So you landed an interview… now what?
For those of us who've been out of school for a while (remember those good old on-campus recruiting days?), just the thought of interview prep could make us shudder. While there are a rare few who actually enjoy the process itself, most people I've met would rather skip past all the stress and just "be in the job already."
Regardless of which camp you're in, kudos on getting past the black hole of online resume submissions! Now you have an interview on the calendar in the next few days. "I've done this before so many times," might be your first thought. But that tiny voice in your head might also be telling you that it's probably not such a great idea to just wing it.
Whether it's your absolute dream job or you just want some interview practice on your way to the next gig, below are some quick tips to help you brush up and hit the highlights, especially if you're limited on prep time.
At a high-level:
Interviewers will want to know: Why this industry? Why this company? Why this organization / team? Why this role? What is your understanding of (and expectation for) this role? Why now? Why you?
You will want to know: What is my personal vision (of success)? What ideally am I looking for, and how does this fit into that? (This includes but is not limited to: how you'd like to contribute, what you'd like to learn, what impact you want to make, your ideal environment / location / flexibility of hours / culture, etc.)
Your resume (and online presence or portfolio) then become communication tools to substantiate the fit between what you want and what the interviewers want.
This article outlines a good reminder of the basics.
But let’s also step outside the box for a moment. You’re ready for something new. How will your next career move put you closer to what you really want? What would your dream job description look like if you wrote it? What experiences, knowledge, and/or skills do you still need to acquire to qualify for that job? Even if that job existed in the world today, would it be easier for you to get hired or to create it for yourself?