Job search and interviewing is honestly like dating. You are trying to figure out if a company matches you and your values, and your potential employer is looking to see if you will fit in at the company as well. Interviewing can be the worst part of job search for a lot of people. Today’s post is part of my first series on the blog, “Interviewing with Intention”. In this 3 part series, you will learn how to (1) prepare for an interview, (2) present your best self during an interview, and (3) complete proper post interview etiquette.
Welcome to part 1 of my “Interviewing with Intention” series! In this post, you’ll find the top 3 things you absolutely must do before a job interview.
1. Research the company
The number 1 way you can make sure you don’t get a job after an interview is to have your first question you ask to your potential employer “So, what do y’all do at XYZ company?” Researching the company you are interviewing with shows your future employer that you care about the place you could end up working. This is the key to making you stand out in your interview!
The research you do doesn’t have to be just technical (i.e., how their products work, what they make, etc.) You also want to learn about the company culture and see how/if you fit in. What’s the company mission statement? Does this company have any volunteer organizations or community outreach that they participate in? What initiatives (for example, sustainability, education, or community engagement) is this company passionate about? These are telling on what is important to your future employer, and you want to make sure that these values fit in with what you want as well.
You can also check out glassdoor.com for honest reviews from employees that worked or still work at the company you are interviewing with. If a company doesn’t have great reviews, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t interview with them or decline an offer if they extend one to you. These reviews can be great for guiding your questions that you ask at the end of the interview, or you could find solutions to the problems presented and discuss those during your interview. Employers are most likely looking to hire you because you can help solve a problem they are having. What is a better way to stand out than to start coming up with solutions before you are even hired?
You also want to research the logistics of your job. Are there multiple locations you could end up working at? Is travel going to be involved? What roles could you end up working in, and what are the corresponding responsibilities? It can be difficult to find a solid answer to these questions, but you want to have at least a general idea before you walk into your interview.
Use all this research to fuel your questions that you ask during an interview. Employers are going to expect that you have questions to ask them at the end of your interview. The worst thing you could say is “no, I have no questions” because it shows that you are not that interested in the company.
2. Study interview questions
You can find a million and one interview questions just by googling “common interview questions”. However, you really want to be aware of the type of interview questions that you’ll be asked during your interview. “Situational” (aka, behavioral) interviews are becoming more and more popular as employers search for specific behavior attributes in their candidates. As you may have guessed, these interview questions are based around how you handled certain situations that your interviewer expects you to have been in. A common way to answer these questions is using the “STAR!” method, which stands for:
- S – Situation: What was the situation that you were in? What problem was going on that you had to fix?
- T – Task: What was the task that you needed to do/were assigned to do to fix that problem?
- A – Action: What were the actions YOU took to address the problem? Remember that your employer doesn’t care what anyone else did, be it your past coworkers, peers, classmates, brother, sister, dog, etc. They are interviewing YOU, so make sure you highlight what you did and what you know how to do!
- R – Result: What was the result of the actions you took? Did you accomplish your goal?
- ! – Impact: What was the impact of your actions? Was there a significant cost savings? Did you automate a process or make it more efficient? Did you raise a certain amount of money? Don’t be afraid to brag about yourself here!
Example “STAR!” method questions include (but are certainly not limited to):
- Describe a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince someone to see things your way.
- Tell me about a time you had to collaborate with a coworker who was difficult to work with.
- Tell me about a time you had to choose something else over doing a good job.
Another consideration is if you are going into a technical interview. If so, study up! Re-read your class notes on any subjects pertinent to the job to make sure you aren’t forgetting anything. If you are expected to memorize certain codes or standards, you’ll want to make sure you know those before going into the interview as well. While technical interviews are more common in STEM fields, you still want to check with your interviewer if there will be a technical component to your interview regardless of your industry.
3. Practice and prepare for your “Interview Day” tasks
You don’t want to do all this preparation for an interview and let something as small as logistics derail you. There are a few things that I always do the day before any job interview to make sure I’m as ready as can be.
Get your documents in order. Print out at least 5 extra copies of your resume to bring with you, and maybe an additional cover letter or 2. You may also want to bring a copy of your transcript or verification of enrollment or graduation if you are in school. Most importantly, don’t forget your ID (usually a driver’s license). Depending on the company you are interviewing with, they may need to verify your identity before you can proceed with your interview. Last but not least, bring a few business cards to exchange with your interviewer so you are sure that they have your contact information.
If you have not worn your business professional interview outfit in a while, try it on! You’d be surprised how things may fit differently than you expect when you haven’t worn them in a while. You also want to check for holes, missing buttons, frayed hems, etc. The last thing you want in an interview is to be self-conscious about how your clothes look. Knowing that you look your best will give you the confidence to rock your interview!
Practice driving to your interview location. This might seem like overkill, but you don’t want to end up being late to your interview because you didn’t know where to park or where the building entrance is! Also, check the traffic report (Google Maps is scarily accurate on this!) to see what traffic may be like on your way to your interview depending on the time of day. If you are having an interview during peak traffic times, what originally would have been a 10 minute drive could turn into a 30 min commute. You don’t want to end up 20 minutes late because you forgot to check traffic!
Preparing for a job interview can seem like a lot of work, but you can never be over-prepared for one. Following these 3 steps will help you manage all the work in preparing for a job interview, and make you the most prepared candidate for the role you’re interviewing for!