I am sure you have all seen tips, tricks and lists that provide “advice” for your job search and the interview process. However most of it is either not applicable to this job environment, or hokey advice meant to drive blog traffic.
nexus IT group wants to provide some real job interview advice that you apply in your next job interview. Yes, some of it will be review, but the hope is to take a refreshing approach rather than a slideshow with stock photos.
Although preparing for an interview can be daunting, there are some actions you can take to ensure a good interview. In this guide, we developed a 13 item interviewing preparation checklist.
Getting ready for an interview
Preparing for an interview entails thinking about your objectives and qualifications in relation to the role and company. To do so, you should do some research on the organization and read the job description thoroughly to see why you would be a good fit. Let’s take a look at how to prepare for an interview.
Examine the job description thoroughly.
You should utilize the employer’s advertised job description as a guide during your preparation. The job description is a list of the qualifications, qualities, and experience that the employer seeks in an applicant. The more you can match yourself with these aspects, the more qualified you will appear to the employer. The job description may also provide you with ideas for questions to ask the company during the interview.
Find your passion.
This doesn’t mean apply for roles as a dance instructor. You can find something your passionate about in almost every position you apply to. Applying to work in Desktop Support? Then your passion can be working with individuals, customer service, problem solving, etc. Maybe you are looking for a position in management. Then your passion can be leadership, creating bonds amongst a team, or creating solutions through creative direction.
Maybe you’re a avid golfer so a place like Topgolf could be a great place to intertwine your IT skills with your personal interests/hobbies.
The bottom line is find out what your passion is, and then build on it. This doesn’t have to be your strongest point, but if you focus on your passions during an interview it will show your genuine interest in the role and growth of the company.
Think about why you’re interviewing and what qualifications you have.
You should have a strong grasp of why you want the job and why you’re qualified before the interview. You should be ready to explain why you’re interested in the position and why you’re the ideal candidate for it.
Research the company and its position.
Researching the organization you’re applying to is a crucial aspect of interview preparation. It will not only help you prepare intelligent questions for your interviewers, but it will also help you create context for your interview dialogues.
You’ll have an advantage over the competition if you do as much research as possible on the company and role. Furthermore, adequately preparing for an interview will assist you in being cool and performing at your best. Before you go into your interview, there are a few things you should know:
To learn more about a product or service, do the following:
Even if the position has nothing to do with the company’s product or service, you still want to be a part of the team. It’s critical to understand everything you can about the company’s product or service before applying. You don’t need to know every detail, especially if the product is technical and you’re interviewing for a non-technical role, but you should have a fundamental awareness of the company’s key goods or services.
Request a sample of the product if possible to familiarize yourself with the customer’s viewpoint. The more you can inform them about the product from both a corporate and a customer perspective, the better your interview will go.
Investigate the role
It’s critical to read the job description thoroughly and ensure that you comprehend all of the criteria and obligations. This will not only prepare you for the interview by allowing you to ask intelligent, targeted questions about the position, but it will also ensure that you are actually qualified and prepared to take on the responsibilities if you are hired.
If feasible, look up similar jobs and read testimonials on glassdoor from people who have held similar positions to get a sense of what the job entails on a day-to-day basis. Ask for clarification or details about the role during the interview so you’ll be prepared if you get a job offer. Preparing for an interview by researching the role will also assist you in determining whether or not the position is a good fit for you.
Examine the company’s culture.
Modern businesses typically have social media accounts and blogs where they discuss their culture and industry. This information can help you get a sense of the company’s tone and personality, as well as what they value. It’s critical that you fit into the business culture and have comparable personality and values, no matter how excellent a job appears to be.
Ask questions during the interview if you have any regarding the workplace environment, culture, personality, or values. These inquiries can range from the company’s software and tools to its vacation and sick leave policies. Remember that the interview is about you finding a good fit for your own work environment as much as it is about the firm finding a good fit for the position. A good professional existence is ensured when your values correspond with those of the organization. This is also a great time to learn more about the organization and demonstrate to the interviewer how you’ll fit in.
Be yourself.
There are a hundred different ways to ask a question. Think you can script out some answers to that list of frequent interview questions you found online? A good interviewer can ask the same question in several different ways without you even realizing it. They do this to catch you off guard. Is that a bad thing? Not really, a smooth communicator can talk his way through an interview without giving a single genuine answer, so it is important to get down to the core of who you truly are. The interviewer’s job is to surprise you so they can see the true you. If you’re genuine in the interview and don’t know some of the answers, it looks a lot better than a wall of scripted responses.
Some people struggle with things like answering the question “what your greatest weakness is.” Be truthful. Maybe you can focus intently on one aspect of your job, but have a hard time multitasking. Or you have a hard time communicating with your team members without sounding too direct. If your genuine about your weaknesses, you can develop them and transition them to become strengths over time. What you shouldn’t do is answer that question with, “I work too many hours”. That will put a bad taste in any interviewer’s mouth. You are basically saying “I don’t think I have any weaknesses, and I will have a humility problem at work.”
Being vulnerable creates relationships. Diversity is respected. If an interviewer stops cold because you are genuine about your weakness, but they feel it detracts from your ability to work, then I don’t know why you would want to work there in the first place.
Think over your responses to frequent interview questions.
While you won’t be able to anticipate every question you’ll be asked during an interview, you can prepare replies for a few typical ones. Consider creating an elevator pitch that briefly summarizes who you are, what you do, and what you desire in your next role.
Some occupations may need a test or evaluation as part of the interview process. If you’re interviewing for a position in computer programming, development, or analytics, you might be asked to write or evaluate code lines. It’s a good idea to ask peers in the sector for instances of tests they’ve had to prepare for.
Just in case, you should also be prepared to address your compensation expectations. If you’re not sure what salary to ask for in the position you’re applying for, don’t.
Here are some popular interview questions to consider:
Why are you interested in working here?
Learning about the company’s products, services, mission, history, and culture is the best method to prepare for this question. Mention the qualities of the organization that appeal to you and connect with your professional ambitions in your response.
“I’d want to work for a company that is making a difference,” for example. Throughout my job hunt, I’ve prioritized finding a firm with a great work atmosphere and values that line with my own, and this organization is at the top of the list.”
What about this role appeals to you?
Employers ask this question to ensure that you understand the position and to allow you to emphasize your relevant talents. Comparing the job requirements to your talents and expertise can be beneficial. Choose a few areas you enjoy or excel in, and concentrate on them in your response.
“For the most of my professional career, I’ve been passionate about user experience design. Because I’m familiar with the complete Adobe suite, I was ecstatic to find that this company uses them. Also, I’m a big proponent of using agile workflows in design. It is, in my opinion, the most efficient method of tackling enormous jobs. In my prior work as UX manager, I was able to successfully create and implement an agile methodology, and we witnessed significant benefits in project speed.”
What are your biggest assets?
This question allows you to discuss both your technical and non-technical abilities. When an interviewer asks you to discuss your strengths, talk about your personal traits and how they connect to the job you’re looking for.
“I’m a natural problem-solver,” for example. It’s satisfying for me to delve deep and find solutions to problems—like it’s completing a puzzle. It’s something I’ve always been good at and like doing. Finding new answers to difficult problems is a big part of product development, which is why I chose this professional path in the first place.”
Elaborate.
This point is key.
Okay, so incase I didn’t make my point, elaborating on your answers are more important than you think. Before you get any crazy ideas, I am not suggesting you ramble on, but you should add some meat to your responses. If the interviewer asks you a tough question, or one that is broad, there is a trick to answering it correctly every time.
Say they ask you “tell me about a time that you dealt with a difficult employee.” That is a tough, open ended question. However you can answer it correctly by rephrasing the question in your answer. For example,
“When you say difficult employees I think of two different situations. The first situation being an employee whom is going through a rough period, or is having trouble with performance. The second situation would be an employee that is being disruptive or detrimental to the organization”
You could then go on to talk about situations within the two examples. This gives the interviewer a chance to interject and correct your assumption, or judge your answer based on your guidelines. This takes some practice, but can keep you from misinterpreting a line of questioning and missing out on that ideal opportunity.
Become more comfortable with your speaking voice and body language.
During the interview process, it’s critical to make a positive and lasting impression. You can achieve this by speaking with a confident, loud voice and using welcoming, open body language. While these may come naturally to you, you should practice them with trusted friends or family members or in front of a mirror. Take extra care with your grin, handshake, and stride.
Prepare a list of questions to ask the interviewer(s)
Many employers have high regard for candidates who ask insightful inquiries about the firm and the job. Take some time before the interview to prepare a few questions for your interviewer(s) that demonstrate you’ve done your homework on the firm and are knowledgeable about the role. Here are some examples of questions you could ask:
- What does a day in the life of someone in this job entail?
- Why do you like working here so much?
- What are the characteristics of your most successful employees?
- This opportunity has piqued my interest, and I’ve appreciated learning more about it. What are the phases in the hiring process after that?
Role-play interviews
Interview preparation, like public speaking, is the most effective strategy to reduce nervousness and boost confidence. Practice may seem tiresome at first, but going through the interview process several times can make you more comfortable and help you make the best impression possible.
If you can, perform as many mock interviews as you can with the support of friends or relatives. If you don’t have a partner, practice your questions and responses aloud. When you speak, you may discover that an answer sounds odd or does not represent what you want, so this provides you the opportunity to fine-tune your responses and commit them to memory. The more you practice your interview, the more confident you’ll be when it comes time for the actual deal.
Make a hard copy of your résumé.
Although most employers want digital copies of your resume along with your application, they may not have easy access to it during the interview. Having various versions to present to different interviewers demonstrates that you are well-prepared and organized. At least three copies should be available for numerous interviews, plus one for yourself to follow along with.
Read over your CV and practice explaining any gaps or other abnormalities that may surface during your preparation. You may have taken time off work to care for a kid or family member, moved careers, or had other acceptable reasons for job breaks. Employers may be concerned about this, so prepare your explanation to demonstrate that you are not a risk.
You may also be asked awkward questions regarding your résumé. When dealing with them, it’s critical to be forthright but courteous. You may have left a job because of your supervisor or boss, or policies with which you disagreed, but you don’t want to speak adversely about your former employer. Consider the following questions and prepare your responses ahead of time so you don’t say something you’ll later regret.
It’s important to prepare for these questions, like the rest of the interview, by taking notes and practicing your responses out loud several times before the interview.
Make an effort to sell yourself
Selling oneself is one of the most difficult aspects of an interview. Most individuals are uncomfortable with this concept, yet truthfully and positively presenting yourself does not have to seem like a sales pitch. Because you do have professional talents and experiences that may set you apart from other candidates, it’s normal and expected that you tell your future employer about them.
When preparing for a job interview, establish a list of your relevant skills and consider how your experiences and abilities might contribute to the department’s and company’s overall goals. Because your responses will be limited, you should select the most positive and pertinent facts to give during the interview.
If you have measurements or numbers to indicate your past jobs’ accomplishments or growth, they’ll be a huge assist in selling yourself during the interview. In your previous employment, you may have raised sales by a specific percentage or increased social media engagement.
If you have any accomplishments, don’t be shy about mentioning them during your interview. Your future employer wants to know that you’ll be a good fit and that you’ll be able to contribute to the organization, so give them all the reasons why you can do so.
Prepare to follow up with the interviewee afterward.
You should plan to follow up with the employer after your interview. This serves to remind the employer of your conversation, demonstrate your genuine interest in the position, and allow you to bring up any points you may have overlooked.
When writing a follow-up note, consider the following steps:
- Mention the precise job title and thank your interviewer in the opening paragraph.
- Note the company’s name, as well as a conversation point and/or aim that seemed particularly relevant to the individual you spoke with, in the second paragraph. Make a connection between that point and your own experiences and interests.
- Invite them to ask you any additional questions in the final paragraph, and end by expressing you’re looking forward to hearing from them.
Last but not least, if you don’t know the answer to a question, it’s completely appropriate to pause for a bit and say, “Let me think about that for a minute.” The employer will be grateful that you took the time to respond thoughtfully. Wherever feasible, be sure to include particular instances. Spending time preparing for an interview will make you feel more at ease and confident during the process.
And that’s it.
These 13 actionable snippets of advice should put you on the right track in your interview process. There are some other benefits as well, finding your passion and rephrasing questions really helps build on your communication skills. If there is one secret to a job interview, it is that communication is the end all be all. If you can communicate well, you will get a position that you love.
About nexus IT group
nexus IT group is a specialized IT staffing agency who recruits top tech talent across the US. If you have an immediate IT opening, or are a job seeker looking to advance your IT career, you’ve come to the right IT staffing firm, contact nexus IT group. We have access to highly skilled, top talent most can’t easily get in front of, so let our recruiting team show you why so many firms trust and love our staffing agency.
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