Many of us would agree that the interview process can be a stressful experience. Add the complexity of interviewing for a technology company, and the pressure increases exponentially! That’s why I am stepping in as your friendly neighborhood recruiter, coming to you with pointers that can help you put your best foot forward in the first round of the interview process. I hope you will consider these with your experience at Tahzoo and beyond!
- First things first, show up. If you need to cancel or reschedule, do so a minimum of 24 hours in advance or as soon as you know you won’t be able to make it. We fully understand that things happen, so communication is key here. Be mindful of the fact that the person (or people) that are interviewing you probably have busy schedules, so be respectful of their time.
- Be early. Or at the very least, right on time. Even if it’s a video interview. Many of the communication platforms we use will let us know if you made it a point to be early to the scheduled meeting. Not only is it respectful, but there is a high chance that your interviewer has another interview following yours and if you’re late, it cuts down on your time to impress them. Not to mention docks a point on your behalf for being late!
- Read through the interview request email very carefully. It is very likely that we will use a technology to conduct the interview virtually, such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom, or Google Meet. Each of these are different in their own ways so make sure you download and test the platform ahead of time, so you are ready to go. You risk running late to the interview if you wait until right before the interview, which is simply not worth it!
- Do your research on the company. Start by digging through the company website. What are they discussing on their blog page? Are there any case studies you can read about that highlight their work, solutions, and impact? Next, you should conduct a google search on the company and their leadership to see if they’ve been highlighted in any articles. The more you know about the company, the more prepared you will feel.
- Re-read the job description and be prepared to talk about how your experience lines up with specifics of the role. Bring examples you can speak to that align with the preferred skills and top responsibilities on the job description. If you don’t have the exact experience listed in those bullet points, show where you have transferable skills. This will help the interviewer during the evaluation process and help you stick out as a top candidate.
- Turn your camera on if it is a virtual interview, especially if the interviewer has their video on. Also, be cognizant of your surroundings. Some virtual communication platforms allow you to blur your background or insert a background wallpaper.
- Find a quiet, empty space for your interview. If there are distractions in the room, not only will you be distracted but so will your interviewer.
- If asked to give an overview about yourself, don’t just read your resume. If you’ve made it to the first round of interviews, we’ve already read your resume. So, tell us the skills, experiences, and details that aren’t on it! Feel free to even tie in a few (appropriate) personal details. This helps with some quick relationship building with the interviewer and will make you more memorable.
- Ask genuine questions and be engaged. Don’t just ask about the hiring process or whether the position is a fully remote role. Take advantage of the time you have with the interviewer to learn more about them, the company, and the position. Remember that the interview is a two-way street; it begins the process of deciding whether the company is right for you and your career goals, not just if you are the best candidate for the company.
- Don’t underestimate the power of sending a thank you email. I’ve found that this is incredibly rare these days. Not only is it polite but in today’s competitive job market, anything that will make you stick out helps!
There you have it, my hot tips to keep in mind while you’re interviewing for that great new job. Now take a deep breath and remind yourself that you’ve got this… because job seeker - you do!
Good luck with the job search!