Interview 108 - The best way to do advance-prep for interviews and get ready for interview day

The moment you get a call for an interview, there are many things you should begin doing to increase your chances of an offer. At the same time, after getting a call, you will never have time to do specific actions equally necessary for success. Therefore, the earlier you begin, the better it is.

I have divided this post into two categories - actions you should be doing well before the day of the interview and activities on the day of the interview. After reading this post, you will have a good sense of how early to start. 

Before the day of the interview:

1) Talk to employees in the company: Identify the right people working in the company you will be interviewing for. You can do this by using Linkedin. The idea is to connect with alums working in the company, managers working on projects you are interested in, or recruiters hiring from your target group. The recruiters are always the most difficult to talk to. You will have to do this work well in advance, as only 10-20% of people on Linkedin respond to messages. 

You always want to ask for informational sessions rather than for direct referrals. You want to be ready with thoughtful questions about the company strategy, products, and work culture. Most people you connect with will offer referrals at the end of the meeting or connect you with the hiring managers. If not, it is ok to follow up by asking for a referral if the discussion has gone well. By talking to multiple employees, you get a fair sense of what the company is from the inside. When talking to interviewers at the time of interviewers, this talk with employees can get you a lot of brownie points. Despite how simple it may sound, only some candidates put in the effort to talk with employees early on. This way, you can differentiate yourself from other job applicants and indicate a strong interest in the job and company

2) Prepare for STAR interviews: I have written a detailed post on prepping for STAR interviews; check it up. First, write down all the STAR answers in a book with as much detail as possible. Then, the day before the interview, list down the skills for the role as per the Job Description for the position you will be interviewing for. Finally, ask yourself which STAR answer best fits each skill question.

3) Personal grooming: The importance of personal grooming cannot be emphasized enough. Men should invest in full-hand shirts (white or light blue), ties with no elaborate designs, and blazers. Women should also invest in professional attire. If you are a student and getting a good blazer is expensive, please borrow at the very least. It is better to be overdressed than to be underdressed. 

Ensure you get a haircut 2-3 days before the interview. If something goes wrong during the haircut, you still have a small window of time to recover. 

4) Mock interviews: Do interview practice with people you know - friends, family, and colleagues. While it may seem strange to have people you know asking you questions, remember that interviewing is a peculiar art. It is not easy to talk about yourself, place yourself in the center and sell yourself as a superstar. This type of conversation is not OK in the real world. Yes, interviews are bizarre, and you become better the more you practice. Everybody's first interview is a disaster. If you see anyone wing an interview, it is only proof that they have been doing a lot of prep and sweating it out in the background.

On the day of the interview:

1) Make sure you shave or groom your facial hair. It is better to be as trim as possible, especially for consulting, finance, and management interviews. However, many interviewers are still old school and don't take kindly to facial hair, so be aware of that dynamic.

2) Check that you don't exude any body odor. Especially if the weather is hot and clothes are heavy, it is easy to fall into the trap. In that case, dress lightly and stay in an AC-controlled room for 10-15 minutes before the interview.

3) Come to the interview at least 30 minutes in advance for face-to-face interviews and 5-10 mins in advance for conference calls. Interviewers often finish their interviews a bit early or a bit late. If they finish the previous interview early, you may get some chit-chat time with the interviewer. If they are late, they will profusely apologize for keeping you waiting. In addition, they will be less judgemental and more approving in the first 10 minutes, which could give you a significant upper hand in interview evaluation. 

4) Knock on the door and only come in when asked. Similarly, don't jump to your seat, but wait to be seated. The interviewer may be managing some transitions from the previous interview or finishing up comments, so give them enough time to move their frame of mind to the next interview with you.

5) You want to make some quick chit-chat and break the ice before any interview. Your first word should be, " I am XX, and I am so happy to meet you for today's interview." This sentence reiterates why you are there and your interest in the interview. You could be at a disadvantage if you jump straight into Q&A.

6) Create a positive first impression. Refer to my post on introducing yourself here. Have a big smile as you talk and look straight into the eyes of the interviewer to look confident. While you want to keep an erect spine, bending forward during an interview answer signifies interest on your behalf. If you observe Satya Nadella talk in a session, you will observe that he smiles when hearing a question but doesn't smile when answering so as not to appear frivolous. Crossing hands or legs is considered less confident. 

7) Be ready with answers to walk me through the resume or introduce yourself by following my tips in this post here.

8) There is some advice, albeit questionable, about power poses. A TEDx talk video by ex-Harvard Business School Professor Amy Cuddy gives more information. This theory says that you can prime yourself to be more confident for an interview by adopting power poses. Amy Cuddy recommends interviewees stretch themself for a few minutes to appear more confident and assertive. For example, one pose is to keep your hands on your hips, which increases testosterone levels. She calls it "fake it till you make it." However, other researchers have claimed that this is just a placebo effect. The backlash around Amy Cuddy's research methods made her leave her faculty position at Harvard.

9) Keep a book and pen with you when you answer questions. It is totally fine to look down at your notes when answering questions. Hence, consider taking notes during the interview, especially when the interviewer passes on important information about the company. Note-taking is a critical activity in any company, irrespective of your level. You will be evaluated as a serious candidate when you take notes. When asked questions, take 10 seconds and write down 2-3 keywords you plan to talk about before jumping to answer. It is easy to get into answer mode. Once there, you will need to think on your feet when answering questions, increasing your chances of making mistakes.

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