10) The interview process checklist ✅

A checklist of important things to keep in mind as you interview (before, during and after the process.)

(To use our interactive study guide product for interview prep, visit InterviewX.co)

There are a million specifics that go into your interview process, and you don’t need to spend time obsessing over the minutiae as opposed to the stuff that’s important big picture. However, this chapter is a good opportunity to take note of the things that maybe weren’t on your radar, and to adjust accordingly.

When you’re early on in your career, there may just be things you’re not used to thinking about, and have to learn the hard way. This chapter hopes to give you fair warning so there isn’t a need to learn from experience.

Clean your digital footprint

Even before you submit your resume, you should Google yourself in an incognito window and see what comes up, and view that content through the eyes of your prospective company. Can you easily find a Twitter account with risky or inappropriate tweets? Can you easily see public Facebook photos where you’re doing something embarrassing?

Clean up your entire social media footprint, and get a sense for anything unflattering that might appear in a Google search. If it’s easier to just turn your profiles to private for the time being, that’s always a safe option.

Get there early

Make sure you get to the interview early. Assuming your day is free, see if you can camp out at a nearby coffee shop at least 45 minutes before the interview is set to begin. As the interview approaches, you can walk over to try to arrive about 15 minutes early.

It may seem overly paranoid, but the last thing you want is for traffic or something else uncontrollable to make you late, or almost just as bad, for you to get so nervous about being late that you can’t find a zen mental state.

Dress appropriately

Be sure to dress appropriately to a job interview, and keep in mind, every type of job has a different standard for what type of attire is acceptable. In an investment banking interview (for example), it’s expected that you will wear a suit and tie. In a tech start up, wearing a suit and tie would be a giant red flag, as its an indication that you’re tone deaf as to the culture.

Do some research, and in many cases, you can simply ask the recruiter (usually your point of contact at the company, guiding you through the interview process.) Final thing- even at the most casual of offices or cultures, always make sure to be well groomed- nice haircut, shave (or neatly trimmed beard), cut fingernails- all the little stuff you may rarely think about.

Be nice to everyone, especially your recruiter

In every interaction, with your recruiter, with the folks at the front desk, with your interviewers, be kind and polite. This should go without saying, but a rude interaction with a recruiter will absolutely count against you. Your recruiter is your advocate, and you need to partner with them and establish a strong relationship to get the best result.

Project confidence

During your interview, you will want to make sure to project confidence (not cockiness) even if you’re nervous. It’s natural to feel nervous, but part of your job as an interview is to not convey that energy. Tell yourself that you’re not nervous, that you’re excited for the opportunity! If you have a positive inner dialogue, you will feel and perform better. Having an excited, confident, enthusiastic tone will help!

Be present and practice active listening

An effective way to stave off nervousness (and an absolute necessity in an interview setting) is to be present in the moment with the person interviewing you, and try to form a genuine connection with them. Interviews are conversational- it’s not a test like you took in school, it’s a conversation between two human beings. Be loose, and be focused, and try to enjoy this person’s company. If you’re present and actively listening, and giving your interviewer your full attention, you’ll be sharper, calmer, and a better conversationalist.

Active listening coaches advise “listen like the person had something to share that will give you a million dollars.” In the case of a job interview, it is actually true that your financial future depends on the outcome.

Answer formatting essentials

Be Concise

Another reminder, because it can’t be stated enough: keeping your answers CONCISE is extremely important. You will want to answer the question completely as efficiently as possible. If your interviewer wants to press or learn more details, they can and will follow up. Don’t assume they want a long answer- try to keep your responses efficient and conversational.

Be Specific

Avoid generic or vague claims without examples. Instead of saying something like “I’m a natural leader,” say “I’m a natural leader, and have been involved with student government and leadership positions my whole life. That includes roles with…” Being specific, and never being vague, is very important, and something people have a hard time getting right.

Choose examples where you were proactive

Choosing examples where you were proactive and operated with intent are the best types of answers and stories. Proactive is better than reactive, and much better than no action at all.

Recalling anecdotes & getting un-stuck when you’re stuck

Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to find “the perfect anecdote” to fit a question. The InterviewX product (coming soon) is geared towards this recollection process- they all don’t have to be insanely compelling stories, they are just meant to provide dozens of possibilities during your interview.

If you’re asked a question where you can’t think of a good answer right away, feel free to ask the interviewer to clarify, or even pause initially to collect your thoughts. Finally, if you realize you can’t think of an example that matches up with the questions specifically, feel free to pivot.

Don’t be intimidated by “brick wall” interviewers

It’s possible you might run into an interviewer who intentionally projects an aura of unhappiness with every answer you provide- they may try to act like a “brick wall” to see how you respond. Do not get flustered! Try to stay comfortable, and realize that their response is no indication of how you are performing. It’s actually against protocol in most companies for interviewers to indicate visibly how you’re performing, so divorce yourself from needing that reassurance, especially if you suspect this person is intentionally being difficult to read.

Be honest and genuine

Do not exaggerate or embellish your accomplishments, especially on your resume. Resume embellishments are impossible to change later, and are easier to prove than you think. Most hiring managers will contract a background check agency to check on the nature of your past internships or jobs, and they will often speak to your old bosses.

Additionally, if you embellish your stories, the strong potential exists for your interviewer to dig deeper and deeper into your responses, continuing to ask you more clarifying questions until inconsistencies are discovered. This is a common interview technique used to root out “BS” and falsehoods.

Integrity is a core tenet of the culture of most employers- they are relied upon by customers have integrity, to protect their information, to always be honest, and a lie in an interview as a red flag that cannot be ignored. So stick to the truth- lying or embellishing is a silly reason to be eliminated from an interview process. Preparing and planning for your interview (which is exactly what this process accomplishes) is the best strategy.

If they say “do you have any questions for me?” say yes

Interviewers always conclude with “do you have any questions for me?” The answer should always be yes. Ask to clarify things that you found interesting during the interview, or things you’re genuinely curious about. They should always be respectful, intellectually curious, and never rude or too direct. The wording of these questions should always sound natural and unrehearsed, but here are a few examples and ideas:

• How do you see [company] evolving over time?
• What is your team most focused on over the next year?
• What are the biggest risks or challenges you see on the horizon?
• I’m curious- what types of qualities have you found in your most successful new hires?
• What are the most challenging aspects of this role?
• I’d love to hear more about your background- how did you find this opportunity originally?
• What will a successful hire have accomplished in the first 30 days?
• What do you know now that you’d want to tell yourself as a new hire here?
• Can you tell me a little bit about the culture here, and what makes it unique?

This is an opportunity to convey that you are trying to sell yourself on this role, and that you’re not desperately and blindly seeking approval. Questions that seek to truly better understand what the experience will ACTUALLY be like shows that you are discerning, have options, and want the best fit for your own happiness.

If you’d like to learn more

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