INTERVIEW SPECIAL..... How do I crack an interview?

How do I crack an interview?

Josh Doody, Author of FearlessSalaryNegotiation.com, salary negotiation coach, consultant

This is a broad question, so my answer is designed to give you a full overview of what the interview process looks like and what to expect so that you're prepared for the entire process. By simply knowing what to expect, you'll often outperform other candidates who are just winging it.

The interview is two opportunities in one. It’s an opportunity to pitch yourself and convince a company to hire you, and it’s an opportunity for you to determine whether youreally want to do a particular job for a particular company.

Interviews can be intimidating, but they are also relatively predictable. Most interview processes have four phases—Preparation, Pre-interview, Interview, and Post-interview—and if you prepare for all four phases, you will ace the interview process. You’ll know you’re doing well when you find yourself repeating the Interview and Post-interview phases multiple times with a company.

I recommend reading through this summary section before each of your interviews, just to make sure you’re fully prepared. After each interview, take a few minutes to evaluate it and see if you can do anything differently the next time around.

You’ll get better with practice, but this should be enough to help you ace your next interview.

1. Preparation

Do basic company research. You should understand the basics of the company—what they do, how they make money, how big they are.

Know which job you’re applying for. Read the description a few times to make sure you understand it well.

Know which other jobs the company is trying to fill. You can learn a lot about a company by looking at their job openings. See if you can get a sense of where they’re currently focused and how you can contribute to helping them get there. Take note of other jobs you might be a good fit for, just in case.

Prepare for the dreaded salary question. They’ll probably ask you something like, “What are you making now, and what would you like to make if you get the job?” My recommendation is that you do not give them either number.

Here’s a good answer that covers both parts of the question without giving them a number, while emphasizing that you believe you can be a valuable asset to the company: 

“I’m not comfortable sharing my current salary. I would prefer to focus on the value I can add to this company and not what I’m paid at my current job. I don’t have a specific number in mind for a desired salary, and you know better than I do what value my skillset and experience could bring to your company. I want this move to be a big step forward for me in terms of both responsibility and compensation.”

2. Pre-interview

The Pre-interview is usually a separate meeting, but will occasionally be part of the Interview itself.

Build rapport with the recruiter. The recruiter may be your advocate both during the process and later if you’re interested in other opportunities at the company.

Be ready to answer questions about yourself and why you want to work for the company. You should already be prepared thanks to your research from the Preparation phase.

Have a few questions ready in case you have an opportunity to ask them. This is a good chance to learn about the company, demonstrate your interest, and continue building rapport with the recruiter.

Before you end the conversation, ask what the next steps will be and find out whether you need to do anything to prepare for the Interview.

3. Interview

Be early. Don’t keep your interviewer waiting—that’s a horrible way to make a first impression.

Bring a notebook and your résumé. Take notes. It’s possible your interviewer won’t already have your résumé, so be prepared.

Try to relax and be honest during introductions. It’s okay to make small talk for a few minutes so that you and your interviewer can get settled in, but don’t spend too much time on this.

Come prepared for different types of questions. Here’s a partial list of common types of questions you may be asked:

·         Questions about your résumé

·         Questions about you personally

·         Questions about tools and technology

·         Technical questions

·         Questions about your career goals and aspirations

·         “Why do you want to work here?”

·         Questions about “a challenging situation”

·         Questions about special projects or side projects you’ve done

Don’t be afraid to ask for some time to think about your answers. This shows “intentionality” and may help you formulate better answers to tricky questions. But don’t do this more than a few times during an interview.

Don’t be caught off guard by curveball questions. If your interviewer asks you something wacky, just gather your thoughts, listen carefully, and formulate the best answer you can. Make sure to account for any constraints that are part of the question.

When things start wrapping up, look for opportunities to ask questions to learn more about the company and the role you’re interviewing for. 

Here are some good questions you can ask if they haven’t been addressed already:

·         “What does a typical day look like for this role?”

·         “What are the greatest challenges for your team right now?”

·         “What is the greatest challenge for this particular role?"

If those questions have already been covered, see if any of your Pre-interview questions might work.

Only ask questions if you can learn new information from them. If you’ve already covered everything in your interview, it’s okay to say, “I think we actually covered everything already!”

4. Post-interview

Email the interviewer to thank them for their time. This email should be very brief and should not ask anything of the interviewer.

Email the recruiter to thank them for arranging the interview. If you don’t have the interviewer’s contact information, you can ask the recruiter to pass along your regards and thank the interviewer for their time. You should also ask the recruiter what the next steps in your interview process will be.

If you haven’t heard anything from the recruiter after a week, follow up with one more email. It’s okay to follow up with an email a week after your last interview if you haven’t heard anything and don’t know what the next steps are. Beyond a week, it’s likely the company has decided not to continue the process and they just didn’t reach out to let you know.