Smooth Sailing Through Your Next Interview: Essential Tips and Strategies

A Guide on Nailing Your Next Interview with Tips and Resources

Mar 12, 2024

Hello, Sailors! Set your sights on success as we dive into today's newsletter, packed with invaluable tips and strategies to help you ace your next interview. From essential pre-interview preparations to mastering the art of answering and asking insightful questions of your own, we've got you covered. And don't forget the most important advice—how to be yourself and let your unique qualities shine. After reading today's newsletter, it will be clear skies and smooth sailing through your next interview!

What to Know Before Your Interview 💭

Job Description

While it may seem straightforward, knowing the role you are interviewing for is crucial. Connect yourself to each skill or requirement outlined in the job listing. If you lack a skill, strategize how to address it when questioned about your skill set. For example, "Although I currently lack experience with X, I am eager to expand my knowledge through Y…, I've successfully tackled similar challenges using Z." Additionally, prepare relevant instances or examples for each non-technical skill requested. If the company values traits like someone who can work with little direction or is eager to learn, bring up a situation that falls into that category.

The Company

Before stepping into an interview with a company, you must familiarize yourself with their values, recent achievements, initiatives, and products. Connecting to a company's values and recent achievements can demonstrate your commitment to its mission and vision, as well as your commitment to preparation. Similarly, learning about their initiatives and products lets you share how they resonate with your interests or aspirations. By expressing curiosity for their products, you can show enthusiasm for the opportunity to contribute to their team.

Yourself

This may seem weird, but know yourself before your interview. How can you pitch yourself in a positive way to the interviewer that piques their interest? This self-awareness allows you to pitch yourself confidently. Here's how you can pitch yourself effectively:

Identify your Strengths and Weaknesses
1. What sets you apart from other candidates? Highlight your strengths, skills, and experiences to showcase what you bring to the table.
Craft your Elevator Pitch
1. Develop a concise and compelling elevator pitch that summarizes who you are, what you do, and what you're passionate about. You should tailor your pitch to the specific role and company you're interviewing with.
2. An elevator pitch would be your answer to the common question : “Tell me about yourself.”
Connect Your Experience to the Role
1. Draw connections between your past experiences and the requirements of the role. Be prepared to discuss specific examples that demonstrate how your skills and accomplishments align with what the company is looking for.

Preparing for Interview Questions ❓

Where to Find Interview Questions

Familiarize yourself with various questions about the skills and qualifications required for the job. To find specific interview questions about a skill, Google: "[Skill] Interview Questions" or "[Job Role] Interview Questions," for instance, "Copywriter Interview Questions." You can also find common interview questions in the resources section below.

Question Types

Behavioral
- These questions are asked to allow you to share examples of specific situations you have encountered.
- “Give me an example of a time you faced a conflict with a coworker. How did you handle that?”
Technical (Mostly STEM Jobs)
- These are questions designed to assess your specific knowledge and skills relating to the technical aspects of the job.
- “Describe the concept of a binary search algorithm and its time complexity.”
Opinion
- Used to assess your suitability to the company by viewing how you see different circumstances, primarily based on situations.
- What is your greatest strength?” “What would you do in situation X?”
Performance-Based
- These are questions that test your ability to problem solve.
- "Provide an example of an important personal goal that you set and explain how you accomplished it."
Communication
- Measure and test a person’s ability to communicate and articulate their thoughts.
- “Do you work well with other people?”

How to Answer Questions

The STAR format is crucial in most interview scenarios, particularly those involving behavioral questions. This format furnishes a structured framework for responding to questions and gives the interviewer a clear picture to evaluate your answer.

Star Method

Situation: Set the scene and give the necessary details of your example.
Task: Describe what your responsibility was in that situation.
Action: Explain exactly what steps you took to address it.
Result: Share what outcomes your actions achieved.

The UMPIRE method is a more advanced version of the STAR method. Although it can be more complex, it is crucial to remember these steps when faced with interview questions that aren't fully clear.

Umpire Method (General Interviews)

Understand: Before answering, fully understand the question being asked. Before proceeding, take a moment to clarify any uncertainties or ambiguities with the interviewer.
Map Out: Include the key points you want to cover in your response. Identify the main elements you need to address to provide a comprehensive answer.
Probe: Dive deeper into the question to ensure you effectively address the interviewer's concerns. Ask follow-up questions to gather more information and provide a more targeted response if necessary.
Invent Options: Brainstorm different options or approaches for answering the question. Consider drawing from various experiences, skills, and examples to showcase your suitability for the role.
Reinforce Answer: Once you've formulated your response, reinforce it by providing relevant examples, evidence, and anecdotes to support your points. Emphasize how your skills and experiences align with the requirements of the position.
Evaluate: Evaluate your answer to ensure it's clear, concise, and relevant to the question. Reflect on whether you've effectively addressed all aspects of the question and whether your response showcases your qualifications and fit for the role.

Umpire Method (For Coding Interviews) Source: CodePath

Understand what the interviewer asks for using test cases and questions about the problem.
Match this problem to known categories of issues, e.g., Linked List or Dynamic Programming, and strategies or patterns in those categories.
Plan the solution with appropriate visualizations and pseudocode.
Implement the code to solve the algorithm.
Review the code by running specific example(s) and recording values (watchlist) of your code's variables.
Evaluate the performance of your algorithm and state any solid/weak or future potential work.

Don’t Know an Answer?

Encountering a question you cannot answer can be stressful and potentially throw you off for the remainder of the interview. However, it is essential to remember that not knowing an answer is not critical and can be easily saved. Follow these steps if you encounter this situation:

Stay Calm
1. Take a deep breath and remain composed.
Ask for Clarification
1. Feel free to ask the interviewer to repeat or rephrase the question if the question needs clarification, as this displays your willingness to engage.
Bring in Relevant Experience and Transferrable Skills
1. Try to bring in a related experience, skill, or knowledge that demonstrates your qualifications for the role. Even if you lack direct experience in a specific situation or skill, emphasize your willingness to learn and adapt.
Be Honest and Be Eager to Learn
1. Admitting your knowledge gap is a good answer. Saying that if the challenge was given to you, that you would figure it out is better than making up an answer. Be prepared to answer how you would go about the challenge.
2. If you come up with an answer on what you would do, ask them to fill in any missing gaps. This shows recruiters you know when and how to ask for help. Especially in an internship or entry position, it is obvious to companies that these roles will sometimes need guidance.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask Questions 🙋‍♀️

It's crucial to engage with your interviewer during the interview by asking questions. Be attentive to the job listing and the information provided during the interview. Avoid asking questions that have already been addressed earlier on. Instead, tailor it to reflect your understanding of the company and the specifics of the role. Asking thoughtful questions can demonstrate your interest in the role and leave a positive impact on the interviewer. Avoid asking questions about salary or benefits. Here are some questions to consider:

What are some of the challenges of this role? How is success measured in this role?
When you were interviewing for [Company], what would you have liked to know before you joined?
What do you like best about working at [Company]?
What does the onboarding/training process look like?
Can you walk me through the team structure and how this role fits?

Practice With Mock Interviews 🗣

Mock interviews are invaluable tools for honing your interview skills and boosting confidence. By simulating real interview scenarios, mock interviews provide a low-pressure environment to practice answering questions and receiving constructive feedback. Engaging in mock interviews allows you to identify areas for improvement and refine your responses to common interview questions. Additionally, practicing mock interviews helps alleviate nervousness and increase comfort levels during actual interviews. Find a friend, parent, career mentor, or online friend to help you conduct your interview. Prepare interview questions, practice your responses, reflect, and adjust to refine your interview skills.

Lastly, Be Authentic! 💯

Being yourself during an interview is crucial to establishing a genuine connection with the interviewer and leaving a lasting positive impression. Being yourself builds trust and rapport between you and your interviewer, potentially creating a lasting connection. It will also display your confidence and differentiate you from other candidates.

Let your personality shine through, and be honest, present, and enthusiastic. Using your natural communication style while maintaining professionalism will help you retain authenticity.

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