Five Tips for Incredible Interviews
As the school year winds down, a new challenge emerges: job hunting. By now, you’ve refined your resume, perfected your cover letter and secured a call back from your dream job. The only thing standing between you and career satisfaction is the dreaded interview. Interviews are intimidating, but fear not: whether you’re looking for a summer student gig, a co-op work term, or (gasp) graduating, I’ve got your back with my top interview tips:
Save the job posting
I suppose this isn’t an interview tip, but it makes the next steps so much easier. More often than not, the job posting will vanish off the face of the earth once the application window closes. To avoid forgetting important details about the job, save the posting as soon as you apply. My preferred method is to use the Print function on my browser to save it as a PDF. It can be helpful to keep all your job postings for the season in the same folder.
Do your research
If you’re anything like me, you may have gotten carried away during the application stage and applied to more jobs than you can count. With so many applications, it can be easy to forget the specifics of each job. So, with your job posting saved (pleeeease see step one), review what the job entails and research the employer. If there are any job responsibilities you aren’t familiar with, don’t shy away from researching them to build your confidence. (And don’t forget to memorize the planning hierarchy.)
Prepare talking points
Obviously, you can never know what the interviewer will ask, but it’s a safe bet that questions will be reflective of the job posting. Look for a list of expected duties or relevant skills and think of your past experiences that align with them. For instance, a posting may mention organizational skills and time management. Even if you’ve never had a planning job before, you (hopefully) practice time management to meet uni deadlines and organize your course work. Don’t be afraid to mention experience from school or unrelated jobs - what matters to employers is that you have transferable skills.
Thank the interviewer - it buys you more time
Whenever you are asked a question, you can buy yourself a few moments to think by saying something like “thank you, that’s a great question” or “that’s very interesting, thank you, let me see...” before you dive into your response. Be thorough in your answers, and aim to address every part of the question you’re asked. Provide details and examples whenever possible. If you get halfway through an answer and forget the original question, it’s ok to ask them to repeat it. You have the whole interview to talk - don’t hesitate to give long answers. After all, they can’t know anything about you unless you tell them. Here’s a secret bonus tip: some employers are obliged to consider resumes/cover letters and interviews separately. So - don’t neglect to mention something in the interview because you already said it in your job application.
Ask your own questions when given the chance
Usually, an employer will offer you the chance to ask them questions at the end of the interview. This is a great time to ask logistical questions and anything else you want to know about the job opportunity. I like to ask about hybrid work possibilities, clarify the expected work hours, and maybe even inquire about projects you could be involved in if you are the successful candidate. Think of this time as a wind-down from the interview and a conversation about the job.
There you have it, my top tips for a successful interview. Even if you don’t ultimately get the job, every interview is a learning experience. It can be especially helpful to write down any questions they asked you afterwards so that you can better prepare for your next interview. Good luck and happy job hunting!
Written by Elise Beaton