throughout the entire pitch to show confidence.”

“Lastly, and most importantly, I finished my pitch by emphasizing my supreme fit within their respective firm.”

 

Prepare & Deliver:
Preparation for this event is key, according to Jeremy. He notes that while some competitors have experience and some do not, what will ultimately set them apart is their delivery. That’s something anyone can refine with enough practice!

 

Set Yourself Apart from the Competition:
“Don’t discount yourself. Everyone has a different set of experiences to draw on. Differentiate yourself at every opportunity and treat it like the real thing.” That’s great advice!