Getting a job interview is an incredibly exciting event! But if you are at all like me, once the initial excitement has passed, in comes anxiety about the actual interview process. You have likely spent years training and gaining experience to get you to this point, but now you have a half-hour to convince someone that you are the right person for the job. Having a great interview can mean the difference between a promotion or not, so it is an important skill to master.
I have always been tremendously impressed with people who are able to interview in a clear and confident way, no matter the situation. Some people are naturally charismatic and can walk into a room and win over the toughest interviewer and show their qualifications in the best light. This type of speaking has always been daunting for me yet, as part of my career, I have gone on many interviews. While I may not have been born with a natural ability to charm prospective employers, I have learned a great deal over the years about how to optimize my performance during a stressful interview.
When you are first preparing for an interview, it is important to understand the position for which you are applying and the qualifications you bring to the table. It is my philosophy that you should always aim high and pursue some “reach” positions because I believe that it can help you grow professionally. You can speak to colleagues and mentors in the field and see if they think you would be a good fit based on qualifications. If there are any areas of improvement, you can address those with a goal in mind. Finally, even if there are some skills that you would need to acquire to successfully fill the position, do not be afraid to acknowledge those and help your prospective employer know that you are eager to learn!
Once you have identified the correct job and scored an interview, you need to help foster the right mentality. I often found that although on paper my training and experience may match certain positions, I still had a nagging voice in the back on my head, saying “but why me? I’m just like every other applicant.” While highly competitive positions may have many applicants, bringing that little voice in your head to your interview day likely will not help you. Anecdotally, I have found many more of my female colleagues have this issue. We should take a page from our male colleagues’ book and harness confidence in our experience and training. This is especially true once you have scheduled an interview. Likely someone has already read your resume and determined that you meet the qualifications to fill the position. Most employers are far too busy to interview candidate that lack the experience required for the position. All of this should leave you feeling assured that you have the right “stuff” to get the job.
Once you have the interview, make sure that you do as much research as you can on the company/institution/employer as you can. You want to know what the mission of the group is and how your role fits in within it. You want to think about what your experiences can bring to the table and how your training is valuable to an organization. Hopefully, you will find out who you are interviewing with and you can try to determine their role. If you are in an academic field, you can consider looking at their research interests or publications. Also use your network (friends, colleagues, LinkedIn) to see if you know someone at the organization. A personal connection is fantastic for getting a realistic perspective on the position and what the employer is looking for. They can also be a great resource for giving a positive, personal recommendation on your behalf, which is incredibly valuable in the interview process.
Once you have this information in hand, next it is time to practice! This may seem silly to some, but I have found that it is the best method to improve my interview skills. It can also help ensure that you sound confident (even if you still have some nervous energy). There are plenty of resources online about potential interview questions- and you can make sure that you can take into account any field-specific topics that are likely to be addressed. You should think about how you would answer the questions- then, most importantly- you should say them aloud. We often “sound better in our head” so it is important to think about how to phrase things and how to avoid “um” and “like.” Given that you have a limited amount of time with the interviewer, you want to make sure that you communicate all of the wonderful reasons why you are the right person for this job. You should practice questions several times and, especially if you are new at interviewing, should consider practicing with a partner and wearing a suit (or whatever attire is interview-appropriate). Make sure to pay attention to aspects like your posture (not the time to slouch!) and ensure that what you are wearing is comfortable to sit/stand/walk in. You should try to recreate the stress and unfamiliarity as much as you can to help minimize your stress on the actual day.
While you are practicing, make sure to ask for feedback often! You may not realize that you are not making good eye contact and looking down at your hands the entire time. Or, perhaps you are speaking far too quickly because you are nervous. Just like any skill, the more you practice, the better you will become. That being said, it is not a good idea to “memorize” answers. You still want to sound like the wonderful person that you are. You want to try to foster a genuine connection with your future employer so try to make sure that you sound as genuine and enthusiastic as possible.
Of note, also take a peek at your resume, if there are any gaps in employment/training or major career shifts, make sure you are prepared to address them. While these are not a mark against you, people will likely be curious about what you were up to. If you took a gap to travel the world or quit a job path that made you miserable, make sure to explain how these experiences helped you get to the place you are today and focus on why this career path is the right one for you.
Also make sure that once the interviewer has asked all of their questions, that you are prepared to ask a few of your own. I remember the first time this was posed to me at the end of the interview, I was almost speechless. After so much stress, my mind was blank and I didn’t want to appear that I didn’t know much about the job that I was applying for. This quickly ended the interview, and I don’t think it was a strength. While you are doing your initial research into a position, try to think of some questions for the interviewer. While it is important to cover the mundane details like the day-to-day tasks, consider also asking about the company’s vision for the future. I wouldn’t spend all this time asking about the vacation and sick leave policy (which are important to clarify), as this could give the impression that your priorities aren’t the work itself.
Once you’ve completed the initial interview, make sure you have the correct information for follow-up. You should be sure to send a thank you note and ensure that their company can contact you if they have any further questions or want to schedule a follow-up interview. Many jobs have several rounds of interviews, so if you are asked to come back and interview, it’s a good sign!
Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get the position after the first interview or several rounds of interviews. In fact, it can be a good opportunity to reach out to your interviewer and ask for feedback and an opportunity for self-reflection. If you can identify and areas for improvement, then you can tackle those and apply for your next job! However, sometimes even if you had a fantastic interview, you may not get the job. Know that this happens to all of us and that you just have to keep trying and one day you will land your dream job!
