Preparing for a Job Interview: the Candidate

Over the years, I have prepared for numerous job interviews, whether inside or outside the company I worked. I have also interviewed and hired many people.

With so many people seeking jobs at the moment, I wanted to lend my support with my tips and tricks for best preparing for a job interview (excerpted from my business book, The Accidental Change Agent, a collection of essays synthesizing my learnings over 25 years in business).

Research/Research/Research

I cannot emphasize this enough. Read everything you can find on the company, the area of work you are interviewing for and the hiring manager (e.g. LinkedIn, interviews they have given). You can’t do enough research to learn as much as you can. The hiring manager will want to know why you are applying to the company/role and you need to have a well thought-out answer.

• Company information: strategy, financials, employees, history, management, products/solutions, challenges they are facing
• [Area of work]: I interview for communications and marketing roles, so I research their website, social media channels, press releases and the like to learn how they communicate, but also to try and identify room for improvement. This gives me a good impression of the company, beyond the hard facts.
• Hiring manager: This person has a lot of information on you through your application, so you want to get a good impression of them. Where have they worked before? How long have they been in the company?

Prepare a summary of your career relevant for the position

A one-pager on your career is important to answer many of the questions you will get.

It should include answers to questions like:

• Why are you seeking a new position?
• Why are you applying to the company for this position?

It should also include a:

• Summary of your career/strengths in 5-10 bullets
• List of previous companies you have worked for with 3-5 key successes/projects relevant for the position you are applying for

Prepare questions to ask the interviewer

I am always astounded, and disappointed, when I ask the person if they have any questions and they don’t.

You should always have questions prepared. This shows not only your interest in the company/position but that you are already thinking about how you would do the job.

Some examples:

• What is currently the biggest business challenge at the company?
• What is the biggest opportunity at the company at the moment?
• Why did you join/why do you like working here?
• What are the biggest challenges for the role from your perspective?
• What are the first three topics/projects I would work on?
• How do you view the importance of [area of work]?

I hope you have found these tips helpful.

For more on me and my writing, check out my website!