Nail that interview:
But first, you have to nail that phone screen. You’ve probably had countless phone screens with too many recruiters to count and it’s exhausting! Instead of just going through the motions, treat it like a practice interview.?
Prepare for the phone screen:
It’s more important than you think! The recruiter is the gatekeeper to the hiring managers so make sure you leave a good impression by doing the work ahead of time. If you can’t make the screen or you need to reschedule, please let your recruiter know ahead of time. No shows are a no go – we’re all adults here.
Here are tips on how to set yourself up for success:
- Put the scheduled time in your calendar right away. If you miss a screen, that only leaves room for assuming the job isn’t a priority and might result in an immediate pass.?
- If you have to reschedule, try to give the recruiter at least 24 hours notice.?
- Be in a quiet place with limited distractions. We know that’s not always possible for phone screens, but if you have to take the call while running errands or picking up the kids, just let your recruiter know ahead of time.
- Review the job description and the company. Recruiters can usually gauge your interest in the role based on how much you prepared for the phone screen. Those notes go to the hiring manager so make sure you’re doing the work.
Now, let’s nail that interview!
Research the company?
- Take time to learn about the company and what they do. Interviewers can tell when you’ve done the research. Be prepared to answer questions like “Why are you interested in working for this company? What about this role excites you?”
Practice your personal pitch
- Whether you record yourself or practice in the mirror, make sure you feel comfortable sharing your pitch. Practice this without any notes so you can speak confidently without depending on them.
Know your audience?
- Research the interviewers to know their role with the company. You can curate questions around their professional background or how they got to where they’re at today. You also might find some commonalities you can speak to. This is a great way to engage in deeper conversations and score some points with the hiring manager.
Prepare questions to ask ahead of time:
Always have questions prepared. If questions come up during the interview, write them down so you can ask them later. The last thing you want is for the interviewer to ask if you have any questions and you say “Nope.” Asking questions shows you’re engaged, interested and want to know more about the company and opportunity.
- Could you tell me about the onboarding process for this role?
- Is this a newly created role or was someone previously in this role? If someone was previously in this role, were they promoted?
- What does career growth within this company look like?
- What support do you have if something goes wrong?
- Will I be working independently or will I have the support of my team?
- What does success look like the first 30, 60, 90 days in??
- What are the team goals this year? In the next 5 years?
The Day Of Checklist:
- Stop preparing at least 30 minutes before your interview. Go for a walk, dance to your favorite songs, watch funny videos or do whatever you need to do to put yourself in the best mindset possible.
- Come prepared with your resume, job description, and notepad to take notes and write down questions
- Remember to look at the camera! If you tend to look at yourself and not the speaker (don’t worry, we all do it), put a post-it over your video thumbnail to remember to keep your eyes on the camera.
- Thank you’s go a long way so make sure you send a note to the people who scheduled and conducted the interview.
- Treat yourself afterwards to celebrate all your hard work!?
Extra “feel good” tips for the long haul:
Create an affirmation:
- This short but sweet sentence can help you feel good and stay positive when you’re feeling frustrated or burnt out from the job search. When you’ve had numerous screens and interviews with what seems like no progress, these affirmations are incredibly helpful to remind you why you’re doing.?
- “I am in the process of finding the right opportunity that caters to all my needs
- “Every “no” brings me closer to my”yes!”
- “This is only temporary. I’ve found a great job before and I will do it again.”
Full blog post here: https://talentinsights.hirewell.com/blog/job-search-survival-guide
