Basic Interview Preparation
Article on job interview preperation. Blog by TeamBuilder Search, a recruiting and staffing search firm for digital marketing and emerging technologies.
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- Resources Interviewing can be very stressful. In conducting thousands of interviews and post-interview debriefs with hiring managers, we have come up with several tips for interviewees to make sure they are fully prepared for interviews. There is no silver bullet, but the doing the following will greatly increase you chance of success.
- Answer the question “Tell me a little about yourself.” The easiest way to do this is to show your career history chronologically. With each position share the things you have learned and the achievements you accomplished. However, make sure you are only sharing things that are likely relevant to the role. Explain the reason for each move or promotion along the way and do not bad-mouth previous employers. Don’t be afraid to bring your prep notes to the interview. A resume with notes and marked up with a highlighter may be all you need. Keep this between 90 and 150 seconds.
- Give specific answers with specific examples. Clients want to see that you can do what they are asking. Specific examples paint a picture of how your skills, experiences, and successes can be transferable to what the company needs. Never answer a question with “no”: instead, try to relate a similar experience.
- Be prepared to talk about strengths and weaknesses. Write these down. Be comfortable speaking about them. Strengths should relate to the job description. If asked about strengths, be able to provide at least one specific example of that strength. If sharing a weakness, be sure to also talk about how you have learned to successfully manage the weakness and provide an example.
- Determine your greatest professional failure and be able to talk about it if asked. Focus on taking accountability and not shifting blame to others. Share what you learned and give an example of how you used that learning to not make the same failure again.
- Is there anything in my background or in my experiences that would keep us from moving forward?
- What are the next steps? If you do these things, you will be well prepared for your next interview. Now relax and don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through. Good luck! Once you feel confident in your interview skills, why not think about ways to find your next big role? Check out our post on How to Ask Your Network for Help in Finding Your Next Role! Mark has held leadership roles in multibillion-dollar organizations and has bought, sold and started companies. He is an entrepreneur at heart and in action. He and his companies have been recognized by organizations like Inc. Magazine, Business First and the American Marketing Association. Mark also loves competition. He has won a National Championship and earned a World Championship Silver Medal in Sports Jujitsu, a mixed martial arts-based competition. Mark is also an inductee in the American Sports Jujitsu League Hall of Fame. Mark founded TeamBuilder Search in 2008 and loves helping clients succeed by out-recruiting the competition. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
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