Yes, there are many ways to prepare for a job interview. Similar to an exam or a test, it would behoove you to develop a plan, study and execute to increase your chances of success.
Thus, there are several key areas to focus on if you want to impress in your next job interview:
What do you know about the industry?
Are you a seasoned veteran within your industry? Are you a new hire that is fresh from undergrad or graduate school? Are you a career-changer looking to use some of your transferable skills in this industry?
Regardless of the reason, you should be astute in the industry that you are currently working in or looking to work in because it is critical to know and speak the language. At minimum, it is good to familiarize yourself with some of the industry acronyms and technical terms. Additionally, understand the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWAT) synonymous to the industry and the company that you are interviewing with.
Example: In Human Resources (HR), some of the common acronyms in this field are ATS (applicant tracking system), KPI (key performance indicators), PIP (performance improvement plan), PTO (paid time off) and LTD (long-term disability). Moreover, some of the key HR terms and buzzwords can be benchmarking, succession planning, confidentiality agreement, due diligence, onboarding, change management and retention strategy. Thus, if you are either lacking prior industry experience or still developing within this field, you will need to study more and understand how these concepts connect to HR strategy.
What do you know about the organization?
Every job candidate should have knowledge about the organization they are interviewing with. Thus, be prepared for a question about what you know about the employer. Provide an opportunity to impress the employer by recalling their current events, understanding the company’s mission and vision, identifying with their unique selling propositions (USPs) and determining who works at the organization. Additionally, by demonstrating your knowledge of the company, this preparation will convey that you are excited about the role and the employer. Moreover, researching about the employer will help you more accurately prepare your responses to interview questions; learning about a company’s core values, their focus and company culture will encourage you to tailor your interview responses, as well.
How does your experience translate to the role and the company?
Your experience is arguably the most core element to the success of your interview. Articulating your experience in a way that specifically relates to your employer helps the organization predict your future success in the role. Thus, package your relevant skill set and experience with evidence of your achievement and problem-solving to be a viable candidate for the position. Prior to the interview, some of the things to prepare for are:
Translating previous knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs) and experience to the role you are interviewing for
Projects you have worked on
Technical skills that you possess
Soft skills that you possess
Example of work achievements where you can explain (1) what the problem was, (2) steps you took to solve the problem and (3) describe the positive outcome preferably with strong qualitative data or quantitative results
Show work samples in a portfolio or on an iPad
Instead of KYC, practice KYI — Know Your Interviewer!
In today’s job landscape, a considerable amount of professionals have a LinkedIn profile. Also, companies may have a corporate profile page that highlights key professionals with a picture, biography and contact information. As a former recruiter, I can say with certainty that an employer will research your social media and LinkedIn, at minimum, to understand more about you if they are interested in you as a candidate. It is common for people to put a face to the name, to investigate any shared likes and commonality and to see a balanced view of who you are at the core.
Years ago, I was offered a position at a company because I performed volunteer work with a nonprofit organization. My employer and I were featured in the local newspaper regarding the volunteer work that we did with the local school district. Once the interviewer saw the name of this organization under the “Volunteer Experience” on my resume, she began to ask more questions about my affiliation and soon divulged that the same organization played an instrumental role in preparing her for college. This situation happened by coincidence, but it laid a seed in my mind to do my due diligence to see what the interviewer likes and determine the parallels that we have in common.
Precise Practice Makes Perfect
I’m a big proponent of mock interviewing as a means to prepare for what will happen in real life. While the idea of a mock interview is enough to rattle the most prepared professional, this exercise is a real opportunity to test your interview mettle with the right friend, a trusted colleague or a professional connection to simulate more of an authentic interview experience. Some benefits of doing mock interviews are:
Perfecting your responses, timing, cadence and non-verbal cues
Reducing stress and anxiety around your upcoming interview
Working out the kinks to behavioral-based interview questions
Receiving constructive feedback in a simulated environment
Even if you are not able to locate a partner for the mock interview, a job candidate can write down potential interview questions and answer them repeatedly. When alone, an effective technique is to recite your answers and make changes, as needed. As the process continues, it is critical to self-reflect and self-correct responses because even the best professionals need to make improvements to stand out from the competition.
Lastly, what are your questions for the employer to conclude the interview?
A candidate should realistically have 3+ questions for the employer at the end of the interview. These prepared questions will convey that you have genuine interest in the position. Here are some examples of good questions to ask employers:
What would be the typical day for a person in this role?
What is the management style of the person leading my department?
What do you expect in the first 90 days from your new hire?
What is your staff turnover rate and what are you doing to reduce it?
In past interviews, I have brought my iPad to the interview to show my work; the tablet featured my resume, work samples, customer testimonials and interview questions. Additionally, I always bring a small notepad to write down answers to these questions and jot down key details from the interview. I do this because it helps me remember essential information from each interview and utilize these notes to type a follow-up interview email, but this action will also express to the employer that I am a diligent and active listener.
So, what are you waiting for?! You have some work to do to cover the fundamentals and create an interview plan that is customized for your future execution.
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