Interview tips to land your next role!
Whether you’ve got your interview game down pat or haven’t gone for a new role in years, below are some pointers that could come in handy during your next foray into the job market;
1. Take the time to properly research the company you’re interviewing with; if it’s listed, note the key takeaways from the annual report and jot down some figures (earnings, net profit, balance sheet etc).
If it’s private, google them to see what you can find (the Australian Financial Review does some excellent profiles on both listed and unlisted firms), and check out the interviewers’ Linked In profiles.
You want to understand the firm’s PnL drivers, who their key competitors are, and their points of differentiation. During the interview, don’t wait to be prompted; actively mention what you picked up in your research, and ask some relevant questions to demonstrate this.
2. Cliched as it sounds, you only get one chance to make a first impression – find out in advance what the company’s dress code is; no need for a suit and tie with a FinTech (too formal) and vice versa for an Investment Bank or a Law firm (too casual).
3. Be prepared for the unexpected; your interviewer might get substituted at the last minute by someone you weren’t expecting – instead of getting flustered, try to take it in your stride, knowing that you’ll need to impress any number of different stakeholders as part of the process.
4. Practice your answers at home or with a friend, and be sure to have real-world examples to back up what you’re saying – these could be in relation to;
· Delivering a process improvement initiative
· Managing a demanding stakeholder
· Making a decision that was unpopular but in the best interests of the organisation
The key is to keep your examples on point, demonstrating that you can deliver a message succinctly without waffling (easily the number one complaint from interviewers!)
And if you get asked for some of your career achievements, try to avoid the response one of our candidates gave; “Gosh, where do I start?”
It didn’t do him any favours!
5. Some good questions to ask of your interviewers to demonstrate you can put yourself in their shoes;
· What does success look like in this role?
· What are the challenges for the team over the next 12 months?
· What are the opportunities for process improvement?
· What are the strengths and weaknesses of the existing team members?
· What kind of succession planning is in place?
6. Many roles these days require you to sit a psychometric test (numerical, verbal and abstract reasoning); the more practice questions you do, the more chance you have of succeeding. Google some practice questions, and squeeze in at least a couple of hours’ worth in the lead-up.
7. So you’ve made it through the interviews and passed the technical hurdles; now it’s time for the final round ‘meet and greet’ with the GM / Head of / COO / CFO / CEO etc.
This is usually a 30 minute only meeting to assess your overall cultural fit. It’s unlikely to go into much technical detail, and will instead focus on topics such as the firm’s strategic direction and industry trends.
It’s generally best to keep things high-level and conversational, demonstrating your ability to engage in small talk (for some easy ice breakers, find out in advance from your recruiter what this person’s interests are) and converse comfortably at senior levels.
It’s a fine line though, and you don’t want to come across too casually; we once had a candidate with a senior role all but in the bag, until he met the CEO and addressed him as “G’day mate” …it was a costly mistake - he didn’t land the job!
In summary, it’s often the “one-percenters” that determine interview success, so the more preparation and research you can do, the better your chances.