Honestly speaking, nobody likes job interviews. It takes up a lot of time, it’s awkward, and the anxiety that you may feel is very disturbing. Believe it or not, the interviewer despises interviews as much as the interviewee. However, they’re a way of life and anyone who wants to land a good job has to jump through all the hoops involved. With that being said, let’s take a look at some of the top interview tips and how you can gain the upper hand by taking control in an appropriate and respectful manner.
1. Prepare for the obvious questions
While many companies will try to get cute with their interviewing and may ask a few strange questions to keep you on your feet, the major ones will always be the same. Interviewers are always going to want to know who you are, what experience you have, why you’re a good fit, and how you’d handle certain issues and situations. If you want to quickly build your confidence, prepare for and expect the following questions:
- “Tell us about an issue you’ve had that you couldn’t resolve on your own. How did you handle it and which resources did you reference for help?”
- “Can you tell us about some of the industry magazines, blogs, and websites you follow in order to stay up to date on trends and developments?”
- “Where do you see yourself in [2, 5, 10] years?”
- “Describe in detail how you would solve [insert basic technical issue]?
The goal in answering these questions isn’t to have the perfect answer. While the interviewer cares about your response, they’re really focused on the fact that you’re able to quickly respond without much hesitation. This shows that you know your stuff and have opinions on relevant issues.
When it comes to strange questions like, “If you were an animal, would you be a hunter or gatherer?” don’t sweat. These questions are typically posed to see if you have a sense of humor and creative mind. These aren’t going to make or break your interview.
2. Bring backup materials
If you’re going to throw out facts and figures in your interview, you need to be willing to back them up. Saying you helped your former employer reduce cyber security threats by 35 percent last quarter is a pretty empty statement on its own. Anyone can make that claim. However, bringing a colorful spreadsheet with you that provides data and clearly proves your claim is both impressive and honest.
Any time the interviewer asks you a question and you respond with a claim that can’t be verbally verified, have something to show. These materials may include spreadsheets, charts, graphs, emails, paperwork, certifications, awards, or written referrals.
These materials show that you’re prepared, organized, and attentive to details. You can even use them to direct the flow of the interview towards topics you’re most comfortable with.
3. Remember interviewers aren’t always experts
Did you know that most interviewers are often less prepared than you are? In fact, most interviewers aren’t actually trained at interviewing. They’re often forced into the responsibility by result of their position. Your interview is often squeezed in between meetings, meaning they actually have very little time to prepare. This may be an opportunity for you to guide the direction of the conversation.
This all bodes well for you. Keeping this in mind will give you an added amount of confidence that may encourage you to be a little bolder and stronger. As a caution, though, some interviewers are not only prepared–but they’re also very experienced. Take this tip with a grain of salt and be prepared for both novice and veteran interviewers. You can usually gain some insights ahead of time by doing some research on your interviewer.
4. Ask the right questions
While we’ve covered the topic of which questions you’ll most likely be asked, you also need to be prepared to ask the right questions. Unfortunately, this is a place where many people stress out and mess up. Everyone knows the, “Do you have any questions?” question is coming, yet very few are prepared for it. It’s like the proverbial elephant in the room. We’d rather just ignore it and hope it doesn’t come charging our way.
However, this is your time to shine. Don’t ask boring questions about where the interviewer sees the company going in five years or what their favorite part of the job is. Instead, get creative and show that you’ve invested thought into the question. (After all, everyone in the room knows you’ve prepared these questions in advance. If you present something like, “Can you describe a typical day in the office?” you’re showing you lack preparation skills and foresight.
Bold creative questions include things like:
- “If I had a million dollars put into my savings account and I didn’t need to work, what incentive would I have to work for your company?”
- “How will you measure the success of the person in this position?”
- “Do you have a set of goals you want me to accomplish in my first 30/60/90 days on the job?”
- “If I went to [insert name of closest competitor] right after this interview and asked them to describe your company, what would they say?”
Questions like these give you the upper hand and put the interviewer in the hot seat. They’re forced to really think about an answer, which shows them you’re creative and unique.
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