Diving deeper into interview tips
In my last newsletter, I offered my top overall tips for nailing the phone screen step in the interview process. As promised, here are additional interview tips, including some that are potentially less obvious:
Prep an answer for what you do to work with an anti-racist lens, or your approach to DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) work. Everyone in the progressive nonprofit movements wants to hire candidates of color or candidates that care about inclusion and equity. So, write out and practice your response like you would your personal story.
Search your interviewer on LinkedIn. This is less about memorizing their job history and more about seeing if you know anybody that they know. Again, job searching is all about networking and connections, so if you can ask a mutual connection to vouch for you, that’s always helpful. And if you do have a shared interest that’s worth bringing up, go for it! But generally, I assume that everyone I’m interviewing has looked at my profile. Use your limited time to sell yourself and your story.
First impressions matter. Dress up even if it’s just a phone call to get in the mindset, and don’t freak out if the recruiter is a few minutes late (many are on back-to-back calls, have kids at home, etc.). Be ready to start strong with the personal story you’ve practiced, emphasizing why you want to work for them.
Don’t ask complicated questions the interviewer won’t know the answer to. This is especially true of phone screens or some early round interviewers, where the interviewer is a lower-level staffer or a recruiter the organization has outsourced to. It drives me bonkers when I’ve saved three minutes for questions and the candidate hits me with question after question I clearly wouldn’t know the answer to. I suggest asking a question about organizational culture and leaving it at that.
Don’t worry about getting interrupted. Most of us are still at home, after all, and we’re in this together! Some of my favorite interviews are the ones where a toddler pops into view, or a dog starts barking. Go with the flow.
Be thoughtful about time. Everyone’s busy these days, and as I said earlier, many interviewers are on back-to-back calls. Do your part to make sure the interview ends on time.
Send a thank-you note afterwards. Make sure you have the interviewers email (often in the calendar invite, but you should ask for it if not). Even if you don’t get the job, you’ve established this connection, so you should cultivate it.
Don’t (always) ask for feedback afterwards. People always ask me for feedback, and my lawyer tells me not to give any. So in general, it’s not worth asking (certainly not for a phone screen or early round interview). However, if you’re a finalist after a long interview process and don’t get the job, it can’t hurt in that situation to try it.
Here are the top three jobs we’re featuring this week:
Development and Events Manager at 826 Boston; $60,000; Roxbury, Mass.
Navigator at EdNavigator; $65,000; Boston.
Senior Policy Manager at Women Engaged; $75,000-$80,000; Atlanta.
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.
Naomi