A Checklist for Before, During and After Your Face-to-Face Interview to Snag that Dream Job  

While some people have mastered their interview skills to confidently sail through the face-to-face process and land the job offer, if you’re like most, you dread interviewing. Many feel overwhelmed and perhaps not quite sure how to prepare for an interview. But fear not! If you fall into this latter camp, here are some interview preparation tips that may help in your next interview so you can secure that dream job.

Prior to Your Onsite Interview

• Think about what excites you most about this role and why you want it.
• Look up the interview team you will be meeting with on LinkedIn and review their profiles. This will help to understand their current role and background so you can tailor questions, etc.
• Ask, if at all possible, what type of interview to prepare for. There are different styles and methods of interviewing, including the behavioral-based interview commonly used today. Others may take more of a laid-back approach and just want to have an open dialogue.
• Review the STAR approach, as this is another interviewing technique (the acronym stands for “Describe a Situation or Task [in your past], the Action you took, and the Results you accomplished.”).
• Research the company, the competitive landscape, recent news and announcements, and think about articulating the reasons you want to work for the company.
• Think about examples from your current and previous work experience that directly translate to the role you are interviewing for. Try to vary your examples, and don’t use the same situation to address multiple questions.
• Then, think about key skills (especially that are requirements) that would transfer to this role that make you qualified for the job.
• If you really want to impress the hiring team, put together a 30-60-90 day strategy plan for how you will approach your first three months if hired to the position. If you do this, be sure to be prepared to walk them through it and address any questions they may have.
• Do a trial drive to the office so you know how to get there and can estimate how much time it will take. Also, it will help you see if there is a visitor lot, general parking lot or garage you will have to use on the day of the interview, or a side entrance that looks usable, but then you find you have to check in with security at the main entrance. The last thing you want to do is to be rushed or lost just prior to sitting down for your interview.

During your Interview

• Bring multiple copies of your resumé and cover letter (if you have one), in case the interviewer doesn’t have the hard copy.
• Bring a notepad and pen to take notes.
• Use the STAR method to address questions and provide detailed answers.
• Make eye contact with each interviewer.
• Make sure you ask each interviewer a few questions (2-3 is a good number). You are interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you, to ensure it is a good fit all around.
• Know your audience. When preparing questions for each interviewer and preparing for how you will answer their questions, think about their level and role. You should tailor responses accordingly. For example, you don’t want to speak too much technical jargon with someone who is not technical and works mainly on the business side. For that type of individual, speak in layman’s terms.
• Be yourself and be excited!  Express genuine interest in the role and thank the interviewer for their time.

After your Interview

• It’s always a best practice to send follow up thank you notes to each of the interviewers (email will suffice but if you really want to stand out, try the old-fashioned written note sent via snail mail). Feel free to send these to your recruiter who will then forward them along to the respective interview team.
• Don’t hesitate to ask for a timeline on when you should expect to hear back on next steps. And don’t be afraid to follow up with HR, if you haven’t heard back after that timeline has passed, to check in and stay on their radar.

To recap, it’s always better to be more prepared than underprepared. Do your research, prepare several examples of situations you can talk about to address different scenarios, have thoughtful questions ready to ask the interviewer(s) and finally, remember to be yourself and channel that inner confidence. You can do this!