Interviewees often feel a lot of pressure in a job interview – after all, they’ve made it this far in the application process, and they know that saying the wrong thing might be the determining factor between getting the job or not.
But there are ways to make interviews a little less stressful, and one of them is to prepare as much as possible in advance. In doing so, not only can interviewees work to ensure that they don’t say the wrong thing, but they can also practice saying the right thing, which can improve confidence and comfort in high-pressure situations.
Here are a few of King & Bishop’s tips, do’s, and don’t’s to improve your skills for your next interview!
Do: Always Have Questions
A common last step in an interview is “Do you have any questions for us?” One of the easiest things an interviewee can do to stand out is to come prepared with 3-4 questions that they can ask at the end about the business, its structure, the employees, or anything else they might be curious about. This is a great opportunity if you genuinely do have questions about the position, but even if you don’t, having some questions in mind will show that you did your research and that you’re interested in the role.
Don’t: Be Bluntly Honest
Oftentimes, an interviewer will ask questions about previous work experience and relationships. However, if you had a negative experience in your previous role or had a manager that you didn’t get along with, you don’t want to bring that up or discuss all the details with your interviewer. Doing so could reflect poorly on you as an employee, as it could suggest that you didn’t do a good job previously, and it could also demonstrate that you might speak negatively of colleagues in the future. Instead, try to focus on as many positive past experiences as you can in your interview. If necessary, mention the fact that your past experiences might have been less than positive, but keep the focus on what you learned from them and how you intend to collaborate and work more effectively in your potential new role.
Do: Practice Your Answers in Advance
Many interviews will follow a similar script, and some will even include identical questions. If you can get good at answering these questions, you’ll feel more at ease during the interview, which can translate into better performance. And the best way to get good at answering questions is to practice! Look up some commonly-asked interview questions, and time yourself to prepare to give your responses in around 1-2 minutes. That way, you’ll keep your interviewer’s attention and stay on track to what the question was asking.
Don’t: Bring a Cheat Sheet
In an in-person interview, you might bring your resume along. In a virtual interview, it might be pulled up on the screen for the interviewer to reference. Either way, you don’t want to be constantly checking your resume or referring back to it. An interview is a time for the interviewer to hear from you personally, not get the same answers they could have gotten from looking at your resume, and it will look unprofessional if you aren’t familiar enough with your own work history to go off-script from your resume during your conversation.
Do: Follow Up With Thanks
Depending on whether your interview is in-person or virtual, you might have either a physical address or the email address of the person or people you interviewed with. Either way, it’s a good idea to send a note of thanks immediately following your interview. This doesn’t have to be much – a few sentences thanking your interviewer for their time and highlighting some stand-out points of the conversation is fine – but it can go a long way toward making you stand out as a thoughtful and respectful candidate.
Don’t: Pester the Company After the Interview
Following up with a thank you note and checking in once for updates after an interview is fine. Emailing your interviewer daily looking for information on how their search process is going is not. It can be stressful waiting for the call about if you got the job or not, but bear in mind that the interviewer may have to conduct several more interviews and potentially follow up with multiple candidates, a process that could take several weeks. If you’re working with a recruiter from King & Bishop, they will also be checking in on your behalf and guiding you through this last part of the process, so sit back and try to relax as you wait for word back.
Have any questions about the interview process? Our recruiters have the answers and the guidance you need to get you all the way through, from sending in your resume to tackling your first day on the new job. Contact us for more information today!