How to Nail the Job Interview

Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash

Okay ladies: to make a killer employee, you need to first actually land the job. The first step in doing so is obviously the interview (and if you haven’t made it this far, your resume or your network could use some attention, so start there).

If you have your foot in the door somewhere, here's a super quick pocket guide to get you all the way in, and make sure you subscribe to get a free interview checklist that you can print and use to prep for every interview! 

Here are the basics to get started: 

1. Stalk them. ​Ask for the full names and job titles of all those you will be speaking with: typically you will receive this, but ask if you do not. Once you have this list, look each person up on LinkedIn. Consider it a research assignment: make notes on their experience, and come up with a common thread where you can build a connection with them. For example, my current boss had a Master’s in Art History, and my Bachelor's Degree was in Fine Art. I asked her how she ended up in tech marketing from there.

2. Bring Questions. During your research phase, think of 1-3 questions you will ask each person. You may have these answered during your discussion with this person, and you will need to think of more questions on the fly if that is the case (bring notes to reference to help you remember).

Ask them about the work that they do, a recent press release their company issued, or an article they were featured in. Doing this demonstrates that you are invested in getting a role with the company as you’ve gone above and beyond to learn more about it.

3. Bring Copies of Your Resume and Past Work Samples. Add one or two extra copies in case someone new is added to the interview mix last minute, a general rule of thumb is 3-4 copies. Sometimes your interviewers are flying between meetings and could use the reminder of who you are.

Also, if the CEO happens to be in town and wants to stick her head in, you'll want that extra resume handy (and you already looked her up and are ready to talk to her from step #1, right?) 

4. Don’t be late! ​This bears its own step. Along with dressing professionally, build in buffer time to get to the interview site on time. Account for traffic, public transit backups, and have 3 backups minimum in place for childcare. This is your first impression, and you want to portray professionalism, calm, and that you know how to manage your time: not to mention, are respectful of theirs. 

If you are actively interviewing, grab this interviewing guide I created to help you prep, stay organized and debrief!