My First Resume and My Interview: A Dance of a Beginner with the Adult Life It has milestones in life, which scream silently to say “Welcome to the grown-up table.” In my case, this time came when I opened a blank Word document and wrote my name in bold at the top and said to myself, “Look at me, making a resumé!” The next thing was excitement, confusion and a humorous incident of typewriter malfunctions. The first resume and the first interview were more about my discovery of myself than any textbook ever could teach me. The Birth of a Résumé I recall the time when I had been staring at that blinking cursor on a blank page and wondered – what exactly is considered experience when all you have done up to this point is survived college, volunteered on one occasion at a festival and finished assignments a few minutes before due dates? All the articles on the internet appeared to be screaming of success and accomplishment, yet my greatest accomplishment so far was being able to make coffee and make it successfully during all-nighters. Education? Check. Skills? Oh… good communication (doubtful but hopeful). Hobbies? Reading, writing, thinking about new things (which is a good thing to do, although new ideas were mostly memes). The longer I wrote, the more I understood that a resumé is not a brag sheet; it is your story in 1 page. It is evidence of the fact that you have done something that counts – even though those things are lowly beginnings. Later I realised how similar this is to building the best resume or a professional resume for freshers that we often talk about in career sessions and on best job hunting websites, best job search apps, best job finding apps and other best job apps used by freshers. And when I finally printed it, out of the printer tray, I had it in my hand as an artist has his first draft – vague, but personal. Asking the Right People (and Living Through It) My friends all had a comment when I presented them with my resume. One of them said, “Use fancy fonts, it is creative.” Another warned, “No! Use an old-fashioned font – it demonstrates discipline.” My résumé had been turned into a type show by the time we all were finished. Lastly, I returned to the fundamentals: bare text, uncomplicated design, simplicity over style. I understood that style leaves an impression in the short run, but simplicity leaves one in the long run. One of the things that I was told subsequently by a mentor was that: “Your resume is not about trying to inflate your value but telling your potential in a simple way.” That is what made me change my approach. I cut out the flowery language, kept the facts short and clear, and triple-proofed grammar as if my life depended on it – which, in a way, it did. It is the same principle that good job consultancy and job placement consultancy services follow while helping candidates get ready for job listings, job postings and different job posting websites. The Endless Wait Once I had posted the applications I became a stalker of my email inbox, checking it every half hour, as though I were a fanatic praying. Days passed. One day, as I was sitting quietly one afternoon, the notification came: “Dear Ms. Grotisalvin, I want to invite you to an interview.” My heart cartwheeled and I stared at the screen. My résumé had actually worked! The excitement and the anxiety crashed and caused a dance party in my stomach. The Day of the Interview The morning I had my first interview, everything that could go wrong attempted to. My hair refused to cooperate. My shoelaces had become resistant to knots. The auto-rickshaw driver was determined to meditate slowly in the road. I was already in the office 5 minutes early but emotionally drained. The receptionist requested me to wait. My heartbeat was in time with the clock. I went in smiling – half out of politeness, half as self-defense – when my name was called. The interviewer raised his eyes and with a benign expression said, “So, tell me about yourself.” My brain caused an imaginary pause immediately. All the sentences I had prepared were suddenly gone. Then, instinct saved me. I talked, not perfectly but sincerely: about studying, learning, little projects and how curiosity helps me to do it. He nodded, perhaps because truthfulness is so different from practised answers. At some point, he looked at my resume and remarked that I have written that I am a fast learner. “Can you give me an example?” I mentioned the incident when I was required to study presentation software late at night, before a class event. It was not glamour, but it indicated effort – and people can relate more to effort than to luxury. Round Two: Reality Check Then came a technical question I was not aware of. My stomach sank. Instead of bluffing, I admitted it and said I would like to learn if given the opportunity. The candour gained me a slight nod of approval. Later, in the feedback, the interviewer told me, “We like a person who can be truthful about what he or she does not know and who is teachable.” That was a lesson to me that being honest and humble is not a weakness, it is a path to growth – something we often tell candidates when we do interview preparation and career guidance sessions. After the Curtain Fell As I left that office, I was not sure whether I had performed well or very poorly. I replayed all the words and analysed all the awkward laughs. But that anxious rehearsal was pointless – I had shown up, given my effort, and gained a new experience. The waiting resumed again, this time a little more peaceful. I had faced a fear and survived to tell

Gen Z, First Interviews and the Real Meaning of Professionalism Fields of little things brought me down. They also helped me remember that life was going on as usual outside my storm of self. I smiled back at the interviewer when he smiled sincerely at one of my answers – and this made me understand that interviews are not one-way streets. I was also evaluating them: Do I want to belong to this culture? Do these individuals feel like mentors or only managers? That attitude reversal removed an unexpectedly large amount of pressure – something we often remind candidates of during interview preparation and career guidance sessions. Impressions Are Built on Small Acts of Respect We tend to think of the big things and miss the details. My takeaway? Human beings will always remember the way you treated them. Small things such as a genuine “thank you, I see you today”, looking at someone without staring them down, not interrupting even when you are desperate to speak – all these habits turned my nervousness into professionalism. These are the same soft skills that matter as much as any technical skills on your best resume or professional resume for freshers. It is easy to imagine that all employers are solely interested in technical competencies, yet emotional intelligence is your superpower. People are the components of the workplace, and sincerity connects people. When we talk to candidates about career options and best careers for the future, this is a point we always highlight. At the close of the interview, I gave them a firm handshake, thanked them, and walked out of the room with relief mixed with adrenaline. It was surprising to realise later that such small gestures can linger like the good aftertaste of coffee. Interviews Are Reflections, Not Just Decisions As I left that building, I replayed all the words, all the pauses, all the gestures – a one‑person post‑match analysis. Halfway through the replay, I realised something important: regardless of whether I secured the job or not, I had grown. An interview is a mirror of who you are when you are under pressure: how you carry yourself, how you improvise on your feet, how you recover when you stumble. The hiring decision is just one outcome – the real test is how you behaved. I could not stop smiling when the email came later that week with the subject line “Congratulations”. Along with excitement, I felt deep gratitude – for the process that had made me stronger. I had gone in as a student afraid of failure; I walked out as a young professional learning to be humble, patient and to trust myself. Greater Insight into Professionalism My initial idea of professionalism was that it was a heavy armour: serious tone, no laughter, stiff faces. But through that experience, I learned that professionalism is not rigid; it is respectful. It is not about suppressing your personality, but about directing it in the right way. You can be kind, curious, even a little funny – and still be completely professional. The real trick is balance. This is exactly what modern job consultancy and career guidance try to teach young candidates. For Gen Z (or anyone starting their first full‑time job), that is an eye‑opener. The corporate world is changing and increasingly appreciates authenticity. Employers value passion and compassion along with skill. My first interview confirmed that. When Rejection Happens (Because Sometimes It Does) Not everyone receives a “Congratulations” email on the first attempt – and that’s okay. Many of my friends did not. Some received polite rejections; others heard nothing. It hurt at first, but later they realised that each “no” improved them. They refined answers, adjusted body language, reworked their best resume, and came back stronger. This is how growth often hides inside discomfort. Interviews are emotional workouts. You go in, you might ache a little, but you come out stronger. Next time, you feel less afraid. The questions feel familiar. You begin to see interviews as conversations rather than interrogations – especially when you have done good interview preparation with a mentor or a job placement consultancy. Cultural Situation: Being Gen Z in a Boardroom It is also quite amusing to be the youngest person in a formal room. You walk in hopeful, a native of social media, and the fluorescent lights quickly remind you that this is not an Instagram story. Yet our generation brings real strengths: we are adaptive, we learn fast, we are emotionally aware, and we question outdated hierarchies. During that interview, I felt that the organisation was looking for younger voices too – voices that challenged, suggested and improved things. That gave me a quiet confidence. I did not have to hide my enthusiasm; I just let it flow through honest answers. Professionalism is not an enemy of personality. The Afterglow of Growth When I came home, family and friends showered me with questions: “So? How was it?” I could have summed it up as “not fatal”, but instead I told the whole story – the waiting, the talking, the one accidental joke that went surprisingly well. As I went to bed that night, calm contentment replaced the earlier panic. I had gone through one of the first real tests of adulthood and realised that success is not “never being afraid”; success is choosing to move forward in spite of fear. It is the same mindset we encourage in candidates when they apply for their first job in chhattisgarh or cg private job through our vacancy list. Five Lessons, Reduced to a Narrow Fellow 1. Nerves are natural. They show that you care, and that can work in your favour if you channel it with honest preparation and a good interview preparation plan. 2. Confidence is layered. It is not memorised; it grows out of truthfulness and self‑awareness. Real confidence shows when your story on your professional resume for freshers matches what you say in the room. 3. Preparation shapes you;