09 | 4 Keys to Interviewing Well

His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy.

Alright I won't bore you by sharing every lyric, and yes, I know those are phrases from Eminem's 2002 hit, Lose Yourself. However, allow me to argue that is how many of us feel right before we walk into an interview. You want to make a good impression, answer everything "right," and ensure the interviewer sees you are a good fit for the role, especially if it's a role you really want.

I've been there too. I remember in my first interview experiences how nervous I would get. I would overthink, over plan my responses, and attempt to predict what would be asked of me. Honestly, these tendencies haven't fully gone away. Let me add that nerves are not bad, it actually shows that you care. If you never got nervous for anything in life, there needs to be a different conversation.

As I have been through different interview processes, I wanted to provide some helpful keys to someone like you, who may be in school, recently graduated, or looking for some tips as you prepare for an interview process, perhaps for the first time.

Prepare At Least One Question

I've spoken with enough people who have been on the other side of the interview to know this matters. A lot. I was surprised to learn how many people, especially young professionals, fail to prepare and ask questions at the end of the interview. By saying you don't have a question to ask, you're telling the hiring team something without actually saying it: that you didn't prepare much for this conversation or care about the role. Hard truth: if you didn't prepare well for the interview, how much will they believe you will prepare well for the actual role?

Some examples of questions could be around:

The role: "I noticed on the job description it talks about x, I wonder could you provide an example of how this plays out day-to-day?"

The company: "As I was researching, I noticed a few competitors to your company. What makes you different from them?"

The interviewer: "What was something you were surprised by after the first 90 days of your time at the company?"

Talk to Current and Former Employees

Remember, the interview process is not simply for the company to get to know you, it is also for you to get to know them. The best way I've discovered to do this is by attempting to connect with both current and former employees. Current employees can provide helpful insights into generally the benefits of working there, the leadership approach, and how the culture is practiced. Former employees I would argue may be even more helpful to you. They may be more honest about the good and bad of the company, especially if they left on good terms. I would advise to first ask them why and how they left. A single, disgruntled, former employee may not be the best person to ask about the place you want to work at.

Read Online Reviews on the Role and the Company

Once again, you are attempting to gain as much information about what you may be getting yourself into on the front end. Of course, the company and hiring team will want to share the features and benefits of working there with you. But you are smart. Smart people understand no company is perfect, and it's important to check what people are saying about the place. I wouldn't say reading a couple of bad reviews should primarily drive you to not continue in the process, but it's always helpful to have more information than less. Perhaps a question you could raise in the process could be, "I'm curious, based on your conversations with current and former employees, what have been some lessons you have learned and what changes have you made as a result of their feedback?" This will tell you if they listen to their people and value their input.

Keep Your Options Open

Even if you can sense one interview process is going well, nothing is guaranteed either from you or from them until you sign that offer letter. You never know what can happen, so it's important to continue to proactively apply and interview for other roles. Who knows, you may discover a more exciting opportunity that meets your skill set. If it's clear where you are interviewing is not a good fit for you, you should be honest and not waste yours and their time, but if it's a place where you are still interested in getting to know the role and company more, let it play out and see what happens! Time is your friend, especially if you aren't desperate for a position. Trust the process and God will order your steps!

I'm cheering for you and always in your corner if you need someone to be a sounding board, my dms are open!