5 Tips for a Successful Job Interview
Whether you’re new to the jobs market or you’re considering your first job change for a while, the most challenging step is likely to be the interview process. With so much at stake, you’re bound to feel nervous – the journey to an offer often involves multiple steps. How times have changed from what used to be a single conversation with a hiring manager!
In this article, we share five tips to help you ace an interview process that might include video calls, skills assessments, and even AI tools. These interview hints will help you fully prepare, so that you can approach your job search and each interview stage with confidence.
Why Is the Interview Process So Long?
Don’t you just long for the days when you could submit your resume, attend a single in-person interview, and land a job on the spot? Yeah, that was a long time ago!
Today, candidates are often faced with several interview hurdles to negotiate. You might be expected to take an initial phone screen, followed by a virtual (video) interview, a panel interview with several team members, and perhaps even be requested to attend a job-specific assessment.
Overkill? Though it sounds like it, such an interview process has become standard. Poor hires are expensive mistakes, and employers want to be certain they are hiring the right person. They want good, long-term fits – not someone to fill a seat while searching for a new job elsewhere.
So, be prepared for a multi-step process – and one in which you’ll need to demonstrate the ability to interview well in a variety of settings.
Interview Hint #1: Video Interviews Are Common
Especially in the early part of an interview round, video interviews have become the default format. They can be conducted more easily, and might also be recorded for playback later. For the hiring company, it’s a no-hassle way of first-stage screening. If the role you’re applying for is remote of hybrid, you’re almost guaranteed to be interviewed virtually.
Here’s how to stand out onscreen:
Prepare Your Interview Room
Treat your environment as if it were the interview room at your prospective employer’s office. Make sure you’re in a quiet space with good lighting. Select a neutral background, and remove any elements in the background that shouldn’t be there.
Dress the Part
Just because you’re at home there is no excuse for not looking the part. From head to toe, dress as if you were attending an in-person interview (put your pants on!).
Make Eye Contact
This is more challenging than you think. It’s natural to look at the interviewer’s face when you are speaking. To do this in a virtual interview, you must look into the camera. Perfect this technique, and you’ll create the same sense of connection as you would during an in-person interview.
Test Your Tech
You’ll be surprised at how many virtual interviews fail to get off the ground, or fail half-way through because of avoidable issues with technology. The day before your virtual interview, test your mic, camera, and internet connection are all working. Test again an hour before your interview.
Be Prepared for Asynchronous Interviews
You might be asked to undertake an asynchronous video interview. This is where you are presented with pre-recorded questions to answer. This can feel awkward – there’s no visual feedback to your answers, and no opportunity to ask clarifying questions. The best way to prepare for these is to practice your answers, keeping them concise and delivering them with enthusiasm and energy.
Interview Hint #2: Behavioral Interviews Are the Standard Now
Behavioral questions are standard today. These are designed to discover how you have managed real-world situations in the past, to learn how you are likely to perform in the workplace as an employee.
(Tip: Employers are looking for problem-solvers, team players, and people who can adapt and thrive.)
The best way to prepare is to learn the STAR method:
- Situation – set the scene by describing the challenge faced.
- Task – describe your responsibility in overcoming the challenge or completing a project.
- Action – share what you did, focusing on your behaviors and skills.
- Result – end with the outcome, the impact you had, and any lessons you learned.
Prepare three or four go-to stories that demonstrate your strengths in a variety of situations. These could include the time you led a project, solved an internal conflict, or met a tough customer deadline. Ensure that your delivery is natural and not robotic, and always end on a positive note.
(Bonus Tip: Use the STAR preparation for all your interviews.)
Interview Hint #3: Don’t Let Assessments and AI Faze You
In efforts to level the playing field and remove unconscious bias from the interview process, many companies now use tools that go beyond traditional interview methods. These include:
- Personality or behavioral assessments to measure qualities like leadership or resilience
- Skills-based testing platforms, which are especially prevalent in roles such as administration, accounting, customer service, or IT
- AI tools that scan resumes or evaluate video interview responses for certain keywords or behaviors
Daunting? For sure. But they are not there to replace human decision-making; rather they’re in place to support it. If you try to ‘game the system’, you risk being perceived as inauthentic. And if you are asked to perform a timed task, all you need to do is your best – and understand it’s only one piece of the bigger picture.
Interview Hint #4: Human Connection Still Matters
With so much tech in use throughout the interview process, you might wonder if the human touch still matters. The answer is a resounding ‘yes’ – and especially so in sectors like healthcare, nonprofit, and HR where hiring managers place an even higher value on cultural fit and soft skills.
It may be true that your resume gets you through the door, but it’s your personality, curiosity, and thoughtfulness that make you a really memorable candidate. So be genuine, prepare meaningful questions to ask, and show interest in your new team, company culture, and business goals. An interview is your opportunity to demonstrate that you care about more than just the paycheck.
Interview Hint #5: Stay Focused Before, During, and After the Interview
A hiring company puts a great deal of effort into its interview process, before, during, and after the actual interviews. You should match this effort. Here are three pro tips to ensure you stand out:
- Before the interview rounds begin, do your homework. Research the company, learn about who you will meet, and prepare (and practice) answers to the most likely questions.
- During an interview, be sure to listen closely and take your time to answer. If you’re not sure what has been asked, then ask for clarification. Answer honestly, authentically, and enthusiastically – and be natural.
- After the interview (and within 24 hours), send a thank-you email, and mention something from the conversation you had. You might even ask a question, if it is relevant. This post-interview contact is another chance to reinforce your qualities and create a lasting impression.
Be Always Interview Ready
The interview process is far removed from what it once was. It may feel overwhelming, but with the right preparation and approach, you’ll navigate it with confidence and leave the interviewers in no doubt that they have met the candidate they need.
Here at Lakeshore Talent, our recruiters are here to help you make sense of the interview process, prepare for each interview effectively, and present the best version of you at each stage of the hiring process.
As your partner on your job search journey, we’re here to support your goals, advocate for you to our clients, and ensure you land the role that will propel you to your career goals.
What are you waiting for? Submit your resume to Lakeshore Talent today and join the thousands of professionals we have helped to reach their full potential.