As spring commencement ceremonies kick off, many soon-to-be or recent graduates have begun searching for their next adventure. Whether you’ve had a handful of interviews yet or not, most will agree that landing a job, let alone an interview, can be extremely difficult. For example, it’s been recorded that only about five out of 250 applicants actually earn an interview.Follow these tips to set yourself up for success in upcoming interviews, whether you’re looking for an in-person, remote or hybrid job.
In-Person
- Have your materials accessible
Before you step foot into your interview, make sure you have everything you need to be prepared, including your professional or personal branding materials. Depending on your industry, this can also include a portfolio book. Or, it could be a reference list and a character reference letter. Either way, it’s best to print physical copies to have in your bag rather than only emailing a virtual copy to the hiring manager. These hard copies will be great resources if you are asked an unexpected question or nervously veer off track mid-conversation. When referring to these materials, take a few seconds to pick out a specific experience or a past job title to spark dialogue, but then quickly return to making direct eye contact with your interviewer.
- Brainstorm answers to difficult question types
Prepare yourself by running through hypothetical questions. Typically, these more challenging questions are either behavioral interview questions or situational interview questions. Although it’s impossible to know what they’re going to ask for sure, it never hurts to be overly prepared. A couple of potential questions include:
- What’s your best character trait as a teammate?
- How do you accept or give constructive criticism?
- How would you handle being pulled into additional projects on top of your existing workflow?
If you need a minute to collect your thoughts, use delay tactics with your body language, including taking a breath or nodding. You can also verbally create a moment of separation by asking a clarifying or follow up question before providing your answer.
- Be ready to discuss your expectations
Although it can be intimidating, having either a physical or mental list of your wants and needs is critical. These can be around expected team dynamics, reporting styles, or employee resource groups. This is crucial for your long-term happiness and longevity at the company. Another topic many fear coming up in conversation is having to answer the question, “What are your salary expectations?” Go into this question with research from free salary tools like Payscale, Salary.com, Indeed’s Salary Tool or Robert Half’s Salary Guide.
When negotiating your salary, take into account payroll deductions and your gross pay versus net pay. For example, can you stay on your parent’s healthcare insurance or will you have to opt into your own healthcare program? Additionally, consider your preferred lifestyle changes that you could compromise or ones that are essential to you. Are you comfortable taking public transportation or are you accustomed to taking a personal vehicle? Are you okay with having roommates in an apartment for another year or would you rather know how much mortgage you can afford before salary negotiation?
Remote
- Create supplementary material to bring work samples to life
If you’re participating in a virtual interview and have to prepare a work sample, make supplementary material to showcase your creation. In a variety of fields, such as advertising, you are asked to create a work sample on a task that you’d have to do as part of your daily job. Supplementary material can prove what research you did to complete this task, while also detailing your creative process. For example, run through a PowerPoint or ask your panelists if you can play a short Zoom recording.
- Minimize potential technical difficulties
Although virtual learning and remote work has become reality over the past two years, avoiding any technical troubles for an important commitment like a job interview is a must. Before logging on, test run which desktop or mobile device you’ll use and where it’ll be set up. Wi-Fi connections, audio and video settings should be double checked as well. Also, think about any accessory technical items you’ll need aside from your desktop monitor, laptop or mobile device. This can include:
- Second monitor with appropriate cords
- Computer and phone charger
- Wireless mouse (with mouse pad) and keyboard (will need to be fully charged)
- Wireless headphones (will need to be fully charged)
- Laptop stand
- Screen ring light
- Blue light glasses
- Reflect on your face and frame
Often in interviews, we pay too much attention to what we’re saying or how fast we’re speaking, and completely forget about anything non-verbal. Similar to verbal communication, what your shoulders, hands and eyes are communicating are just as important virtually. If you don’t have someone to help you practice, use a mirror or a device to record a practice interview and analyze your body language. Keep a detailed timeline in a notebook or journal with time stamps of when you observed positive body language or actions you could improve on. Usually, these can either be about your face or frame.
When doing this remember not to become overly critical of yourself. Try not to fixate on any one thing. If you identify something you aren’t happy with, take the next moment to recognize and celebrate one positive body language habit you already exhibit! This is crucial to keep your confidence high going into any upcoming interviews in the coming days or weeks. Even highly experienced personnel, executives or management with years or decades of public speaking experience can have habits they revert back to.
If you’re looking for additional support, my individual communication skills coaching can help you with career readiness as well.