Prepping for an Interview

Prepping for an Interview

You’ve got one shot at making an impression. Make it a good one.

T-10 Days: Talking Points

• Be able to tell a story about every bullet on your resume. It shouldn’t be there unless you have a story attached to it that demonstrates some quality the interviewer is looking for. Your research, the job description, and other information can help you determine what they are looking for.
• Consider practicing with a friend, or recording your answers in OneNote and listening to them.

T-8 Days: Prepare Questions for the Interviewer

• Look at any news about the company or industry that you found during your research – what is the company’s plan to respond?
• What are common career paths that people go onto after this role? Where does the interviewer plan to be in five years?.
• Ask them what they do in their free time. You might find something in common.

T-5 Days: Managing the Interview

• When making the interview appointment, keep all your information in one place. Put the appointment on your Outlook Calendar, set reminders along this T-minus schedule, and setup reminders to do follow-up thank you e-mails very quickly after the interview.
• Manage contacts – over the course of your informational interviews, the actual interview, and any follow-up e-mails, you’ll want to save contact information for everyone you meet – use Outlook – you can sync it with your Hotmail contacts and with a Windows Mobile phone.
• Know before you go – where is the meeting? Driving directions? What does the building look like? Check out 3D view for a close-up in Bing Maps to get a good feel for where you’ll be.

T-2 Days: What to Wear

• Pick out your clothes two days before; that gives you an extra-day for any emergency dry cleaning. Hopefully you’ve networked and know what people usually wear. You don’t want to be the only person in a suit when everyone else is wearing jeans, but it’s always better to be overdressed. For example, a guy might plan on wearing a tie, and remove it, as appropriate, once getting the lay of the land. Similarly, a girl might wear a blazer or sweater, and remove it if needed.

T-0 Days: The Day of the Interview

• Make sure to bring a professional looking, leather-bound folder with a pad for notes, pen, and extra copies of your resume.
• Keep any contact information for the interview, including a phone number – you never know when you’re going to get lost, run late, or have a miscommunication.
• Plan on showing up 30 minutes early. You’d be surprised how much more confident you feel if you’re calm and prepared.

T-0 Days: During the Interview

• Make eye contact, shake hands firmly, and stay relaxed.
• If they don’t have it in front of them, give them a hardcopy of your resume to look at.
• Find out more about what they are looking for. Then tell stories and highlight experience that’s a fit.
• You should feel free to take notes on your pad, ask your questions, and write down the answers.
• Get their business card, or write down their contact info so you can follow-up.

T+1 Days: Thank You Letter

• The day of the interview, or within two days at most, they should receive a thank you e-mail, or, if possible, a handwritten thank you card. Use this e-mail or note to remind them of something unique that you talked about in your interview, even if it’s a passion for espresso, and not the job itself. You want to be memorable, and demonstrate that you were listening.

- Tracy O’Brien – Manager at HP, Autodesk, and Microsoft, says "mentioning something you learned in the interview shows you paid attention and were listening to me." 

 

T+14 Days: What Happens Next?

• If you get the job, that’s fantastic. If not, don’t throw it all away.
• Contact the interviewer for feedback. Asking “how can I make myself a stronger candidate?” shows maturity and commitment.
• Keep any contact information you get in Outlook. Setup a reminder to e-mail the recruiter or interviewer again in three weeks just to say hi, stay on their radar, or let them know you’ve updated your resume with a new leadership position, job, or internship.
• Oftentimes you may get along well with the interviewer. Stay in touch. Set up a recurring appointment in Outlook to have coffee once a month. They can provide advice, and let you know about other openings.