The Interview Guide
How to prepare and nail your next interview
There isn’t any part of the application process that isn’t work.
This explains why so many people wing it for the interview.
Bad Idea.
When you’ve been job hunting for a while, the interview can feel like the hopeful final stretch of the process, but it doesn’t mean you can skate by.
Below, I’ve broken down how to build your own interview packet to help you nail your next interview.
Let’s start with a breakdown of the interviews.
The HR interview
The initial screening usually happens with an HR rep. Their goal is to verify that you meet the basic requirements for the job.
Yes, they are eager to fill the role, but that doesn’t mean anyone gets to move on to the next step.
This is typically the “easy” interview. The one where you gain a false sense of security about the process and your chances.
How to prepare:
Know about the company and the department you are interviewing for.
Know your resume/history without looking at your resume
Ask questions about the process, the people you’ll be meeting with, and if there is anything you should know about the culture.
The first round with the hiring manager
This is where you begin to learn more about what they actually want for the role, and they verify if you are someone who is an interesting candidate.
Unlike HR reps who are hoping to say yes, hiring managers are looking for a reason to say no.
That doesn’t mean it will be hard, but it does mean that preparation and research are important.
How to prepare:
Everything from the HR interview is still relevant.
Reach out to other employees to learn about the culture and the team. Ask about what your hiring manager and the team specifically respond to and anything they don’t.
Know your why for wanting to work at that company and on that team/department.
Have a collection of stories to share about how you’ve handled different situations — they will be evaluating your soft skills. Every answer provides insight into how you think and work with others.
Prepare your questions. Make sure to have enough questions that no matter what the conversation covers, you still have things to ask at the end. When in doubt, ask about their experience, what they expect of a new team member, and what the first 90 days on the job will be like. If this is the first of a few rounds, ask about the others you’ll be talking to.
Second round+ with team members
This is when the team has a chance to weigh in on new hires, even when you don’t report to them.
This isn’t their decision, but they can sway the hiring manager.
Their biggest worry will be how you impact their workload.
How to prepare:
Ask the hiring manager about the people you’ll meet with. Look them up on LinkedIn and be familiar with their background and their current role with the team.
Prepare questions that are specific to each person you meet with. This is a good time to learn about their perspective on your role and their concerns about how the team meets their goals together.
Final round with hiring manager
This is less of an interview and more of a circle back.
That doesn’t mean you can wing it. This is also when impressions solidify, and decisions get made.
Hiring managers will be interested in your impression of the team and will be curious about what you’ve learned.
How to prepare:
Review your notes from each interview you’ve had.
Prepare your thoughts and insights from your conversations — what surprised you, what excited you, what you want to know more about.
Prepare additional questions (yes, more) about your observations, anything you could use more clarity on, and talk about your onboarding plan. These are the questions that assume you get the role.
How to build your packet
Before each interview, run through the preparation steps and organize your findings in a way that is easy for you to reference. I recommend a notebook that you use just for this purpose.
During and after each interview, take notes about the conversation and your observations. Add these as ammunition for questions for the next round.
Compile key links to your research:
LinkedIn
Articles and news reports
Job description
Company values + mission statement
Company website - product pages
Remember that at the end of the day, there are only three questions anyone will be trying to answer about you.
Can you do the job? Do you have the core skills to do the work they need you to do?
Do they like you? Will you make their job easier or harder? Will they dread Mondays more or less once you join the team?
Do you like them? Do you want to be on the team doing the work they need you to do?
If you can help them answer yes to these three questions with each part of the process, then you will be in the best position for an offer.
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