Hey Readers! Thanks for checking out Part 1 of my new series, “Goodbye 20s, Hello 30s… What I wish I knew in my 20s.” I mentioned in my video post that reading the Huffington Post’s “30 Things Women Should Have and Know By 30” (written in the mid-90′s) inspired me to create a relevant version of that post for the Gen Yers of 2012.

By the time we are 30, we’re expected:

• to be married with children,
• to have bought a home (or condo,)
• to be at a certain high point in our careers whether that means being finished with grad school, or occupying highly sought after positions in our companies.

The reality is that it’s a very different time.

Many of us witnessed the aftermaths of 9/11, Enron scandals, and the Great Recession of 2008. At the speed of text messages, tweets, or pins no less. We saw our family and relatives, friends and colleagues lose their jobs.

We lost our jobs as well.

This created a different reality for us. We thought:

• “What’s the point of working this hard if everything could be lost at the mercy of the economy?”
• “What’s really important to us beyond my career and job title?”
• “Are we making these important life decisions for ourselves, or to meet other people’s expectations?”

We really started to dig deep into these questions.

The conclusion we came up with? That making a difference, having integrity, and strong character is way more important than only focusing on our career successes and making money. That it’s better to wait and to take our sweet time rather than to settle to meet other people’s expectations.

As a young professional myself, I’ve worked hard and played hard in San Francisco straight out of college. I’ve been through my career highs from getting my dream jobs at dream companies, to getting into my top choice grad school… to my career lows getting laid off and being unemployed for months during the height of the recession.

(With some of my besties at my buddy’s epic 30th birthday bash.)

(San Francisco Fleet Week rooftop party with my girls.)

I had way too much fun partying until the wee hours of the morning in the city with friends. But, I also experienced many losses. My friends moved away for jobs or grad school out of state and I saw girlfriends disappear after getting into serious relationships. I felt lonely being far away from my family, and I felt guilty for not being able to watch my niece grow up.

I had my career successes… but I job hopped.

I rented flats in trendy San Francisco neighborhoods… but didn’t purchase a condo. (For some Gen Yers, sometimes there is no other choice but to move back home with family because of the dire economy. It isn’t their fault.)

And I’m currently in an amazing relationship with a wonderful guy, but we’re taking our time getting to know each other rather than rushing.

(With my boyfriend at House of Prime Rib. Yum!)

Is job hopping, renting, and waiting to settle wrong? No.

Would I change anything knowing what I do now? Absolutely not. It’s completely OK to take your time making important decisions that work for YOU. Most importantly, it’s completely OK to continue growing, making mistakes, and learning from these experiences.

Next week I’ll be sharing my personal tips and lessons learned being a 20-something in the last decade… telling you what I wish I HAD known. Stay tuned for Part 2!

Readers, what did you learn in your 20′s, and what did you wish you had known when you were 25? 

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If you liked this video post and blog, also check out “What’s the Rush? Lessons Learned About Life After College During NCAA Football Season.”

Goodbye 20s, Hello 30s Series:

1. Video Post: Intro to Goodbye 20s, Hello 30s. What I Wish I Knew in My 20s
2. Part 2: Goodbye 20s, Hello 30s. What I Wish I Knew About Careers and Life
3. Part 3: Goodbye 20s, Hello 30s. What I Wish I Knew About Friendships, Relationships, and Dating
4. Part 4: Goodbye 20s, Hello 30s… Recap of Kick@$$ Birthdays and “Aha” moments in the 20s

The Job Search Miniseries Recap:

1. What Companies and Hiring Managers Look For in a Cover Letter
2. What Companies and Hiring Managers Look For in a Resume
3. What Companies and Hiring Managers Look For in a Phone Interview
4. What Companies and Hiring Managers Look For in an In-Person Interview

If you liked this video post, also check out: 7 Job Search Lessons Learned from Dating in the City.

(If you’ve missed the first three parts of our Job Search miniseries, you can check out part one on cover letters here, part two on resumes here, and part three on phone interviews here.)

In my last article, What Companies and Hiring Managers Look For in a Phone Interview, I taught readers how to ask the right questions, close, and nail the phone interview so you could move on to the next step, the in-person interview. 

But first, here’s a quick tip from yours truly:

If you’re being interviewed for an in-person interview, chances are they already approved of your skills and qualifications. They’re bringing you in because they want to see if you’ll fit in with their company culture, and if they’ll like working with you.

If you’ve made it past the cover letter, resume, and phone interview, then you must be feeling a mixture of excitement as well as angst. You’ve gotten this far, and it’s obvious that the company wants to learn more about you. It’s something to celebrate!

But the in-person interview is the final barrier to entry, and therefore carries the most weight as to whether you’ll get the job or not.

Rather than give you the standard (and very cliché) “start with a strong handshake!” advice, here are 7 down and dirty traits that your interviewer will be looking for when they meet you for the first time:

1. Attitude

The truth is this: companies want to bring on people who are optimistic, positive, and bring a “feel good” vibe to the team.

• Are you confident, or cocky?
• Are you friendly, or refuse to open up?
• Are you optimistic and see the glass half full, or are you a negative Nancy who complains about everything?
• Do you dwell on your mistakes, or learn from them and become a better person?
• Are you willing to learn new things, or are you a know-it-all?

No matter how unhappy you are at your current job, don’t say anything negative because it will only make the interviewer think, “Are you going to say bad things about me as a boss once we hire you, too?”

2. Adaptability & Company Fit
This is probably the #2 most important thing after attitude that companies are looking for. At Deloitte and Big Four firms, they called it the “Can I stand being stuck at the airport with this person for 5 hours if my flight is delayed?” test.

Companies and interviewers want to know if you’re someone they want to be around, especially during stressful moments, and if you are someone that would fit into their team.

3. Communication
Communication skills are very important for employees who work on teams. Interviewers will be honing in on things like:

• Are you a good listener?
• Are you engaging?
• Are you a succinct communicator who gets to the point? Or do you ramble?
• Are you confident and eloquent?
• And do you ask good, thoughtful questions?

Always keep in mind that communication is a two way street. There is a reason why we have two ears and one mouth!

4. Appearance and Presentation
I’m not saying you have to look like Ryan Reynolds or Olivia Wilde to land the job.

And you’re not going to be expected to wear an Armani suit or Jimmy Choos either.

However, what I’m going to tell you is that first impressions DO matter. And in the case of an in-person interview, they can make or break your chances in an instant.

Your appearance and presentation can reveal to an interviewer how serious of an employee or how motivated you will be within the first 5 minutes of meeting you. So dress to impress and look sharp from your head to your toes. Appearing unkempt or looking like you just rolled out of bed will make the interviewer wonder what you look like normally if this was your “dress to impress” outfit.

(And if you want to learn more about how to dress, I’ll be doing a “What to wear to interviews” series, broken down by industries, soon. Stay tuned!)

5. Skills & Qualifications
Keep in mind that while I mentioned that, by this point in the game, the company has already approved of your qualifications, they’re still going to reconfirm during the in-person interview that you have the proper skills needed for the job.

All I am going to say here is you should carefully read the job description again before your interview so you understand the role you’re applying for. Ask the hiring manager and other interviewers in-depth questions about what the role entails.

Probe, pre-qualify, and really get a sense if this is something you want to do.

This isn’t only about impressing the interviewers. You have to reconfirm that this is the perfect fit for you as well.

6. Interpersonal Skills
When you walk into an interview, go there with the mindset that you are there to meet new people and to get to know them and their company better.

Like I mentioned before, conversations should be a two way street. Mirror the person you are interviewing  and don’t be afraid to have a conversation! They shouldn’t think you’re just another robotic drone.

Also, be respectful to the receptionist and front desk staff.

Many companies and hiring managers start the interview process from the time the candidate walks through the door. They ask their receptionists to see how a job seeker treats them and interacts with regular people.

Trust me on this, I have seen countless times qualified candidates were dismissed because of the way they treated the unassuming receptionist. Be respectful to all people you meet. It will speak a great deal about your character.

7. Closing and Follow Up Skills

I mentioned this in Part 3: Cover Letters, but will say this again. If you really want the job, then ask the right questions, and close by asking for next steps and letting the interviewer or hiring manager know that you want the position. Follow-up after the interview with a thank you email and hand-written thank you card.

Most importantly, when walking into these interviews, just be yourself. In the end, if you’re not jiving well with the interviewer or the people you’re talking to, then don’t force it. Just like dating, you can’t force chemistry. A good fit will “click” into place if it’s meant to happen.

So what have your experiences been with in-person interviews? Have you felt that “click” when taking to your interviewer of your dream job? Share your stories below! And thank you for sticking through this four part miniseries on the job search! 

The Job Search Miniseries:

1. What Companies and Hiring Managers Look For in a Cover Letter
2. What Companies and Hiring Managers Look For in a Resume
3. What Companies and Hiring Managers Look For in a Phone Interview
4. What Companies and Hiring Managers Look For in an In-Person Interview