Preparing for an Interview? Start Here!

Picture this: You get a call from a Recruiter. They ask about your day, you have some small talk and then they ask about your resume or LinkedIn profile. The conversation turns into a discussion about an amazing role they have open with a great local company. You explain your experience, background, goals, aspirations and expected career path. So far, everything is a perfect match! The Recruiter relays the conversation to the Hiring Manager who loves the details and is impressed by your resume. Naturally, it’s interview time!

Whether you’re back on the job market after 15 years or you have been actively interviewing for weeks, it’s time to prepare!

First, Know your audience. Ask the Recruiter as many questions as possible about the client, hiring manager, environment, technology stack, internal workings, everything! The Recruiter is your eyes and ears into the environment you may soon be working in. Lean on them to develop an understanding to make the best first impression possible. Soft skills, interview flow and expectations of the client and company cannot be learned from a job description. Trust your Recruiter and ask them questions!

Second, Arm yourself with the basics. Hop online and read current news about the company and, if possible, the employees. See if you can find anything about current projects, recent acquisitions and even if there have been lay-offs recently and why. Not only research the company’s name, but Google important people in the company to see if they have been involved with initiatives. Knowledge is power. Use these discoveries as conversation points. It shows your interest and will help you have relevant questions and topics to speak about during the interview.

Third, Early is on time, on time is late and late you’re out. I can’t harp on this enough. It doesn’t matter if you’re meeting with someone from HR, a senior-level manager or the CTO of a company, someone is waiting on you. For an in-person interview, check traffic for that time of day in advance. Commutes for morning and afternoon interviews may be impacted by rush hour. For a phone or virtual interview, check your cell service or Wi-Fi and ensure your computer and Skype/Zoom/FaceTime account is up to date. I recommend checking these 24 hours in advance to allow you enough time to troubleshoot any issues. Make sure the interview from your side is as seamless as possible. Tardiness or technical issues may take up your interview time with someone who may not have availability to reschedule.

Lastly, Dress to impress, no matter the skill level, job title, length or seniority of a position. Your presentation is the first thing a Hiring Manager will notice, and putting your best foot forward can be the decision-maker between you and another candidate. No one will ever ding you points for dressing nicely for an interview. It shows respect for yourself, who is interviewing you and the company. Unless specifically instructed to do so, over dressing is always the way to go. First impressions are only made once.

Prepping for an interview is just as important as your skill set. Arriving to an interview dressed well, early and prepped with as much knowledge on the company and Hiring Manager is the next step finding you the best possible job match to compliment your lifestyle and career goals.

 

 

 

Josh Purdy, Business Development Manager – IT