Interview tips.
Interview tips! Always a great refresher and a topic that came up as a request recently - thanks for letting me know what you want to hear from My Best Friend At Work.
Reflecting on the subject, by far the best interview tips came from the IG Live I did with Jenna from Own the Interview. The IGTV is available on my feed and in my IGTV tab. Jenna is in HR and an expert on interviewing. It was a great discussion with my input on being a hiring manager and her point of view with being in HR.
To summarize the information, here are the 7 major tips that we discuss ed when talking all things interviewing:
Preparation is key. In the video I discuss the exact things I did to prepare for my latest interview: Print off common interview questions and think about examples for each answer from my previous experience. I said the answers out loud - literally rehearsing. Jenna also recommended to research the company and the person who is interviewing you.
STAR method. This is a format that helps in how you present the answer to a question asked. It helps the interviewer not have to play mental tennis to keep track of how you are answering the question. It also helps you stay on task when answering the question.
I always look for motivated self-starters as my number 1 hiring trait. Even without all of the qualifications of another candidate, I would choose someone that I can see being proactive and wanting to excel. Try to weave these into your answers - how have you taken initiative without being asked or how have you answered a question before it was asked or solved something before it was a known problem?
Have prepared questions ready. Don't ask things you can easily find on the internet. Ask the interviewer what they like the most about working there. Ask questions about the ways in which the team communicates most often or how the team approaches a big problem that comes up. These answers can help you see if you are a culture add
Call your cheerleader before the interview. Jenna referred to this person as the one who will pump up your tires, help you get in a positive mindset and disqualify any self-doubt you may have!
After the interview, Jenna suggests not going through every question and thinking about how you should have answered it or reflect on how much you think you messed up. Chill out and wait one day, then reflect and learn from how you think things went. What do you want to make sure you do again in the next interview? What are things you can leave behind the next time? Reflection is good, but directly after the interview it can be deflating nit picking versus helpful reflection.
Send a thank you note 1-2 days after the interview. I usually write it directly after the interview and make sure to add a personal connection to what we discussed and wait to send until 24-36 hours after the interview.
Follow these tips during your next interview!
