How to Help Your Child Ace Their 1st Interview

Your child has started applying for jobs or scholarships. What comes next? Interviews. As a concerned parent, your child facing professional interviews may seem like a daunting process. You might have questions about how to help them prepare for an interview. If you’re looking for some guidance on how you can provide support and encouragement, here are some tips for you to help them succeed.

It is important to help your child prepare for their interview and feel confident going into the meeting. Parents can be involved and reassure their children in many different ways, including things like figuring out what to wear, exploring what types of questions they could be asked, and preparing responses ahead of time.

Here are some tips from Shamrck:

1. Emphasize the importance of the interview and work with your child to set their goals for it. Make sure your child knows why they are interviewing and what they want to accomplish in the interview. Also, be honest with them about how competitive it is and not to take it personally or give up if they don’t get the outcome they want.
2. Ensure they have a good understanding of the company and industry they’re interviewing with, so they can speak intelligently about how their skills match up with what the company needs. Below are some questions you might ask them to help them think critically about their potential employer:

• What do you know about this company? What attracted you to apply here?
• What type of work does the company do? How long has it been in business? How big is it (employee count)? What is its mission or vision statement? What would be my day-to-day responsibilities at this job? 

3. Prepare your child by practicing interview questions and answers. Help them learn to navigate questions that might be more difficult. Give them tips about how to remain calm and composed, and remind them to always answer honestly.
4. This could also be a good opportunity to see if you can find people who are doing the job your child wants to do. Talk to them, and ask them questions to get more first hand experience and advice.
5. Help your child to think of a few things they can say about themselves during the interview that will make them stand out from other applicants. 
6. Encourage your kids to have an appropriate “interview look.” This includes clothes, hairstyle, shoes, and makeup (or lack thereof). This may feel excessive, but it is important for first impressions. Consider asking a family member or friend for advice on how to dress professionally for an interview if you aren’t confident about the style that would be best suited for the occasion. 
7. Remind your child how important it is to show respect for the interviewer and their time by being punctual. Tardiness does not make for a good first impression. 
8. Encourage your child to ask the interviewer questions to demonstrate their interest. This also allows your child to be clear on what the interviewer is looking for in terms of qualifications, skills, etc., so they can speak intelligently about how their skills match up with what the company needs. 
9. Remind your child to use good manners, good posture, appropriate language and speech patterns, and make eye contact with the interviewer(s). It is important that your child demonstrates the respect and courtesy you have spent so many years drilling into them. 
10. Your child will also need to know how to handle themselves outside of the interview, like not sharing too much information about themselves on social media or talking too much about it at school. 

Conclusion 

If you’re a parent, it is your job to ensure that your child has the tools they need in order to succeed. The interview process can be intimidating for anyone and preparing them ahead of time will help make this experience as smooth as possible. We hope these 10 tips have given you some ideas on how to best prepare your child for their first interview. 

Go to the Shamrck Dashboard today for a personalized career plan based on your child’s interests and access to local opportunities that will help set your child on the path for success.