Module 1: Applying for a Position
1.4 Interview Strategies
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Note: The audio transcript is available in the footnotes.
Congratulations! Your cover letter and resume caught the attention of a potential employer in line with your career goals! The last hurdle to your new career is having a successful interview. This can be nerve-wracking, as it feels like a lot is on the line, but being well prepared is the best way to reduce your anxiety and provide a boost to your confidence. It can also help to reframe the interview process to consider that you’re also interviewing them to decide whether they’d be a good fit for you. Effectively, a job interview is a two-way street.
Preparation
Although you’ve already researched the organization, it’s advisable to review what you know about the company and the role to which you’re applying. The organization’s website is a great place to start. Also consider searching company reviews on a site like Glassdoor to learn more about past and current employees’ thoughts about the organization. Additionally, you might search for information on similar roles at other organizations.
As well as reviewing what you know about the potential employer, review your own resume. While this may seem strange–after all, it’s your resume! You wrote it and already know it well!–you want to ensure that you can respond to questions without having to refer to it, or read from it.
Think about how you want to present yourself. What clothes do you plan on wearing? Do they look professional? Do they need cleaning? It’s a great idea to lay out your clothes and anything you plan to take with you the night before, so you won’t have to think about it in the morning when you may be a bit flustered.
Be clear on how and when the interview will be conducted. If it’s in person, ensure you arrive a few minutes early. It’s better to be early and to sit quietly or have a coffee before the interview, rather than arriving late, sweaty, and flustered! Account for possible transit delays by setting out well in advance of your usual time.
If the interview is to be conducted online, ensure that you have a stable internet connection and updated software well before the start of the interview. Are your camera and microphone working? Be conscious of your background and lighting, and make any adjustments required before the meeting to ensure a professional presentation. Try to avoid unexpected interruptions; tell your kid brother that it’s important to give you some privacy and quiet for the next little while. If necessary, relocate to a professional office or library space to ensure a professional context.
Whether in person or online, practise your responses to ensure they flow easily. Doing a few mock interviews with friends or family can further boost your confidence.
The Interview
As the interview is about to start, ensure that you’ve turned off any unnecessary devices. The last thing you want is to receive a telemarketing call during your interview! Give yourself a moment and a deep breath or two before the start of the interview. This will help calm any remaining nerves and allow you to focus on the interview. Consider your body language. Are you sitting up straight? Making good eye contact? Feeling confident? You’ve got this!
Ensure that you focus on the interview throughout the interview and listen actively to the questions.
- Avoid interrupting the interviewer, even when you know what the rest of the question will be.
- Respond professionally and confidently, avoiding colloquialisms or slang.
- Use this as an opportunity to expand on ideas presented in your cover letter and resume.
- Stay on topic and don’t ramble; avoid introducing controversial or overly personal subjects.
- Again, consider using the STAR method to ensure you’re answering questions fully.
- Be truthful; avoid exaggerating your experience. This could come back to haunt you if you land the job when your new boss discovers you don’t have skills you claimed. Instead, express willingness to learn new skills that might be required for the position.
- Stay focused on the position throughout the interview.
“Do you have any questions for me?”
Towards the end of the interview, you may be asked whether you have questions you’d like to ask. Have these prepared in advance. Avoid asking questions about pay, perks, or promotions; these conversations only happen after you’ve been offered the position. Asking whether you can work from home or how many vacation days to expect may be a red flag that you’re less interested in working.
While you might want to follow up on information gleaned from the interview, some great questions to ask include:
- Is there anything I can clarify about my qualifications?
- What would your expectations be of me if I were in this role?
- What would my typical workday look like?
- What challenges might I face in this role?
- How does this position contribute to the success of the organization?
- Will I have opportunities to learn new skills?
- What sort of projects would I be taking on? Are there sample projects you could show me?
- Is most of the work independent or in teams? Who would I be working with?
- How does communication work within the organization? Are there regular meetings or a reliance on email or other digital channels?
- What is the company’s culture like? What are the company’s values and future goals?
- What’s your favourite thing about working here?
- What are the next steps in the hiring process?
Following Up
After the interview, give yourself a few minutes to decompress. This might be a good time to make a few notes about what went well, or anything you think you could improve. Was there a question asked that you weren’t ready for? How could you answer this question in a future interview?
Be patient, and remember that they’re likely interviewing other candidates. Follow up by email or phone in one or two weeks. Remind them of who you are and maybe allude to something discussed in the interview. Thank them for their time and pleasantly inquire about whether they can provide an update on the hiring process. Avoid bluntly asking if they intend to hire you or why it’s taking so long.
Additional information and sample scripts can be found on
Follow-Up Call After an Interview: Do’s, Don’ts and Examples | Indeed.com
Maybe you got the job, but maybe you didn’t. It’s rare that you’ll land the first job for which you interview, and it’s normal to experience some rejection before that first job offer. Don’t take it personally! You don’t know who else applied or what they bring to the table. It doesn’t mean you’re not qualified or capable; it just means someone else had more to offer. Keep trying. Persistence is key.
Audio transcript for Module 1.4 Interview Strategies
Maybe you’ve only ever had one chronological resume, one that you added to whenever you got a new job. You used the same tired resume for all your job applications. The idea of tailoring your resume and cover letter for each application never occurred to you. This kind of customization sounds like a lot of work. Your career search is beginning to seem like a career in itself!
Now that you understand there are other options, how will you construct your resume? You’ve already created a list of the skills you’ve developed at work, school, volunteering, and doing your own projects. Given the limited experience you currently have in your chosen career, focusing on your transferable skills might be a better place to start. Maybe you should consider drafting a functional resume.
Although you’ve thought about design, and have friends who’ve created beautiful resumes, you now understand that putting all that time into making your resume pretty might actually prevent you from getting your toe in the door. With applicant tracking systems, or ATS becoming more affordable, and increasing numbers of applicants and greater competition for available jobs, the chances of an employer using an ATS or Artificial Intelligence, or AI, is also greater. It’s more important to put your energy into the content, including keywords from the posting, and use a simple, high-contrast design to improve your chances. When considering design, also remember to have some white space; avoid big blocks of text that might be more difficult for scanners to interpret.
Remember that the purpose of your cover letter and resume is to get an interview, either online, by phone, or via video call or in person. That’s the next step on this journey. But how should you prepare for an interview?
