Interview Effectively
Interviews are the final stage in your candidacy before potentially receiving an offer. By now, you will have compiled an effective resume, overcome the initial hurdles of job searching, applications and recruiter interviews. Now, it is time for the main attraction — your time to shine. This is when you will present your personal value proposition, positioning yourself as the ultimate contender for your dream job.
Time before interviews is often fraught with nervousness and frantic preparation, yet it needn’t be so stressful. Rigorous preparation can go lengths towards putting you at ease on the big day, resulting in a more enjoyable experience and potentially much better outcomes overall.
My recommendation? Preparation is everything and revising interview skills will set you up for success while facilitating an enjoyable interview experience. Rehearse everything in your interview repertoire at least once before the interview — from elevator pitches to presentations, technical assessments, and handshakes to planning your route or joining video calls and preparing your zoom background. Ask for feedback along the way.
Here are some tips on preparing for the big day that will help you glide through with confidence, a smile on your face, and hopefully with the job you want in your back pocket.
Research. Companies want to hire you, and companies with robust talent brands provide a wealth of information on their career sites. Explore information on the company culture to understand how they do business and dig a bit deeper to find out about recent developments the company has made. Perhaps it’s a product launch, or an announcement of a new area of growth — literally anything current and relevant to the position you are interviewing for. Have this information on hand and use it for talking points while speaking with the hiring team.
Business Etiquette. The world is changing, and fast, so it is always a good idea to brush up on your business etiquette. For tips on business etiquette, I recommend reading Business Etiquette 2022: Simple Strategies to Communicate with Courtesy and Civility and Business Etiquette: Three Foundational Keys Of Daily Success For Leaders. Spoiler alert: the foundations for success are Integrity, Dignity, and Humility.
Interview Technique. Communicating answers in a way that can be easily understood by the audience is fundamental to interview success. A response framework I highlight when preparing candidates for behavioral interview questions is the STAR method — Situation, Task, Action, Result. This method allows answers to be specific while providing contextually relevant information for the hiring team. Here’s an article on How to Use the STAR Interview Response Method.
Relax. Seriously, relax. An early night the day before your interview, a nutritious meal an hour prior to the main event, and meditation will prepare your mind and body for what lies ahead. Leaving you ready and raring to take home the gold medal — your dream job.
Be prepared for failure. Hundreds if not thousands of people have applied to the same job you are interviewing for. While you are preparing for success, recognize failure is a possible outcome. You have made it this far, outperforming the other contenders, so give yourself a pat on the back while being prepared for a decision that leads to a not-hired outcome. In the end, there’s always something to learn, so framing the experience as an opportunity for growth can take you one step closer to fulfilling your dream.
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About the Author
Scott Swan is a Technical Recruiting Specialist based in San Francisco with expertise in talent acquisition, sales, marketing, and leadership, as well as a wealth of experience from working in the Technology, Education, Healthcare, Media, Logistics, and Space sectors. Scott has fulfilled contracts for Amazon, Deutsche Post DHL, Meta, Microsoft, NASA, and startups in the Bay Area, Beijing, and South Africa.
He is the author of Diary of a San Francisco Recruiter, a biweekly LinkedIn newsletter demystifying the facets of job searching and a cat dad to an American Longhair rescue named Tokyo.
