I'm 22 and I feel like I'm underestimated in interviews because of my youth. I have 3 years of combined experience from work, internships, and college courses, but I'm not sure how to use that information in interviews to show that I'll be an asset to their team. Any advice for young woman professionals?
rachelserwetz·Sep 26rachelserwetz·Sep 26Hi @kaitlingraham! Some suggestions on how to succeed is to make sure you reflect and have genuine answers to the interview questions you know you will be asked (versus saying what you think they want to hear), and to do mock interview practice with a peer or coach to enhance phrasing and impact of how you describe your experiences, clarify your answers and use frameworks such as STAR. Some additional resources for you to look at are – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHty6oOZZxI and https://www.iamwoken.com/post/interviews-its-all-about-the-spin. Additionally, I have a downloadable ebook on the ultimate 7-step interview process - https://www.iamwoken.com/resources/job-searching#downloadables.PS, I’m Rachel. If you want to discuss further, check my profile to book a call to dive deeper into your goals/challenges.
kaitlingraham·Sep 27kaitlingraham·Sep 27Hi, Rachel! Thank you for this advice. I have an interview today and I'll definitely use it :)
Hi! Do you actively tell people about your age? Because if you don't, how would they know? If I were you I'd definitely play up my experiences at internships, especially if you've been at a place for an extended period of time eg. if you did an internship at a place for a full year vs a summer! There's just so much more you can see or do and that's ultimately valued. I also would target companies that have roles that are aligned with my level of experience eg you can apply to entry level roles that can help you get the experience you need to get to the next level.Lastly, a little bit of fake it until you make it can go along way. While you should 10000000% not lie, you should show up confident about your skills and what you can bring to the table! The right employer will see it and will want to you under their wing and hopefully train you!
Hi, Iyanna! Thank you so much for your reply. I don't tell people my age, so that's a great point. They may assume since I look young, but it may not be as big of a factor as I think. I have had a full-yearHi, Iyanna! Thank you so much for your reply. I don't tell people my age, so that's a great point. They may assume since I look young, but it may not be as big of a factor as I think. I have had a full year internship, so I will make sure to mention that when it comes up in interviews. Thanks!
Yeah you can't control people's assumptions so best to focus on the things you can control: how you come across, your experiences, what's on your CV etc.
Heyyy, Maybe it’s not a question of showing your worth but showing your relevance. Are there projects/experience on your CV which don’t serve the application. I was reading this article - https://meander.so/blog/articulating-your-expertise and it talks about being super focused on what you include and relating that to the JD.
Becky, that's a great point! Thank you for sharing.
Could you say more about what's making you feel underestimated in the interview process?Quick glance at your LinkedIn and your Wix portfolio and I have tons of ideas for ways you could shape these up to look more authoritative in your field, but if you're getting through to the interview stage then your resume and positioning might not be the problem.When you discuss your past experience, are you leading with measurable results from your work? Are you interviewing for copywriting positions or adjacent / related roles?
Melanie, thanks for your reply! I feel underestimated because many of the roles I've interviewed for have rejected me for someone with "more experience than me," as they say in the email. Even though I graduated December 2022, I have full-time internship experience. I think that I need to work on showing the value I brought to the internships and how I can bring that value to the company I'm interviewing with. I've spoken about measurable results in my interviews and it seemed to go over well, but then I still don't usually move on to the next interview stage. Do you have any advice on how to talk about measurable results from my work when the interviewer doesn't specifically ask about it? I've been interviewing for copywriting, communication coordinator, and marketing associate positions. While I have gotten a decent amount of interviews, I've applied to hundreds that I didn't get to the interview stage. May I ask what your advice is to optimize my LinkedIn and Wix to look more authoritative and get more interest?Thank you!
Yes, absolutely! Whenever an interviewer asks a question that invites you to speak to a role or a project, you can use storytelling to frame it as, "Here was the problem... here's how I solved it... here were the results and the outcomes..." You definitely don't have to wait for somebody to ask, "What were the results of that?" to inject that into your conversation.For LinkedIn and Wix and are tons of little tricks you can pull to elevate your personal brand.Current profile reads like, "Recent graduate who's currently working retail while job hunting." But, you can do some subtle things to flip it around and make it look more like "Professional Copywriter and Marketing Expert looking to transition from freelance to in-house." My calendar is open if you want to book time to chat through it, or I can send you a Google Doc with ideas! https://calendly.com/melaniecrissey/quick-chatI hope this doesn't come across as super harsh or demotivating! I'm just hype to share feedback because I remember how painful it was to be in the SAME SITUATION back in 2010. I had a TON of internship experience but I was working as a bartender and slinging coffee while trying to land marketing jobs that felt like they didn't exist. Looking back on it, I just wasn't selling myself or networking the right way. It's easier for me to spot in the wild now, because I've been on the interviewing side for marketers and writers at various orgs.
You've helped me reflect on my personal brand image and I really appreciate the time you spent looking at how I present myself!
share this article
read these next
Freelancer Open to Work
We bootstrapped our startup - how it’s going so far
In-Person Versus Remote Work
Office Hours: I am the General Manager of Platform at a healthcare unicorn startup. I’m Julia Bernstein. AMA!
New Year's Resolutions
Laid off from Accenture | Looking for a new job opportunity in health tech or healthcare consulting
Happy World Contraception Day! 🥳 Take 30 seconds to increase birth control access!