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TO ACE THAT INTERVIEW
DON’T TAKE THE FIRST THING…TAKE THE RIGHT THING.
POST YOUR RESUME AND PHOTO ON LINKEDIN. HR and recruiters use LinkedIn as their primary resource.
Check all your socials and make sure your settings are on private or ‘Friends Only’ if you have a lot of personal photos.
Recruiters are checking all your public content to get a sense of you. 2
RESEARCH THE COMPANY. Get a sense of the culture and be sure you’re the right fit. 3
RESEARCH THE PERSON(S) you’ll be meeting with. Familiarize yourself with their past job history and recent accomplishments. Look for points of connection.
Most interviews are now done via Zoom, so there may be multiple people on the call. Make eye contact with each person and interact with as many as possible.
When interviewing virtually, DO A TECH CHECK OF YOURSELF ahead of time. Lighting is key. Center yourself and don’t sit too close to the camera. Double check you have a strong internet connection and your sound is not muffled.
Have an uncluttered, professional-looking background. Blurred is acceptable but not ‘fake.’
Be sure they can clearly see your face. Eye contact is essential. Don’t look down.
WHAT YOU WEAR IS IMPORTANT. If the interview is on Zoom, you still want to show you are taking the interview seriously, so don’t dress too casually.
Don’t wear bright white shirts as the reflection can ‘wash out’ your image. 6
BE AWARE OF TIME and make sure your best ‘selling’ points are accomplished early in the interview. Start the interview with something positive and mention how you appreciate their time.
You want to be friendly but don’t waste all your time at the beginning with small talk in case your time is cut short.
Whether the interview is online or in-person, BE CAREFUL NOT TO UNINTENTIONALLY INTERRUPT. The easy flow of conversation is critical to the success of the interview. 8
If asked why you left your prior position, regardless of what may have happened— AVOID SAYING ANYTHING NEGATIVE about the Company or any specific individuals.
You should be open with the recruiter, but use discretion with anyone else. 9
You may be asked if you have any questions.
Be prepared with 3-4 GOOD QUESTIONS specifically about the job and/or the Company.
Recruiters have said when a candidate has no questions – this is considered a red flag and shows a lack of preparation or serious intent.
When asked about salary, don’t feel pressured to throw out a number. Your answer should be, “I’m open.” LET THEM COME TO YOU WITH AN OFFER.
If you are asked this on your online application, then check comparable salaries and put a range. 11
SEND AN EMAIL/THANK YOU NOTE THE NEXT DAY. Short, but sincere. If more than one person interviews you at the same time, then it is acceptable to include everyone on the same thank you note.
If you are interviewed by different people on different days, each note should be personalized.
HAVE 6 REFERENCES formatted on a separate page. List name, title, company, how you know them, work number or cell and an email.
Give your references a ‘heads-up’ they may be contacted by the specific company you interviewed with.
If you don’t hear back (which happens quite frequently) FOLLOW UP NO MORE THAN 3 TIMES.
Sometimes these positions take time to get approved, the Company might be going through a re-structure or the budget needs to be greenlit.
Whatever the reason, remain positive and don’t be pushy.
If you don’t get the job, it was never meant for you. DON’T GET MAD OR TAKE IT PERSONALLY.
Your value does not decrease based on someone else’s inability to see your worth.
Just stay the course and remember interviewing is a process.
If you DO get the job, THANK YOU NOTES SHOULD BE SENT OUT RIGHT AWAY.
Thank not just the person hiring, but also the HR person, recruiter or whomever might have referred you in the first place. Also, take a minute to thank your references.
After you’re hired, post something on LinkedIn and your socials about your new job.