When it comes to clothing, stay conservative. Stick to natural makeup and hairstyles, and if you're wearing a skirt, make sure it comes down to at least knee length or just below. You don't need to wear a full suit for a retail interview: as long as you look clean and polished, you'll be fine.

For extra practice, you can look up "interview questions" online, and you'll find a ton of guides. However, there are 2 questions I have been asked in every interview:

"What are some of your weaknesses?"

and

"Tell me a bit about yourself."

This is where you need to do some real prep, because those are both incredibly hard to answer if you're not ready for them.

When it comes to weaknesses, you want to avoid wording anything in a particularly negative way, and you want to avoid any flashing red lights for the employer. So don't say that you're lazy, that you're often late or that you don't work well with others. That said, don't use one of the canned "weakness, but not a weakness" statements that you'll see on most websites: employers have interviewed a lot of 'perfectionists' who are really lying to look better. If you really want to come prepared, come up with a specific way that you're trying to overcome each weakness. Here's an example for me:

"Since I am really detail-oriented, I often lose sight of the big picture. In my past year at school, I have been making an effort to prioritize my work and keep a wider perspective. My grades have gone up a lot as a result."

And now for the dreaded "Tell me about yourself."... It's really not as bad as it seems. At all times I recommend that people have an elevator speech prepared.

If you were to walk into an elevator with the CEO of a company, your elevator speech is what you could tell them about yourself in that time. Think of a few points you want to mention, and mix both personal and business/academic information. This is what I usually cover:

- What I'm studying in school, why I like it and where I hope to go with it
- My husband and dog
- A few hobbies (stick to work-friendly hobbies!)

You want to stand out, but in a good way. You want the interviewer to remember you as an interesting person they'd want to work with. Be friendly and smile, and most of all relax.

Thank you, that was helpful.

My Personal Forum

My name is Amanda and I'm 26 years old. I'm currently studying electrical engineering. Armed with a fairly odd sense of humour and a sunny outlook on life, I'll take on just about anything. I'm also cussedly stubborn, which has its ups and downs. Things get tough sometimes, and I've never been one to run from it.

In my last 8 years with Advicenators, I've gone from honours student to failing out of university (and getting back on top again!), from single to married, from tenant to homeowner.

Until lately, I have been struggling with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder and OCD, which had basically ruined my life and taken just about everything from me. I'm thankful every day for every experience I've had because of this ordeal, because it's helped to make me who I am today. Things like that really make you appreciate what you do have. Now that I'm back in work and school and starting to become myself again, I couldn't be happier. I credit Advicenators with saving my life back when I was a teenager, which is a big part of why I'm still here.

I won't necessarily give you the answers you want to hear, but I'll always be honest and do my best to help.

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