TIPS AND TRICKS FOR PREPARING FOR AN INTERVIEW: Respecting Others’ Time

Colleen Jenkins
Jul 25, 2017 · 3 min read

The last thing an interviewer wants to hear from a job candidate is, “So, tell me about your company.”

When it comes to respecting others’ time, it’s all about empathy. It is all about understanding another human’s wants and needs. In an interview, how do you separate yourself from other candidates? Make sure the interviewer/potential future employer knows you respect their time and show it. Startups, especially, do not have the time or resources to spend hours talking to candidates who are a) passive about their job search; b) don’t know about the company or position. Attempt to think from their perspective. Would you rather hire someone who came totally unprepared to the interview, hoping to be recruited, or someone who’s as equally interested in joining the company as you are considering hiring them?

Here are some quick tips on how to be a better job candidate:

1) Do Your Homework
What did you do to prepare? Don’t just read the job rec, peruse the website and skim the interviewer’s LinkedIn profile, check out their blog, google search to find related articles on the company and/or specific industry, check Crunchbase to learn stats about the company (i.e., how much capital they’ve raised and from whom, number of employees, learn about the VC that invested in them).

2) Have Questions Prepared
If you don’t have any questions, don’t expect a call back. You’re vetting the company as much as they’re vetting you. The interview is intended to determine whether it’s a good mutual fit. It’s just as much your part as it is the company’s to understand that. Here are a few questions to consider asking in an interview: What does success look like for the company? What is the biggest risk to the company? How would you describe your company culture? What’s the current runway, and future funding plans? What is current growth like? How would you describe your leadership style?

3) Be Willing to Share Ideas or Do a Project
There’s no better way to indicate your interest in an opportunity than to offer to demonstrate it through your knowledge and skill sets. Add as much value as you can. And when possible, do it quickly and for free. It is really that easy. People love being helped out. I mean who wouldn’t? Take the long view and optimize for the long run. Help people without expecting a “return on your investment” and good things will start to happen. Not sure how to add value? Not super technical? There are still so many things you can do.

  • Write a blog post for them
  • Interview them
  • Build a landing page for them
  • Redesign their newsletter / build them one
  • Write down a huge list of ideas and how you’d go about working on them
  • Ask if they have a short-term project you can work on, pro-bono

There are so many different things you can do to get your head in the game. Take control, be proactive with your search, and you will carve out the right opportunity for you. Trust me, it really does work.

Colleen Jenkins

Written by

Founder/CEO of PluggedIN HQ. PluggedIn is an events-driven platform that empowers companies and candidates to connect in a direct and deliberate way.

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade