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There’s all sorts of advice out there about interviewing, and it’s pretty easy to get overwhelmed by it all. Of all the advice I’ve ever received, a few pieces really resonate with me the most. These are the three most useful tips I’ve ever received about interviewing:
They want to like you. A simple piece of advice, but this one is often overlooked. Think about the last two people that have asked you for a favor — one of them that you’re close to, and another who is just an acquaintance. How much harder did you try to help out your close friend? Similarly, if you walk into the interview with a smile, a firm handshake, and an enthusiastic attitude, it will go a long way. Your interviewer might try harder to steer you back if you start getting off-track, or be more willing to ignore the less-than-stellar answer you provided to one of the questions. That said, being likable is not a license to screw up your interview. It’s just good advice to get you started off on the right foot.
They want to hear specifics You’re in an interview, which means that you now have a chance to convince them, face-to-face, why you’re the right person for the job. Take advantage of it by using this opportunity to provide the interviewer with specific but concise anecdotes that demonstrate your skills and accomplishments. Explain your leadership style by describing how you handled the time that your group members weren’t pulling their weight. Or demonstrate your organizational ability by talking about that huge event you helped pull off, and explain how you did it. You should head into every interview with a bunch of these examples, at least a few for each skill/quality you want to highlight.
They want you to succeed Yes, interviews are scary. Yes, they’re going to ask you some tough questions. But if you completely drop the ball, it’s a waste of both your time and theirs. So remember that your interviewer wants you to perform well! You’d be amazed at the number of people who see their interviewer as some sort of antagonist. Walk into the interview knowing that you’re both after the same thing and you’ll feel much more comfortable.
What’s the best interviewing advice you’ve ever received?
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Comments
04.09.09
The best tip I ever followed is "don't lie". Its as simple as that. Don't exaggerate, don't try to take credit for your team worker's work. Don't bullsh*t. Good interviewers are good lie detectors. They can "sense" that stuff.
It takes a lot of courage to admit mistakes during previous work and explain that one has learned lessons from his/her mistakes. It makes the candidate appear more human. After all, we all make mistakes and learn from it.
04.10.09
Scott, excellent insight, I think people lose sight of your first and third points. Most people (not all, there is a certain percentage of the population that are douchebags), do truly want the interview to go well, and if you come in with that smile and firm handshake, know the hard part of the interview is already over.
04.10.09
@ Ryan: Great advice. Seems like quite a few people struggle to bring up mistakes because they think they'll appear to be a weak candidate. The 'lessons learned' piece you mentioned is so important - everyone makes mistakes, but you'll stand out by clearly articulating what you learned and how you fixed it.
04.10.09
I've heard the dynamic totally changes when you are interviewing and you are already employed. I've never been in this situation - have you? Agree or disagree?
04.10.09
I agree with Ryan. Nothing will aggravate me and my senior IT and Engineering staff during a technical interview, than someone who tries to bluff their way through, instead of admitting they don't know. Those resumes get trashed immediately after the interview.
We can teach the technical aspects of a job to someone who's honest enough to admit they don't know some things. Nobody was born an expert. We can't teach honesty or humbleness to someone who wants us to believe they already know everything.
04.11.09
I agree with all three points too, and would also say you need to prepare and research before the interview. What do you know about the company, the industry, the competitors, the challenges facing the company etc. What are the company's milestone achievements, who are the movers and shakers in the company. Prove you're interested in them and how what you can bring will be of benefit. Don't forget - nobody wants to hire someone who is lukewarm about the position, so by demonstrating your knowledge, you're demonstrating your enthusiasm.
04.11.09
@ Alyssa: Do you mean interviewing for a position when you already have a job and are looking for a new one, as opposed to when you're currently unemployed (and/or fresh out of school)?
I've never been in that position myself, but have interviewed candidates in both situations for the same position. My take on it is that there's no real difference -- in either case, I'm looking for the right qualities/person for the position. I'd be very interested to hear another perspective though.
@ JRandom42: Good point. Do you think it's slightly easier to pick up on the bluffing and B.S. in a technical interview (since you can't fake problem solving skills and technical knowledge) as opposed to a more behavioral-based interview?
@ Clare: Absolutely, not doing your homework is one of the quickest ways to botch up an interview. I'd also add that in addition to knowledge about the company, it's important to explain *why* you want to work for them, and how you see yourself fitting in. The enthusiasm piece you mentioned is very important in that regard.
04.11.09
Scott,
I think it's a lot easier, especially since the senior staff has been doing the work in their respective fields for up to 30+ years (and a couple hold the patents that defined the industry). You can't really bluff someone who invented the process that the company's products are founded on. It's also pretty hard to bluff someone who designed and engineered the systems that are currently in place.
It never ceases to amaze me to see applicants who think they can cover up their lack of technical knowledge and experience by attempting to wing it through serious technical questions. We can teach the advanced technical aspects that are specific to our company and industry, but someone attempting to fake basic engineering knowledge, whether mechanical or software, is definitely not going to make it through the interview.
04.11.09
Wanting to hear specifics also includes specifics on why you want to work for them...and that means more than the fact that they're a top company or because they're located 15 minutes from your house. As you prepare for the interview, try to identify what makes them truly unique from their competitors. Scour their website, google them, and, if you're in college, check out the databases offered through your campus library. You'll find a ton of information about the company, the industry, and their competitors.
04.11.09
As someone who frequently interviews candidates for software engineering positions, I completely agree with all three of these tips. As for the second one, I cannot stress how important this is. It is easier for us to assess how you will perform if we know how you have handled situations before, what your contributions were to a project, team, and to the company. Often I will hear more about a project or software application than I will about what the candidate did for the project or software application.
As for the technical interview, don't even bother trying to lie. The interviewer will know. If you aren't afraid to admit that you don't know an answer, you will be in a much better position. I once asked an interviewer why I was offered my first job out of college. His answer surprised me at the time, but I find myself thinking about this as I assess candidates. He told me that after I admitted not knowing the answer to a question, I actually asked what the answer was. I showed that I was interested in learning the answer, even if I wasn't offered the job.
04.12.09
Thanks for this I very much agree with the points you make. When you are interviewing, you want interviewees to do well - most interviewers really are on the side on the candidate. There are some exceptions - interviewers with their own agenda - but do you want to join that kind of organization anyway? I would emphasize how important it is to prepare though. Find out about the organization and the people if you can - something like LinkedIn is great for that.
There is nothing more disheartening for an interviewer, when you have prepared for an interview than to find a candidate who hasn't done any homework at all!
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