The interview is your opportunity to highlight your skills, experience, and personality, so you can stand out from the competition. Whether you’re applying for an entry-level job or a more senior role, it can be nerve-wracking when you’re put on the spot and asked questions about yourself. But with some helpful tips and insider insight from career coaches, you can feel confident before, during, and after the interview process. Getting the job offer is just one part of the interview process. The other part, which also has its own set of challenges, is figuring out how to ace that interview so they want to hire you! With this ultimate guide, you will discover insider secrets to help you stand out as much as possible. We cover everything from prepping for a behavioral interview to dressing the part in our section on What to Wear to an Interview. Read on for tips on what NOT to say during an interview that could hurt your chances of getting hired... along with everything else you need to know before meeting with potential employers.
Even in a one-on-one interview, there are likely several people involved in the hiring decision. Depending on the company size, there may be a hiring committee, or a hiring manager or recruiter who will conduct the interview. You can’t tailor your answers to fit each person, but you can at least know who you’re talking to so you can address the interview questions accordingly. Up to the hiring manager - A hiring manager will likely ask questions about your strengths, weaknesses, and experience. Try to weave your answers around their company’s needs, tying them to your experience so it’s clear how you’re the perfect fit. A hiring manager likely knows exactly what projects and tasks you will take ownership of therefore will likely have the largest say in whether you get a spot on the team or not. Up to the recruiter - The recruiter may ask you more technical questions about your skill set and how it matches the job description. Stay calm and don’t get too sidetracked by trying to explain every little thing about why you’re qualified. Regardless of who you’re interviewing with it is great to know the job title, the requirements, and specifics within the job description that you can bring up with ideas on how you’ll fit those needs. Understanding the role and the company is absolutely essential. If you’re interviewing for a social media manager role at a small startup it will be great to know their product, audience, and at the very least check out their social profiles.
Before heading into an interview, you should do mock interviews with a friend or family member. Even if you feel you are a confident person, you can easily get flustered in the moment, especially if you’re stressed or feeling nervous. Having someone play the role of the interviewer and asking you questions will help you get into the right mindset so you feel more confident and less nervous. You can also record yourself and play the interview back. This will allow you to catch your own mistakes and work on improving your technique so you can nail the real thing. New grads often think they don’t have enough experience to practice, but almost any interview you’ve been on is more experience than the next person interviewing for the same position. Practicing those answers and feeling confident with your delivery will put you ahead of the pack.
Having a cheat sheet prepared is also not a bad idea. Think of five points that relate to the job description that you’d like to cover. For example, if you’re interviewing for a marketing position have a statistic ready to go that will help bring light to your experience there. Did you take marketing courses in college, maybe you managed someone’s socials, or you’ve built a following yourself? Find your top points and make sure you get those acorss to your interviewer during those short 30-45 minutes.
If you know what you’re going in for, you’ll be more at ease during the interview and able to better articulate your skills and experience. Researching the company, job description, and key managers also shows that you’re serious about the position and invested in the company’s long-term success. You don’t have to be a company historian, but understanding the basic facts (like their mission, industry, and key challenges or opportunities) shows that you’re interested in the job and invested in the company. You can also research the people interviewing you. If you can find their LinkedIn profiles, you can get a sense of their experience and interests. You can also find the company’s website to see who your interviewers are. Search the company and your interviewer’s names on Google. You might find helpful articles they’ve written, news articles with quotes from them, or even something they’ve written on Medium or another blogging platform.
There’s nothing worse than having an interview with a candidate that doesn’t know what your company does nor has even taken 5-10 minutes to look at the website. Coming prepared is not a get-ahead tactic, but rather a base that must be covered. It will go a long way in leading you to move to the next round of interviews since this gauges your interest in not just the role but the company as well.
First impressions matter, especially when it comes to something as important as a job interview. You don’t have to spend a fortune on a suit, but you do need to make sure your outfit is crisp and clean. Your shoes should be polished and have a non-marking sole, and your shirt should have a collar. You can wear a button-down shirt or a tie — just make sure it matches the profession you’re interviewing for. Suits are great, but they aren’t necessary for every job. If you’re applying for an entry-level job that doesn’t typically wear suits, you should still dress as professionally as possible. Wear a nice pair of slacks, a clean, pressed shirt, and polished shoes. You want to look nice for the job, but not so nice that it’s obvious you’re trying too hard.
For virtual interviews consider a button-down (no one really wears suits on Zoom unless their fronting), but if you’re interviewing with a startup your attire won’t really matter as much as a company like Amazon or Google. Another tip is to have a clear background like a plane wall with no clutter behind you. Use of greenscreens or effects is generally taboo so make sure you have a neutral background that will not distract the interviewer from listening to you and your story.
You should be prepared for the interviewer to ask you to describe your skills in-depth. This gives you an opportunity to highlight your strengths and abilities, so be ready for this question. You can use a skills list you’ve put together as a reference, or you can use the STAR method these interviewers are likely to be using. You might not always get the chance to discuss your weaknesses, but if you’re asked, you should be ready to discuss them. Discussing your weaknesses (total BS question, by the way, this is usually only used by junior interviews since this provides little to no value) should be prefaced with a statement on how you’re working to improve them. You can’t avoid the question, so you might as well be ready for it. It’s better to have a thoughtful answer than to fumble around trying to think of something in the moment.
The employer wants to know that you’ll be happy working for them, and you want to make sure you’re a good cultural fit for the company. Employers aren’t just looking for people who can do the job — they also want people who are interested in the company and its mission. You can show you’re a good cultural fit by asking questions about the job and company. You can also ask what the company culture is like and whether or not you’d be a good fit. Employers want to feel like they’re hiring someone who will be a good fit for their company — and you want to make sure the job is a good fit for you.
Pro tip: have 5 questions prepped before hand for your interviewer. If additional questions pop up during the interview than replace them, but if nothing new pops up it’s always great to have a few questions prepared for the employer since this shows more interest in the company, role, and culture that you could be a part of.
The most important thing you can do during an interview is be confident. Confidence doesn’t mean you’re arrogant or boastful, but rather that you’re certain about your abilities, skills, and worth. You don’t have to be a braggart, but you want the interviewer to be confident in your abilities and worth. If you aren’t confident, it will come across in your answers and body language. Be confident in what you know and what you’re capable of, and it will show in the interview.
Everyone messes up once in a while, and it’s actually a good thing. Humans are imperfect, and it shows that you’re not a robot who can’t make mistakes. It’s best to acknowledge a mistake and then move on. If you don’t acknowledge it, it will be written all over your face that you’re trying to hide it. You can acknowledge it and then move on to what you were going to say next. For example, you might say, “That’s a great question. I was actually on the path to become an engineer, but I switched to marketing halfway through school, so I don’t have much experience in the engineering field.” Then you can move on from there. Employers want to see that you’re human and can make mistakes, but it’s better to acknowledge them and move forward.
Nerves can make even the most confident person feel like they’re going to throw up. If you’re feeling particularly anxious, there are a few things you can do to calm your nerves. You can take a few deep breaths to help slow your heart rate and allow your brain to focus. You can also visualize the interview going well. Research shows that visualizing yourself succeeding actually makes it more likely that you will. If you’re still feeling nervous and don’t have time for a visualization, you can also try to redirect your attention. Focus on one thing in the room and don’t let your eyes divert.
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