Interview Prep: Your Key to Success in the Job Search

The job interview should be a conversation between interested parties to determine whether or not working together might be mutually beneficial. Candidates often go into interviews with little preparation and just wing it. You want to be sure that you tell a compelling, coherent story about your professional history and the value that you bring to the role. Here are my top tips for preparing for your next interview:

Know your top 3 qualifications. You need to be able to clearly articulate how you would fit into the organization and how you would solve the problems that they have. What can you offer and bring to the role that would make the most impact?

Your distinguishing characteristics and abilities. Obviously, you don’t know about other candidates who may be in play for this role, but most people a company is interviewing for will have similar qualifications and backgrounds. How can you stand out? What is it that you bring that makes you unique?

Be prepared to answer questions about potential “red flags.” Maybe you lack experience in the industry or a certification. Practice and finesse a narrative around this, focusing on your transferrable skills. 

Practice out loud. And video yourself doing it. You need to practice speaking about yourself out loud. Consider your answer to “Tell me about yourself” or “Walk me through your background.” What stories are you going to tell? Ensure that your stories are memorable and compelling. Problem > Journey > Result

Know why you want to work there. Connect with the interviewer on this. Is it the culture? Products? Reputation? The opportunity itself? 

Prepare to tell a story. Practice 2-3 success stories, along with a failure story. Spin the failure into a positive. Develop hypotheses about how you can help with the business issues you are discussing. 

Anticipate objections. Most interviewers will not tell you why or if they object to your candidacy. You will need to ruminate on this, determine what those objections will likely be, and address them proactively. 

Be succinct. You needn’t go into great detail in your examples. In fact, the more detailed a story you tell, the less interesting it will be to the interviewer. Stick with the highlights and avoid jargon, especially jargon that is specific to a current or former employer.

The Bottom Line

Focus on your greatest hits, give concrete examples, and don’t forget to quantify results where you can. Ask questions to determine the culture of the company. You want a performance-driven company with a clear vision that embraces failure and values your time. In a company that values open and honest communication, an interviewer will be empowered to answer these questions candidly. Lastly, don’t forget to show enthusiasm and make your interest in the company and the role very clear. Good luck!