2 answers
Samantha
Student
Chino, California
1
Question
Asked
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What is the best advice for preparing for job interviews?
More directed towards residency interviews.
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2 answers
Nivedita Rana
Instructional Designer
3
Answers
New Delhi, Delhi, India
Updated
Nivedita’s Answer
Rearch about the company, role, new trends in the role, new softwares/ skills being used. Look at the Job description and prepare questions that they may ask in the interview. you can use AI for drafting QnA.
You should also think ABOUT THE QUESTIONS YOU WOULD ASK them as YOU ARE ALSO INTERVIEWING THEM. You also want to be sure if the organization is good for you mentally, professionally and financially.
You should also think ABOUT THE QUESTIONS YOU WOULD ASK them as YOU ARE ALSO INTERVIEWING THEM. You also want to be sure if the organization is good for you mentally, professionally and financially.
Jerry Bires
career coach
60
Answers
Carbondale, Illinois
Updated
Jerry’s Answer
Samantha,
Here's the tip sheet I put together about interview prep.
Overall Philosophy to Follow
It's not your point of view that matters during the interview. It's what can you do for them. All your communication, verbally and in writing, should be filtered through that lens.
Know the Job Spec
Be very fundamental as a safeguard. Review the job spec and imagine you’re being asked how you fit the top bullet points and requirements. Know in advance that the job spec likely is a Frankenstinian creation that HR and the hiring manager have cobbled together from the body parts of pre-existing job descriptions found across the Internet. Often it’s an idealized document such that you would need to descend from Mount Olympus to be hired! Yet, going in, it's all you have. See "After the Icebreaker. Question to ask Early" section below to move you beyond the job spec to the true needs of the hiring manager.
See way below for LinkedIn Search actions to take.
Chess Analogy
Look at your own candidacy and resume thru the lens of an objective third party and try to determine in advance where your interviewer, to whom you’re an unknown entity, would see your weak points. Be prepared to address them. Moreover, rather than having the weakness you've found about your candidacy sit there like the 500-pound gorilla in the room hoping that no one will notice it, raise the perceived issue yourself and you remove some of the anxiety about it.
"Jack, you may be wondering why someone like me, with 10 years of big company, hierarchical experience at Oracle, now wants to join a start-up with fewer than 25 people, let me tell you why."
Do this if YOU feel comfortable. Critics of this have asked me "Why would I want to bring up an area where I might be perceived as weak?" My response is that I would rather do so than have an interviewer say to me, "I don't see that you have any experience in Peoplesoft's AP/AR module," and put me on the defensive.
Headset for Telephone Interviews
For phone interviews, try and wear a headset. It frees up your hands, allowing you to type if need be. Most importantly, you can stand up, gesture, walk a bit, disperse some nervous tension and actually generate more enthusiasm than you would with a phone to your ear.
In-Person Interview Tips
• On an in-person interview, don’t wear any cologne, perfume, after shave. If you do, and someone finds that scent off putting, it won't go well for you.
• Dress a step above the corporate culture as you're not yet a part of it. Guys, especially, check your shoes; invest $2 in a heel guard if need be and make sure they're shined.
• Plan your intake of liquids and food so that you’re sharp when the interview occurs, not lethargic from digestion, nor frantic from low blood sugar, nor acutely aware of how your bladder is filling up thanks to that huge cup of coffee.
• Have a contact phone number with you, so that if you’re delayed in transit for any reason, you can reach out to the company.
• Scout out the route in advance so you are at ease while driving there on the day of the interview.
• Remember that the interview starts when you pull into the parking lot or lobby. You never know who might be observing you. Don't show up earlier than 10 minutes before the interview. Sometimes it throws them into a dither and they don't know what to do with you, especially smaller companies.
• Have several copies of your resume with you and something on which you can take notes.
Icebreaker Question
The interview is a dialog. It typically begins with an ice breaker question of “so tell us about yourself.” Have your succinct 60-90 second response prepared. Don't go back to when you were a fencing champion in college. Tailor the response to what's pertinent for the job for which you're interviewing. Because you’re answering this question in relation to the specific job for which you're interviewing, you often can end this icebreaker question with…."and it's for just this specific background and experience that I know I'd be successful here in the role of Job Title."
After the Icebreaker. Questions to Ask Early
As the job spec often times is an idealized document, I suggest you try to ask questions of the interviewer early in the interview.
“Interviewer, I’ve reviewed the job spec and I'm prepared to explain how I meet the requirements, but I know that the typical job spec only tells part of the story. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?”
The interviewer may say: "Fire away." Or they may say, "Jack, I'm on a tight schedule, please save them for later." In the latter case, you have to go with the flow. However, if the door is opened, I suggest asking three of these seven…you can weave in the others later:
1. What does a person taking this job need to accomplish over the next six to 9 months in order to be considered a successful hire?
2. On what skills or experience will you not compromise…meaning that I must have them on day one of my employment?
3. What would you see as the top three challenges for someone taking on this role?
4. What skills or characteristics would make me a star performer in this position? In other words, it would be my ability to do what that would make me stand out compared to the average candidate?
5. If I were hired in this role, what could I do to help you be successful and reach your goals?
6. What’s the real pain point here? What’s not getting done that you need to get done?
7. Why is this position open?
What you can gain from the answers to these questions is a roadmap to help you navigate the rest of the interview. It will keep you from veering off into areas that are of lesser, or no importance, to the hiring mgr. You’ll be able to spend time discussing how you have addressed similar pain points and overcome similar challenges. You’ll be sure to position yourself as possessing the attributes of someone who would be a top performer in the role.
I and the Data
Smart interviewers will reel you in when you are citing past accomplishments, so they know specifically what you contributed. It all comes down to what I call "I and the data." The interview is no place to accentuate what my group, or our team or the department accomplished. As difficult as it may be, it's time to focus on yourself. Moreover, when you cite accomplishments, try and quantify them by some measureable metric. For example, number of times, percentage, dollar value, etc. It makes them more concrete and, therefore, more powerful.
Often times you’ll talk in terms of a P-A-R story. Problem. Action. Resolution. This was the problem I faced, the action I took and how I resolved the issue.
A Question Taking Chutzpah to Ask and Moxie to Answer
"Interviewer, now that you’ve had a chance to talk with me, where do you see my strengths for this position, and where do you fear that I might be a little light?"
You ask this hoping the interviewer will have enough moxie to answer the question honestly, and especially to reveal where they feel you might be a little light - a nicer word than weak to describe you - so that you can counter that perception while the interview is still going on.
If this question is a bit daunting, you can ask it in a softer way…"Now that you’ve had a chance to talk with me, are there any reasons you would not want to move forward with my candidacy?"
Final Question and Follow-up Email
For your own peace of mind, ask: "I think it's pretty clear that I would love to work for you. So tell me, what are my next steps and who has the action item?
In truth, you have that action item; it's a follow up email to those with whom you interviewed, which is not wasteful fluff but speaks to the specific needs you learned the hiring manager has and details exactly how you can address them. If you cannot write such a meaty, content-driven email, then don't waste the hiring manager's time with something that can be immediately deleted because it has no value.
Specific Skill-Related Interview Questions
Check out the website below.
GET THE MOST OUT OF READY PREP INTERVIEW
Search for the position you are interviewing for. The questions are listed in the order of importance based on the skills and qualities needed to do the job. Print the interview questions that are most relevant or just print the top 10, 20, or 30 questions. Below are some other useful ways to use our site:
Not sure if they will ultimately want to charge you a fee
http://www.readyprepinterview.com/
LinkedIn Search Actions to Find Others Who Held or Hold the Same Position at the Company
Consider doing an Advanced People search on LinkedIn. To the right of the search field, and to the immediate right of the blue button with the spyglass, click the word Advanced and when the advanced search menu page loads, make sure to check all the boxes 1st, 2nd , Groups and 3rd degree connections.
In the various fields to the left, add the title of the job for which you are interviewing in the title field. Put it in quotes so the search engine must find the exact phrase.
Put the company name of the firm in the company field; again, use quotes if more than a single name as above.
Once you starting writing in either the title or company fields, a new field appears below and you can select choices from the drop down arrow. Select Past in both the title and company field in an effort to find the person or persons who previously held the role. Should provide some nice data points about how you measure up to them. You also get to see to what titles and to what companies they’ve moved, which may also provide a lead for other firms needing your skill set.
Go back to the title and companies fields. Change from Past to Current in the drop downs for company and title to see if there are others now in the role for which you are interviewing to get the same kind of data.
Often times you will find 3rd degree connection results. If you have a free/basic subscription, you will not be able to see the person’s entire profile. In this case, Google can help. Copy and paste the person’s name and title into Google.
Here’s an example. My LinkedIn search where Xerox was the company found:
Michael P.3rd
Account VP for Major Global Carrier
Location
Washington D.C. Metro Area
Industry
Computer Networking
• Similar
Past
Regional Sales Manager - AT&T & US Carrier Accounts at Telematics International
Promoted to this position based on past sales... 1994 Top Region Sales Manager Award.
Past
Vice President - North America Network Service Provider Sales at ECI Telecom/Telematics International
Promoted to Vice President of Sales after leading the Network Service Provider Sales Team to a...
I then went to Google and pasted what I knew into the search field.
Michael Xerox “Account VP for Major Global Carrier”
Among the results:
• Michael Poteet | LinkedIn
www.linkedin.com/pub/michael-poteet/3/956/788
Washington D.C. Metro Area - Account VP for Major Global Carrier
View Michael Poteet's professional profile on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is the world's ... Michael Poteet. Account VP for Major Global Carrier .... XEROX Corporation.
• Mike Poteet - Washington D.C. Metro Area profiles | LinkedIn
www.linkedin.com/pub/dir/Mike/.../us-97-Washington-D.C.-Metro-Area
View the profiles of professionals on LinkedIn named Mike Poteet located in the ... Title: Account VP for Major Global Carrier; Demographic info: Washington D.C. ... Account Manager at XEROX Corporation, Computer Hardware Specialist at ...
While it does not show here, on Google to the right of the number 788 in the URL of the first result, and to the right of Metro-Area in the second was a pull down arrow and when clicked on one of the choices is CACHED. Click cached and what will load is Google’s cached results of this entry, which often will display the entire profile of the individual. So it’s a way to get around the limitations on LinkedIn of not being able to see the profiles of 3rd degree connections.
You can consider whether there's merit in reaching out to someone who previously held the role to get some inside information about the company, hiring manager and the position. I think there is very little downside risk to doing so…would the former incumbent really call the company and say…"Alice Jones reached out to me." And if the former incumbent did, is that bad??? You were doing your due diligence. That being said, please use your own judgment. It's not as cut and dried as mathematics, people being people.
Good fortune to you, Samantha.
Here's the tip sheet I put together about interview prep.
Overall Philosophy to Follow
It's not your point of view that matters during the interview. It's what can you do for them. All your communication, verbally and in writing, should be filtered through that lens.
Know the Job Spec
Be very fundamental as a safeguard. Review the job spec and imagine you’re being asked how you fit the top bullet points and requirements. Know in advance that the job spec likely is a Frankenstinian creation that HR and the hiring manager have cobbled together from the body parts of pre-existing job descriptions found across the Internet. Often it’s an idealized document such that you would need to descend from Mount Olympus to be hired! Yet, going in, it's all you have. See "After the Icebreaker. Question to ask Early" section below to move you beyond the job spec to the true needs of the hiring manager.
See way below for LinkedIn Search actions to take.
Chess Analogy
Look at your own candidacy and resume thru the lens of an objective third party and try to determine in advance where your interviewer, to whom you’re an unknown entity, would see your weak points. Be prepared to address them. Moreover, rather than having the weakness you've found about your candidacy sit there like the 500-pound gorilla in the room hoping that no one will notice it, raise the perceived issue yourself and you remove some of the anxiety about it.
"Jack, you may be wondering why someone like me, with 10 years of big company, hierarchical experience at Oracle, now wants to join a start-up with fewer than 25 people, let me tell you why."
Do this if YOU feel comfortable. Critics of this have asked me "Why would I want to bring up an area where I might be perceived as weak?" My response is that I would rather do so than have an interviewer say to me, "I don't see that you have any experience in Peoplesoft's AP/AR module," and put me on the defensive.
Headset for Telephone Interviews
For phone interviews, try and wear a headset. It frees up your hands, allowing you to type if need be. Most importantly, you can stand up, gesture, walk a bit, disperse some nervous tension and actually generate more enthusiasm than you would with a phone to your ear.
In-Person Interview Tips
• On an in-person interview, don’t wear any cologne, perfume, after shave. If you do, and someone finds that scent off putting, it won't go well for you.
• Dress a step above the corporate culture as you're not yet a part of it. Guys, especially, check your shoes; invest $2 in a heel guard if need be and make sure they're shined.
• Plan your intake of liquids and food so that you’re sharp when the interview occurs, not lethargic from digestion, nor frantic from low blood sugar, nor acutely aware of how your bladder is filling up thanks to that huge cup of coffee.
• Have a contact phone number with you, so that if you’re delayed in transit for any reason, you can reach out to the company.
• Scout out the route in advance so you are at ease while driving there on the day of the interview.
• Remember that the interview starts when you pull into the parking lot or lobby. You never know who might be observing you. Don't show up earlier than 10 minutes before the interview. Sometimes it throws them into a dither and they don't know what to do with you, especially smaller companies.
• Have several copies of your resume with you and something on which you can take notes.
Icebreaker Question
The interview is a dialog. It typically begins with an ice breaker question of “so tell us about yourself.” Have your succinct 60-90 second response prepared. Don't go back to when you were a fencing champion in college. Tailor the response to what's pertinent for the job for which you're interviewing. Because you’re answering this question in relation to the specific job for which you're interviewing, you often can end this icebreaker question with…."and it's for just this specific background and experience that I know I'd be successful here in the role of Job Title."
After the Icebreaker. Questions to Ask Early
As the job spec often times is an idealized document, I suggest you try to ask questions of the interviewer early in the interview.
“Interviewer, I’ve reviewed the job spec and I'm prepared to explain how I meet the requirements, but I know that the typical job spec only tells part of the story. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?”
The interviewer may say: "Fire away." Or they may say, "Jack, I'm on a tight schedule, please save them for later." In the latter case, you have to go with the flow. However, if the door is opened, I suggest asking three of these seven…you can weave in the others later:
1. What does a person taking this job need to accomplish over the next six to 9 months in order to be considered a successful hire?
2. On what skills or experience will you not compromise…meaning that I must have them on day one of my employment?
3. What would you see as the top three challenges for someone taking on this role?
4. What skills or characteristics would make me a star performer in this position? In other words, it would be my ability to do what that would make me stand out compared to the average candidate?
5. If I were hired in this role, what could I do to help you be successful and reach your goals?
6. What’s the real pain point here? What’s not getting done that you need to get done?
7. Why is this position open?
What you can gain from the answers to these questions is a roadmap to help you navigate the rest of the interview. It will keep you from veering off into areas that are of lesser, or no importance, to the hiring mgr. You’ll be able to spend time discussing how you have addressed similar pain points and overcome similar challenges. You’ll be sure to position yourself as possessing the attributes of someone who would be a top performer in the role.
I and the Data
Smart interviewers will reel you in when you are citing past accomplishments, so they know specifically what you contributed. It all comes down to what I call "I and the data." The interview is no place to accentuate what my group, or our team or the department accomplished. As difficult as it may be, it's time to focus on yourself. Moreover, when you cite accomplishments, try and quantify them by some measureable metric. For example, number of times, percentage, dollar value, etc. It makes them more concrete and, therefore, more powerful.
Often times you’ll talk in terms of a P-A-R story. Problem. Action. Resolution. This was the problem I faced, the action I took and how I resolved the issue.
A Question Taking Chutzpah to Ask and Moxie to Answer
"Interviewer, now that you’ve had a chance to talk with me, where do you see my strengths for this position, and where do you fear that I might be a little light?"
You ask this hoping the interviewer will have enough moxie to answer the question honestly, and especially to reveal where they feel you might be a little light - a nicer word than weak to describe you - so that you can counter that perception while the interview is still going on.
If this question is a bit daunting, you can ask it in a softer way…"Now that you’ve had a chance to talk with me, are there any reasons you would not want to move forward with my candidacy?"
Final Question and Follow-up Email
For your own peace of mind, ask: "I think it's pretty clear that I would love to work for you. So tell me, what are my next steps and who has the action item?
In truth, you have that action item; it's a follow up email to those with whom you interviewed, which is not wasteful fluff but speaks to the specific needs you learned the hiring manager has and details exactly how you can address them. If you cannot write such a meaty, content-driven email, then don't waste the hiring manager's time with something that can be immediately deleted because it has no value.
Specific Skill-Related Interview Questions
Check out the website below.
GET THE MOST OUT OF READY PREP INTERVIEW
Search for the position you are interviewing for. The questions are listed in the order of importance based on the skills and qualities needed to do the job. Print the interview questions that are most relevant or just print the top 10, 20, or 30 questions. Below are some other useful ways to use our site:
Not sure if they will ultimately want to charge you a fee
http://www.readyprepinterview.com/
LinkedIn Search Actions to Find Others Who Held or Hold the Same Position at the Company
Consider doing an Advanced People search on LinkedIn. To the right of the search field, and to the immediate right of the blue button with the spyglass, click the word Advanced and when the advanced search menu page loads, make sure to check all the boxes 1st, 2nd , Groups and 3rd degree connections.
In the various fields to the left, add the title of the job for which you are interviewing in the title field. Put it in quotes so the search engine must find the exact phrase.
Put the company name of the firm in the company field; again, use quotes if more than a single name as above.
Once you starting writing in either the title or company fields, a new field appears below and you can select choices from the drop down arrow. Select Past in both the title and company field in an effort to find the person or persons who previously held the role. Should provide some nice data points about how you measure up to them. You also get to see to what titles and to what companies they’ve moved, which may also provide a lead for other firms needing your skill set.
Go back to the title and companies fields. Change from Past to Current in the drop downs for company and title to see if there are others now in the role for which you are interviewing to get the same kind of data.
Often times you will find 3rd degree connection results. If you have a free/basic subscription, you will not be able to see the person’s entire profile. In this case, Google can help. Copy and paste the person’s name and title into Google.
Here’s an example. My LinkedIn search where Xerox was the company found:
Michael P.3rd
Account VP for Major Global Carrier
Location
Washington D.C. Metro Area
Industry
Computer Networking
• Similar
Past
Regional Sales Manager - AT&T & US Carrier Accounts at Telematics International
Promoted to this position based on past sales... 1994 Top Region Sales Manager Award.
Past
Vice President - North America Network Service Provider Sales at ECI Telecom/Telematics International
Promoted to Vice President of Sales after leading the Network Service Provider Sales Team to a...
I then went to Google and pasted what I knew into the search field.
Michael Xerox “Account VP for Major Global Carrier”
Among the results:
• Michael Poteet | LinkedIn
www.linkedin.com/pub/michael-poteet/3/956/788
Washington D.C. Metro Area - Account VP for Major Global Carrier
View Michael Poteet's professional profile on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is the world's ... Michael Poteet. Account VP for Major Global Carrier .... XEROX Corporation.
• Mike Poteet - Washington D.C. Metro Area profiles | LinkedIn
www.linkedin.com/pub/dir/Mike/.../us-97-Washington-D.C.-Metro-Area
View the profiles of professionals on LinkedIn named Mike Poteet located in the ... Title: Account VP for Major Global Carrier; Demographic info: Washington D.C. ... Account Manager at XEROX Corporation, Computer Hardware Specialist at ...
While it does not show here, on Google to the right of the number 788 in the URL of the first result, and to the right of Metro-Area in the second was a pull down arrow and when clicked on one of the choices is CACHED. Click cached and what will load is Google’s cached results of this entry, which often will display the entire profile of the individual. So it’s a way to get around the limitations on LinkedIn of not being able to see the profiles of 3rd degree connections.
You can consider whether there's merit in reaching out to someone who previously held the role to get some inside information about the company, hiring manager and the position. I think there is very little downside risk to doing so…would the former incumbent really call the company and say…"Alice Jones reached out to me." And if the former incumbent did, is that bad??? You were doing your due diligence. That being said, please use your own judgment. It's not as cut and dried as mathematics, people being people.
Good fortune to you, Samantha.