3 Secrets to Giving the Best Heckin’ Interview

Whether it’s in a formal setting for a professional position, or a social gathering and you’re pitching yourself to someone new — Interviews are probably one of the most nerve racking experiences embedded in our journey into adulthood

Life, in general, is mostly full of consecutive interviews. So it’s really not a hard thing to get really good at, with practice of course.

I was fortunate enough that throughout my undergrad career as part of a co-op program at the University of Waterloo, I was interviewed a few times but more so, had multiple chances to interview my replacements.

As a sum, I found that these 3 high-level strategies are what really helped me land my coop and full time jobs along the way.

1. Prepare, prepare, and prepare. One of the first things that an interviewer looks for is whether or not you know why you’re there.

The interviewer wants to know if YOU know what the company is, does, and whether or not you see yourself as a right fit for the company. If you don’t know anything about them — why should they take the time learning anything about you?

Now with this facet also comes learning some cool things about the firm, and specifically your division. The person across the table wants to see that you’ve gone past the ‘Summary’ section in Wikipedia and that you’ve already done your research.

Taking 10 minutes and reading deeper into a company can really make you stand out from another candidate — and it comes off as a genuine interest.

I mean at the end of the day, would you enjoy spending time with someone who doesn’t care about your life and only talks about themselves for the entire duration of the conversation?

Another cool thing about the modern digital age, is that you can literally find an answer to almost everything online. In cases of behavioural interviews, look at the most common questions that are asked and prepare answers beforehand.

So if you get asked that during the interview, you can pretend to think, (instead of actually having to think) and give an amazingly articulated answer that will just make them put a ring on it.

2. Appearance matter. You’ve probably heard “the interviewer has made up their mind within the first 30 seconds after you walk in”. Not saying that’s true ALL the time, but even if it is — the fact that you know this, works in your favour. One of the key things — with anyone in life — is the importance of first impressions. So even if the dress code says business casual — dress the heck’ up.

Wear your Sunday best and show up there looking to kill it. Smile, laugh, enjoy yourself. You might as well enjoy the hour you’re there instead of being nervous!

3. Ask questions. One of the hardest things to remember during the whole interview process is the fact that you’re interviewing THEM as well. You’re trying to see if it’s a good fit for you, and whether if it’s worth your time. Use the time they give you for questions, and make sure to ask intelligent, insightful questions that will help you get an understanding of how they operate and whether or not it’s the right fit for you.

Sure, ask questions such as “can you walk me through a day in the life” or “what the company culture is like” because it does give you information that’s useful, but also ask questions that make them think.

For example, a question I really enjoyed asking when I interviewed was “Under stressful circumstances, would you want a task to be perfect but late, or on time but not as thoroughly checked? Assuming thoroughly checked and on time isn’t a viable option at that point in time”. A question like this makes them think about the way they do their business and it gives you a sense of the culture within that specific business unit.

Many times, these questions will be the deciding factor that will make them lean towards you over another candidate.

Ultimately one of the key things when going into any interview is staying calm, and having confidence oozing from you. You got all the way to an interview for a reason! All they’re really trying to figure out — is not if you’re the right fit — but if you might be the wrong one. All you have to do is persuade them you were born for that job, and their going to be lucky to have YOU!

Happy hunting!