(4) Tips for a successful interview

Set-up:?

The first thing to think about is very simple but fails many times - get your set-up right. If you are having an in-office interview, which nowadays is less common, at least at a screening stage, make sure you arrive early enough to find the correct address and have a moment for yourself while you wait for the interview. For an in-office interview, make sure you have checked if there is a dress code that the company observes, as you will likely feel uncomfortable if under or over-dressed. Observe the approach to the greetings - be careful before extending your hand to shake theirs, as we live in a post pandemic world and these topics are still very much sensitive.

In most cases, your first interview will be a call, likely a video call, so make sure:

• Your connection is stable
• You mic and camera are working
• Your lighting is appropriate
• You can ensure a noise-free conversation
• You background is neutral
• Connect a few minutes before the call starts
• Even if it’s a virtual interview, make sure you are dressed appropriately - you want to make the best first impression, and you can do this only once
• Ask in advance if any specific preparation is needed ahead of the interview
• Learn how to pronounce your interviewers’ names, whenever possible

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, you may be late, your connection may fail, or any other unpredictable event may happen - it’s possible and understandable, make sure you acknowledge this on time and make sure you have informed your interviewer and have asked to reschedule the interview.? Also, if your connection fails during the call, say you are sorry once everything is set again, but don't spend too much time on this - focus on the interview and make sure they remember you for your answers, not for apologizing for an unstable connection.

Do your research in advance:

• Who is on the interview panel? Find out about them on the company web page or LinkedIn.?
• Learn a little bit about their background, this may come in handy in the interview.
• Make sure you have reviewed the company information on the web page, LinkedIn page, CrunchBase, Glassdoor and any other relevant platforms.?
• Where are the company’s offices based??
• What is their organizational structure?
• Where does the role you are interviewing for sit in the organizational structure??
• What are their policies on remote work, DEI, sustainability etc.?

This context will give you insights that will come in handy during the interviews and will inform your questions.

Be mindful of the dynamics of the interview: a good recruiter will make you feel comfortable and will likely set an agenda for the meeting at the beginning - mimic their rhythm and allow time for small talk, questions or feedback.

Introductions: This is your opportunity to make a great first impression. Resist the temptation to immediately run through all the milestones in your career, there will be time for this. Instead, pay attention to your body language, speed and tone of your voice, and transmit confidence while giving a brief introduction of yourself as a professional. Remember to breathe, smile and adopt a body posture that is professional, but comfortable for you. This will allow you to focus on the content of the interview better.

Review of your experience: While you are hopefully not going to be asked to talk through the exact information that is on your CV (although it happens more often than you think, which you should take as a red flag), referring to your CV in a wider context is a perfect opportunity for you to highlight the key skills, attitudes and experiences that make you a good fit for the role on offer. Keep an eye on the time available for your answers, and make sure you use succinct language while offering to provide any details your interviewer may need. Acknowledge the gaps or experiences that are not strictly related to the role on offer, but in a way that allows for a narrative that led you here (see our previous articles on how to create this narrative in your CV and your cover letter).

Keep the focus on why you are the match for the role: This first conversation is likely not going to be longer than 30 minutes, therefore focus on using every opportunity to underline why your skills, attitudes and experience make you a good candidate for this role. Offer to clarify any points or details that may indicate otherwise.

How to explain your transition from the current company/or why you left your previous company:

There are many ways to answer this type of question - we suggest you focus on the opportunity to learn, grow and/or take on different responsibilities in your new role. We also recommend you speak about the alignment of values, as you will have researched the company in advance.? Whatever you say, avoid negative and cynical comments about your previous company. You want to make sure any open wounds have healed before you take on a new challenge.?

Ask questions: an interview is a two-way conversation, you are being interviewed for the role, but you are also deciding if this role is right for you. Ask for any clarifications and make sure you ask any questions that may help you get a better context and decide whether you are willing to move on with the process. Keep the questions focused on the role and the wider context. We recommend you don’t ask basic questions about the salary, type of contract and start date at this point - most of this will have been clarified by this point, and if it is not, you can always follow up at a later point. Instead, focus on getting the information that you could not find online:

• Your future team
• Need for this role
• Previous and current context of the role
• Stakeholders and interactions
• Main challenges and opportunities
• Company values?
• How your performance and contributions are going to be measured in the first 3, 6, 9, 12 months

If the role has been well designed and thought through, all of these questions will have answers or, if the company is new/young, you should expect to at least have a transparent context of what is and what is not in place, and what role you are expected to play.?

Next steps: Make sure you ask about what comes next before the call ends. Also, make sure to ask how many steps there are in the selection process and what they are, so you know what to expect and how to prepare yourself for them.

Ask for feedback: numerous screening interviews are followed by a rejection via email, or, sadly, complete ghosting. You had invested hours in the preparation and at least 30 minutes in the interview itself - at the very least you should be able to get some feedback. Ask your interviewer to provide you with feedback on any and all aspects of the conversation and take their feedback as gifts, it will help you get better at interviewing and be ever more prepared for the upcoming interviews. Offer some feedback if asked, especially if you can underline how comfortable you felt and how fruitful the interview was, if this is the case, which we hope it always is.

End with a Thank you: make sure you thank the interviewer for their time and effort, underline your interest and follow up in a day or two with a Thank you email, so you stay fresh in their mind.

Spot any red flags: Through the course of the conversation, you will have a number of opportunities to spot any red flags and reasons you should not want to continue in the interview process.?

• How is the interviewer treating you??
• Are they listening carefully?
• Are they allowing you to ask questions?
• Have they shared the basic characteristic of the role (salary, type of contract, etc)
• Can they answer your questions?
• Are their answers consistent??
• Can they explain the next steps?
• Are they responsive?
• Is the process taking too long??
• Are they honoring their initial commitment to you? Are there new steps in the process you were not informed about?
• Are you being asked to do free work (at home assessments and business cases that take hours of your time and are real work tasks/projects)
• Can you tell if the interviewers throughout the process have spoken to each other, are their questions and answers repetitive?

Follow up: you should receive some information about when you will next hear from the interviewer, but also feel free to follow up for updates if the timeline they committed to has passed. Ultimately, you want to make sure you put your energy in the right opportunities.?

We believe that, by following the advice shared above, you can have a higher chance of a successful interview.?

This article has been co-authored with Milena Stanic .