I
just wanted to share about my interview experience since I walked in
and suddenly realized it was a group interview and I have never had
to do a group interview before. I've had plenty of interviews for a range of
things—interviews for scholarships, Yale, to be a CSR Career Fair host,
to hold a position in Honor Society, jobs—but never a group interview. I was
overwhelmed with a sense of “What if I don’t stand out from the group?” Sure
most people are always worried about fitting in, but me, I’m worried about
standing out (in a good way of course). I had wanted to look a little classy
for my interview with Express and I wanted to look put-together. I was going to
go and apply at other stores after my interview too, so I wanted to wear
something I could transition and would work for a variety of places. For my
ensemble I chose my Anne Klein black dress pants, a pastel pink button down
from The Limited, my nude heels from BCBGeneration, a black fitted vest I
bought in Paris, and to top it all off I wore pink flower earrings (they’re
real flowers too) and a gold bracelet with a white ivory rose on it. I wore my
hair down and loose, I figured if I went somewhere more preppy I would pull it
up in a high bun. For makeup I chose a subtle look: mascara, foundation/powder,
and whipped berry lipstick (which isn’t as dark as it sounds). On my way there I
felt very empowered and confident, but when I got there and the group was
rounded up together, everyone else’s choices made me stick out like a sore
thumb.
Out
of 7 girls, I was the only one “dressed up.” Two girls wore black dress pants,
a nice, simple blouse of a solid color, and flats. One girl wore red jeans with
a skinny belt and white top. Another girl wore a long blue skirt, made of what
looked like possibly jersey, a white tank top, and a blazer. Black leggings, a
white tank top, a blazer, and sandal wedges sums up another girl’s ensemble.
Lastly, a girl with some tattoos (which I liked) had a very relaxed outfit
consisting of a top, grey sweater, skinny jeans, and flats. There I was, in a
midst of girls who exuded the feeling of being relaxed and comfortable; I
looked like a stick in mud. I was hoping they wouldn’t assume I was stuck up or
rude. However, all these negative thoughts about how I didn’t fit in and how
they were affecting my confidence went away when I realized the manager
interviewing us was dressed very nicely. He had on dress slacks, nice shoes, a
purple and white button down, and a purple tie and tie clip. I quite wondering
how the other girls thought of me, or even how people in the mall thought of
me, because I was there to impress one person-the man running the interview. I
sat up straight, answered every question, crossed my ankles, folded my hands,
and even asked a couple solid questions at the end. I made people smile and laugh
a little a couple times with my responses.
Even
though my confidence waivered after initially realizing it was a group
interview, and after taking in what everyone else had decided to wear, I made a
choice. I decided that my outfit represented just one day, one emotion from me,
and that was confidence. I dressed for the job I want, not the potential one I
would get if I get hired. I want to be the one in charge, the one who calls all
the shots and makes important decisions. Not just the person selling the
product, stocking the shelves, and folding the clothes. In the end I think my
outfit exhumed confidence and once I pushed the negative thoughts out of my
head, I was able to stand tall, and handle my first ever group interview.
