How To: Have a Great Interview
If you want to have a great interview, you must prepare.
If you want to have an okay interview, sure you can just wing it.
That’s what I used to do... until I started working in this industry. Now, I would never “wing” an interview because I know what a big difference a little preparation can make... and how much more relaxed, engaging and fun (yes, fun!) an interview can be if you are ready for it.
Sometimes the problem with preparing for an interview is that you don't know where to start. A lot of people start online by looking up "possible questions" or "common questions" for the type of job you are interviewing for. The problem is, they don't always ask you those questions once you are in the meeting. So you just spent hours preparing to answer questions that they didn't ask, and drew a total blank for the questions they did ask.
Here are my easy to follow steps for preparing for an interview:
1. The first thing you need to do is set the stage, get some context for your interview.
Look up the company website and get familiar with their product, values and services.
Look up press releases and company profiles (LinkedIn, etc) to find out more about what they care about and what their reputation is.
Look up the people you are going to be meeting! Who knows, maybe you'll find out you went to the same college, are from the same town or both volunteer for the same cause. Pay attention to "connections in common" on LinkedIn as well.
2. Review & compare the job description to your experiences.
Go through each sentence in the job description and get an understanding of what they are asking for. Divide the job description into groups - Direct Experience, Transferable Skills, and No Experience.
Direct Experience is exactly what it sounds like - the parts of the Job Description that you have experience with. Come up with examples (or stories) you can tell from your past work experience that prove you have these abilities.
Transferable Skills are the parts of the job description that you do *not* have direct experience with, but have other experiences that you believe are valuable and can contribute to the role. Prepare specific examples that illustrate how these skills will benefit the position.
No Experience... pretty self-explanatory. If you come across something like a software, process or standard that you do not have exposure to, the best thing to do is Google it. Find some videos online that demonstrate the software or explains the standard. Find a free trial, a demo, a tutorial. You want to be able to demonstrate in the interview that you understand why it's a requirement, what it's used for and how you can get up to speed.
3. Prepare & practice real, specific examples of how your skills relate to the requirements in the job description.
After doing step 2, practice delivering your best examples. I often tell people going to interviews to think about stories instead of examples. Stories are interesting, they have a beginning, a middle and an end. They are entertaining and specific.
Whatever you do, be specific. There is nothing worse than asking a question during an interview, and getting a canned, general response. These basic kinds of answers do not allow the interviewer to get to know you and get a real picture of how you are at work and what you can do. If you have stories prepared that are relevant to what they are looking for, they will listen intently and are likely going to remember what you shared with them after you leave.
4. Don’t over-prepare! After you spend time getting to know the company, getting to know the job description, and preparing to talk about your best work that relates to this job it's time to unwind. Relax, rejuvenate, have some "me" time. It's important to feel very relaxed and calm with a clear head when going into an interview. Once you have done what you can do to prepare, have a little fun!
Now you should go into your interview prepared to answer any question they might ask with your carefully prepared stories (examples). You can never really predict what an interviewer is going to ask - but if you have spent time with the job description and know what the company stands for, you should be able to prepare excellent stories that parallel your experience to what they are looking for.
Give examples with your answers, even if they didn't specifically ask for one. You prepared some great material - don't waste it!
Say hi to everyone you see - you never know who's who, who know's who, who's watching or who's opinion matters. Be polite!
Be early - but not too early. I usually suggest getting to the site of the interview 20 minutes early just to be safe, then waiting in the parking lot or at a nearby coffee shop until about 10 minutes before your meeting.
Start with small talk - long walks to the meeting room don't have to be painful or awkward - ask your interviewer about their weekend or their day, break the ice!
Always bring paper & a pen - make notes during your meeting. It shows respect and that you are very interested in the job.
Have an answer for "Do you have any questions for us?" not having questions about the role or the company can show a lack of interest. Have smart questions prepared beforehand, and add to the list during the interviewing (crossing off any questions that get answered during the meeting). Questions should be about what the job entails, what the team is like and what they expect from employees - not "logistical" questions like "How long is my break?" or "How often will I get a raise?" - save questions like that for later in the hiring process.
Set the stage to follow up: at the end of your meeting ask "What will the next steps be for this position?" this should give you some kind of idea for timeline and when you should follow up.
