Interview Preparation Guide

Hunting for a new job is stressful, not to mention the often dreaded interviews where we pitch ourselves to a new potential employer. Over the years, I’ve heard people of all experience levels and backgrounds share the difficulty in navigating this part of the hiring process. For many of us, it’s difficult to talk about accomplishments, weaknesses, and to convince someone we are the best fit for their job opening.

This guide was created to help you break down the process into three easy steps; preparing, participating, and follow-up. You’ll be rocking those upcoming interviews in no time!

PRIOR TO THE INTERVIEW

Congratulations, you got the interview! Now it’s time to get ready to tell this new company why you are the best candidate for this role. Start by reviewing all of your accomplishments and be prepared to discuss these in great detail. Providing specific examples of how your strengths have helped you along the way will set you up for a successful interview. Understand that everyone on the interview panel has probably already seen your resume, so try to not repeat what is listed, but instead, elaborate or give further descriptions of your previous experience and how it relates to the job you are interviewing for that day.

Below are some common questions that are often used in interviews. Practice your responses to them if you would like!

BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEWING STYLE

What is it?

Behavioral interviewing is a technique used by many employers in which the questions asked to assist the employer in making predictions about a potential employee's future success based on actual past behaviors, instead of based on responses to hypothetical questions.

In behavior-based interviews, you are asked to give specific examples of when you demonstrated particular behaviors or skills. Your answers could also show what you learned from a situation if you did not respond to it in the best way when it first occurred.

General answers about behavior are not what the employer is looking for. You must describe in detail a particular event, project, or experience and how you dealt with the situation, and what the outcome was.

Responding well to these types of questions:

• The "S.T.A.R." technique is a good approach: Describe the Situation you were in or the Task you needed to accomplish; describe the Action you took and the Results.
• Be specific, not general or vague.
• Don't describe how you would behave. Describe how you did actually behave. If you later decided you should have behaved differently, explain this. The employer will see that you learned something from experience.

Research the company further to get an understanding of their values, involvements within the community, and more. This research will give you a better understanding of what they care about most and how this relates to your own personal values and beliefs. This research can help you to decide on questions to ask your interviewer at the closing of the interview. Be sure to have some of these questions prepared ahead of time!

By asking the right questions, you emphasize your desire to understand the organization's expectations, and to be reasonably sure you will find the work appropriate to your strengths. This also shows your commitment and interest level in the position and organization.

Here are examples to get you started:

Dress appropriately, neatly, and conservatively depending on the type of position you are interviewing for. Plan to be on time or slightly early so you will be relaxed. 

DURING THE INTERVIEW

As you arrive, be polite and personable with everyone you meet. Demonstrate enthusiasm and confidence. You never know who will provide feedback about their experience in meeting you. It is good practice to remember those who met with you the day of your interview, so try your best to remember their names or write them down. Asking for business cards is always a great approach. This will ensure you have the correct spelling of their name and title.

Once the interview begins, concentrate on identifying the interviewer’s needs. If you can identify this, you will be able to share with them how your experiences would correlate with what they are looking for. Be an interested listener and observer. When asked to share, focus on the positives in situations or talk about what you learned from experiences that were not positive. It is critical to keep a positive tone throughout your time with them, even if your last position was a source of frustration for you. Be careful not to let that past experience cloud your normal demeanor. First impressions matter!

Remember that the purpose of the interview is to see if you fit in the organization and if the job and organization are a good fit for you. Above all, be yourself!

AFTER THE INTERVIEW

Follow up with a phone call, email, or a hand-written letter explaining your excitement in the position you interviewed for and to thank them for their time spent with you. If you are not sure how to reach the hiring manager directly, you can always send this to the contact who helped schedule your interview and they can forward it to the appropriate contact. 

Thoughts or questions on this topic? Feel free to ask below!