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Abby Herwaldt

Professor Graham

Business Seminar

23 January 2020

Ryan Abramson Reflection

Job interviews terrify me. I do really well at preparing speeches and delivering them.

However, coming up with answers that sell myself on the spot is really hard for me. Granted, I

have not gone through very many interviews. However, I have heard and read countless tips

about how to improve my interview skills. Looking back on my past interviews, it was clear that

I used to do everything wrong to the point that it is comical. Now, I know better, but it takes a lot

of practice to master the art.

Ryan Abramson gave us countless invaluable tips that are going to help us in our current

state of life of transitioning from being a student to a full-time employee. Most of us are in the

phase of prospecting different job opportunities and interviewing at various places. Abramson

shared tips on how to make our LinkedIn profiles stand out above the rest and also tips on how to

ace an interview.

During my internship over the summer, I researched a lot about LinkedIn and best

practices for company and personal pages in order to help the team I was working for start their

own company LinkedIn page. I learned all the tips and tricks, yet have yet to apply them to my

own profile. There’s so much that can be filled out on LinkedIn that should have the best words

possible that it is daunting. Abramson gave us a few tips on key areas of the LinkedIn page that

helped us spark ideas for what we could add to our own profile. Now, I just have to take the time

to apply them.
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Some new tips Abramson shared that I have never heard before was to connect with the

hiring manager on LinkedIn after applying for the position and send them my resume again. I

also had not realized that I should not only research the company, but also the hiring manager

thoroughly. Understanding the company is important, but it is also helpful to know the person

interviewing me so that I can have more material for asking questions.

One of the most beneficial parts of the afternoon for me was when we all brainstormed

high impact questions to ask throughout the interview. One of my weaknesses is coming up with

good questions to ask. When I am nervous, I cannot think as quickly as I normally can and I

forget more of what I had practiced as well. Now, I have a long list of good high-impact

questions that I can confidently sprinkle in throughout all my future interviews.

Through Ryan Abramson, I have learned a lot of useful tips and tools for standing out on

LinkedIn and interviews. As I prepare for future interviews, I am going to take a lot more time to

practice and research. The more I practice, the better I will become and the more confident I will

be going into the interview. As long as I actually set aside time to be dedicated to working on

this, I will improve in my interviewing skills. I am excited to overcome this weakness of mine in

the near future.