Once you have started applying to jobs, the next step is to begin interviewing. Not all interviews are the same, but they usually follow a general flow. Below are the common interview types and some general tips to help you complete the process.
Interview Types
Recruiter/Manager Phone Screen
Usually, the recruiter phone screen is your first interaction with an organization. The recruiter who may only have a surface-level understanding of the role will ask you questions about your experience.
Depending on the interview setup, you may have a Manager phone screen as well where the manager will ask you more pointed questions about your experience.
In-Person / Virtual Interview
After you pass the phone screens, you will usually have a few interviews with the manager, other team members, and leadership. The In-Person/Virtual interview is the standard job interview that everyone always thinks about as part of the process. Depending on who you speak with, you will probably face different types of questions about your experience, what you expect from a manager, questions about soft skills, etc.
Assessments
Sometimes an interview may contain an assessment. Roles like Engineer may see this type of interview more than others. This is harder to prepare for because you will not know what the questions are going to be. An assessment is (hopefully) similar to the work expected for the role. It should be a test to see your knowledge of those skills.
General Tips
Get The Basics Down
There are your standard expectations for interviewing that you should have down. Some examples are:
- Dress professionally – This rule has gotten a little more complicated over time. Previously you might have been told to wear a suit and tie. Now, depending on the organization, that might be seen as a negative. The best way to know what “professionally” means at an organization is to ask the recruiter.
- Show up to your interviews a little early – You never know what will happen, so make sure you show up to your interviews a little early just in case.
- Bring resumes (if in person) – It is better to be safe than sorry. Having your resume on hand to give to your interviewer is always safe.
- Do your research – Make sure you do your research on the company.
Prepare for Questions and Practice Your Answers
It is vital to prepare for the standard interview questions and how you answer them. If you search the internet for typical interview questions, you should be able to put a pretty good list together. From there, it might help to have a friend or family member pretend to interview you and practice how you would answer those questions.
Another option you could do is answer the questions yourself and record your answers. You can then listen and watch what you said and think about how an interview may interpret your answers. It may also help if you record your responses with a camera to catch any nervous fidgeting you may have while answering the questions.
The more you practice, the more prepared and fluid your answers will be during the actual interview. Practicing may also help you if you tend to get nervous about interviews because the more prepared you are, the more confident you will look and feel.
Market Yourself But Do Not Lie
When you are building your resume, you want to make sure that you promote how you helped your previous companies hit goals and show how your skills fit the requirements for the new role. You need to be a salesperson and sell yourself for this new role.
On the other hand, you need to make sure you do not cross a line into selling something you can not provide. You should not lie about the work and skills because it will only hurt everyone in the long run. It benefits no one to lie and get a job that you can not do. Lying may end up getting you fired and looking for a new job all over again, and the company will need to start recruiting for the role from scratch.
If you do not have the necessary skills, then you may not get hired. It is not worth lying about your skills to get hired and then be unable to do the work. On the other hand, there may be a chance that you can grow into those skills. It is crucial to call out what you know and do not know and see what the interviewer says. Companies often look for “unicorns,” and their Job Description is looking for a candidate will many skills and experiences that they will never find in one candidate. You may have enough of the skills that matter and they might accept that others are growth opportunities for you.
The Interview Goes Both Ways
It is important to remember when you are going through an interview that the interview works both ways. You are interviewing a company just as much as the company is interviewing you. The fact that you are interviewing them is something we tend to forget because we think about the power sitting with the organization.
Ask Questions
One of the biggest mistakes a candidate can make is not asking questions. There are always questions to be asked, and if you do not ask them, you are missing your opportunity to do your research. You should come prepared with a list of questions that you plan on asking, but you should also ask questions based on what you hear during the interview. It shows that you are paying attention and curious about learning more.
Set Compensation Expectations Early On
Usually if you do not bring up compensation in the Recruiter Screen, the recruiter will. If not, make sure to have that conversation early on in the process. It would be a massive waste of your time to go through all the hoops only to find out they offer you significantly under what you would be willing to accept for a salary. Save everyone the headache and make sure both sides are on the same page in relation to compensation early on in the process.
Listen For Red Flags
Everyone has different types of cultures that they like or dislike. A red flag for one person may be the cause of excitement and anticipation for someone else. Over time you will learn what to look out for when interviewing. When some candidates hear “start-up culture,” they think of high growth, autonomy in work, and building something new. For others, they hear long hours, ambiguous expectations, and work.
Know Your Limits
In reality, this may be just another red flag, but it is essential to know where to draw the line when it comes to interviewing. Sometimes a company may ask you to do interviews all day or multiple days or conduct a presentation and conduct some work samples. Sometimes these requests are reasonable other times, they are not. Always be willing to walk away from a company if you believe their interview process is unreasonable.