How to prepare for an interview

You have crafted the perfect professional brand, optimized your resume, found a great job and submitted your application. Now the only thing standing between you and an offer letter is nailing your interview. This crucial step in the job search process can make or break the decision to hire you. The interview is your opportunity to demonstrate why you are the best person for the job. In one word, the secret to nailing an interview is simple: prepare. Putting in the time to prepare will boost your confidence during the interview, allowing you to shine as an expert throughout the interview process. You will need to do some research prior to your interview, and we do not mean just the night before. It is important to give yourself enough research time to check multiple sources for information about the position, company and the person conducting the interview. Aim to gain an understanding of who the company is, what their major initiatives, technology and products are and how your position impacts the company.

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Thanks to the internet, you can learn a lot about a company before you ever interact with them. The interviewer will expect you to know information about the company that you can find online prior to your interview. You should check multiple online sources to learn as much about the company as possible. This will give you a competitive advantage over candidates who check only one or two sources. Here are a few various sources to consider and what you should look for on each one:

Learn as much about the company as possible

Thoroughly review the company’s website, paying attention to service offerings, products, their mission and vision statements, core values and other general information.

Check various social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter and scroll through the company’s social media activity to get a sense of what they are sharing and what is important to them. Are they excited about a new product release, a stellar quarter or a new member of the executive team? Did they recently win an award? What does their activity tell you about the company culture?

Social media platforms

If the company is public, listen to their latest earnings call or review their SEC filings to understand their financial position as well as the goals and commitments they are communicating to Wall Street.

Financial sources

Check company review sites like Glassdoor, Indeed and Google to see what current and former employees say about the company. Remember to keep an open mind when reading reviews and look for patterns.

Review sites

Identify their top three competitors and understand their similarities and differences. Try to identify their competitive advantages.

The company’s competitors

Use the information you find during your research to prepare 3-5 questions to ask the interviewer. For example, if you find the company has recently received an award, you could ask the interviewer what the award means to both the company and to them personally. This shows you have done your homework, and more importantly, that you are genuinely interested in the company and this opportunity.

Did you know you should also research the person who will be conducting your interview? The recruiter will share the name of your interviewer with you in advance. If not, ask your recruiter who you will be speaking with. LinkedIn profiles are a great place to conduct online research to provide you with information to build rapport and plan questions for your interviewer. Here are a few questions to consider while reviewing your interviewer’s profiles: • How long have they been with the company? • Do you share common interests? • Have they worked their way up to management?

2. Find ways to connect with your interviewer

After you finish researching the company and your interviewer, you should begin preparing and practicing answers to common interview questions. Before you reach the final stage of the interview process, the interviewer needs to establish your core competencies through a series of behavioral questions that assess your skills and experiences. Interviewers use behavioral interview questions to assess how you would likely respond to specific scenarios in their workplace based on the way you have handled similar situations in the past. They allow employers to get a glimpse of how you will perform at their company and if you’re a good fit for the role. Hiring managers often find by asking these types of questions, they can easily identify several key components of the candidate while also recognizing cues of future behavior at the company. Your answers can greatly impact the way an employer sees how you would fit in at the company. Situational interview questions, on the other hand, are sometimes lumped together with behavioral questions because they have similar goals. They allow the interviewer to assess your thought process for approaching challenging situations. This can help them determine your fit with the company’s culture and needs. These questions give you an opportunity to highlight soft skills, such as problem-solving and communication. Nevertheless, preparing for behavioral interview questions is critical for helping you achieve success during a job interview. That’s where the STAR method comes in.

3. Prepare for interview questions

SITUATION Disclose details of the specific event

TASK Explain your responsibility in that situation

ACTION Describe how you accomplished the task

RESULT Outline the impact of your actions

the star method

• Do you have any shared connections? • Do they describe key projects and initiatives? • Do they mention volunteer experiences?

Just as you are researching the people who will be interviewing you, expect them to research you too. During your job search, your personal brand is in the spotlight. In this digital age, an abundance of information is readily accessible to potential employers at the push of a button. The first impression no longer occurs in the interview room; interviewers form an opinion of you after reviewing your social media activity before you even step foot into the office. We recommend doing an audit of your professional brand before starting your job search. As you audit your online presence, think about whether you would be comfortable discussing the things you find with the interviewer. Here are some tips for auditing your personal brand:

4. Evaluate your digital presence

Delete any questionable photos that may portray you in an undesirable light. Don’t forget to check group photos and photos you are tagged in, as well.

Review your photos

Do not say anything online that you would not be comfortable saying directly to the interviewer. Avoid highly controversial “soapbox posts,” such as political opinions.

Be mindful of your conversations

This is an important step to ensure no surprises come up. If your search includes undesirable results, knowing this prior to your interview will help you prepare to respond to any questions about the results in a way that minimizes any damage.

Google search yourself

Be aware of what the public sees and what people with mutual connections can see.

Review your social media privacy settings

Make sure your content accurately reflects your current information. This is a good time to update your digital brand, online resume, email address and other contact information.

Update your content online

You may want to create a new email address (preferably one that includes your full name) to use during your job search.

Ensure your email address is professional

You have undoubtedly heard the phrase “it is all in the details.” This is especially true when it comes to first impressions during your interview. Regardless of whether your interview is in-person or virtual, here are some timeless tips to ensure you are putting your best foot forward:

5. Make a great first impression

Do not wait until the last minute to pick out what you are going to wear. Plan your outfit the day before and choose a back-up in case of an emergency. Don’t forget accessories that complete your look.

Prepare your outfit in advance

Give yourself enough time to overcome any unforeseen event that could make you late. Arriving even a minute or two late does not make a positive first impression. In addition, if you are anxious because you are late, you will not perform your best during the interview.

Arrive early

If you are asked about your current manager and have a less than perfect relationship with them, be prepared to put a positive spin on anything negative that has occurred.

Do not speak negatively of previous employers or managers

Use this as an opportunity to show you have done your homework prior to the interview by highlighting something you discovered in your research.

Compliment the interviewer and/or the company

Preparation leads to confidence, and confidence helps you get hired! When you are feeling confident, you will naturally come across as a subject matter expert. Confidently displaying your expertise is critical for both in-person and virtual interviews. Here are a few simple ways to show your confidence:

6. Exude confidence during an interview

Technology continues to redefine the job search, including video interviews. In recent years, the workplace has focused on flexibility to accommodate the modern worker. At the same time, technology has made huge advancements that have transformed the way we work. Artificial intelligence, internet of things, virtual reality and smart devices are revolutionizing the way business is done, including the job search. As remote work grows in popularity and necessity, so have remote video job interviews. Employers do not want to miss the opportunity to interview as many talented candidates as possible. As a result, new developments within video interviews have taken the job search by storm.

7. Be ready for video interviews

Employers currently have the ability to implement comprehensive video interviewing, which includes assessments and simulations that take the guesswork out of hiring talent. Some recent developments in the video assessment and simulation space include live coding tests, where interviewers watch candidates develop and test code in shared, online environments. Live scenarios where prospective employees perform day-to-day challenges are also growing in popularity for sales and customer service roles. Video technology is likewise allowing companies to record candidate interviews, screen applicants and blindly grade responses according to custom criteria before recruiters see them. Companies are now empowered to make quick, informed decisions on the best applicants for the job at hand.

8. Expect skill assessments and simulations

As organizations continue to look for ways to eliminate human bias from the hiring process during candidate screenings, some businesses are implementing technology, such as recruitment chatbots, to replicate human conversation in a variety of places along the recruiting process. Imagine a recruitment chatbot as a virtual assistant to a recruiter, except 1,000x more efficient. Additionally, recruitment chatbots can answer questions about a job or company you are interested in, conduct an initial pre-screening to ensure you have the right skills for the role and schedule an interview.

9. Master chatbots

You have nailed the job interview! But your work in leaving a positive, lasting impression is not done yet. Immediately after your interview, send a thank-you note or email to the interviewer. In the message, thank the person or party and express your excitement to learn more about the opportunity. Now that your interview is over, take a deep breath. Continue your job search as you wait for the golden ticket—the job offer.

10. Send a thank-you note

Thoroughly review the company’s website, paying attention to service offerings, products, their mission and vision statements, core values and other general information.

1. Learn as much about the company as possible

The company’s website

Social media platforms

Financial sources

Check company review sites like Glassdoor, Indeed and Google to see what current and former employees say about the company. Remember to keep an open mind when reading reviews and look for patterns.

company Review sites

Identify their top three competitors and understand their similarities and differences. Try to identify their competitive advantages.

The company’s competitors

The company’s website

Social media platforms

Financial sources

company Review sites

The company’s competitors

• Remember there is a big difference between confidence and cockiness. • Do not ramble. Instead, talk at a reasonable pace and focus on answering each question with one concise thought at a time. • Nail your elevator pitch with the best response when probed and find an opportunity for it when not explicitly asked. • Pay attention to your body language. Be engaged, sit up straight and genuinely enjoy the process. • Lastly, start and end your interview with a firm handshake (if in-person) and a smile.

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UPDATED AUGUST 2024