4 Hacks for Your Next Job Interview
Congrats, Career Maven! You just opened up your email to find a nice shiny interview invite in your inbox! But after the initial excitement, the familiar feeling of panic starts to wash over you. “I’m not good at interviews. I never know what to say”, and a barrage of other negative thoughts start to form. But the good news is that interviewing is a skill, and that means that anyone can be good at it. That’s right, even you! So read along to discover some tips that we’ve compiled to help you approach your next interview as the boss you are.
Anticipate Questions
One of the most nerve wracking aspects of an interview is the idea of facing the unknown. We can spend so much of our valuable prep time simply wondering and worrying about what might come up in the interview rather than actually getting ready for it. But while each interview will have its nuances, there are actually a few questions that are often asked across the board that you can anticipate in order to help you feel more ready to go.
General questions such as:
Tell me about yourself
What is your biggest strength/weakness?
Can you describe a time when you had difficulty in your job and what you did to overcome it?
These sound familiar don’t they? And if reading them made you shiver with disdain, you’re certainly not alone. But the good news is that because these questions are more common, there are so many resources available to help you come up with answers to them.
If you go into your interview with a clear idea of the career story you want to tell about yourself or how to navigate the landmine of sharing a weakness without taking points away from yourself as a candidate, then you will be that much more confident walking into the room (or logging onto the Zoom).
Decipher the Job Description
Another way to prepare yourself for your upcoming interview is to really study the job description. This is because the job description holds the major keys to what the company is looking for from the person who is going to fill the position. Zooming in on those skills ahead of time will allow you to shape your story for the interview so that you can show yourself off adequately.
Does the description mention needing someone who has email marketing skills? Spend some time figuring out how to highlight the changes you made in MailChimp to steadily grow the click through rate of your company emails. Is there a sentence about needing a strong communicator? Think about how you can incorporate a mention of the time that you solved a problem efficiently by keeping communication open between all members of your team. The key is to find ways to highlight the ways that you fit the job description without seeming as though you’re simply giving rote answers to an exam question.
Get to Know Your Interviewer
In the digital age, all interviewees have the advantage of being able to become acquainted with their interviewer before stepping into the office. Use the tools of social media and the internet to your advantage! Give your interviewer a healthy Google and see what you find. What large projects have they been involved in, what awards have they won? These could be clues as to what is important to them as part of the company.
Additionally, you may find some common ground. Do you have the same alma mater or adorable breed of dog? This isn’t a stalker mission, it’s simply a way to remind yourself that they are human, just like you. This can help to take away some of your nerves and it can help you establish a rapport from the start. After all, you’ll eventually find yourself talking about things other than work in the office once in a while. Whether it’s a general search, or a LinkedIn browse, use the resources you have to help yourself go in stronger and more at ease.
Treat Everyone with Respect
This should go without saying, but be sure to treat everyone you meet with the respect they deserve. Every person who works for the company is doing a job that is absolutely integral to its overall success. Don’t save up all your polite or positive energy solely for those in potential positions of power over you. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it’s what you do when you think people aren’t looking that can make all the difference. There have been countless stories of people who were qualified for a job but known as difficult to work with or disrespectful. Why not make all the allies you can so that when decision-making time comes, you won’t be knocked out of the ring by an intern’s input about your negative attitude in the waiting room?
Above all, try to relax! Yes, interviews can be overwhelming and intimidating, but they are also a great encouragement. Getting this far in the process means that there are people who believe in your work and who want to be part of your career story. So throw on that blazer, roll your shoulders back, and get ready to open the next chapter.