LifeHacks Crushing Your Next Interview
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CRUSHING YOUR NEXT INTERVIEW Interviewing is so important—on both sides of the hiring process! It provides the business institution a chance to determine the most skilled candidate and who would be the best fit for their organization. It provides the candidate the chance to best present themselves and determine whether the company would be a place where they’d like to work. As a candidate, your interactions with your interviewer(s) will help you glean information about your fit with the culture, manager, and team. Because interviewing is a two-way street, be sure that you are attuned to these details. Just as a company wants to make the best, most well-informed decision about the person they hire, you want to make a wise decision about your fit with the company and team for which you choose to work. Beyond determining fit, there are certainly things you can do to prepare in advance to increase the chances that you’ll interview flawlessly and be the candidate ultimately selected for the job!
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Think about your stories. Well in advance of your interview, you should think about the most impactful projects in which you’ve been involved. Many interviews today are, at least in part, behaviorally-focused. In this type of interview, candidates are asked to recount stories in which they experienced success, learning, and failure.
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Start off on the right foot. Many interviews will begin with question, “So, why don’t you tell me about yourself?” Since this question is so frequently asked, prepare how you should respond given the context of the job, your experience, and your interest in the position.
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Mind Your Body Language. Connect with your interviewer by making regular eye contact. Lean into the conversation. Avoid crossing your arms to appear closed off.
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When retelling stories, use CAR. When interviewing, you’ll have the chance to tell the stories you’ve been preparing. In the midst of a high pressured interview, you may find it challenging to tell your stories in a way that that is succinct and meaningful to your listener. Employ CAR to give your response structure—Context (set up the situation so your interviewer will better understand the story); Action (clearly state the action you took related to the situation); Result (conclude your story with the impact of your actions). To give yourself credibility and provide a clearer picture to the interviewer, relate the specifics of the story to the question asked and/or the position itself.
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Let them know you want the job. The first way to show that you want the job is through preinterview research and preparation. Know the reasons why the job is of interest to you and why you’d be a good fit. Know what you like about the company. Tell the interviewer or hiring manager how interested you are in the company and position. Your specific reasons and demonstrated interest in the job could be your point of differentiation! Conversely, not knowing information about the company that is publicly available may be a turnoff for a prospective employer.
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Remember what they want. What do interviewers want to know when they meet with you? Mostly, they want to know what you can do for them. How will you make the company or team stronger? Will you make their lives easier? Be careful with questions like “How much vacation time to I get?” or “How soon do you promote employees?” Questions like these may come off as self-interested or entitled. Making you happy will be important if they want you, but you have to get the job first! Consider asking this question about upward mobility, “I’m really interested in staying at a place for a while. What do career paths within the company typically look like?” You can always ask their H.R. department about vacation time.
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Write thoughtful thank yous. Be sure to demonstrate gratitude for the interview opportunity. Thank each interviewer you meet. When writing thank yous, Reference a part of your conversation that affirmed your interest in the job. State why you want to work there and why you would like to work with them specifically. Leave nothing to chance - thank by email first and quickly follow-up with a hand-written note. The more positive ways to keep your name on their minds, the better!
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He who is best prepared can best serve his moment of inspiration. ― Samuel Taylor Coleridge