During the last year of college or graduate school, a student typically needs to interview for jobs that they hope to enter after they graduate. Some interviews may take place virtually, but some employers may wish the candidate to travel to them to interview in person. Students who are living on a modest budget may not have too much cash available to pay for travel and other costs related to interviewing. Nevertheless, interviewing for jobs on a budget may be easier if students keep some things in mind.
Employers May Pay for Expenses
Interviewing for jobs on a budget is easier if employers pay for the candidate’s travel expenses to travel to and from the employer’s office for the interview. In certain contexts, it is likely that employers will pay for travel costs to arrive at an interview. For instance, when law students interview for summer associate jobs at law firms, it is common for law firms to reimburse candidates for their travel expenses.
Indeed, when I was a law student, I did seven or so callbacks at various law firms in the New York and New Jersey area, and I needed to travel to the area from the District of Columbia where I was attending law school. I had to spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars on train and bus tickets in order to complete all of these interviews. As a poor law student, I would have had trouble paying for all of these travel expenses, but many of the firms at which I interviewed paid for my travel costs. This helped ensure that I was able attend interviews without it impacting my bottom line.
Interview on Campus
Another way you can go about interviewing on a budget is by interviewing for jobs on campus. Many employers visit campuses of local colleges and top universities in order to recruit students. Employers understand that they can have access to a great pool of candidates by recruiting on campus because students do not need to travel too far in order to attend an interview.
On-campus interviews are especially important in law school. It is common for law firms to conduct on-campus interviews at many of the top universities for summer associate jobs after the first year of law school, and this can impact the first job a student holds after attending law school. As a law student, I attended twenty or so interviews in a week during Georgetown Law’s on-campus interview process, and this led to callbacks which eventually led to some summer associate offers. I also interviewed for other positions on campus, including jobs at firms across the East Coast and even for a clerkship in Alaska. None of these interviews cost me money since I did not need to pay to travel to the interviews, and this helped me minimize the amount of money I needed to spend during the interview process.
Apply for Grants
Some schools offer students grants when interviewing for jobs on a budget. Schools often look better if they can show that graduates of their programs are able to obtain gainful employment. As a result, schools usually have robust job search and placement programs that assist students in finding and interviewing for jobs. Some schools have grant money available to assist students who may incur costs in the interviewing process. Students should usually consult with the job search and placement services at their schools for more information about grants, including the types of expenses that might be covered by such grants. There may also be a limit to the amount of money an individual can receive from grant programs, and students should be aware of the types of funds to which they have access.
Still Spend Some Money
It is important to mention that when interviewing for jobs on a budget, you should still spend money on important items. There is an old saying that goes “you need to spend money to make money” and this oftentimes applies to interviewing for jobs. There are certain items that job candidates should buy if they do not already own the items. Job candidates usually need to have a professional outfit, typically a full suit for men and the equivalent for women. Moreover, job candidates might want to invest in a folio or other item to hold papers and the like. In addition, job candidates might want to invest in a briefcase or other type of professional bag in order to hold their items.
I did not always follow this advice. During on-campus interviewing in law school, I was too cheap to buy a belt that matched my suit, so I went without a belt, which might be against fashion advice. In addition, I usually relied on beat up backpacks and the like to hold my possessions. I am not sure if not purchasing better items impacted my chances at securing work, but it is important to make a good impression and this usually requires you to have reasonable attire and accessories.
All told, interviewing for jobs on a budget may be difficult for students who are trying to lower their expenses. Nevertheless, if you keep some things in mind, you can interview for a multitude of jobs without substantially impacting your bottom line even if you need to spend some money on certain items.