Interview Advice
Preparing for an interview means you have to make a great first impression convey exactly why you’d be a great hire. To help you prepare, we compiled a list of pre-interview tips that will help you be prepared.
Research the company - Spend a few hours learning everything you can about the company—from as many sources as you can.
Learn everything you can about the open position - Before you can show your interviewer why you’d be a great hire, you need to know what they’re looking for. Luckily, most organizations have laid out exactly what they want in an applicant in the job posting.
Try out the company’s product or service (if you can) - If the company you’re interviewing for sells a product you can feasibly check out—try it before your interview (ideally, a few times). It will show the hiring manager that you’re truly interested in the role.
Learn about the interviewers (without being creepy!) - If you’re not told who you’ll be meeting with during your interview, ask. For each interviewer, learn what their role at the company is and prep some questions that are specific to them. You can ask for details about their role, discuss current events related to their field, or bring up a common interest you know they have outside the office (just stick to one mentioned in an easily accessible spot, like their company bio or LinkedIn profile).
Identify your selling points for this job - Even if you’re a well-oiled interviewing machine, it’s essential to spend time thinking carefully about what skills, accomplishments, and interview answers will resonate with your interviewers most for this job.
Be ready to tell the interviewer about yourself - For every interview, you’ll want to have an answer to “Tell me about yourself” that’s tailored to this job and company and ready to go.
Know why you’re interested in this position at this company - It’s likely you’ll get asked why you’re interested in this particular role and company. Even if you’re not asked about this specifically, you can use this to inform your answers to other questions.
Do some salary research - Even if you’re not ready to have the money conversation, you might still get asked about your salary expectations.
Prepare your stories - Most interviewers will ask at least a few behavioral questions, that is, questions about how you’ve acted or would act in certain scenarios.
Familiarize yourself with the STAR method - Whenever you’re answering interview questions with a story, you want to make sure that story is well structured and the takeaway is clear. One way to do this is using the STAR method. STAR stands for:
Situation: Briefly lay out the scenario using just enough detail that the interviewer will understand the stakes and everything else in your answer.
Task: Talk about what your role in the situation was.
Action: Discuss what you did and why.
Result: Tell your interviewer about the outcome and what you learned.
Jot down important numbers and details - Don’t forget about the numbers! Find some revenue figures, engagement numbers, budget or team sizes, percentages of time saved, or anything else you can use to communicate your impact.
Brush up on your interview skills - How well you answer interview questions isn’t everything—though it is a lot.
Practice your answers to common interview questions - You can and should familiarize yourself with common interview questions—but don’t prepare by writing out your entire answer; instead, jot down a few notes or bullet points and keep them on hand for the interview itself.
Think about body language - Brush up on what certain body language conveys. Be aware of what you’re communicating through your posture and stance—and make sure it’s good.
Figure out what to wear - Unless you’re prepping for a phone interview, you’ll need to take your physical appearance into account.
Print out copies of your resume - If you’re going to an in-person interview, you’ll want to bring enough copies of your resume for everyone you’re meeting with plus one to refer to yourself.
Prepare a reference list - Prepare a reference list, whether you think you’ll be asked for it or not. For each reference, include a name, title, organization, division or department, telephone number, and email address, as well as a sentence briefly explaining the relationship.
Test any needed tech - If you’re doing your interview over the computer or the phone, make sure ahead of time that all the needed hardware, software, and network connections are working smoothly. If you can use headphones with a microphone, do so, and make sure they’re connected before the interview begins.
Pack your bag ahead of time - Whatever purse, backpack, or briefcase you carry should be large enough to hold your everyday essentials, plus your interview musts, such as extra resumes and a notepad, as well as a special emergency kit stocked with what you might need in an unexpected situation.
Figure out where you’re going and how you’re getting there - Whether you’re driving or taking public transportation, make sure you look up your route ahead of time.
Prepare your environment (if needed) - If you’re doing a remote interview, you’re responsible for your environment, so make sure that you’re in a quiet place without distractions and that anything you’ll need to reference during the interview is laid out in front of you along with a notepad, working pen, and beverage..
Get a good night’s sleep - This sounds like something your mom would tell you, but there are few things that will throw you off your game like sleep deprivation.
Calm your nerves and/or get psyched - Immediately before the interview (or as close to the time as possible) you’ll want to get yourself in the right headspace. Expect to be nervous and plan ahead of time to use whatever tools you need.
