When you only have a few minutes to show who you really are and what you are capable of, what do you do during those 30-60 minutes of an interview?
This can be your turning point, the big opportunity of your career and your life. There is no point in being ‘average’, you need to play your best cards. You need to go ‘all-in’, and that also means being well-prepared.
Doing your homework.
What I have seen in the 8 years working for both Google and Facebook and interviewing more than 400 people is that we interviewers will quickly and easily identify those that have really done their homework from those that haven’t, and that makes a huge difference to us.
Getting to know the company’s product and services, latest news, acquisitions, mergers, public strategy, etc will put you in another league to other candidates that we will see. This will help you not only have a deeper conversation with your interviewer but also create a connection faster and easier. Also, from an interviewer’s point of view, it is frustrating having to explain the basics to a candidate. e.g. How does Facebook make money?
If this sounds trivial and obvious to you, congratulations! But for many it is not. Many people don’t carry out proper research or prepare themselves adequately for interviews. However, when candidates come well prepared, it is a relief somehow because no company or interviewer in the world wants to spend a lifetime filling a position. That is time and money draining.
The other ‘to do’ item in your homework list is to research your interviewer. If the company provides you the names of who will be interviewing you, try to get to know them. Remember, creating rapport is key for succeeding in the interview process too.
Once, as a candidate, I started researching my interviewer and could see her name in many marathon finishers’ lists. There were many lists with her name on it and I could also identify her progress, she was getting better over time. This told me how competitive my interviewer is, how perseverant and possibly optimistic she should be, and I wasn’t wrong. It was one of my hardest interviews but I did well, I was mentally prepared to accelerate, compete and show my optimistic side. In that same session both the interviewer and I remained seated on our chairs for less than five minutes, the rest of the time we were both standing and writing on the whiteboard. I got the job.
My recommendation to you is to invest time and energy in every hiring process you enter. Leave your comfort zone and put your heart into it, study the company’s businesses and the people you will meet. It is worth it.