5 Interview Tips

Interviewing never seems to get any easier, especially if you’ve gone on more than you can count. Fear and uncertainty underlie most interview anxieties - so how can you pull yourself out of that rut? 

Whether you’ve just graduated or are a high level executive looking for a new work venture, it’s important to approach each interview with optimal confidence and the below smart strategies:

1. Change the way you think about interviews. Interviews should simply be viewed as a conversation, a general Q&A session between you and a potential employer. It’s not uncommon for people to be swept with a wave of panic and negativity leading up to an interview. Remember, you are interviewing the company as much as they are interviewing you.
2. Avoid self-doubt. Keep your negative thoughts in check, self-doubt and fear will render you helpless. Re-frame your thinking - instead of negative thoughts like “I’ll never get this job,” consider the glass half full - “They called me for an interview, which means they were impressed with my background. I’m going to do my best to bring my resume to life for them.”
3. Provide real life examples. When asked questions about your strengths, provide specific examples from a real life situation. While you may not have a solid example from your workplace, perhaps through your education or volunteering efforts something can connect. Leadership skills? Think about group projects or presentations you’ve led in graduate school. Perhaps you’ve participated in one of our panel discussions at St. John’s - relate that to your interviewer’s question.
4. Turn your biggest weakness into your greatest strengths. There’s no doubt your interviewer will ask you to list some of your weaknesses - and no your weakness can’t be you have no weaknesses. Bring up some things that aren’t your strong suit and the steps you are taking to improve them. Found it hard to complete your to do list? Now you are utilizing online tools and email alerts that help you stay organized and improve your time management. In the end, bring the focus back to how the improved you can help your potential company.
5. Take every interview opportunity that comes your way. Practice may not make perfect, but it does make how you perform. The more interviews you go on, the more you can hone your skills and feel more comfortable in the ‘hot seat.’ You’ll learn what works, what doesn’t, and what approach you will take for your next interview.

For additional tips, visit Huffington Post’s full article here.

The graduate schools at St. John’s University in New York City offer more than 60 graduate degree and professional certificate programs in five acclaimed colleges, a School of Law, and institute dedicated solely to the growing field of biotechnology. Our highly competitive advanced degree programs will challenge you to become the very best you can possibly be!

Tips for Choosing the Right Grad School!

Choosing a college or university for graduate studies is much more than going with the school with the highest ranking or best word-of-mouth reputation. After all, your time, effort, and money is at stake. Graduate school is a big commitment which is what makes choosing the right school such an important decision.

Keep the below tips in mind while considering which graduate school is right for you:

Do Enough Research: Avoid waiting a few weeks before an application deadline to start conducting your research. Give yourself at least six months in advance to fully review potential university’s websites, create a spreadsheet comparing and contrasting schools and programs of interest, then based on your research, hone in on your choices.

Know Yourself and Your Industry: Remember to find the school that is best fit for you right now. Not what you used to want or what other people have told you. By now, you likely know if you prefer the hustle and bustle of a city or a quaint college town. Pursue a graduate school the meets that criteria. Additionally, get a solid understanding of the industry you are pursing by connecting with professionals in your field. Make sure their realities are something you envision for your future.

Visit Campuses: A campus may seem great in theory, but to really seal the deal you should try and arrange for an in person visit. If the college or university is too far, that visit may be difficult. Check to see if they offer virtual tours instead - so you can take a gander in the comfort of your own home. SJU offers virtual tours of our Queens and Staten Island campuses for interested students.

Talk to Current Students: What better than hearing first hand experiences? Here at St. John’s University we want to help set your mind at ease by providing you with the opportunity to connect directly with a current SJU graduate student. You can ask what you feel is important, and you will receive an honest and timely reply from someone who personally knows what it’s like to pursue graduate studies at St. John’s.

Explore Different Types of Programs: Traditional classroom college experiences aren’t always right for everyone, so consider your options. Look into schools that offer a variety of learning experiences from traditional, to online learning, and even study abroad experiences.

With so many schools and programs available it is important to do your research in order to make an informed decision about where to apply. This way when time comes to enroll, you can look forward to a much richer and confident experience.

The graduate schools at St. John’s University in New York City offer more than 60 graduate degree and professional certificate programs in five acclaimed colleges, a School of Law, and institute dedicated solely to the growing field of biotechnology. Our highly competitive advanced degree programs will challenge you to become the very best you can possibly be!

Personal Finance Tips Post Graduation

Post graduation can be a whirlwind between planning your future, securing jobs, and preparing to pay back student loans. We know how valuable guidance can be during this transition and as such wanted to help share some advice. Embark on your next chapter of life with confidence by keeping the below personal finance tips in mind:

Budget.
It’s important to live within your means. Evaluate your current financial standing - do you have any debt, how much do you have set aside in savings, how much money are you currently bringing in. Also consider your loan statements and their deadlines. An online monthly budget planner can be a great starting point to help you stick with a lifestyle you can afford.

Plan for the future.
This may not be at the forefront of your mind, but you’ll thank yourself later if you begin planning for retirement now. Start by taking a small percentage of your paycheck and putting it towards your retirement savings. Check your 401(k) options that are offered at your job, try to contribute enough money to receive a company match. Additionally, incase of emergency, have an account set aside with enough money to cover three to six months of basic living expenses in case of illness or unemployment.

Have health insurance.
Are you one of the lucky ones who is fit as a fiddle and hasn’t been sick in years? Way to go! But this still doesn’t mean you should be without health insurance. A bad accident or an unforeseen illness could be ruinously expensive. Apply for health insurance through your work (or if possible, remain on your parent’s policy until you’re 26) or shop around for benefits and find a high deductible policy.

Stay on top of student loans and bills.
If loans are not tackled right away they can quickly get out of hand. Understand your repayment process, when deadlines are, if you should consolidate, etc. Speak to your loan provider or visit studentaid.ed.gov for more information.

Remember to make adjustments on your finances on a regular basis. Revisit the amounts you have set for repayment, savings, etc. every few months to ensure they are still relevant and working effectively. Have any post graduation finance tips to share? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page!

The graduate schools at St. John’s University in New York City offer more than 60 graduate degree and professional certificate programs in five acclaimed colleges, a School of Law, and institute dedicated solely to the growing field of biotechnology. Our highly competitive advanced degree programs will challenge you to become the very best you can possibly be!

Tips for Preparing for Graduate School

Congratulations - you’ve been accepted to a St. John’s University graduate program! While your enrollment may not start for a few months, there are some things you can do ahead of time to make sure you are well prepared.

See below for a few tips to help you set yourself up for success:

Have all your documents in order: To avoid any complications, make sure any student and financial aid forms have been completed and are on file prior to beginning your semester. Aside from enrollment specific documents, you may need to purchase a parking pass if you are attending campus and secure your StormCard.

Learn about your peers: In an increasingly connected world - this task hasn’t been easier. LinkedIn provides some great groups for St. John’s students to connect and network. Additionally, you may ask your adviser to put you in connect with students already in the program should you have any questions or concerns.

Research the curriculum: When you receive your syllabus, read through it entirely and secure the reading material ahead of time to familiarize yourself with your upcoming workload. Once you connect to some peers or students already in your program, ask them any questions you may have about electives or classes you need to take.

Explore ways to get involved: Consider how you can get involved with your program, students, and campus outside of the classroom. Whether it be student groups or looking into graduate assistantship programs, there are a lot of ways to develop personal friendships and advance your professional network.


The graduate schools at St. John’s University in New York City offer more than 60 graduate degree and professional certificate programs in five acclaimed colleges, a School of Law, and institute dedicated solely to the growing field of biotechnology. Our highly competitive advanced degree programs will challenge you to become the very best you can possibly be!

Tips for Enhancing Your Resume This Summer

Short-Term Programs @ SJU

To our recent graduates - congratulations! To those with a job lined up, an even bigger job well done. For others, now may either be a time of self reflection prior to entering into the career world or simply a break until the Fall semester begins. 

Regardless of where you stand and your future plans as of late, it's always a good time to work on making your resume stand out among the rest in a competitive job market. See below for a few tips that we put together to help you enhance yours this summer:

Travel - If you haven’t had the chance and have always wanted to - travel the world! If still enrolled here at SJU - look into one of our study abroad programs. At St. John’s, we provide students with a global campus that allows a seamless experience from location to location. Ask your adviser about opportunities at our Rome, Italy campus or the wide variety of other study abroad programs.

The benefits? Not only does exploring new cultures enhance communication skills, but it reassures an employer that their prospect is open minded and willingly adapts to new environments. 

Volunteer - Whether in your local community or abroad, there are countless volunteer opportunities at your finger tips. This can be something outside of your career field and focus on a hobby or passion you’ve wanted to pursue. You’ll learn to work with different types of people as well as open the door to learning a new skill or trade.

The benefits? Volunteering can help improve your leadership and project management skills, as well as shows you are a socially responsible person, willing to help.

Learn a new language - If you are one of our International Students, you may already have the advantage (the ability to speak both English as well as your native tongue fluently). Why not look to add another language to your repertoire? Additionally, if you only speak English, now may be the time to get to know the basics of another language.

The benefits? Being bi-lingual or multilingual can open a lot more doors and opportunities in the future. Especially in the communications, diplomacy, business, or economics fields.

Develop a skill - Whether it’s improving upon a skill you already have or developing new skills you think employers would find beneficial, the sky’s the limit. You can sign up for free courses or workshops within your community as well as take advantage of free online classes or tutorials. Technology skills are becoming more and more beneficial in the workplace and thus may be something you look into.

The benefits? Possessing a variety of skills (especially those that are in demand) can not only open the door to different opportunities but also highlight your expertise in field related tasks - not to mention, it may mean less training on your part!

The graduate schools at St. John’s University in New York City offer more than 60 graduate degree and professional certificate programs in five acclaimed colleges, a School of Law, and institute dedicated solely to the growing field of biotechnology. Our highly competitive advanced degree programs will challenge you to become the very best you can possibly be!

Tips for Paying Off Student Loans

College loans are one of the most common financial obstacles that people face in life. Whether you’re just graduating or have already begun repaying your student loans, you know how much of a burden they can be.

To help make the experience less stressful, see below for some tips to help keep your student loan debt under control:

Know your loans: First and foremost, it’s important to know and understand your loans. Meaning keeping track of the lender, balance, and repayment status of each. It’s also important to remember that different loans have different grace periods - meaning the amount of time you can wait after leaving school before needing to make your first payment.

Pick the right repayment option: When your federal loans come due, they’ll automatically be spread over a 10-year repayment plan. If this is going to be hard for you to cover, you can select a different method of repayment. Keep in mind that lowering your monthly payments will extend your repayment period beyond 10 years - this means you’ll end up paying more interest over the life of the loan.

Pay the most expensive loans first: If possible, look to pay off your loans with the highest interest rates first. Even if this loan isn’t the largest dollar amount, eliminating the highest interest rates will help you pay less in additional charges over time.

Don’t panic! Life happens and sometimes due to unemployment, health problems, or other unexpected financial challenges, managing your loans can become difficult. There are legitimate ways to temporarily postpone your loan payments, such as deferments and forbearance.

For more tips and information related to repaying student loans, click here »

The graduate schools at St. John’s University in New York City offer more than 60 graduate degree and professional certificate programs in five acclaimed colleges, a School of Law, and institute dedicated solely to the growing field of biotechnology. Our highly competitive advanced degree programs will challenge you to become the very best you can possibly be!