12 Steps to Rock Your Interview
The selfie I took in my car after I absolutely crushed the interview for my dream job. Can you tell I was completely giddy?
Just like dream jobs, dream interviews do exist! It's a surreal experience: You walk into a room full of people who return your friendly smile. You answer their questions in a way that showcases your talents and shows admirable self-awareness of things you could improve on. You shake their hands on the way out and tell them you had a positive interview experience and hope to see them again soon. They say it back.
My interview for my current job was that dream experience, and I can tell you I was nervous as hell the whole time. I was so giddy with nerves and happiness that I was physically shaking and had to sit in my car for a few minutes to calm down before I left. I think I giggled all the way home. And when I got the job, I think I cried.
I felt so unprepared going into that interview. It was a week before senior design presentations in college. I was probably averaging 5 hours of sleep a night. But halfway through the interview, it clicked that I had somehow done exactly the prep work I needed to set myself up to shine. And apparently I did. I mean, I'm here now.
So now I want to share the steps I took, and the steps you can take, to get to that happy place. So much of an interview is about preparing yourself mentally to go in with the confidence you need to showcase your talents - because when you're nervous, it's way too easy to forget the things that make you awesome.
A side note about writing this... I tried to make these tips as generic as possible, so please adjust them to fit your situation. These tips can help with everything from your first part-time job in high school to your dream job as a rocket engineer (trust me). If you're going into a technical interview, I'm working on a separate blog post to help with that - but this post is just as useful so don't skip over it!
Some of these steps may seem silly, you may think you don’t need it, but they do make a difference – so don’t sell yourself short!
Check them off.
P.S. I'm going to keep telling you to write it out rather than just thinking about it. Why? Because our brains aren’t all that good at coming up with the right words on the spot when we’re nervous. Figure out the words you’re going to use to express your thoughts before you’re in the hot seat.
Getting the Interview
1. Prep your résumé.
If you haven’t made a résumé yet, or want to remake yours, check out this super thorough and overachieving résumé builder guide (way fancier than my résumé), or this more standard one. We’ll customize it in the next two steps.
Side note: I feel like such a dweeb writing “résumé” with the accented “é”s. But that is actually how it’s supposed to be written. And I am a dweeb so I’m sticking with it.
2. Write yourself a 2-sentence blurb on what the job is. Actually write it out.
This will come back around later. At least twice.
3. Rank your Resume Experiences in terms of how useful they are based on that blurb you just wrote.
Keep the top ones that you can fit on your resume, in the order that you ranked them. Save this as a different file than your default resume!
4. Decide ahead of time what you want the tone of your emails and phone calls to be.
Look at the blurb in step 2 to help you decide. A safe default? Talk to your contacts like you would to a friend’s mom – friendly and open, but respectful and appropriate.
Is this a lot to take in? Let me email you a printable checklist and worksheet to help you through every step.
Before the Interview
5. Find your why.
Why do you want to work at this company? What do you hope to achieve? This can be anything from your moral code to putting food on the table. Don't be afraid to share your why - but make sure you have one. If you're "umm"ing and "well"ing to express your purpose, you might be interviewing for the wrong job.
Example: I want to work for this company because of the role you play in our community and because you make your customers’ days just a little bit happier, but also because you value your employees’ ability to support and be present for their families.
Example: This company is the place for me because I believe this field is important to the future of humanity and no other company is going down the route you are. I haven’t found any other companies whose work excites me as much as yours.
6. List out 2 talents/skills you have that will help you kill it at this job and 2 things you’re going to learn or get better at as you go.
Look at the 2-sentence blurb from step 2 for ideas.
Example: I’m good at multitasking, so I’m going to be able to crush xx responsibility. While I do the job I’m going to learn how to coordinate with other people better under pressure. (I can’t actually think of any job that this exact example can’t apply to.)
Example: I tend to be a perfectionist, which sometimes leads me to chase the “perfect” solution for way too long when I should be focusing on less ideal but more feasible solutions. I’ve been working on that for the last few years and have really improved - last year I was faced with a similar decision and was able to let go of the “perfect” solution at the right time in the project cycle.
They may ask what one of your “weaknesses” is, but you should talk about one area where you have “opportunity to grow”! Bonus points if you have a plan for improving, or have already started to improve!
7. List at least 2 questions for your interviewers.
It shows you're serious about the job and not just casting fishing lines randomly hoping to hook something.
A couple ideas:
What does a day in the life look like in this role?
Where do you see the company and this particular role in the next year? The next 5 years?
Do you feel the community in your office is supportive of learning new skills and developing untapped potential?
What are your expectations for how many hours I'd work a week, and what my schedule would look like? Will I be expected to pick up additional shifts without much notice?
What skills would you recommend I work on before I start work to best prepare for this job?
8. Recruit a friend for a pre-interview pep talk.
Their job is to tell you all the reasons you’re awesome. Take yourselves out for breakfast/lunch before the interview if you can, or meet up the night before.
Your self-confidence during the interview is your #1 asset. This seems silly, but DO IT. This sets your entire mindset going into the interview.
Oh, and unless you can't function without it, maybe skip the coffee. Definitely don’t want to be jittery.
During the Interview
Psst.... if your interview is coming up and you haven't done some of the earlier things on the checklist, get cracking! All of those things come together to make you awesome when you walk in the door.
9. Acknowledge your nerves. Being nervous means you care.
It's so tempting to try and stuff your nerves down under a mask of...well, non-nervousness, but that tends to make you seem stiffer, less open, and less interested - not the kind of impression you're trying to make. Let a nervous laugh happen here and there, smile it off, and let your nerves show your interviewers (who have all been on your side of the table, by the way) that you care.
10. Be both warm and polite from start to finish. Shake hands, say thank you, and practice active listening.
Good handshakes are the best bookends to any professional encounter! Begin your interview with a handshake, a smile, and a "how are you" or "how's it going". Don't be shy about finding a friend to practice handshakes with beforehand. As someone who has accidentally punched a client in the knuckles with a misjudged handshake, I'm sure they could use the practice too.
Active listening, which basically means listening super attentively to someone with the intent to understand everything they say, is a huuuugely important skill. I've heard everyone from couples' therapists to CEOs say that the most important skill a person can have is the ability to listen to and absorb what people are saying.
Definitely check out these articles from MindTools and SkillsYouNeed on active listening, with exercises and tips on this skill that will be useful throughout your life. But a super quick crash course:
Make a real, conscious effort to tune out distractions. In this moment, what the person is saying is the only important thing you need to pay attention to.
Nod....as often as appropriate. Incessant head bobbing is kinda weird, but anything is better than not nodding at all. Try nodding whenever the person says something insightful, or that answers a question you had in your mind.
Use facial expressions to mirror what their face is doing and what their words are saying. A small polite smile can be your default, but react to what they're saying. Check out this clip from Friends for a (super exaggerated and funny) example.
Don't hesitate to ask questions to clarify or follow up on what they said!
At the end of the interview, thank them for taking the time to meet with you and for a positive interview experience (if it was positive). Let them know you're coming away with a better idea of what the job entails and the company culture, and that you hope to see them again soon.
After the Interview
You thought you were done?? Not yet! Most of this next part is about how to take care of yourself in the wake of an interview, no matter how you're feeling about it.
11. Remind yourself of your own self-worth...out loud.
Pick at least two of these things, whichever resonate with you, to say OUT LOUD!:
That interview gave my potential employers a tiny look at what I have to offer them. If they're insightful enough, they'll see the rest of my potential.
Every positive moment in that interview happened because my talents and passion shone through.
I learned so many things during that interview that I can use to improve my interview performance.
I put myself out there, and that in itself was a huge act of courage.
12. Send a Thank-You email.
Thank your interviewers for the opportunity - again, this shows them you care (and are a polite person they should want to work with). This email should say something like:
Thank you for the opportunity to interview with your team. This appears to be a positive environment to work in and I hope to have the opportunity to develop my talents in this position, and to contribute to what is clearly an [important mission/growing field/inspiring project]. Please let me know if there is any more insight I can provide into my qualifications and motivations to help you with this hiring decision.
*Edit this to suit the specific job and your interview experience. Be honest by omission. If the interviewers were rude, don't call it a positive work environment. If the project seems un-motivating, don't call it inspiring. You owe yourself the dignity of being honest about your experience.
Share your interview experience in the comments below! I'd love to hear how your interview went and how these tips helped you. Got ideas for edits? Comment those too!
And for more ways to develop your professional self and your career, check out the Career & Lifestyle section of my Further Reads list.
Good luck!
-Siena