The Interview Prep Phase
So you just got the interview — congrats! If you haven’t received information about the interview logistics, do some homework on Glassdoor/Blind/etc for some of the questions and experiences past applicants have gone through. Additionally, you should reach out to your recruiter to ask about the interview format.
A lot of times when I tell people to do this, they just stare at me and tell me “Asking my recruiter will hurt my chances of getting the job.” To be frank, the job of the recruiter is to help you land the job and they are a very strong resource for you to leverage navigating the recruiting process. I would rather walk into the interview prepared with what is expected than unprepared walking out with a Pikachu face when I get the rejection letter.
Now that you know the format of your interview, let’s prepare! For the sake of this guide, I’m going to focus more on the behavioral aspects of the interview than technical components* because soft skills are more critical for hiring since at the end of the day the people who decide if you get the offer or not want to know if you are a good communicator and someone that can vibe.
(* if you want to learn how to navigate the technical interview, I recommend reading up on https://sosp22.com/interviewprep)
I feel like a lot of people I talked to go Pikachu face when they don't get an offer when they were able to solve all the technical questions but their personality is a red flag. At the end of the day, you want to be as humane as possible and not some sounding robot.
For interview prep, I recommend
- Reading the job posting entirely while focusing on the qualifications and types of work you would be expected to do. What I do is copy-paste these sections on a Google Document and highlight the main points they are looking for in an applicant.
- If you don’t know your interviewer, ask your recruiter who they are so you can stalk them on Linkedin and can help navigate the conversation during your interview if you share something common (ie: both of you were in the same research group on campus)
- Stalk some people on Linkedin who are in the position you are interviewing with and feel free to message them for advice or read what they do in the company to get a feel of the role
- Preparing responses, also on a Google Document
- The pitch aka “Tell me about yourself.” The format I made myself for interviews usually goes like this:
Name, year, major at school
Pick 1–2 experiences you have done
Concluding sentence: Overall, I am passionate about the opportunity that [company] has to offer because of [talk about one value/project/culture that said the company has that really excites you]
- 2–3 stories using the S.T.A.R method (I recommend you read more about what this method is) that you can apply
- The more personable the better
- At the end of the interview, they ask if you have any questions for them, here are some questions I recommend asking. Feel free to make some more questions and be more personable where applicable.
What am I expected to accomplish within the first 3 months in the role?
What are some projects past [employees in this position] worked on?
[Ask this question if the vibes are good] When should I hear back about the next steps, I’m really interested in the company so I would be grateful to be kept in the loop.
If the recruiter goes, “I won’t be able to provide information”: I know you are busy with many applicants, but please let me know if any updates come along.
The Interview Preview
As someone who is very fascinated by logistics, I found it interesting how racing made me very focused on the small details of everything I do — from organizing events to school work.
Recently, I ran a 10K road race and I felt like the preparation I have done beforehand made me feel more confident going into the race than before. For example, in every long run I did I would always play the same songs in the beginning (Starboy), the middle (Stronger), and the end (One More Time) of the run to know how I am feeling and pacing-wise for my runs. In the days leading up to the race, I did a course preview and wrote out how I would feel and visualize myself after each mile marker. I also wanted to make sure every little detail preparing for the race — from the shoes to where to run to the finish line*— would not make me overwhelmed. One thing I always do the night before a big event (exam, race, talk, etc.) is write on a notecard how I feel and write any negative thoughts I have lingering then rip the notecard apart to feel better about myself.
(* for context, you had to take a sharp turn on this block to run near a parking lot entrance into the Memorial Stadium Football Field)
Now, tying this racing anecdote to interview prep, before the interview day I would get your logistics sorted out not just by asking your recruiter for the interview format but what clothing you would wear, how and where you are conducting the interview, and how you are feeling going into the interview. If your interview is remote and on Zoom, I would try to do a dry run getting your Zoom set up, and being in a quiet room to eliminate distractions.
I would also have that interview prep document handy to glance at but by all means please don't memorize line by line what you wrote because the intention of the interview prep document is to give you an overview of the interview and the main points you want to highlight in your interview. I learned this the hard way when I first started to interview reading everything off a document did not sound natural and felt robotic to an extent — it also made me go Pikachu face when I got rejected shortly after.
The Interview Day
Today is the day — it’s your interview! I would take this time to be excited because you know you are going to have a fun time and regardless of the outcome of the interview — you’re going to learn a lot 🙂
As I mentioned earlier, if you are having doubts before your interview, write how you feel on a notecard and rip it apart — you’re going to feel more confident afterward.
Now one pet peeve I have is showing up on time for my interview. I was once told that if you show up early, then you’re on time and if you show up on time, you’re late. I have a tendency to get myself situated within 15 minutes before the interview which ends up being getting my laptop set up and walking around the room a few minutes to feel better then trying to hop on the call a minute before the interview just so we can get started on time and respect the interviewer’s time.
When the interviewer starts the interview, they usually ask you how your day is. If they don’t you should ask them. I do this just so the interview sounds more personable and I feel like it’s just a conversation and not something scary I don’t need to be very stressed about. There are other ways you can start the convo but try to be as personable as you can.
Now for the interview itself, most of the time the structure is the same and you should refer to the interview prep section I talked about earlier.
You can tell if the interview is going well based on the ~vibes~ so just vibe and have fun with it!
After The Interview
The interview is done — give yourself a pat on the back. You did it!
One thing that a lot of people don't do after the interview is to write a thank you note. Now let me tell you, a thank you note goes a long way. Feel free to write a thank you note to the interviewers and mention 1 or 2 points that y’all talked about that were memorable or liked talking about.
Sometimes the only contact you have are for recruiters, you can email them to pass a note along to the interviewers to thank them for their time. Here is a generic template that you can use for a thank you note — personalize where needed.
Hello [name],
I wanted to personally thank you for helping me navigate the recruiting process for [company]. I enjoyed learning about the different opportunities [company] has to offer which fueled my excitement for the company even more.
I would also like to ask if you can extend my thank you to my interviewers for taking time out of their day to interview me as I had a very engaging conversation with everyone!
Lastly, is there an estimated time when I should hear back regarding the next steps? I would be grateful to be kept in the loop regarding the timeline.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Graciously,
[your name]
Following up
If you don’t hear back from the interview after 2 weeks, you should check in with the recruiter to ask what the status is. Don’t assume you got rejected because there is a lot of behind-the-scenes that goes on with hiring an applicant which takes time.
The Bad News
So you got rejected, now what?
By all means please do not think negatively about yourself or the company because the outcome was not what you expected. Instead, take some time to reflect and ask for feedback from the recruiting team about the interview.
Take every rejection as a redirection and an opportunity to navigate the process moving forward.
The Good News
So you got the offer, now what?
First, I want to say congratulations and you should treat yourself to something sweet (or savory if you don’t like sweet things) because of the offer!
I would not commit to the offer on the spot and give some time to determine multiple factors of the company and position.
One that comes to mind is negotiations and here are some articles I recommend you check out:
Final Thoughts
I hope you found this guide helpful and I wish you the best of luck with your recruiting journey 🙂
