We live in a society where we are taught from a young age to be ready for the real world. “You’re an adult,” I have been told many times, “you have to act like one now.” It is not an overstatement to say that we have ALL heard that saying, or some variation of it. The pressure is – and always has been – on us. With being an adult comes adult responsibilities, but until now I’ve never been given said adult responsibilities. I didn’t even know what being an adult meant. The MPA Program, however, assisted me heavily in the process of entering the real world.

The fact that the UT MPA program is the number one accounting program in the nation never hit me until the big four accounting firms all came to meet us. Partners, senior managers, all the way down to current interns came to UT to assure us they wanted us to come work for them. Through this process I’ve learned pro tips (that worked for me) to ace entering the real world, a.k.a. the INTERVIEWS.

None of the interviews with the big four accounting firms are purely technical or behavioral. It is also not pressure-intensive. They are laid back conversations between you and a representative. They genuinely want to get to know you to see if you’ll be a good fit for the firm. So instead of stressing out about the interview, do:

1) Relax. Nothing says “I am not being myself” more than being nervous does. Take a deep breath, you can do this.

2) This is not a Q & A, don’t expect the entire interview to be you or the interviewer asking the questions while the other person answers. It is truly a conversation. Small talks lead to more genuine and endearing conversations to remember. This doesn’t mean don’t have 3 – 5 questions ready.

3) Speak up, not only in volume, but also on what you want. If you want to work at a specific office or there are some issues you need to clarify before you become comfortable working at the firm, ask! They are there to help you get the feel for the firm, so take advantage of it. Volume is pretty important, too.

4) Confidence is attractive, but overconfidence is not. Don’t go through this process with the mindset, “I already got the position,” because the interviewers are pretty perceptive and will read you. Be humble, yet confident. Show the interviewers the real you.

So now having gone through the interviews and taken the first step towards adulthood, I feel pretty adult.