2 MUST USE STRATEGIES FOR YOUR NEXT JOB INTERVIEW
What should you expect on the average interview these days!?
Many of my candidates are unsure what type of conversation to expect. There are really only two major buckets of conversation to be ready for:
Generally each of these buckets should be thought about and treated very differently. Here are the best strategies for each bucket that will yield the most success during your interview…
HR / Personality
This bucket includes anything from the typical “strengths and weaknesses” questions, how you handle challenges in the office, what hobbies you have outside of the office, and/or everything in between. These are things that are blanket questions that (no matter your background) can be asked and most importantly are always fair game. You want to make sure you are prepared for the most common ones just in case they come up. (See the list below of some of the most commonly asked questions for further context)
*The question that will ALWAYS come up (and is the highlight of this bucket) is “Why are you looking for a new opportunity?”
THE STRATEGY:
Responses that are... Simple. Personalized. Brief. Safe.
Safe answers! No need to go into any crazy detail here. Stay high level and more general. Be yourself and give truthful answers. I have seen people get in trouble when they speak too much - since these questions are so open ended, be sure you don't say anything that would jeopardize the interviewers opinion of you being a fit for their company. Highlight positive qualities about yourself that are tailored to what you think they would want to hear.
Experience / Technical
This bucket includes conversation about your experience (your resume) as well as other technical questions to test your ability. Everything on your resume is fair game, and most of the time the interviewer wants to confirm your technical ability aligns with the job you are interviewing for. There are many ways the interviewer can test you on this, so it is important to be ready to talk through your resume and be ready to answer any questions on the technical concepts surrounding your vertical.
There are no definite questions to expect here - it will always vary. A tip that may help polish off your preparation is to be sure to understand the job description to get an idea of what the interviewer may focus on when “testing” you.
THE STRATEGY:
Responses that are... Detailed. Thorough. Example Driven. Plug & Play.
This is the exact opposite of the strategy we just discussed for the HR / Personality bucket. Why? Because this is where an interviewer is looking to hear you can do the job and execute. Make sure to “read the room” so you don't talk forever, but it is best to be as detailed and thorough about a process, procedure, project, routine task, ect as possible. You want to give further context to your resume that they would not know by just reading the resume. Examples of specific things you have successfully done and executed will also support your answers and explanations. Tailor your speech to show the interviewer you can plug into the role and hit the ground running with certain parts of the job. Hearing that you bring complex technical experiences to the table is always a plus.
Do your best on answering technical questions apart from your experience (meaning questions on technical concepts in your vertical). If you genuinely do not know the answer, try talking through your thought process out loud as the interviewer may help you along the way. Sometimes getting the right answer is not as important as the thought process behind the attempt at the answer. If you are really stuck, leveraging something in your experience you feel is related to the topic can be a last ditch effort to show you are trying.
**I stress this strategy of detail and examples so much because common feedback a company gives when "passing" on a candidate is that they were great, but unable to articulate their own responsibilities in their current job as well as they would have hoped. I find it isn't because the candidate isn't able to, but rather don't realize they should.
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Being prepared for these 2 buckets is crucial to performing well on an interview. These strategies will always vary slightly depending on your background, the company you are interviewing with, and who the interviewer is. Sticking to these strategies will ensure success.
Best of luck!
JJK