Last Friday, I had an interview for a summer internship. I did well enough during the one-on-one interview the week before to secure a second. A group one this time, with many official-sounding people.
Interviews are not my forte. I rarely wow potential employers with my personality. I get nervous. I stutter. I hestitate. Usually, my only solace is a solid writing sample and an error-free resume (both have gotten me further than you'd think).
Everyone tells you that you'll do fine in an interview if you just "be yourself." My dad gave me the same advice the day before. As much as I respect him, I went into this group interview with the exact opposite mentality: pretend. Pretend I was confident, that I could string a sentence together without uttering long "umm"s, and that I had an impressive answer to every question waiting inside.
I related to a Forbes article on how finding an internship is work in itself. I even found a list of 25 difficult interview questions. I rehearsed my responses to the trickiest ones, took a brief look at the company Web site, and I was on my way, expecting the "pretend" mentality and the rehearsed responses to suffice.
When I arrived, I was in for a surprise.
I nailed the typical, canned interview questions:
"what attracted you to our company?"
"what are your strengths?"
"what can you offer us that another applicant can't?"
However, I was not prepared for the seemingly easy, personal questions:
"what do you do in your free time?"
"what do you read?" and the follow-up, "why do you like those?"
It seemed that I was so caught-up in pretending to be a confident, ideal candidate that I stumbled over the questions that should have been easy for my "real self" to answer.
So, here's my advice: being prepared for an interview is not only about knowing the job you're applying for, it's also about knowing yourself. So, in an effort to be better prepared for future interviews, I offer responses from the real me - the nervous, hestitant, sometimes bumbling me.
I rarely have free time, but when I'm lucky enough to have a few hours of leisure, I prefer to engage in activities that take me away from the rush of the routine and allow me to return to it at my discretion. I've been known to spend hours filtering through online music in search of hidden gems, trek through a forest with my dog without a destination and enjoying getting lost on purpose, and eavesdrop on Sunday afternoon conversations at a neighborhood cafe while jotting down what my secret power would be if I were a superhero. I think I've got it: instant teleportation.
Because I rarely have free time, I rarely read for pleasure. Usually, my daily reading consists of journalism text books and thesis prospecti. Sometimes I escape this reality with a crossword reverie or a National Geographic dream. These are escapes for me. Brief escapes into the world free from time, commitment or demand.
Most likely, these aren't the perfect answers employers want to hear either. I don't know if there are perfect answers to the "getting to know you" questions, but hey, at least I'm honest. At least I'm being myself.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Monday, May 14, 2007
"Cocaine" PR: High on FDA disapproval
Whenever a product becomes trendy, leave it to a marketing nut to take the trend a bit too far. Then, leave it to a like-minded PR practitioner to blunder through the media backlash.
The most recent (and perhaps overexposed) of these cases is the frenzy surrounding Cocaine. No, not the hard, illegal drug that will drain your pocketbook; the illegal-sounding energy drink that only drains the already empty reputation of PR.
Many PR/Marketing blogs have condemned Redux Beverages, the drink’s producer, for the unethical name, as well as Redux’s decision to change the name after an FDA warning letter issued April 4.
In the letter, the FDA writes that Cocaine claims to be a dietary supplement, but it is also marketing itself as a street drug alternative. The FDA states that because of its association with recreational illegal drugs, Cocaine cannot be marketed as a supplement to the diet.
The FDA lists several slogans from Cocaine’s own Web site as examples of its “street drug alternative” marketing, including “speed in a can,” “liquid cocaine” and “the legal alternative.” The letter also notes the typography of the drink’s name on the can: “cocaine” spelled out in “white, granular writing.”
I checked the Cocaine site out of disbelief. Sure enough, I found remnants of these slogans (which were obviously edited after the letter), but I also found even more shocking material. The site also includes videos of the drink’s consumers and supporters, declaring themselves free speech advocates.
One of the videos features a young man who claims that Starbucks coffee contains more caffeine than Cocaine, but complains that it doesn’t suffer the same criticism. True, but last time I checked, Starbucks doesn’t sell “meth” frapuccinos or “heroin” au laits.
Another video on the site is a genuine documentary clip about the history of cocaine (the drug) and famous, historical figures who used it, such as Thomas Edison and Mark Twain. Hmm…what does this have to do with an energy drink?
Another clip features young, college-age boys in a mock-sitcom snorting white powder and pressuring friends to try it. One of the boys responds, “If it’s good enough for my friends, it’s good enough for me!” before ingesting a line. Fortunately, the boys offer a disclaimer at the end: you don’t have to get high on illegal drugs, you can also get wasted on beers! The energy drink is nowhere to be seen.
Despite all of the FDA criticism, Cocaine has many supporters: more than 8000 MySpace friends. In Cocaine’s MySpace blog, founder Jamey Kerby encourages these friends to save the drink by writing e-mails “telling us that you know our drink is not a drug and that you know that it is not intended to get you high (which it is not). It is an energy drink like all of the other energy drinks.” Sure, it’s like all the other drinks, so much so that it needs an irresponsible name to make a profit.
In the blog post, Kerby also addresses one of the infamous slogans: “the legal alternative.” He says, “Please take note that the phrase ‘The Legal Alternative’ is used to convey the message that our energy drink is an alternative way to be ‘cool’ without having to do illegal drugs or get high. We do not advocate drug use; that would not be responsible.”
Mr. Kerby, your site speaks for itself. If you want your product to ever see supermarket shelves, here’s my advice: change more than the name.
The most recent (and perhaps overexposed) of these cases is the frenzy surrounding Cocaine. No, not the hard, illegal drug that will drain your pocketbook; the illegal-sounding energy drink that only drains the already empty reputation of PR.
Many PR/Marketing blogs have condemned Redux Beverages, the drink’s producer, for the unethical name, as well as Redux’s decision to change the name after an FDA warning letter issued April 4.
In the letter, the FDA writes that Cocaine claims to be a dietary supplement, but it is also marketing itself as a street drug alternative. The FDA states that because of its association with recreational illegal drugs, Cocaine cannot be marketed as a supplement to the diet.
The FDA lists several slogans from Cocaine’s own Web site as examples of its “street drug alternative” marketing, including “speed in a can,” “liquid cocaine” and “the legal alternative.” The letter also notes the typography of the drink’s name on the can: “cocaine” spelled out in “white, granular writing.”
I checked the Cocaine site out of disbelief. Sure enough, I found remnants of these slogans (which were obviously edited after the letter), but I also found even more shocking material. The site also includes videos of the drink’s consumers and supporters, declaring themselves free speech advocates.
One of the videos features a young man who claims that Starbucks coffee contains more caffeine than Cocaine, but complains that it doesn’t suffer the same criticism. True, but last time I checked, Starbucks doesn’t sell “meth” frapuccinos or “heroin” au laits.
Another video on the site is a genuine documentary clip about the history of cocaine (the drug) and famous, historical figures who used it, such as Thomas Edison and Mark Twain. Hmm…what does this have to do with an energy drink?
Another clip features young, college-age boys in a mock-sitcom snorting white powder and pressuring friends to try it. One of the boys responds, “If it’s good enough for my friends, it’s good enough for me!” before ingesting a line. Fortunately, the boys offer a disclaimer at the end: you don’t have to get high on illegal drugs, you can also get wasted on beers! The energy drink is nowhere to be seen.
Despite all of the FDA criticism, Cocaine has many supporters: more than 8000 MySpace friends. In Cocaine’s MySpace blog, founder Jamey Kerby encourages these friends to save the drink by writing e-mails “telling us that you know our drink is not a drug and that you know that it is not intended to get you high (which it is not). It is an energy drink like all of the other energy drinks.” Sure, it’s like all the other drinks, so much so that it needs an irresponsible name to make a profit.
In the blog post, Kerby also addresses one of the infamous slogans: “the legal alternative.” He says, “Please take note that the phrase ‘The Legal Alternative’ is used to convey the message that our energy drink is an alternative way to be ‘cool’ without having to do illegal drugs or get high. We do not advocate drug use; that would not be responsible.”
Mr. Kerby, your site speaks for itself. If you want your product to ever see supermarket shelves, here’s my advice: change more than the name.
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