When Opportunity Calls (or emails).....

From an email I received a few seasons ago:

CJ ---
I'd love to meet you to talk about your school and find out more about whether it's a good fit for me or not. However, it's going to take me about 30 minutes to drive to your meeting location. Is there any way that we could meet somewhere closer to me?


If not, this month is really tough for me -- I'm on the swim team that meets every morning and a couple of clubs that meet in the afternoon, making it really tough for me to work your interview into my schedule. Can we postpone my interview until next month?


Thanks for contacting me. ---Applicant

Ugh. Ding.

Advice

I wrote a few months ago about making a good first impression once you arrive at your interview, and earlier about not being a scheduling nightmare. But when

your phone rings with an unknown number--or you get an email titled "College Interview Scheduling"--what do you do?

I hope you're smarter than the applicant above--blowing off your interviewer for any reason (short of monumental life-changing events, like you're competing in the state championships next week or have a mission trip to Haiti planned) is an awful first impression.

Remember: This is the first impression that your college interviewer will make of you. Don't dig yourself into a hole before you even meet.

So, knowing that the email or call is coming, what should you do?

If via phone:

If your interviewer calls you, expect to get a call sometime late afternoon or early evening--3pm until about 8pm would be typical. Your college interviewer will identify themselves, talk a little about the interview, and then want to schedule an interview time with you. What should you do to nail this first impression?

• Always answer your phone--unless you can't. Generally it's best to answer the call when it comes in--and for the next few months, if you see an unknown number on your caller ID, assume it's a college interviewer. The only exceptions? If you're in a place that would make it hard to talk (outside on the sidewalk, in a crowd of people, somewhere with bad reception, etc) or don't have anything with you to take notes with, let it go to voicemail.

• Return calls ASAP. Did you get called while on the subway and let it go to voicemail? That's probably a good decision--just return the call as soon as you get home (or some other quiet place where you can talk). Try to return calls within a 2-hour window--your interviewer will still have you on their mind and be able to schedule something. Under NO circumstances should you let a call go unreturned for more than a day.

• Don't be 18. You're not talking to a friend, you're talking to someone who has a direct impact on your future--act like it. Be polite and business-like--speak clearly, use complete sentences, avoid "um's" and "likes," etc. You want your college interviewer's immediate thought when hanging up the phone to be "wow, what a nice young person", not "jeez, that kid sounds like she's 12."

• We're not here to serve you. Remember that you're talking to a volunteer who holds your future in their hands--not your personal minion (not that you should treat them bad either). More on this here.
  

• Take notes. Yes, this means you should always have something on hand to write on and write with--you'll need to jot down the time and place of your interview. There's nothing worse than hanging up and not being able to remember if he said the 9th or the 19th....

• Know your schedule. Know when you can and can't interview before the call, so that you're not scrambling to figure out whether next Wednesday at 5pm works or not. Typically all you need to know is what this week and next look like for you--if your college interviewer wants to schedule you out further than that, it's OK to have to look it up. 

•  Have a backup time and place. Don't expect this, but some college interviewers will ask you to pick a time and spot that work best for you--think about a place that works for you beforehand just in case. Typically, a Starbucks that's easy to find and get to is your best bet.

• When in doubt, cancel other things to make it work. Got a yoga class on Thursdays? Getting into college is probably a good reason to skip it. As a college interviewer, I'd prefer to find a time that doesn't conflict with anything on my interviewee's schedule--but push comes to shove, I'd expect them to cancel just about anything to meet with me.
  

•  Ask for an email confirmation. Typically this isn't a big deal, but at the end of the call ask if your interviewer has a computer handy. If so, ask them to email you the time and location that you've just agreed to so that you can make sure you have the correct information.

If via email:

Email is a lot easier in many ways than a phone call--you don't get put on the spot, you can thoughtfully compose a response, etc. It also has its own dangers though, so make sure to respond correctly.

• Check routinely. First, make sure you check the email account you supplied with your application routinely--there's nothing worse (as a college interviewer) than emailing someone and not hearing back... did the email go through? Are you not responding for a reason? Did I not get your reply? Take one problem out of the chain by checking religiously.

• Supply a non-embarrassing email account. I joked about it earlier this week, but really, make sure you use an appropriate email address. lastname_firstname_randomnumber@yahoo.com or something similar is always a safe fallback. If it'd embarrass (or confuse) grandma, don't use it.
  

• Reply within 24 hours. NEVER let an email sit in your inbox for days--get back to your interviewer as soon as you can. If for some reason something is keeping you from confirming a time for your interview via email, respond to say you got the email: "Dear CJ --- I just got your email and am excited about meeting you for my interview! I don't have my schedule in front of me, but I'll email you tonight once I can confirm which time works for me. Thanks for your time ---Applicant"

• If offered multiple times, pick one and pick a backup. The danger with email is that, unlike a phone call, you can run in circles for days trying to nail down a time. 90% of the time, your college interviewer will suggest a couple of times that would work for him or her---if so, pick one that works for you and pick a second as a backup. That way, if someone else has already taken your first pick, your interviewer will put you down for your backup and you can avoid the cycle of "shoot, Thursday's taken... how about Tuesday?".

• If your interviewer didn't offer you times, suggest some. If you get one of those 10% who let you pick a time that works for you, suggest 3-4 that would work and let your college interviewer pick one. Try to pick a variety of time slots--one in the afternoon, one in the evening, one on the weekend, one morning--that way it's more likely that one will work for your interviewer.

• Make sure to confirm time, location and details -- and if anything's unclear, ask. The last email you send your interviewer should be something like: "Next Tuesday, 4pm at the Corner Coffee shop it is. See you then!" Also, ask for a phone number and offer yours (in case you get lost, caught in traffic, etc) and ask if you should bring anything.
  

• Don't be dumb. As with phone calls, this isn't you emailing a buddy--no texting shortcuts, use complete sentences, etc. Your email doesn't have to be a formal "Dear Sir:... " reply, but no "Gr8! wrks 4 me!" responses either.
  

There's enough parts of the college interview that can trip you up--making a good first impression when scheduling your interview shouldn't be one of them. Good luck --------CJ