Prep For Your Big Interview

Written By Naomi Roth-Gaudette
 

I’ve talked to a few people recently who are heading into final round interviews. First off, if you are a finalist, congratulations! That’s no small feat. 

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I have seen an influx of people looking for jobs right now. I know it’s tough out there and I want to help you throughout all steps of your job search, from beginning to end. 

Side note: if you haven’t yet made it far in the hiring process, keep going. If you need guidance, check out our past Get Hired newsletters. This one is helpful if you just recently started your search. Even if you haven’t gotten to a final round interview yet, be sure to check out my tips to help you prepare when that moment arrives.

 

You can watch the video for the quick version. Here are my tips with a few more examples:

 

Read the job description line by line.

  • Make a list of all of the responsibilities listed in the job description and go through your past experience. Have at least one example for each responsibility.

  • If you don’t have examples of times when you have done that exact thing, prepare an example that shows how you can do the thing they want this person to do.

  • Alternatively, don’t pretend like you have done something you haven’t. That information always comes out eventually and you can erode trust. Be upfront about where you are still learning and you will show that you are self-aware. We are seeing more and more of our clients prioritizing self-awareness in interviews. 

Language Matters

  • Use the organization’s language. You have already read the job description line by line and created a list of how your experiences and expertise relate to the responsibilities. Pay note to how they describe the responsibilities.

  • For example, If they are talking about working with their “partners,” then make note of that language. If they talk about DEIB, that’s important information. If they talk about DEI, also make note of it and be sure to incorporate that into your preparation for the interview. 

  • Alternatively, when talking about their mission, don’t just repeat their mission statement. Make note of the words they use and then find a way to put it in your own words. They want to hear why you do this work and it’s hard to understand that if you are just repeating what’s on a page. Make it your own.

Research the people you’re meeting with

  • Go to LinkedIn and see how long they’ve worked at the organization and also see where they are coming from.

  • Bonus points if you ask them about something in their background that you also have connections to–like where they went to college, where they volunteer, or the organization where they spent a good chunk of their professional life in their twenties.

Block off time to send thank you notes

  • Think of this as another touch point about your experience. You aren’t actually thanking them as much as connecting with them.

  • Kristen Carver talked about this in the last Get Hired and gave some great examples. 

Increase your confidence

  • Some of us have superstitions (hello, lucky shirt) and some of us have certain rituals that help us feel more confident (like getting a blowout). Choose that unique preparation that helps you to feel more confident.

  • If you aren’t sure about what that ritual is, for many of us, just the act of preparing (and reading the job description line by line) will do the trick.

If you have a big interview coming up and use any of these tips, let me know how it goes.

This is not all! We are hiring for additional jobs and you can see all of our openings on the NRG website.

Upcoming Events:

Follow NRG on LinkedIn to stay up-to-date on all of the roles we are hiring for.

If you aren’t currently a member of the NRG Talent Network, consider joining. The questions take 3 minutes to complete and then we’ll send you job announcements when your criteria (salary, location, etc.) matches the position.

Let’s move,

Naomi

P.S.  If you’d like a partner to help you with your job search strategy, sign up right now for 15 minutes with Kristin to learn how NRG’s coaching programs can help you. 

If you find this newsletter helpful, forward it to your friends and help us build our network! If you received this from a friend, sign up here to receive future “Get Hired'' newsletters. 

 
Naomi Roth-Gaudette
Next

4 Tips after 1000 interviews