Redefining the Interview Experience
Anyone who has ever been on a job search knows that interviews can be daunting. The stakes often seem as high as the anxiety in preparing. Fortunately, the reality of what an interview can be is far more exciting than nerve-wracking. As Brandon pointed out in his blog post about resumes, just as your resume is a doorway, the interview becomes the hallway to opportunity, at Gresham Smith. You’ve already passed the first test; your resume indicated that you were qualified enough to warrant further exploration. Now it’s time for a conversation to get to know who you are and what you’re all about. Resumes are very important, but an interview moves the focus far deeper than what can be condensed into a single page.
When I sit down to interview a candidate, my goal is to learn more about the person. Can I work with them? Can they cooperate and work as part of our team? Are they going to grow here or are they looking at this job as just another stepping stone?
Preparing with Intention
When you come to an interview, it is really important to be intentional with how you present yourself. Dress for success, speak clearly and confidently, be self-assured and be engaged. Interviewers especially want to see a candidate full of excitement and enthusiasm. Nervousness is okay and no one is expecting perfect answers; genuine answers are far more powerful. It is great to be prepared and have some planned responses, which demonstrates your level of commitment and interest in the position, but it is more critical to be ready to confidently explore new ideas or give answers that come to you in the moment. The worst thing you can do is to stretch to try to use a stock reply instead of answering the question authentically. Remember, no one knows you better than you do, and since that is what the interviewer is really after, it’s important to open up and share your ideas and passions.
Know Your Stuff
When you’re preparing for an interview, being able to speak knowledgeably about the firm you’re trying to join is an absolute must. Do your research and be ready to ask relevant questions or share what you’ve learned about the company. Our interviewers don’t expect that you know every aspect of Gresham Smith or that your conclusions made from perusing our website are fully accurate. In my experience, if you share a bit of wrong information, a good interviewer will take that opportunity to share more about the firm, the business, or the role. This can be a positive sign that you’re engaged in a conversation about the job and not just on the receiving end of a stressful game of 20 questions.
Be ready to share pertinent facts about insightful experiences from your recent work history to expand on the story your resume began telling. Also, anticipate the types of questions you expect will be relevant to the position, based on the role description and the content of your resume. Preparing to share a challenge you’ve overcome or an accomplishment you’re proud of is a great way to be ready to share important parts of your narrative.
Tackling the Tough Questions
Also be prepared for the most notorious interview questions: What is your biggest weakness? Be careful with this one; while this is not a trick question, many people fall into the trap of trying to slip in a humble brag. Don’t do that. Weaknesses are part of being human and being able to recognize one’s own weaknesses is commendable. As a supervisor, when I see people recognize where they need to grow and identify areas they are making a priority to improve, I see nothing but opportunity for success! Instead of taking the easy way out and distorting one of your strengths, consider sharing a real weakness that you’ve struggled with or have been working to correct. If you’ve overcome a weakness, share that too. From the interviewer’s perspective, hearing someone identify something they need to work on builds trust and respect. What more could one want from an employee! This will also trigger a good supervisor’s instinct to share growth opportunities or to start planning ways to enable your growth once you (fingers crossed!) start your job.
Be Memorable by Being Yourself
Ultimately, be natural and authentic. Interviews fall flat when they merely become anxiety riddled Q&A sessions or rehearsed answers that fail to blossom into powerful, engaging conversations. You have the skills and capabilities to fill the position, as was tested when you were invited to interview, so now it’s time to prove that you’re ready to meaningfully contribute to the team’s success. People want to work with people they enjoy being around, which cannot be fully conveyed through a resume. The interview is an opportunity to share your personality and what makes you special. Shake off those nerves and get excited to sell the world’s rarest resource—you!
