3 simple interview hacks that will improve your chances
At NRG Consulting Group, we’re constantly talking to candidates on the job hunt (in February, we’re hiring for 100 jobs!). As a result of that work, we know what it takes for folks on the job hunt to impress a recruiter and move forward in the process. This newsletter is devoted to three simple interview hacks that will help you make the next round of an interview:
Give the job description a close read and prepare responses accordingly. The best prep you can do before an interview is re-read the job qualifications. Organizations spend countless hours fine-tuning these to make sure they tell the story of who they want to hire. As a candidate, you should come up with specific examples of experiences you've had that show you meet their must-haves. I'm always impressed when a candidate has clear stories they can share with me about things they've done that highlight how they succeed in the role I'm interviewing them for. If you don't have the specific experience they want, be ready with a story of a time you learned quickly on the job.
Send post-interview follow-ups. Taking the time to send an individualized thoughtful note thanking interviewers for their time and gushing about the organization can only help your chances – and you should do it at every stage of the interview process. As part of this follow-up, it's also a good idea to connect with them on LinkedIn. I remember presenting two candidates to a client at the final stage in the proces: one of whom sent a follow-up thank-you note and one who didn't. Who do you think the client went with?
Don't ask too many questions. The Q&A part of an interview can be tricky, so knowing when to ask what questions will get you far. As a recruiter, it drives me bonkers when people ask me millions of questions about an organization or role. I suggest limiting yourself to one to two questions at each step of the process. In the earlier rounds, you should be asking more process- or timeline-related questions. And later, when you’re talking to more senior people at the organization, you can get into substance. In my process, I've been adding a Q&A into my candidate workflow before or after hiring panels. The idea is to give the candidate a chance to ask a bunch of questions to the hiring manager or someone else on the team.
Bonus interview hack: Do whatever you can to increase your confidence. I’ve written about this before, but for me, that means paying someone else to blow-out my hair. I know it's vain, but fancy shiny hair always makes me feel 100%.
Those are my tips, but let me know if you have any go-to interview hacks that might be helpful to share with others.
Here are the top three jobs we’re featuring this week:
Executive Director at Contest Every Race; $120,000-$160,000; Remote.
Deputy Director for Racial Justice and Leadership at SEIU’s BOLD Center; $127,092; Washington, D.C. (or location within a 4 hour drive of D.C.).
Deputy Director: Partnership Development at Vote Rev; $122,000-$134,000; Remote.
Now, onto housekeeping!
NRG Consulting is offering coaching programs to folks on the job hunt, whether you’re an entry- or senior-level candidate. Check out the programs we’re offering on our website, and get in touch with us.
If you find this newsletter helpful, forward it to your friends and help us build our network! Also, if you have feedback or an idea for a future newsletter topic, shoot me a note.