Interview tips for a college grad

Looking for a few pointers before that first job interview after college? We got you covered with a few helpful tips to help you come prepare, and ace the first round interview!

Research the Company & Job Description

Your interviewer will expect you to know about the company by the time the first interview kicks off. They’ll try to understand how you found them, what interested you, and why this role. This will come up, therefore prepare for these. In general, the best place to start is to understand the product by researching articles covering the company, combing through their website, and maybe exploring their social presence. This will give you a great understand of all visible aspects of the company which is the best you can do without speaking with internal team members. Hopefully this initial research will set you apart, and even get you brainstorming on questions you’d like to ask about the product, team, or roadmap.

Questions are an absolute must

Questions show curiosity in the brand or company. When a candidate comes with thoughtful questions it also means that they’ve done their research into the role, the strategy they’re using, and have some ideas on how the candidate might improve them. Our advice, come to the interview with a short list of questions. Ideally throughout the interview you’ll have interesting questions pop up that are relevant to topics covered, but if that doesn’t happen you can fall back onto your list of 5-7 questions so there’s not that awkward budgeted time at the end for questions that cuts the interview short. A crucial part of the interview process is not only having smart answers, but also smart questions.

Work on the close

Don't leave the table without finding out next steps. Give them your final thoughts, how much you’ve learned, or opportunities you’d like to explore for the company.

Practice, practice, practice

After you’ve conducted a few interviews for your desired job title you’ll see that there is a clear set of questions that will get asked. Then for more tactical questions you may get the same question, but aimed at a different industry, task, channel, strategy. Our advice collect the top questions asked, write down the top questions you’re asked and keep track of questions you stumbled on. Improve on these questions — and sharpen your responses to questions you know will come up.

Be prepared for curve balls

Be ready for the unexpected. From questions you didn’t expect, hypothetical examples you didn’t prepare for, or even an additional interviewer jumping in unexpectedly. Take these as challenges, and try your best to solve any unexpected events with clarity rather than being flustered. Strage questions pop up all of the time like “how many golf balls fit into a Boeing airplane” or “What’s your 3 biggest weaknesses” these questions are stupid — we know. But they may get thrown at you, so be prepared to have fun with it.

Look sharp

This certainly isn’t a deal breaker, especially in the startup world but showing up in proper clothing (at least the top half if you’re zooming in) could be a good start to the interview.

Arrive on time

Don’t be late! Some companies use Zoom, cool. Some use softwares you don’t have installed. Don’t wait to until 2 minutes before the interview to look at the email invite to just panic that you didn’t realize there’s a document you should have reviewed or a interview tool you haven’t installed.

Come rested

Interviews, especially those that come to the later rounds can become stressful. Much like a final exam it won’t do you any good to prepare all night to only show up to the exam exhausted. Prepare, prepare, prepare then rest. Get a good night’s sleep so that you’ll be emotionally and psychologically prepared to perform well and more importantly explain your story well. Bonus tip, try to prepare the day of with time to spare to have a couple of hours to clear your mind before the interview. You can do one final 5 min walkthrough of points you’d like to highlight right before, but do not come to the interview tense with talking points you’ve rehearsed for the previous 12 straight hours. You got this!

Plan to walk your interviewer through your resume

Walk me through your resume. This question can be a high level question meaning just a quick overview of what you’ve done, or it could zoom in on one specific experience and ask about learnings there. Be ready to talk about your experience, what were your takeaways, and how you’ll use those in your work.

Identify What You Have to Offer

What are you best at, what’s your passion, and what three skills do you think you can offer the employer that other candidates can’t? Plan these out before the interview, and make sure to communicate those at some point in the interview. Think of what you’d like your employer to leave the interview with — if they could only explain you as a candidate to others in just a few words (they will).