You Go, Girl

Donning a tight pink shirt, a graduate student squirms through an application interview for her post-doctorate program of choice. Her hands anxiously fidget with her pen and her speech is littered with “umm’s.”

In spite of the pervasiveness of such interviewing downfalls, “people are unaware they are exhibiting these behaviors,” said Laura S. Malisheski, Assistant Director for Ph.D. Advising at the Office of Career Services.

This scenario was part of an interviewing workshop led by Malisheski and Assistant Director of Career Services, Counselor for GSAS Students and Ph.Ds Amy E. Sanford last week in conjunction with Harvard Graduate Women in Science and Engineering (HGWISE).

Going through the basic dos and don’ts of the interview, Malisheski and Sanford stressed the importance of dressing appropriately and navigating the conversation to an applicant’s strongest attributes. Malisheski and Sanford also addressed how to handle salary negotations.

“The content for this workshop evolved out of feedback from HGWISE members. People felt like being a woman was a detriment when they went into interviews.” said Erin E. Boyd, a graduate student in physics and treasurer of HGWISE, “We want to make it clear that being a woman is not a detriment.”

Acknowledging that the skills taught in the workshop could apply to both men and women, Malisheski noted that “upspeak”—a speech pattern in which one ends a sentence with an upward inflection, making it sound like a question—is more common among the female population.

In addition to addressing this issue, the workshop advised how women should respond to illegal questions about their marital status and plans for having children.

The workshop emphasized that in today’s economy, having strong interviewing skills and being able to present oneself effectively to potential employers is essential.

“If you don’t sell yourself, the next candidate will,” said Sanford.