Ins and outs of job interviews

I like this list. The one thing I might add is to be yourself and no one else. Neither side wants surprises after the fact.

The best tip I received was to remember that the company is the one that has a problem- they need to fill a vacancy. As the applicant, you have to picture yourself as the solution

It’s not about the answers you give, it’s more about the questions you ask! Do proper research about the company and be ready with the list of questions that you would like to ask the interviewer! If you are confident about your skills, you won’t be anxious!

One interview experience I will long remember. I had spent some time in Europe and upon return to Australia went for my first interview back home. The interview went well, was natural, flowed well, the positive vibes on both sides were evident. As we walked out the male interviewer went to shake my hand, and for some reason I thought he was also about to give me a friendly kiss on the cheek. I am blaming my time in Europe here, so without thinking I automatically responded and started to lean into his cheek. Sensing the complete change in body language and shocked look, I realised my mistake, and awkwardly mumbled some thanks and good byes and high tailed it out of there. Needless to say, and thankfully so, I wasn't offered the job. Tip for young players, don't end the interview trying to give the interviewer a kiss on the cheek.

Love the interviewing topic Andrew! Remember, no matter video or in-person, confidence is key and I think personally the #1 way to exude that confidence is having knowledge. Going into the interview so prepared, high-hanging slider-type questions seem like four-seam fastballs. Research the role, investigate the industry, major players, products/offerings/services, and news. Learn the terminology and respective process impact in this new role. Understand the function your new role would play in the entire operations. Why is there an opening? What pain points do the hiring managers have because of the opening? How can you make their lives easier if they hired you? Understand not only the achievements and accomplishments you can bring into the new role (and ensure to tie these into nice little quick narratives whether it’s shown through a project, success story, etc.), but most importantly, what value do you offer? If you are equipped with this knowledge, the interview should be a piece of cake. Remember, they want you to be the right fit.

1) Treat it like a two-way conversation - and less like a test. Having a conversation with your interviewer can help you feel more natural in your responses and reduce stress that often makes people slip up and get off track on what they're trying to say. 2) Think about the information that's most important to your interviewer - not necessarily what's most important/impressive to you. What keeps them awake at night - what do you bring to the table that would help solve their challenge, fill a gap, and enable the company to achieve its goals?

You know I have a few ?? 1. Before answering a question, take a deep breath and organize your thoughts. This helps calm the interview jitters down! 2. Ask clarifying questions to the interviewers if you aren't sure what they're asking for, in the same vein, don't interrupt the interviewer before they're finished asking the question. 3. If it's long back to back interviews, it's okay to ask for a break of 5 minutes.

Make sure you do your research. This doesn’t stop at reading the About page on their website, but dig deeper into finding out challenges they are facing right now, upcoming changes they may be gearing up for, the culture (glassdoor is great for this) the leadership team, the employees (yes…you can leverage LinkedIn to learn more about the people that work there). When you’re prepared, you can: - better tailor your responses so you position yourself as the solution to their problems - make a good assessment of the company to determine if it’s a good fit for you - impress them by asking more thoughtful questions that shows you’ve done your homework - be more confident throughout the conversation

Andrew Seaman, one of the biggest mistakes I see candidates making is not to arrange for the follow-up conversation. We need not be content with "I'll call you when I am ready to take you to the next step" or whatever version of "Don't call me, I'll call you" we get. We need to be responsible for our own job search, not leave it to the interviewer. So, I always set the date and time of the next conversation even if it is to set a time to schedule the next time to talk. It usually sounds like: "I appreciate you have others to interview and hope to be done by next Friday. If I have not heard from you by then, I will call you the following Monday to check-in and make sure you have all you need from me."