How to Nail an Interview

The season of summer internships is upon us, which also means you're going to need a killer interview. 

They get it; you're qualified for the position. You go to a good school, you have good grades, and you have enough experience that you won't colossally mess up. 

So they call you in for an interview and now you have to talk to someone. 

Yikes. 

But have no fear! It really isn't that bad. 

You just have to relax and be a more polished and professional version of yourself (like sorority rush!). 

Obviously, you should be able to talk about anything on your resume, but other than that, don't feel the need to prepare statements or anything. I'd advise against it, because it will seem like you lack adequate social skills, which could hurt you, especially if your job is like mine and you have to spend a lot of time talking on the phone. 

So tip #1 is to just be yourself and have a natural conversation. 

Tip #2 is to look presentable and memorable. 

This means makeup, but just enough to look professional (a thinly lined eye, foundation, mascara, concealer, nude lipstick, little bit of bronzer) and hair done. Your outfit should be professional but have some aspects of your personal style--even if that just means tying a cute scarf to your bag!

Here are some outfits that I've worn to interviews before.

                                  

Obviously each outfit is appropriate for different types of offices, but use your discretion! 

Now go get hired!

A Little Bit of Self Motivation

In high school, I learned that no one else cares if you aren't doing everything you should be.

Your teachers might, your parents proably do, but your peers? Absolutely not. 

This means that you have to motivate yourself.

Have a paper due tomorrow morning but you'd rather binge watch Grey's Anatomy on Netflix?

No one is going to say, "hey, shouldn't you be writing a paper?" because they don't care if you're writing your paper or not.

You have to motivate yourself. You are the only person that always has your best interests in mind at all times. 

You have to take matters into your own hands and think about:

a) what it is you want to do

b) how you're going to do it

c) when you're going to do it

d) who has done it

And then you have to figure out how to motivate yourself. 

For me, it's by drawing inspiration from powerful women and by using quotes. 

In my dorm room, I have a little shrine to motivation, and it's the first thing I see every morning and the first thing I see before I go to sleep. 

The powerful people that are considered inspiring are different for everyone. But for me, Amy Poehler's Leslie Knoppe, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Michelle Obama, Sandra Day O'Connor, Madeleine Albright, Malala Yousazfi, Reese Witherspoon's Elle Woods, and Amal Clooney are among them.

But the quotes I use are applicable to everyone and everything. And since it's difficult to see some of them, I've written them down here so that you can be inspired too!

"If you can dream it, you can do it"

"Even miracles take a little time"

"Esse quam videri; to be rather than to seem"

"Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try'

"You may be pretty and you may be talented, but nobody will remember that if you're mean"

"If you keep on believing, the dreams that you wish will come true"

"It's a new day, bend and snap"

"Be the Leslie Knope of whatever you do"

"Promise me you'll always remember, you're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think"

"You must always have faith in people, but most importantly, you must always have faith in yourself"

"I want adventure in the great, wide somewhere"

"This is just part of growing up, a little adventure, a little rebellion"

"Never look back, darling, it distracts from the now"

"If you want something you've never had, you must be willing to do something you've never done"

"Hakuna matata, it means no worries"

"Make life sparkle"

"Never half-ass two things. Whole-ass one thing"

"You have to be the best version of yourself, and if that means you have to be a bit self promoting, then it's okay, it really is. Because who's going to believe in you more than yourself?"

And most importantly,

"Have courage, and be kind"

Being Sick in College (and how to make it less miserable)

So the other day, I posted about having fomo.

Unfortunately, I had to deal with a lot of fomo during my first semester in college...because I got really, really sick. 

I had been going to student health at least once a week since the end of October (which is notorious for being unsuccessful in treating patients) because of some stomach issues. But a month later, I thought my allergies caused me to have a sinus infection, so I made another trip to student health to get some antibiotics so I could be better in two days.

I was pretty convinced it was an allergy related thing. I have bad sinuses to begin with and combined with a mold allergy, I usually get a sinus infection in the fall while the leaves decay. Plus, I was taking my vitamins, washing my hands, and doing everything I could to keep myself from getting sick. 

So imagine my surprise when the doctor told me I had mono. 

And then when she told me I could expect to be sick for the next 6 to 8 weeks. 

I called my mom (while I was crying too, because you know, multitasking) as soon as I left. 

I was scared, upset, and insanely stressed. How could I miss class? Finals were soon, how could I possibly do well? How was I going to get better if the only treatment was rest and ibuprofen? 

Luckily for me, this wasn't the first time someone had been sick at UVA (which is actually unlucky for the first guy to get sick...yikes). My deans were so understanding and they worked with me to figure out how to finish the semester. I was able to work with them and my professors so that I would be fine. 

After I figured out how to deal with school, I went home for two weeks. I literally just slept, watched Grey's Anatomy (because I wished Meredith Grey was my doctor), and read lecture slides. 

Several doctors appointments and a trip to the emergency room later, I went back to school. At first, I struggled to understand what was going on in lecture. One of my professors was using an extended metaphor that wasn't in the slides. Another was focused on things that weren't in the syllabus. 

I was so stressed (which weakened my immune system so yay)

But then I went to my professors. I explained the situation and they were all so accomodating. They put my health above their classes, which I wasn't used to at all. Every single one of them cared about me and wanted me to recover. 

And with a little hard work and determination, I did so much better in my classes than I had anticipated.

(mono was basically a 7 week hangover so here's a cute pic of me trying not to puke after a football game)

So here's my advice to anyone who might ever be sick in college

1. Email or call your dean as soon as you can. They know how to deal with issues like this way better than you do. Even if it's not serious enough for them to take action, it helps to know you have a resource on campus. 
2. Email your professors. They can get notes from one of your peers or offer insight about the slides you could only get from attending lecture.
3. Email your TAs if you have them. They control your grade and it's important they know what's up. 
4. Don't go to lecture if you don't feel up to it. You won't be able to focus, you won't get anything from it, and you'll be exhausted from walking across campus. 
5. Sleep as much as you can, take whatever medication you can, and relax.
6. Check in with your friends if you get a chance. You'll rarely see them and you'll feel lonely. Text your group chat and just ask how everyone's day was. They'll respond and you'll be able to talk to them. Trust me, this helps keep you sane when you're confined to a tiny little dorm room.
7. Call your mom. She's worried sick (pun intended) about you.