With these quick tips you can easily ace your interview, regardless if it's a tele-interview, zoom call or in-person - even if you don't have much time to prepare!
Have you ever been to a job interview, palms sweaty and butterflies all over your stomach? Yes, we all know that feeling, right? Then sitting across the interviewer and just "winging it." Yep, I'm guilty of that too. The thing is, though, job interviews need not be so stressful and nerve-wrecking. Especially if you are well-prepared.
Now, I know there is a wealth of interview information on the internet of what to answer and how not to answer. In this post, we will focus on a few quick tips you can apply to help you ace your interview.
Madeline Mann of Youtube's Selfmade Millennial identifies three reasons why so many people get rejected during the interview process. These are:
1. Being Unfocused
2. Career Experiment
3. Rambling
When recruiters and hiring managers sense any one of these 3 things, you've blown your chances of getting hired for that job. The good news is that it can be remedied by being more prepared. Here's how to fix it:
1. Being Unfocused
Do the work (and especially the research) ahead of time. Make sure you understand what the company you are interviewing does, and who they do it for (their target client). Take notes during the interview, and have your research notes handy to refer to during the interview. This shows you've done your homework and illustrates a genuine interest in the company. This is one of the biggest first impressions you can make during the interview process.
2. Career Experiment
Nobody wants to hire someone that is just going to use them as a career experiment. And here I will interject something one of my mentors taught me. "Most people go on through life without any GOAL at all ... Most people have no aim - they are merely the victims of CIRCUMSTANCE.
They never PLANNED, PURPOSEFULLY, to be in the job or occupation in which they find themselves today. They do not live where they do by CHOICE that is, because they PLANNED it that way. They have merely been buffeted around by CIRCUMSTANC! They have allowed themselves to drift. THEY HAVE MADE NO EFFORT TO CONTROL CIRCUMSTANCES." (The 7 Laws of Success).
Determine why this role is the best next step for you and articulate it clearly, with a focus on the company. Companies usually give the role to the candidate that displays the greater desire for the role. When asked "WHY this role and why here?" you should answer this question in the following format:
Team + Company + Role
The Team: talk about the people you've met, networked with, spoken to. What do you like about them? How do they inspire you?
The Company: talk about their products, mission, values, etc. that inspires or excites you. Mention how their values are aligned with yours.
The Role: What about the role fires you up and how do you plan on making a difference. Be specific.
3. Rambling
Determine beforehand which of your experiences most aligns with the company and the role you are applying for (you should've already done this when doing your resume and cover letter), and only use these examples. Remember to be specific, not vague. No recruiter wants to spend the entire video digging for the details.
If you are short on time, focus on preparing for these 3 questions:
1. Tell me about yourself, give me some background, etc.
Madeline recommends you keep your answer under 2 minutes. Focus on how your background aligns with this role and enables you to fulfill it.
2. What is your salary requirements?
Don't give a figure. Rather reply that you are flexible or ask what their budget for this role is. Alternatively, you can give a researched answer on the current industry figure.
3. What questions do you have?
Study the job descriptions, check out their FB and LinkedIn posts and Tweets. Generate questions based on the latest company news and events. This displays a great interest in the company and hiring managers just love it when you do this. And here's a spoiler alert: Very few candidates does this, so this is a really cool way you can stand out from the other interviewees, further cementing your chances of being hired.
So there you have it. 6 Easy tips you can apply for your next interview. Now go nail that job, Tiger!