Interview Preparation 101

by Simon McCune

​“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”
-Benjamin Franklin

​We all know the feeling, the rapid heart beat when you walk into a room, the sweating palms when you shake the hand of the person who will soon be deciding your employment status. Job interviews are stressful, there’s no way around it. But the truth is, they are even more stressful when you walk into a company’s conference room unprepared.
 
How can you avoid that? Everyone knows the simple do’s of interview preparation: read the job description, dress in your most professional threads, print out a few extra copies of your resume. However, arriving at your interview truly prepared takes far more time and effort than that. But the good news is it’s worth it! Here’s some tips to help you get started…

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• Research The Company: Don’t just do a quick Google search or read a few lines off the company’s website. Go deeper. Scan their social media. See what news or press releases you can find. If you have any contacts who do or have worked there, ask them what it’s like. Do your best to get a fuller sense of the company’s culture, and what it is they are looking for from their employees.
• Speak The Company Language: While doing your due diligence, try to distinguish the company’s voice as best you can. Again, this is where your social media research can really come in handy. Is this company’s twitter account or website light and sarcastic? Feel free to crack a few jokes as you walk in. Are they discussing a potential new product on their Instagram? Reference it to break the ice.
• Understand The Market: More than just knowing the job or the company itself, try to understand the environment they exist in. Who are their customers? Who are their competitors? As an employee you will be a cog in the company machine, but you can demonstrate to your interviewers that you will be an important one by proving to them that you comprehend the bigger picture.
• Don’t Be Afraid To Talk About Yourself: Whether for behavioral based interviews (link to other blog) or interviews with more traditional formats, the ability to tell both your personal and professional story in a concise way that highlights your relevant experience is essential.Yes, talking about yourself can be awkward, but at the end of the day you don’t get any points for subtlety. Your goal as an interviewer is to explain to your potential employer why your experience and perspective, specifically, makes you a fit.
• Ask Thoughtful Questions: Some of these can be prepared based on your research, but others may address items that may arise during the interview. You want to show interviewers that you are curious and insightful, and that when you are presented with a challenge you will put a great deal of thought into how you address it.
• Find The Right Coaching: At ExecuSearch we spend quality, one on one time with our candidates to prepare them for their interviews. We work on all the aforementioned skills, and more!

 
The items listed above are just the tip of the iceberg, but they are a good place to start as you prepare for job interviews, and continue your search for the career you’ve always wanted!