Setting Up For Interviews

We've all been there...opens Zoom/Teams/Skype, troubleshoots it about 5 times for updates, wait to be accepted into a call and boom, full spotlight for about 30-60 minutes, and then...instant regret for everything we did or didn't do. It happens to all of us, and I mean ALL OF US regardless of if you just finished college or you've been working long enough to be the CEO (or have a space in the parking lot with your name on it).

Now, you don't need to be a master host and dazzle people with an amazing intro just so they are convinced that you're the "right fit" for the role they're interviewing from. Any extrovert or introverted person can nail those type of meetings just with the sheer power of will (or bribes if you've got enough cash and lack ethics).

During my tenure in HR I've seen many people enter the call with little to no preparation and one of the most common denominators of success that I've seen comes down to 2 major things: Confidence and effective communication.

You don't really need to lie in an interview, your experience is more than enough...unless you're applying for a high seniority position being fresh out of school, obviously. Some people just practice relaxing and trusting that, what they're good at or the knowledge that they have, is basically all they need to succeed.

Trusting your experience and the learning you've accumulated throughout your professional experience is more than enough; it has been recommended a brief revision of your work history in relation to the job role you're applying to, just in case you want to make a relationship with something, which is a really good advice that you should try yourself.

But no level of confidence or belief in oneself is ever enough if you're not a good storyteller. And this is where it gets kind of tricky, because this specific skillset in the context of job interviews requires a process of not only being able to effectively communicate yourself with other people, but to actively listening to what they're saying in order for you to be able to craft your answer the best way possible.

Make sure that before you provide an answer you fully understand the question or scenario that is being presented to you, ask for clarification and perform follow up question if needed. When you feel comfortable that you understand the question, feel free to articulate the answer...most people just rush into answering questions right away without rationalizing them, come on, is not a buffet.

Part of communicating effectively is to try to keep answers straight to the point, short and concise. Some questions may require a bit more explanation, but you don't need to take them all the way back to when you failed your math test in 7th grade, no need to flex that hard, they can understand solid context.

Being able to convey your answer with enough confidence and trying to deliver the answer needed in about a couple of lines is just perfect...this means you understood what was asked of you and were able to relate the question directly to answer without providing useless topics or comments. Remember, if they require more "sauce" from your answer, they'll ask for it, no need to overshare.

From the tips I've been able to share people over the years here are some of the most useful that you can use in your job interviews:

1. Try either pump yourself up or relaxing before the interview: Use music or breathing exercises to do this some 30-something minutes before the meeting so you're well before it starts.
2. Make sure before the meeting you can check all your software and hardware. Everything is updated and working as it should be.
3. If there's something you don't understand of what's asked of you, don't be afraid to talk and ask for help in such regard. Most of the people interviewing you have also been interviewed by other people and could sympathize with the situation.
4. Unless asked about theory or hard-based concepts, try providing answers from your experience; present real-based scenarios that could apply to the questions made. Remember to keep things short and simple as well as referencing the concepts or process required.
5. Always have a glass of water, cup of coffee or tea at hand...it won't take away the edge or nerves of the call, but I can guarantee that it can help diminish it to a certain level. Anything you can, legally, do to calm yourself on an interview is worth the shot.

If you have other tips or recommendations that may have worked for you while prepping yourself for an interview do let us know. I'll gladly read you all and check out your tips and how they work!