Job Series: Interview Tips

Lately I've pretty much become a pro at job interviews so here are a few tips on how to rock your first (or maybe your 5th) interview.

#1: Be knowledgable about the company.
This is one of the most important tips. Most employers will ask you to tell them what you know about the company and that can be an issue if you haven't done your research. So be sure brush up on the company history prior to the interview so you are not left stumped by this oh so common question. While browsing through the company's history, pick out a few things that really stand out to you whether it's some of the company's recent accomplishments or even how long ago they were founded and go from there. Also, make sure to review the job description of the position that you are applying for because they may ask you why you believe you are qualified for the position. If you're not one hundred percent sure what the exact position does, it can be a pretty tough question to answer.

#2: Dress appropriately for the job you're applying for. 
How you decide to dress for your interview all depends on what type of place you're interviewing for. If you're interviewing at a retail store, wearing a nice dress and some flats will suffice. You can also wear slacks and a blouse if that makes you feel more comfortable.
If you're interviewing at a corporate business place, then you should dress more formal since their everyday attire is typically business attire. A pencil skirt or a pair slacks paired with a blouse would work for this type of environment. You can even throw in a blazer if you'd like.

#3: Practice some common interview questions beforehand.
If you do this prior to your interview, you will be less likely to get caught off guard when the employer is asking you a string of questions. It is best to practice this with another person and have a "mock interview" to get a feel for how it will be on the day of your actual interview. (Sometimes there are multiple interviews present to ask you questions). If you rehearse your answers a few times beforehand and get a feel for what you are going to stay, you will be more confident in yourself and in turn will deliver your responses with ease.

#4: Eye Contact. 
Eye contact is key during an interview. It lets the employer know that you're confident in yourself and interested in what they have to say. A lack of eye contact will make an interviewer think that you are bored or uninterested in getting the job. They also might take that as you being too shy to look them in the eye. Make sure to be confident and look your future employer in the eye as much as possible. This is one of the hardest things for people to become comfortable with, but once you have this down and are confident in your answers, you'll conquer practically every interview you go to.

#5: Ask Questions.
Not only is your employer wanting to know about all about you and your qualifications for the job, but you should want to know about what they can offer you as well. Pick some questions to ask at the end of the interview such as "Where do you see this company going in the next 5 years?"or "What are the every day duties for this position", etc. They will appreciate that you seem interested in knowing more about the position and their thoughts on things and that could possibly help seal the deal.

We at B&G Designs hope that these tips will be helpful to you in your job search. Happy hunting.


xoxo,
Jenny
B&G Designs

Summer Playlist

Let's talk summertime tunes.

Everybody has their summer songs that whenever you hear them, you imagine yourself driving through town with the top down, feet on a dashboard, going to a beach with your hair blowing in the wind. Okay, maybe not everyone, but I sure do even though I have never actually done that in my life.

Moving on, I am a complete country music kind of girl, but I tried to think of some other good songs that are not country. I put together a list of songs that you could put on a CD (ancient, right?!) and listen to in the car of the good songs of the summer. There are some good songs to take you back to the good times along with some pump up music thrown in there as well! Check it out:

1. Drunk On A Plane by Dierks Bentley
2. Somethin' Bad by Miranda Lambert ft. Carrie Underwood (Two perfect girls in one song?!)
3. Wiggle by Jason Derulo ft. Snoop Dog (You can't help but love this song)
4. Problem by Ariana Grande ft. Iggy Azalea
5. American Kids by Kenny Chesney
6. Meanwhile Back at Mama's by Tim McGraw ft. Faith Hill
7. Ain't It Fun by Paramore
8. I Wish I Could Break Your Heart by Cassadee Pope
9. Keep Them Kisses Comin' by Craig Campbell
10. 19 You and Me by Dan + Shay
11. Later On by The Swon Brothers
12. Bartender by Lady Antebellum
13. Beat This Summer by Brad Paisley
14. Riverbank by Brad Paisley
15. Cruise by Florida Georgia Line (I don't think this song will ever get old for me.)
16. Dust by Eli Young Band
17. The Man by Aloe Blacc
18. Summertime by Kenny Chesney (Really any Kenny Chesney song is summery.)
19. Sunshine & Whiskey by Frankie Ballard
20. Beachin' by Jake Owen
21. Play It Again by Luke Bryan
22. Where It's At by Dustin Lynch

I hope these songs made you think of what your favorite summer tunes are. If you have other suggestions, leave them down below in the comments. You can never have enough good music in your life.

Morgan

thecollegebblogger.com

Dreams

We're writing again today with another quote! These are all found on our Pinterest page, so be sure to check them out!

This quote particularly connected with me. As a college girl, or even just a girl in my twenties, my dreams have become a little smaller. My dreams have become as small as "just pass this test." Reading this quote made me remember that I need to look beyond just what I want to do next week or next month. I need to think about what I want in the long run. 

I have decided to find my dreams that I had when I was a little girl. I wanted to be a princess. You know what? I am going to be a princess. No, I may not be a princess in the fairy tale story kind of way, but I choose to be a princess that helps others. Those princesses are nice to everyone. They are always elegant. They help those who cannot help themselves. That's what I want to do. I am choosing to be a princess that helps others, dresses beautifully, and is nice to everyone even the ones that do not deserve it. 

What are your childhood dreams reimagined?? 

Morgan

thecollegebblogger.com

Joy

If you're following B&G Designs on Pinterest, you have probably seen this quote pinned on there. If you aren't following us, here is the link to check us out! 

This quote is one that specifically called out to me when I was going through our "Quotable" board. Over the past few months, I have really started trying to focus on the good things in my life. I understand how hard it is to see how good life actually is when there are so many other things to worry about. We've got college, work, boys, friendships, sororities, and the list goes on. When one thing goes wrong, it starts to feel like nothing in the world can go right anymore. Maybe that's just me, but I cannot be the only one in the world who has these thoughts. Granted, I tend to be a little overly dramatic, but that is beside the point. 

The way that I have personally been working on finding peace and joy in my life has been to take time out of every day and think of 3 things that are good in my life. When I first decided to do this, I thought 3 would be too hard, so I started off with just 1. (Note: I was going through a very stressful time.) These good things don't have to be huge things. Sometimes mine were as simple as 1) I had my favorite meal at dinner today, 2) I got to talk to my mom on the phone, and 3) there are __ many days until summer break. 

Once, I started looking at the small good things in my life, I realized that it's not as bad as I thought it was. I remembered how lucky I am and that the bad things manage to get fixed at some point. 

What are some of the good things going on in your life right now? Comment below if you're brave enough to share!

Morgan

thecollegebblogger.com

Happy Birthday, Brittany!

Today is our fabulous company president Brittany's birthday.
She is officially 21 years old!

Brittany is studying Business at Western Washington University. She is a sister of Gamma Phi Beta and also coaches a cheer team in her spare time. She will be spending her 21st birthday in Vegas! How exciting.


We hope you have an amazing day, Brittany! You deserve every bit of it.


Love always,

B&G Designs

4th of July Lookbook

As you know, the Fourth of July is just right around the corner! Do you have your outfit picked out yet?  If not, that's okay. Because B&G Designs is here to help you do just that!

Casual/Dressy Day Outfit:

 For a casual outfit there are a number of things you could wear. You can throw together almost any outfit combination as long as it's red, white, and blue. For instance, you could pair a plain white tee with a red statement necklace and some classic navy blue chino shorts.  These white American flag whale embroidered shorts from Vineyard Vines featured on the left can also be a wonderful option for the 4th. Because the shorts are pretty wild, you could go with a simple navy or red top and sandals to complete this look.

If you want to wear something a little more dressy during the daytime, you could wear a pair of white jeans, a red or blue top, a statement necklace or earrings, and some heels or wedges, like the outfit featured to the right.  This navy stars blouse paired with white jeans and nude heels is perfect for both day and night Fourth of July festivities. You could also go for a plain red, white or blue dress and some sandals for a cute and effortless day time look.




Another outfit idea is pairing an American flag scarf (which is a super popular idea right now) with a navy and white striped tee shirt with a pair of red shorts and some sandals like the outfit to the left. You can also add plenty of accessories such as a bracelet or two and some stud earrings. You can even add a necklace if you feel like it.

Casual/Dressy Night:
Usually, people tend to dress up a little more for night time 4th of July events. For a casual night time look, you could pair a red sleeveless blouse with jeans and a pair of brown wedges, as pictured to the right. You can add a striped navy and white bag to jazz up your outfit even more. You can also add some jewelry, such as pearl stud earrings and some gold bracelets to complete your look. If you want to make the outfit pop even more, you can add a bold white statement necklace. 

Another casual night time outfit idea is pairing this white tank top with a navy blue skirt with a brown belt and an adorable pair of white wedges.  To add a little flair to the outfit, you can add a purse of your choice and a red statement necklace. To make this outfit complete, add an American flag bow to a half-up, half-down hairdo.  You can even add some pearl earrings if you aren't a fan of your ears being bare. 

For a little more dressy look, you could wear a red, white, or blue dress paired with accessories in those colors and a pair of wedges or heels. You could also interchange the white dress for a red or blue dress, if you are looking to be a little more colorful. This adorable firework print Lilly Pulitzer dress to the left is the perfect option for a night out on the town. You will look cute and put together -- dresses are always perfect for that reason because they're pretty much effortless. Instead of wearing sandals, you could add a pair of wedges to make the outfit a little more dressy for night time. 

Whatever you chose to wear on this occasion, make sure you are sporting some red, white and blue! Happy 4th of July everyone!


Love,
Jenny

Summer Wardrobe Series: By The Water

Let's go to the beach each, let's go get a wave. 

Now that that's out of the way. On to the important stuff in this post: what to wear by the water. Summer is finally among us, and that means trips to the beach, lake, river, pool, or any body of water. You're not alone thinking that you have no idea what to wear! The girls at B&G want to make the packing list a little easier on you!

First, let's start with the item that you do not want to be without: a swimsuit! There are tons of bikinis that are in style this summer whether they have sequins, patterns, cute backs, or just your regular triangle top. Check out our previous post specifically on swimsuits! If you go to Target, you are sure to find something to suit your fancy! Another good thing about shopping at Target is there are always sales. I have bought plenty of swim suits from Target that have lasted me years.

If bikinis aren't what you feel comfortable in, don't feel discouraged! There are tons of cute tankinis if you want something to allow some sun on your back. Otherwise, there are always one pieces. I know what you're thinking right now. A one piece? No way! Well, I'm not talking about the ones that swimmers wear and get those awful X and O tan lines on their backs. (Trust me, it's taken me years to get rid of mine...) There are one pieces out there that have halters and are really cute! They might even be better if you're going to be in a lake doing jet skis and other things!

Floppy hats are becoming a must have on the beach these days! I recently bought one with my monogram on it. I love it for laying out by the water and reading a book. I didn't think it would make a difference of seeing my book, but I don't strain my eyes nearly as much! Not to mention the fact that I am saving the sun from hitting my face and causing wrinkles...

Another essential when hitting the water is a cover up. My favorite cover up is a dress that I found at TJ Maxx. It is a knee length dress that is towel material. It is a tube top type of dress with elastic around the breast to the waist. It is super cute over a bathing suit or alone with a cute set of flip flops! Really, any flowing dress is cute over a swim suit or without when by the water. I add flowing because we all have been sunburned before...The last thing you want to put on your sunburn is tight clothing...

*All pictures were found on Pinterest*

Stay fabulous and enjoy the water!

Morgan

www.thecollegebblogger.com