.png)
Congratulations! You have your job interview scheduled.
You've probably been anxiously awaiting to receive the call or email to say you're being moved on to the interview process. If you are remotely like me, you've probably gone through hundreds of interviews over the course of your lifespan that have resulted in some offers and some missed opportunities. The missed opportunities could've come from the fact that they decided to go with someone else or you in fact didn't perform at your highest capabilities and trust me that happens a lot. But when you do receive that anticipating email and/or phone call from a recruiter, you should celebrate as you passed the first round of job submission in which you were among the 5%-10% of applicants whose resume was chosen so pat yourself on the back. Regardless, if this opportunity came from networking with individuals in your respective industry at your dream companies or you worked with career coaches to help you find the perfect role that aligns with your professional goals to craft your resume.
There are a few things you should keep in mind when preparing and conducting your interview with your potential next manager.
1. Research the company and your interviewers, if applicable.
Take a minute to familiarize yourself with the company's mission and values on the company website. This will help you better understand their goals and how your background will make you a great fit. You can go further and research your interviewers just to gain a better understanding of who they are and what they do at the company. I find knowing a little bit about them helps break the ice when it's your turn to ask questions as many times, you never know if you and an interviewer share something in common.
2. Practicing Common Interview Questions using the STAR method
Be prepared to answer questions in the form of the STAR method. You want to describe the SITUATION, what TASK needed to be done, what were the ACTIONS that you took and what was the overall RESULT? While preparing your response earlier, it allows you to quickly and effectively communicate who you are and the value you would bring to the team and company. LinkedIn has interview prep videos that can help!
3. Be Confident
You know your professional career better than anyone and an interview is the perfect time to showcase all your skills, personality and prove to them why you both have set aside time to interview each other. Dress to impress, take a deep breath and smile because you got this!
Let me know what you would add?