Sarah
How to nail an interview?
What are your best tips for being successful in an interview? I'm in college and thinking about having to start applying for real jobs once I graduate and even for internships etc. and need some help! #interviews #interviewing-skills #interview-preparation
9 answers
Carole Curtis
Carole’s Answer
Be yourself, don't try and be another person, answer the questions honestly, and bring your skills up to them and into the conversation. I know you will do very well if you just put a little time in the research and know who you are and what you want to do!!
Carole recommends the following next steps:
Nicholas Morello
Nicholas’s Answer
The most important part of an interview is to know the company for which you are interviewing. Read up on their business in the news (if public, look at their earnings releases or proxy statements) to understand who they are, what they do, and their competitors. This will reinforce how prepared you are for the job and that you will take initiative. Regardless of your qualifications or the position you are applying for, research will help position you well compared to other candidates.
Secondly, it's important to come off as engaging and someone with whom the interviewer will want to work. This may take a little more practice, but try to smile and mix in some small humor to help ease the conversation. Try to connect the interviewer's questions to your personal experiences, how those experiences helped you grow, and how you will apply those experiences to the position you want. Remember, there are likely to be many qualified candidates looking for similar work, so often the personal touch can help you stand out among a crowd.
Betsy Griffin
Betsy’s Answer
A few additional tips:
1. Be genuine with your interview responses and avoid canned responses. An interviewer once asked me to describe a time I missed a deadline, but I'm very Type A and haven't missed deadlines. However, I didn't want to say "I've never missed a deadline!" and wanted to show that I'm teachable and learn from mistakes. I responded that although I haven't missed a deadline, I have made a mistake at work and XYZ is how I made it right and learned from it.
2. Tailor your resume to the role and be prepared to talk about how your experience and qualifications meet what they are looking for in a candidate. For example, I previously worked in marketing, but wanted to make a career change to sales -- I tailored my resume to highlight the sales collaboration I did in my current role and how my marketing experience aligned with the qualifications needed for sales.
3. Check out some STAR questions prior to the interview - I googled a bunch and thought out responses to each. Once you have real-life personal examples in your arsenal, they can be pulled for other questions they may ask (if they don't ask the exact questions you googled).
4. I heard in college someone mention to never start a response in an interview with "honestly" because it can give the impression that other things you said weren't honest (i.e. "honestly, I had experience with XYZ). It's a random tip, but has stuck with me all these years and I still avoid it in interviews!
Courtney Karnes
Courtney’s Answer
1) Be Yourself
First, and foremost, it is important to relax and be yourself. Whoever you are interviewing with is a person FIRST and a professional second. The interviewer will want to get a strong sense of who you are as a person in addition to what you are capable of professionally.
2) Research
Take time to read about the company you are applying to and industry the company is a part of. Really look a the job description and understand what this company is looking for with this hire: skills needed, daily tasks, objective of the job. Ask yourself (and try to answer), how does this job fit with the broader mission of the company?
3) Personalize
Now that you've done your research think about why YOU are the right person for the job. What relevant experience do you have? If you don't have relevant job experience, consider what educational, social, extra-curricular experiences you've had that prepared you to be the best person for the job!
4) Be thoughtful with your answers, provide context
Too often interviewees give short, abbreviated answers. There is a delicate balance of being concise but providing thoughtful answers.
5) THANK - in person and in writing
Sending a note of thanks immediately following your interview is very important. It's a professional courtesy and an opportunity for you leave a lasting impression. Always send a note of thanks!
Simeon Snow
Simeon’s Answer
Interviewers know it's difficult to really know a person during an interview, so they are usually scanning for basic interpersonal skills. Show that you can work well with others, motivate yourself, and push through stressful situations calmly and efficiently. Try to have four or five stories about yourself from the past and try to redirect questions toward these stories during the interview. Make sure to choose instances from your past that highlight your positive qualities, including your ability to learn from or perform during difficult situations.
David R. Parker
David R.’s Answer
Understand your strengths and relevant experiences and always tie the conversation back to those key skills: if they ask you about a time where you did X, do not only describe the situation but elaborate what skills you used and how they relate to the job you are interviewing for
Take your time when answering questions: interviewers will always ask you some hard questions, but don't rush! It is much better to take some time to think through and construct the best response instead of rushing to say the first thing that comes to mind
Come prepared with questions about the company and position: Interviewers want to see that you have researched the company and are interested in digging deeper to the specifics of the job; this is also a great opportunity to sell yourself and why you would fit well in the role
Deanna Broom
Deanna’s Answer
It's important to do your research on the company you're interviewing with before you go in. It really helps to be able to ask good questions about the company and its trajectory. What is the company's position in its industry? How is the stock price doing? Has it made any acquisitions? When? It is very helpful to have a basic understanding of the company and who its main competitors are.
If you know who your interviewers are beforehand, looking them up can help you understand their career and how that might influence them.
Have a list of generic questions you can ask.
Know yourself and have a few strengths and weaknesses you can provide when you're asked.
Vineeth Rua
Vineeth’s Answer
1. Research the company you are interviewing for.
2. Study your resume and know it well.
3. Know the job description of the position you are applying for.
4. Display your skills with concrete examples.
5. Prepare an interview tool kit.
6. Build rapport.
7. Make eye contact.
8. Body language
9. Be yourself.
10. Follow up quickly.
Now you have a list of things to do so you can ace your job interview. If you understand all of the strategies, you’ll be on your way to success in no time!
Simi Radhakrishnan
Simi’s Answer
Do your research. It’s a tale as old as time… Research the company before you head into your interview and know what their ideologies are and their journey. Also, know who their main competitors are .
Pay attention to your non-verbal cues. When in an interview, it can be tempting to focus only on the questions but do add in a bit of humour and also ask questions back to understand your role better
Follow up. If you want to be memorable, follow up with your interviewer. Sending an email thanking him for the opportunity and how excited you are to hear back from them.