On a phone interview?
In person Interview?
I’ve been doing retail for the last 9 years of my life looking to work for a more appealing company. I’ve been out of work for a year now b/c of panic attacks and depression. I’ve been going to a therapy every week for 4 months now. I haven’t had a panic attack in 1 1/2 month. Any advice?
Relax….and take some non addictive anti anxiety medication like Buspar.
As for your interview, just act like a normal person. They will likely expect you to have some basic administrative skills, like typing a letter in word.
Working in retail will do that to ya..If you can lie and not tell the college that information I would recommed it. I don’t know about your chances of getting the job if they knew you were outta work for that long because of a mental thing. Most colleges now take that sortta thing pretty seriously with everything going on in schools now.
Well first off, good luck, and big pats on the back for working through a difficult time – it can’t have been easy.
Lots of people change careers all the time and what a potential employer wants to be reassured about is that you’re serious about their company and job.
Maybe don’t say you’re looking for a more appealing company – say you’re looking for further opportunities to develop the skills you have acquired over recent years. It’s worth doing some research into the role/college to know exactly what they are looking for and to give examples of how you fit their needs.
After 9 years in retail, sell your customer facing, and problem solving skills, your professional and helpful manner, your knowledge of paperwork – invoices and delivery notes etc, or maybe even book-keeping if you worked in a small outfit.
All of those skills and many more you’ll be able to think of will be very relevant to a reception role.
I would expect them to ask a question about how you would manage multi-tasking, and about how you work under pressure e.g. people waiting, phone ringing, colleague on lunch & a staff member gives you a pressing memo. Think of a scenario when you did several things at once and tell them about it, highlighting what went well and you’d do again in the future.
If they ask about typing ability/words per minute, you can talk about activity away from retail such as internet use, emailing friends etc and say that you are continually improving.
I’ve never had a telephone interview, but people I know who have say they’re the same but often shorter.
Good luck!