I am a new college grad and I have a phone interview tomorrow morning. Its my first interview I have gotten so far and I am so nervous! I really want this job but I am afraid I will somehow mess up. If anyone has any suggestions or advice please share!

Well, I was listening to the radio the other week and a Human Resources expert was being interviewed about interviews he's had over the years. He said once a recent grad was so nervous that she threw up on him.

He still hired her.

So really... if you are qualified and right for the job, I wouldn't imagine you could mess up that badly. They'll see that you are nervous, but a good interviewer knows to look past that and see what you really have to offer! The first interview is always the worst for nervousness.... anyway have confidence!! You can rock this interview! Just be professional, polite... but be yourself, too. Show them you have passion for whatever type of job this is... People with passion work harder because they love what they are doing... my husband has a small business and they always look for people who are thrilled about the work. People who are just looking for a paycheck usually don't work as hard as people who are genuinely excited about the work. That's not ALWAYS the case, but it often is, and interviewers know that!

I wish it was an "in person" interview instead of over the phone. I work so much better when I have someone to look at.

I'm sure you'll do great, just try to be calm before. Being nervous won't help! Just curious, what did you get a degree in and whats the job for? Sorry I don't be nosy, I just like knowing what people did in school and what kind of job/career they're going after :P

OK, I've done phone interviews, and now I hire people.

SO...mindset. This is going to sound funny, but..get your suit on. For me, that mental shift when I put on a power suit comes the minute the suit goes on, not when I'm in front of someone. So...full business attire!

Seriously, it works. Look at yourself in that mirror, feel that interview outfit, sit in a room.

Then, imagine who you're talking to. Do you know if the company you're interviewing with has a website? Is the person interviewing you google-able? It'll help if you get a photo in your head. If not, try to imagine the person...try to get a picture in your head and pretend you're talking to that person.

Make sure you minimize background noise! Ringers on other phones off, alarms off, pets put away so they can't make noise, etc. The noises are distracting and unprofessional.

Then get on that phone, look down at yourself in your suit, and rock it!

I work from home, and I still put on a suit for my performance reviews! The power of the suit can't be denied! (but if you don't have an interview suit yet, even a nice business-y outfit will work. If you have a suit, though...wear the suit!!)

Oh, and general interview advice. Research the company. Know something about the industry, their clients, their projects. Find ways to interject that knowledge into the conversation. Interviewers appreciate people who do their research!

Look over the job posting again, to see what it looks like they are asking for. Does the job posting talk about working in a team? Being a self-starter? Specific technical expertise? Re-read and emphasize the parts of your experience most applicable to the job they're asking for...when they ask an open-ended interview question, try to bring it around to an anecdote or example of how you fulfill one of the requirements they talked about in the job posting. Job postings are like maps to what the interviewers want to hear.

Lots of luck to you! And remember . . . there is a job out there for you.

Please keep posting and let us know how it goes.

mandalinn had some great advice! I also just went through my first interview after graduating. I agree with everything mandalinn said. Also - just know that if you are qualified for the job, you will get it. You can't fake that. You have a skill set that you are going to bring to the table - and that's all you can do! Good luck

Thanks for all the great advice! I will def suit up and I am going to go back and look at the listing.

BEST ADVICE? Smile, people can hear it in your voice. My last three jobs I was hired after a phone interview.

Also, two things to know: you can take a deep breath and THINK before you give your answers. Taking notes on questions helps as well. Also, they will probably be writing down your answers, so there will be dead silent time after you finish. DO NOT feel like you need to keep talking until they do. Give your answer and then stop so they can finish writing and ask the next question...

GOOD LUCK!

I graduated with a degree in general studies and music. This job is for a broker client relations position with Charles Schwab.

Talking on the phone is actually easier to me. Relax be yourself and display confidence! You can do it

I was so nervous at the interview! But I have another interview in person with a hiring manager on Monday!